Seed of Seerling by Amy Kennedy
About the book:
An act of compassion in her childhood forces Astril and several of her fellow Seerlings into slavery to the Harkans. Once she finds that her new owner is taking her to Augur, a priest in the service of the One True God, Astril seizes the opportunity to fulfill a promise to her beloved grandmother. Augur teaches her of true sacrifice and helps her to see clearly the horrors of her family line. Her new passion and belief push her further from her destiny to become the next High Priestess of the evil Great Goddess and into the saving arms of her new God. Meanwhile, Astril is haunted by her past and shocked to find out what her future as the Seed of Seerling will require.
Toren is in constant rebellion to his grandfather, King Kortan’s plans for his future. After studying under Priest Augur for more than two harvests, the prince returns to Harkan ready to begin his service in the King’s army. The unexpected capture of a group of Seerling soldiers brings back the memory of a kindness shown him as a child. Staring into the large, gray eyes of the Seerling girl, Toren is overwhelmed with a desire to protect her. His desire to protect his new slave leads him on a journey of self-discovery and true love. Toren faces the hardest decision of his life when he finds that her past will conflict with the future he has planned.
My thoughts:
First off, let me say that I do not typically read anything in the Christian fantasy genre. However, when I read what this book was about, I was intrigued, and I was not disappointed. Amy Kennedy's debut novel was simply fabulous!
Come to the land of the Seerlings and the Harkonians where you are taking your life into your own hands if you cross into the enemy's territory. The Seerlings have a deep heritage in an old magic that has taken hold of nearly everyone that lives in their land. Astril, a Seerling, has been borne into the bloodline of the High Priestess, and her mother greatly desires that Astril follow in her footsteps of evil. Astril's grandmother, on the other hand, desires that Astril follow the One True God.
In the Harkonian lands, Toren is the grandson of the current king. As a young boy, Astril saved his life, and he vowed that he would always protect her and not let any harm come to her. One day many years later, everything changes completely. The Seerlings and the Harkonians engage in a battle, and many of the Seerlings are taken as slaves, including Astril. Toren recognizes her, and remembers the vow he made. He begs his grandfather, the king, if he can have Astril as his own slave. The king agrees to this, and Toren takes Astril to live with the priests of the One True God. What Toren does not know is that evil is now lurking right under his nose.
As I mentioned before, I don't typically read this genre, but I know it must be good when I managed to read it in 24 hours!! I would love to read a sequel to this book if there is one planned.
4 Stars
Southern? No
Sass? No
**Many thanks to the author for providing a copy for review.
You can also visit Amy on ShoutLife:
http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=102238
