Shield & Blade: 3.5 A Fate of Eyrinthia Novella-By Heather Frost-Blog Tour Review & Author Guest Post:"10 Things I Love About Writing The Fate of Eyrinthia Series"

 

Book Details

Title: Shield & Blade: A Fate of Eyrinthia Novella (Fate of Eyrinthia #3.5)

Author: Heather Frost

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Release Date: July 14, 2022

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 247 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1734891971

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***

Book Summary

His to protect

When Vera broke Venn’s heart, he was shattered. When she was abducted by mercenaries, he vowed to tear Mortise apart to find her. Now, reunited, he is determined to keep her safe–and win back her heart. Of course, things are never that simple.

 

Hers to defend

Vera has regretted hurting Venn ever since that fateful night in Wexon, but finding the right time to tell him is proving difficult. Traveling with him to Duvan should give her the perfect opportunity, but things take an unexpected turn when they find young children abandoned near a roadside.

 

Theirs to save

Helping the children isn’t in question, but the detour leads Venn and Vera into the heart of a sinister mystery. The truth they fight to uncover could change everything in Eyrinthia–and may cost them their lives.

 My Review

Shield and Blade is listed as a novella but this story is a regular novel length and I was so happy. I'd been waiting to find out what happened to Venn and Vera as events from the third book Royal Captive took place. These two side characters become the main characters in Shield and Blade. Their tragic love story comes full circle in the best way! Circumstances bring them back together and neither one at first knows how the other is feeling. It was so gratifying to see how this all played out.

I loved the addition of Venn and Vera finding the abandoned children that they took under their wings. They see each other in a new light as prospective parents and gives them a glimpse into a possible future together. The three children are Finn who is 7 or 8, Sarah that is 4, and a newborn baby girl, Rebecca. These children stole my heart. Finn was so brave and protective of his sisters. Cute little Sarah needed the love and reassurance that someone was there for her and her siblings. I loved how Sarah and Finn could see how Venn and Vera still felt about each other before even they did.

Shield and Blade has all the feels, stirring action showcasing the bravery and courage of Venn, Vera, and Finn, and a satisfying romance that comes to fruition with sweet kisses along the way. This whole series has been so good and I can't wait for book four. Fate of Eyrinthia series really needs to be read from book one first. The world of Eyrinthia and the many characters are complex and you don't want to miss out on any of it by reading this in the wrong order. Make sure to continue reading my blog down below to read an Author Guest Post called, "10 Things I Love About Writing The Fate of Eyrinthia Series". I'm so happy to have learned even more about this series and its talented author, Heather Frost.

***This novel is a clean romance, with some violence but not graphic.***

****Meet Author Heather Frost****

Heather Frost is a #1 Amazon Bestselling YA author who loves epic stories with breath-stealing romance. She is the author of the Seers trilogy and the Fate of Eyrinthia series. Her books have been Whitney Award Finalists and Swoony Award Finalists. She has a BS in Creative Writing and a minor in Folklore, which means she got to read fairy tales and call it homework. When she’s not writing, Heather likes to read, travel, and re-watch Lord of the Rings. She lives in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering mountains in northern Utah. To learn more about Heather and her books, visit her website: www.HeatherFrost.com

 

 

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~*~*~*~*~*Author Guest Post~*~*~*~*~*

10 Things I Love About Writing The Fate of Eyrinthia Series

1. The Characters. There’s a big cast in this series, filled with unique characters that I love spending time with. The main characters and the side characters are all very real to me, and I love exploring their stories—and I LOVE watching them interact with each other! (That fight in the library at the end of Royal Spy remains one of my favorite scenes!) I love seeing these characters meet each other, and seeing how their stories intersect. The gray characters are especially fun to write, because you never know what they’re going to do…

2. The Romance! I had to put an exclamation point on this, because I have so much fun exploring this aspect of the story. There are multiple romances going on, which means I get to play with lots of different tropes. Friends to lovers, a (little) enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, forbidden romance, bodyguard romance—it’s so much fun! And they’re all in different stages at different times, which keeps things exciting.

3. The Mysteries. I love layering mysteries into my plots, and dropping all the little hints. There is usually a mystery or two we solve in each book, and then of course there are mysteries that extend throughout multiple books. It’s a fun way to propel the story, and keep up the tension.

4. The Cultures. Creating rich cultures in four different kingdoms is definitely one of my favorite things. Mortise in particular just took on a life of its own, and I really want to vacation there. (Although probably not right now, because Eyrinthia is pretty dangerous these days, haha!)

5. The Folklore. This kind of goes with the cultures I get to create, but I love coming up with the stories that exist in the different kingdoms. There’s the widow’s braid in Royal Spy, and the sea dragon in Fire & Ash, and in Shield & Blade we have one of my favorite stories I’ve come up with so far; it’s about a princess and a wolf!

6. The Twists. The plot twists and epic reveals are so much fun to write! Sprinkling in foreshadow during the book—or even laying seeds in book one that don’t make sense until book 3 (or 4 J) it thrilling. I think it’s fun to hear from readers about the twists they saw coming, as well as the ones that blindsided them. Eyrinthia has so many characters, and I think that just creates more opportunities for plot twists, which in turn makes a deeper story.

7. The Genre. Writing fantasy romance is really blending two of my favorite genres, and it’s such a fun playground for me. Eyrinthia is also unique because it’s low fantasy; there’s no magic here. That means there are no magic solutions. Just politics, diverse kingdoms, and a wide range of characters facing a lot of different problems.

8. The POVs. This sort of goes back to the characters, but I love writing so many different POVs. It’s a unique challenge, but it makes the story more epic. We have more people we’re rooting for. More people we’re worried about. And all of this means more complications, more intricate plots, and more compelling scenes. (That treaty signing in Royal Captive, anyone? J)

9. The Pacing. I love the fast pace of this story. There’s never a dull moment of Eyrinthia, especially because we’re rotating POVs and always getting lost in someone’s struggle. It makes for very fun writing—and reading, I think.

10. The Readers. This series has brought be so much joy, and a large part of that is hearing from readers. To know that these books have provided a much needed escape from reality, or just a thrilling read that got them out of a reading slump—that means so much to me. The fans of Eyrinthia make writing these stories a thousand times more fun and rewarding!

Purchase A Copy of Shield and Blade

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Fate of Eyrinthia Series Info:

 

Learn more about the Fate of Eyrinthia series by checking out Royal Decoy (Fate of Eyrinthia #1)

 

Royal Decoy Blurb:

 

Clare made a mistake when she saved the princess’s life . . .

 

In one horrible night, Clare is forced to give up her life as a kitchen maid to become the princess’s decoy. Thrust into a dangerous new world of royals and deadly politics, she must learn how to be the princess’s perfect double to ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince. Desperate to survive, Clare throws herself into self-defense training, taught by her distractingly attractive bodyguard, Bennick. The spark between them is undeniable, though a relationship is forbidden. When a ruthless assassin begins stalking her, it becomes frighteningly clear that some will stop at nothing to end the tenuous peace—and Clare’s life.

 

Across the northern mountains, Prince Grayson is his father’s ultimate weapon. His name inspires fear in all who hear it, but no one knows his heavily guarded secret. He carries out every brutal order only because his father holds power over the one person he cares about. Grayson’s silent obedience is tested, however, when his father reveals plans to exploit the marriage alliance between two of their greatest enemies. If Grayson submits, the blood of thousands will spill. If he resists, the girl who means everything to him will die.

 

The fate of Eyrinthia hangs in the balance. Some want peace. Some want war. All will be thrown into chaos.

 

Royal Decoy is the first in the Fate of Eyrinthia YA fantasy romance series told from multiple POVs. If you like swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and non-stop action with epic twists, then you’ll love the captivating world of Eyrinthia.

 

 

Royal Decoy Links:

 

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