The T’En Trilogy (1999-2003)
This trilogy grew out of my feeling that most books ended when the real story began. Many years ago I read Machiavelli’s The Prince. I was fascinated by the idea that once you had conquered a country, the real test was holding onto it.
So I opened the book after General Tulkhan has conquered Fair Isle and beaten the legendary T’En. The real challenge is for him to hold the island. And how does he do that?
By marrying the last surviving royal, Imoshen, a throwback to the pure T’En race of mystics who settled Fair Isle 600 years ago. But Tulkhan’s soldiers are afraid of magic. The general’s society is dominated by men. Back home, a man may take several wives. Things are very different in Fair Isle, which was ruled by an Empress until the general invaded. Imoshen considers herself Tulkhan’s equal in every way and she has no intention of letting him use her as a figure head.
Meanwhile, Imoshen’s betrothed, Reothe, is determined to undermine Tulkhan’s rule and will stop at nothing.
Can Tulkhan keep the island kingdom he has claimed? Can Imoshen save her people from years of warfare? Can she civilise this barbarian general? More importantly, can she turn her back on her first love, her betrothed? What price duty?
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The King Rolen’s Kin trilogy (2010)
With this trilogy I set out to write a story that you can curl up with on a rainy Saturday afternoon, the kind of book that I used to love finding in my bookshop. With this book I wanted to explore how characters grow (or fail to grow) to meet the challenges life throws at them.
As they celebrate 30 years of peace, King Rolen prepares for his jubilee. Little does he realise that he will soon be dead leaving his four children to fend for themselves. Lence the heir, his twin Byren the spare heir, Fyn the son sent to the church and thirteen year old Piro are tested when their kingdom is invaded.
Fyn hates to see anyone hurt, even animals and because of this he believes he was a coward. Yet, when his family’s kingdom is invaded, he risks his life to warn his father. Piro doesn’t want a safe life, married off to consolidate her brother’s throne, but she discovers the reality of escaping invaders is much more frightening than exciting. And sometimes, no matter how hard we try to do the right, as Byren does, everything goes wrong.
There has been a bit of controversy with this series because one of the supporting characters is gay. I really did not expect this. The fact that Orrade is gay, tests Byren’s strength of character. But this is only a very small thread in the larger narrative which is a rollicking adventure.
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Giveaway!! (yes, another one!)
Rowena is giving away one book from her King Rolen’s King trilogy (eg. If you haven’t read any of her books, she’ll send book one. If have book one, she’ll send you book two). This one's open INTERNATIONALLY!
To enter, comment and answer this question:
Take a look at your bookshelf and tell me which ones are keepers and why.
Oh boy, that would be a page-long answer for me... Maybe it'll have to be a whole blog post... *grin* What about you? Don't forget to include your email address in your comment, and do it before 6pm CST February 16th!
Can't wait? Pick up Rowena's books from Amazon!
24 comments:
I rarely re-read a book. If I kept them, not only would I be on the Hoarders TV show, I would have to add buildings just to house books. However, ther is one particular series that I keep, and read every other year or so. That is Karin Lowachee's Warchild series - Warchild, Burndive, and Cagebird. These stories stay with me. There are a few others like The Loard of The Rings, etc. I also hang onto the books I have that are signed by the author, I won't give them up.
Which ones are keepers? Help! Keepers are books that stay with me when I've turned the last page. They're like friends. Then they live on the shelf till they remind me to say Hi again and we pick up the conversation. There's way too many keepers to list though--we have a lot of bookshelves and they're all full.
sdeeth at msn dot com
At the moment, I have a couple of series that are keepers. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the BDB series by J.R. Ward and Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series by Greg Keyes.
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I will have to check out Greg Keyes' books, Tracey... My current list of keepers... George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassins series, Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, Anne Bishop's Blood Jewels trilogy, C.E. Murphy's Walker Papers series... and many, many more. I do try to cull the collection every so often, because someone else should have the opportunity to read awesome books. :)
Just finished Eden Bradley's FORBIDDEN FRUIT. Definitely a keeper on my list!
footfootballpsu(at)yahoo(dot)com
Lingeorge,
Now I'' have to google Karin Lowachee's Warchild series!
Sheila,
I've had to go through my bookshelves and cut back to two six foot shelves double packed. Sigh.
Booklover 0226,
JR Ward, Gabaldon. YAY. Now I'll have to look up Greg Keyes.
Drey,
One more for me to look up. Jennifer Estep.
Sometimes keepers are books that I loved, hope to re-read or lend to a friend, like the HP series that takes up a good section of shelf! But sometimes keepers are keepers because of who gave them to me. A cousin I don't get to see very often mailed me The Historian. Now, I can't part with it! Of course, that's how those shelves get and remain stuffed. Oh well!
My keeper is The Crucible because it is a classic. One of those books you never forget
jsididia at gmail dot com
Holdenj,
Keeping books because of who gave them to you is perfectly understandable.
I have books I keep because of 'where and when' I was in my life when I discovered them.
Jessica,
Did you do The Crucible for school? I think my son did it in school.
Keepers are books that I think are very good. I have an ecclectic variety of them. I have stephen king, cormac mccarthy, john irving, tolkien, that is just a few.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
The Twilight series is a keeper and so is the Shiver series. Please enter me in contest. I havent read any of your books. Tore923@aol.com
Which books on my bookshelf are keepers - anything by Philipa Gregory and anything by Roddy Dole - they come into my home and never leave - ever!!
tracyschultz@yahoo.com
Armistead Maupin and Ian McEwan; they both tell great stories.
theyyyguy@yahoo.com
everything by mercedes lackey, larry dixon, anne mccafrey, tamora pierce and robin mckinley. a lot of charles schultz, my sons garfields that i hope to share with his children someday my bible collection 6 versions because there is so much i do not understand. speck135les at yahoo
everything on my bookshelf is a keeper, i can see the harry potter books and i know those are keepers!
susansmoaks at gmail dot com
All my sci fi and fantasy books are keepers because I like to re-read them
Jane Austin's books are keepers on my shelf. garrettsambo@aol.com
In my bookshelf, I have a book series by Libba Bray. I have A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. I keep these books because it is my favorite series. These books kept drawing me in for more. It was hard to pay attention in class with these books sitting in my backpack! (:
Thanks.
bjerding@live.com
I keep all of my books except those that are non fiction and become outdated.
donna444444@yahoo.com
Debbie, I read all sorts of things, too. Factual books on how societies develop fascinate me.
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