Book Tour & Reviews: Guardians of Light Series

Dara Khan Androcles was trained from childhood to be a healer. But as a
demon-possessed invader threatens Safehold, and she defends a wounded
warrior on the battlefield, her hidden inner dragon thirsts for blood.

When she lifts the warrior’s blond, blood-encrusted hair away from his
ear, she discovers he is more than King Hengist’s outlander ally.
He is an immortal. The elven heir to the throne of Cymry.

Loren ta Cedric senses something different about flame-haired, falcon-eyed
woman who saves him. A healer, wreathed in raw, dark power, who
wields knives with deadly skill. A mortal who prays to the Lady, not
the human gods. Now he owes this thoroughly distracting female a
Life-Debt. Which, in the heat of their flight to Loren’s homeland
to raise an army, somehow becomes Life-Mate.

Dragon-human and elf, peasant and prince, logic says they have no future.

Yet the power of their unlikely bond could be the only thing that saves their
world from a demon poised to tear it apart.

Warning:
This new twist on Cinderella contains a grouchy dragon, a sentient
war mare with the dry wit of a certain English Dame, and a fiery
heroine who strikes serious sparks with a mercenary elf.

Let me start by saying that I have binge-read this series during the last days, as I was out with a cold. I am telling you, they kept me warm and focused on something else than sneezing and spreading viruses all over the couch. I’ll take them one by one and walk you briefly through them.

Who would have thought to mix Cinderella with dragons? Renee Wildes did and did it well! We have a mix of species here, a world unbelievably well developed to the point you feel like you belong there. This entire universe, with these amazing characters is so captivating.

Darla’s abilities are well illustrated and, when her good intentions bring her close to a wounded warrior, her life will completely change. Seeing her release her inner strength was fantastic. Seeing Cedric connecting to her on a deeper level is so pure. All while fighting a war they never thought they’d be fighting together.

I loved it! 5 stars!

Cianan ta Daneal’s mission to the fractured land of Shamar is twofold: to
overthrow a despotic queen, and to save a life. For months, he’s
been haunted by recurring visions of a beautiful swordswoman
slaughtered by a skeleton army. He never expected to lay eyes on that
woman and recognize her as his Lifemate—or that she’d turn and
run like hell.

Uniting Shamar’s diverse peoples in revolt is easy compared to

the delicate task of wooing a woman who flinches from his touch.

Slowly, Maleta dares to hope that her country, what’s left of her family,
and her shattered heart are safe in Cianan’s steady hands. But when
the cold blade of fate strikes true, can she trust his love is strong
enough to pull her back from the Abyss?

Warning:
This new twist on Sleeping Beauty contains an assassin nun who knows
no fear. Okay, just one fear, but it’s a biggie. And an Elven
paladin with the Devil’s own negotiating skills. To coax her heart
out of hiding, he’s gonna need every one of them.

These retellings are mesmerizing! After finishing book one, I immediately started “A Guardian’s Hope”. I enjoyed this one as much as the previous one, maybe a little bit more, as we see a main character with issues. Maleta has memories she cannot escape. She is haunted by her past, she wants to win back her land. Nothing can stop her. With the Gray Goddess guarding her back, she is reborn!

Cianan has his own nightmares to fight off. He sees death surrounding him and a mysterious beautiful woman. He is willing to save her, he is willing to protect her, but can Maleta trust another man? Her scars run so deep and I love how the author put that into words. I love how she struggles to see Cianan as his Mate.

The story was well paced, full of twists, politics and, let not forget, magic! Great one again! Let’s see what we have in book 3.

Tasked with finding and returning dragons to his mountain homeland in the
east, Trystan follows a slim lead westward across an unfamiliar sea.
When pirates attack his ship, leaving him with injuries too severe
for his werewolf to heal, he comes face to face with the most
unexpected of rescuers—Finora, her two, half-human children, and
the biggest damned dog he’s ever seen.

Tristan and Finora’s attraction is instant, undeniable, and hopeless.
Finora is pulled to the sea, Tristan is tied to the land. But Finora
can help him complete his mission, and share one night of searing,
heartbreaking passion. And memories only the deepest of betrayals
could shatter…

Warning:
Contains Celtic legends, seven-year curses, dragons with bad
attitudes, imperiled children, a grumpy sea goddess, and wave upon
wave of soul-searing pleasure.

You know what convinced me to read “A Guardian Revealed”? The warning (and the dragons)! And indeed, it delivers. This was yet another book in the “Guardians of Light” series that I enjoyed a lot!

Finora has not had the best of luck when it comes to love. Betrayed and left as a human, with children to care for, she lost her hope of ever recovering her magical half. Her luck changes when she meets Tristan. He is a man on a mission, even if pirates may have taken him a step back. Finora may be exactly what he needs.

Now, after reading the first two books, I must admit this one was a different experience. I wanted more attitude from our main characters. I wanted a bit more flame in their actions. But this doesn’t mean I did not love it almost as much as the previous ones. It was just as great and complex, but different in some ways. 4.5 stars, but I round it to 5!

Caught and imprisoned by an ungrateful goblin sorcerer, she’s now trapped
underground, chained, her despair growing as her time ticks down yet
warmed by the memory of a man she has only touched in dreams.

Benilo ta Myran drained his spirit healing powers during the war, but he has
no choice. The beautiful faerie in his dreams is in trouble, and not
even his worried king and queen can stop him from trying to save her
before the darkness snuffs out her light.

Finally they are together—chained side-by-side in a goblin dungeon. Their
only hope for escape is to break the law to merge their powers in a
ritual so intensely erotic it binds them for life. However short and
nightmarish that life might be…

Warning:

Beware beautiful faeries and hot elves appearing in your dreams. They may
lead you astray…and steal your heart.

The warnings these books have… How can you not read them?! This book was even more complicated than the previous three. I mean, both characters have the ability to see things through their dreams, both want to heal others and both find themselves in the same prison at some point. Initially, it feels like suicidal, Benilo may seem out of his mind. But when the pull of a Mate sucks you in, what can you do? Pryseis’ desire to help lands her in trouble. Little did she expect an elf would come and save her.

I am not sure how comfortable I am with how they found their way out of trouble. Overall, the story was great, even if I am not a fan of elves necessarily (something about long and pointy ears …), the chemistry was amazing, just the “how they did it” was off somehow. But 4 stars and my love and admiration for the author should compensate. Renee Wildes did a fantastic job with the world building and character development. I adore her writing!

Finally reaching book 5, I feel this series turns my world around. So much magic, so many twists and turns and so many strong heroines! “A Guardian’s Destiny” does not disappoint at all. Verdeen’s pride is wounded, when she is forced to accept a lesser mission. Little did she know the dangers she would face. Aryk also has to face his own pride, when having to trust a woman, as a warrior.

Business set aside, they learn the connection they share runs beyond the field of battle. They will discover the passion one kiss can unleash. Is this enough for them? The world is full of dangers and they have to face a lot!

I don’t know if this is exactly the “crown jewel” of the series, because I have enjoyed all of them. But I do believe this is yet another one full of lies and intrigue. With a twist I never saw coming, I was completely hooked into this world.

After reading this entire series, I can say I’ve missed this feeling of devoting my time to 5 books! I loved the combination between magic, at certain levels, magical beings and shifters and romance. I was hooked and I still am! I plan to revisit the series and follow the author closely!