Book Review: Brand of Light (The Droseran Saga #1) by Ronie Kendig

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Ronie Kendig
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Release Date: December 3rd, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order-not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted-or cursed-with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

Thank you to the author for a gifted audiobook.

INTRIGUED.

I love having a new completed series to work through and I am definitely invested enough to keep going on this one! This is such a cool sci-fi world. I love all of the different groups and planets and politicking. Once you’ve got your footing in the world and what’s happening it’s easy to be invested.

There’s multiple POV’s and multiple romances and I loved following them all. I enjoyed these characters and thought the audiobook narrator did a good job of all the different voices needed. I did start to feel the length of the story towards the end and thought some of it could have been a bit shorter, but like I said, it doesn’t deter me from continuing. There’s action scenes that ramp up the intensity and I was on pins and needles multiple times.

Such a good start, can’t wait for more!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sci-Fi + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: torture

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ARC Book Review: Lady of Basilikas (The Droseran Saga #5) by Ronie Kendig

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: 327 pages
Author: Ronie Kendig
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s determined to prove this errant king unworthy. He’s determined to prove her wrong.

Under attack from without and within, Jherako teeters on the brink. Vaanvorn Thundred, suddenly in possession of a throne he never expected to inherit, will do anything to pull his kingdom from the edge, even if it means striking a marriage bargain with the formidable Faa’Cris. But a skycrawler opens Vorn’s eyes to realities outside his world, and his limits are tested.

Lady Valiriana has one goal when she is sent out from Deversoria: prove this Jherakan king, the one his people call the Errant, unworthy of an alliance with any Faa’Cris. When she exchanges her freedom for that of another, Valiriana finds herself under house arrest—in the king’s house. Determined to take advantage of her proximity, she delves into the depths of the king’s character. What she finds turns her mission on its head.

Vorn must decide: break a planet-wide Accord, risking his throne and life, or leave his country—his planet—vulnerable to threats far bigger than he ever imagined. And Valiriana grapples with unpalatable truths as she discovers the king is anything but errant, while her heart, on the other hand, is a different story.

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Ronie Kendig for the gifted copy.

OOO I LIKED THIS.

Honestly, this wasn’t on my radar until BOMM reached out about reading it, and now I’m grateful because I very much enjoyed this and have plans to go back to the start of the series.

Let me explain, Lady of Basilikas is a prequel story. From my understanding it can be read at the beginning or end of the series though. The only issue I had reading it first was that some of the terminology for the world building left me a bit lost. It does start to make sense as things go along at least.

I thought the romance had a lot of great heat and I liked the will they/won’t they nature. Valiriana had many prejudices to overcome and Vaanvorn was learning how to be king. I enjoyed their journey and am curious to see how this connects back into the plot of the main series.

It’s a pretty fast paced read. I liked the action and politicking and I think this sci-fi world is intriguing. So even if you’re not a fan of this series [yet], I definitely recommend and I’m excited to see what the rest of this world is about!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sci-Fi Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high

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