Dale Griffin

Twin sisters Jillian and Natalia are the daughters of the much feared Lion of Karkov. Jillian is being trained for battle and Natalia is to marry a prince. Of course nothing goes as planned and the girls must rely on themselves to survive. Overall this is a solid read, although it starts out a bit slow. The first half of the book drags a bit but it picks up nicely in the second half. It was difficult to like the twins in the beginning but they also improved as the book went on. I thought the fantasy was good and the world building was done well, it was a good, but not great, read. I received a free copy of this book through the early reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.… (more)

As I started reading, I was rather turned off by the twins acting like 3-year-olds. They really got on my nerves. As a retired HS teacher/librarian, it really didn’t sit too well. The farther into the book the more likable they became. I think this book would have been more enjoyable with less detail and getting more to the point with different parts to the story. Overall, though, I would say it had a good plot, development of most characters and a decent ending. This almost could have been two or three books to develop the characters and situations. I still would recommend it for those who like fantasy, battles, love and adventure. You will just have to hang in there until the end. It certainly is not your average fairytale!… (more)

Aside from the obvious settings being based on Russia, France, Finland and Italy, I found the story rather intriguing. Honestly, during the first few chapters, I thought it was going to be rather boring and pat. However, Dale Griffin began adding twists and unexpected turns into the general plot and the individual characters that ended up telling a great story. He kept me on my toes as to the final destination and even if the ending was going to be a happy one or just sad. Well done. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little romance, a little war and a little intrigue.
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