Publisher: YLVA Publishing
‘Destiny’s Choice’ is the third book in what I thought would be a trilogy, but I was apparently wrong as this ends on a ‘to be continued’ sort of note. Not a cliffhanger like book one, though.
I don’t often read blurbs before I read, because I don’t want to be spoiled. They always give too much away. But I was really surprised that the main protagonist in this one is Asher. The Knight Lyse was jealous over for a bit in regards to her mage lady love, Aeryn (who WAS the main character in the first two books). At first, I was disappointed. I wanted more of Aeyrn’s story. Book two left off with her in a very precarious situation. But as the book progressed, I found myself more and more interested in Asher’s quest for peace in the Southlands.
There is no way you should read this book first. It would not stand on its own. I read the first two books, and I was still confused for the first 2-3 chapters as I tried to remember who the characters were.
This was a traveling fantasy story. Increasingly difficult people, beasts, and monsters were obstacles that Commander Brownen and her Knights had to defeat. The action/fighting scenes were the most interesting, of course. But when there was downtime. Traveling on horses, setting up camp, etc… we were inside Asher’s head and she was often repetitive with her inner musings.
We learn about a woman that Asher was involved with and lost at war. A lot of flashbacks in dreams. It felt confusing because the timeline of flashbacks were not in order. And this arc left me feeling like it didn’t deliver what I was hoping for.
Aeryn finally shows up at 76% of this book. No surprise that this is about when the book really picks up. But even this felt like a let down. I’m not a very patient person, and this series has always left me wanting and waiting. I guess that could be good or bad depending on who you are?
Overall, the book was OK. I liked it enough to continue reading future installments. It is well written and has enough action to keep you entertained.
I recommend to people who like to read about dragons, magic, knights, traveling, mourning, capture, war, sadness, impossible choices, sense of duty, and death.