Series: The Watchers of Moniah # 1
Format: Kindle, 346 pages
Release Date: December 15, 2020
Publisher: New Mythology Press
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy / RomanceAn elite Watcher trainee, fifteen-year-old Princess Adana had everything
going for her. Everything, that is, until her mother, the queen, dies.
Too young to be queen herself, her mother’s last royal act is a decree
that seals Adana’s fate—she’s to be sent to the neighboring Kingdom of
Elwar for her own protection. She’ll be alone there, as the only person
Adana knew in Elwar—her betrothed, Prince Serrin—dies at the same time
as her mother.
The three-year stay in Elwar seems like a death
sentence, as she will be separated from her telepathically-bonded
giraffe and removed from her Watcher training. It only gets worse when
she meets the person who will be teaching her about the rules of court
protocol and politics—Serrin’s stepmother, Queen Quilla, a sharp-tongued
woman who dislikes everything Adana stands for.
When a vision
shows her the existence of Maligon—a tyrant thought killed twenty years
prior—she realizes everything is not as it seems in the Four Kingdoms.
Evil is at work in the shadows, and Maligon will stop at nothing short
of total control over the Four Kingdoms. Will she be ready in time to
claim her birthright, or will Maligon succeed with his malevolent plans?
The Watchers of Moniah is the first installment in author Barbara V. Evers series by the same name. In this world, there are four countries: Moniah, Elwar, Belwyn, and Teletia. The story manly takes place in Moniah and Elwar with brief glimpses at Belwyn and Teletia. 20 years ago, Queen Chiora of Chiora was forced to banish a man named Maligan who she deemed to be a traitor to the crown and the country. Maligon's Treacherous War is still being read by royals 20 years later. Maligan was trusted by Chiora so his betrayal cut deeply. At the same time, she has a vision of a child who will face insurmountable struggles. That child is Adana.
15-year old Princess Adana has trained with the elite Watchers of Moniah which are all women. At 15, Adana can't become Queen of Moniah until she turns 18 which makes the situation dire when her mother suddenly dies along with Adana's betrothed, Prince Serrin of Elwar. Chiora's last order is that Adana spend 3 years in Elwar under Queen Quilla learning how to become a Queen. One of the more interesting aspects of this story is how Adana is connected to a Giraffe which you see on the cover of this book. Adana, like her mother, is bonded to a Giraffe. Adana's is called Am'brosia.
Through Am'brosia, Adana learns a shocking truth. Maligon is alive and attacking villages in Moniah. While Adana and her protection detail is heading for Elwar, readers discover that yes, Maligon is alive and well, and regrouping. He's made alliances with people who believe in his vision of a united kingdom under his rule thanks to a young Watcher who saved his life after being strapped to a donkey and sent to wander the desert and die by Chiora. He apparently has plans for Adana who is the daughter of the woman he once loved. He honestly believes that what he's doing is what Chiora wanted to happen until she found Micah, the man who help save her country.
In the Kingdom of Elwar, Prince Kiffen is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Serrin. Afflicted with the same illness that took the life of Chiora, Kiffen's life is about to change in ways he couldn't image. Told by Serrin and his father King Donel to watch over and protect Adana at all costs, that she knows nothing of their ways, and Queen Quilla is vicious as a snake, Kiffen accepts the challenge and soon grows close to the girl. Kiffen is put between a woman, Queen Quilla, who isn't all that likable, and a young girl who will one day be Queen of Moniah if she survives. The battle between the two women will take up a large portion of the story while Maligon and his supporters slowly divide and conquers.
As a Kingdoms Council is taking place in Elwar where all the main players will attend, including King Micah, it may already be too late to stop Maligon from completing his mission and for Adana getting involved in a war before her Recognition Ceremony truly makes her Queen of Moniah. As you would expect, this book takes place over a period of 3 years. Adana also begins to have visions of things to come. Things that will eventually play out exactly how her visions show her. Some of the story is even told in Belwyn and Teletia where the leaders of the country encounter a world of hurt.
As this is the first installment in the trilogy, there is a huge cliffhanger ending. As always, I refuse to discuss the ending, and will continue on with reading The Watchers in Exile shortly. There are a lot of players in this story. Thankfully, the author lists all of the important ones at the end of this story.
Thanks for the review!
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