Princess Raisa is looking forward to her 16th birthday, but her life will change drastically because this is the time when she will be named as the heir to the throne. Though she knows that she will be queen one day, she is also concerned about the boys in her life. She is strongly attracted to Amon Byrne, the son of the captain of the guard, but she cannot ignore the affections of Micah, the son of the High Wizard. Raisa must be careful with her emotions because her future queendom lies in the balance. If she chooses the wrong husband, disaster may ensue.
Meanwhile, a young thief named Han Alister has just acquired a powerful amulet from a destructive group of young wizards that traces back to the illustrious demon king. At first, Han has no idea that the amulet is a connection to the cuffs that he has worn all of his life. He just knows that the young wizards do not need to have it in their possession. As time goes on, Han begins to realize exactly who he is, and the power that he possesses.
When Raisa and Han meet, neither knows the identity of the other. Their stories mesh together as each is trying to assert authority and individuality.
In this first installment of the Seven Realms series, Chima introduces these characters and weaves their stories together so that readers cannot wait for the next story. You will definitely want to continue reading the series to see what happens to Raisa and Han.
Recommended by: Linda Kay, Librarian, Texas USA
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The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima ( The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne and The Crimson Crown)
Take a group of wizards, a clan of fighters and two young lovers betrayed and you have the setting for the epic fantasy series, The Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima. Sixteen-year-old former street lord Han Alister, called Cuffs for the silver cuffs that he cannot remove from his wrists, and his clan friend, Dancer encounter three wizards making illegal fire on a sacred mountain. When Han takes an amulet from one of them, he is catapulted into a completely different life hunted by those who wish to regain the evil talisman said to have once belonged to the Demon King. Soon his life will intertwine with Raisa ana'Marianna, the princess of the weak queen of the country. Together they will battle clans, wizards, friends and foes and even each other seeking to stop the battles that threaten to destroy them all.
Recommended by: Carole Soden, Librarian, California USA
Read alikes: Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
