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Sunday, May 5, 2024

ARC Review: Rising Sun (Elven Kingdoms #1)

Rising Sun (Elven Kingdoms #1)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant introduces a wickedly seductive new series with a ruthless, jaded elf and a bewitching human hiding a powerful secret—unlikely soulmates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

Nothing could make Yasmin return to Shaldorn, the place of nightmares. But when she’s caught stealing, she’s given an ultimatum: take Ravi over the Dangerous Peaks to the stronghold or face imprisonment.

She has no choice but to agree, though she intends to escape the elf as soon as she reaches the mountains. Yet, as they battle nature itself, the two enemies find common ground—and an all-consuming passion.

Can they prevail in their dangerous heist, or be torn apart by a betrayal?



Themes:  Fantasy

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

So, I have to admit, going into this story I had no idea what to expect because I didn’t recall the way that this story might or might connect with other Grant stories and was worried if I would be diving into the deep dark of the ocean with no life vest.  But I am glad to report that if you are readers of the Grant Dark King’s series you will begin to understand the connections within this story quickly.  We have run across the Elven Kingdom in passing previously with the Dragon King Kendrick found his Mate Ester in an elven warrior and their adventure led them across the Elven border.  This story is just the newest branch in Grant’s amazing imagination of the Dark world if you want to look at it that way and she takes us on a perilous journey from one end of the Elven kingdom to the other. That said, while there was a little bit of a romantic bent to the story, I would definitely classify this story as less of a romance and more of a fantasy novel, where the core of the story was the plot of the characters being pitted against the elements and their enemies the emotions and connection that I was hoping for, though that came in essence at the vert end of the story.  With very interesting and complex side characters I am truly looking forward to more in this series and cannot wait to see how Grant ties it in with the rest of the Dragon Kings novels as I can only imagine that war is on the Horizon for Zora and these Elves are not going to be able to escape the consequences anymore than the Dragons.

Yasmin is simply a human that has done whatever she has to do to survive in the world she finds herself in where humans are not only powerless but truly treated as less.  She hasn’t always been honorable, but she has always looked after others that are even more powerless than herself and now it has gotten her into trouble.  When she is caught in a trap by the powers that be, she is forced to face the most terrifying part of her past as she is blackmailed into escorting an annoyingly judgmental and intriguing Elf to the most dangerous stronghold in the kingdom. Ravi doesn’t trust Yaz, but he needs her to get her into Shaldorn in order to prevent a tragedy and possible war, but the more time he spends with her, watching her face challenges and learning about her past, the more he changes his opinion of her.  Soon he can no longer deny that he judged her incorrectly and the trust that has built between them is more than just partners and he cannot live without her.  But when he almost loses her, Ravi has to accept that sometimes only by giving up everything you thought you wanted in life is how you get what you truly need.

I truly loved seeing these two enemies, from such different walks of life, with pasts that neither understood or wanted to share, come to fully trust and love each other.  The cliché of enemies to lovers is true for a reason, because sometimes only by opening yourself to true vulnerability cane you come to fully love and trust your partner.  Yaz has had a truly tragic and traumatic past, one that I caution you can be painful to read, and when she is forced to relive it, I almost cried along with her and Ravi.  Her pain and fear were fully supported by those events, and I loved that her sharing with Ravi slowly opened his eyes and heart, teaching him that sometimes the means do not support the end goal.  It was so beautiful that she was willing to sacrifice herself in order to help Ravi not only survive in the end, but also to help him succeed in his mission and save others, showing us that despite her being only a human she had a pure heart and that her extra power was granted to just the right person. Love rewards those that share their love. Ravi was a bit of an ass in the beginning; his superiority, not only as an elf, but because he wasn’t a criminal like Yasmin, convincing him that he was truly better than her.  But as he grows and changes, getting to know his partner, see her in action and hearing about her past, he because more of the partner she needed all along I loved seeing him kicking butt and taking names in order to do whatever it took, not only to accomplish his mission, but also to save Yaz when he almost lost her.  However, I have to tell you, despite being a superior elf, with all kinds of training a skill, he proved to be a simple MAN and does the stupid thing almost losing her all on his own later on and I just wanted to slap him upside the head… honestly it has to be a testosterone thing!  Thankfully in the end they managed to come to their senses and find a way to get what they both wanted and needed together.

This foray into a new branch of the long running world for Donna Grant is beyond intriguing with dark and terrifying characters, tragic backstories, and magic that is fascinating.  I am truly looking forward to this new undertaking and hoping for many more stories, starting with installment two, Dark Heart, coming soon.  Yasmin is a human with just that little bit extra she has been hiding for a long time, but that has guided her to safety more than once.  Now she is forced into a dangerous mission and one that she knows she may not make it back from, until she comes to truly care for and trust her partner.  Ravi has no love for the humans around him, and even less for the criminal he is forced to partner with, but when she proves more than up to the challenges, they face he quickly comes to care for her.  Together they are determined to stop tragedy and make it home, but the deck is stacked against them and neither of them is willing to risk the other’s life, so when the chips are down it might come down to a single fatal decision if they aren’t careful.  I loved every moment of this story and despite the romance being subtle and more of a very slow build, there was a very sweet falling for both Ravi and Yaz and I look forward to seeing them together in the future books in the series as they continue their lives together. Grant never fails to give us an epic quest when she begins a new series, filled with beautiful world building, character development, terrifying villains, and you will not regret diving into Rising Sun. Well played, Ms. Grant, well played.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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