Lissette E. Manning

From the moment she pulled Excalibur free of the stone, Ryan DuLac’s life went from being practically unknown to being plunged into the limelight, so to speak. It didn’t help that Matt had revealed himself to be Merlin before the entire world thereafter. Oh no, that’s quite a little thing compared to the enormous weight that now sits upon her shoulders. Her priorities have taken a different turn and she’s supposed to fulfill the obligations that surround the life of a sword-bearer now that she can wield Excalibur. That, unfortunately, is the least of her worries.

Determined to shun the responsibility of being the sword-bearer, Ryan claims that she needs more to time to come to grasp with her new status. She wants nothing to do with Camelot or the sword itself. In her mind, she did her duty and Matt can take care of the rest. Yet when a second tremor rocks the entire world, she realizes she can’t quite run from her past or the rocky onset of the future.

Living in Boston with Vane by her side, Ryan has done her best to forget the sword and Matt himself. Matt chose his visions over the shaky love they shared, a fact that burns her deep within every time she remembers. The amulet she wears binds her to him, much to Vane’s chagrin. He wants her to love him and only him, but the memory of his brother lies between them, digging the thorn deeper into his side. Nevertheless, he does his best to sway her affections in his direction every chance he gets.

When Matt shows up unexpectedly, Ryan’s entire world comes crashing down. With it, her feelings for him surface and she struggles with what she feels for both Matt and Vane. Matt soon reveals the next step of their journey, one that will test the boundaries of their friendship and the fragile love that exists between them all. Their next step takes them across the world along the trail of the legendary Fisher King.

As more visions and secrets of the past surface, Ryan finds herself at odds with her thoughts, her feelings, and the life she once knew. Everything she thought she knew is but a fraction of what Matt’s kept from her. In his mind, it was all done with her best interests at heart. Yet as tensions rise and the group treads a dangerous path, one thing is made clear: they’ll need to provide a united front if they’re to succeed in finding what they seek. Unfortunately, the loss of several lives for the greater good is a price none of them expected to have to pay. Ever.

I must say that this second book in the series did not disappoint. Picking up where the first one left off, the reader is plunged immediately into the action, drawing his or her attention to the situation at hand. The delightfully crafted world springs to life as the story is told from Ryan’s, and Matt’s, perspective. The intensity of each unique situation leaps off every page, surrounding the reader with a vivid picture of what each character is going through.

From the very moment I began reading, I found myself enthralled in what happens next to Ryan and the others. Granted, there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns, but that’s what makes the book more intriguing. Priya has presented us with another wonderful tale in such a delightful series. I enjoyed every minute of it and look forward to what comes next in the series.

Available for purchase via the following retailers: Barnes Noble.

(Full/print release coming soon!)

Synopsis:

If you haven’t broken the rules, have you really lived?

Excalibur has been pulled from the stone, but what does it mean? Arriane (aka Ryan) DuLac doesn’t really care. She’s got bigger problems—as student president, she’s got to put on the Prom.

While the Wizard Council debates their next move, she leaves the craziness behind and heads home. But she can’t hide forever. Sooner than she’d like Merlin (aka Matt) has her chasing mermaids on the trail of the Fisher King. The wounded King defeated by Merlin’s brother, Vane, in the past holds the key to save the future.

On the journey, Ryan begins to realize the friends she thought she knew, she may not know at all. At a time of shifting alliances, she must decide whose side she’s on—the brother who struggles to do right or the brother who dares to break the rules? And Ryan must decide who she is—a regular or a champion?

One wrong decision and her family falls apart. One wrong decision and the world falls apart. No pressure.

About The Author:

Priya Ardis loves books of all kinds—but especially the gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold.

She started her first book at sixteen, writing in notebooks on long train rides in India. When not living in her character’s world, she might be found at the local coffee shop—her nose buried in a book.

A hopeless romantic, she is a longtime member of the Romance Writer’s of America.

Connect With Her Online:

Website: http://www.priyaardis.com
The Merlin, YA Books, and More Blog: http://merlinblogs.priyaardis.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/priyaardis
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/priyaardis
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/priyaardis