Blurb: Born the bastard daughter of a painted lady, Marilia was told she would live out her days within the walls of her mother’s brothel, a companion for the rich men of Tyrace. But after a terrible betrayal, Marilia’s world turns upside down. With the help of her twin brother, Annuweth, she flees the only home she’s ever known in search of the one man who can offer her a chance at a better life–the Emperor of Navessea’s greatest general, a friend of her deceased father.
What follows is a journey spanning years, from the streets of the desert city of Tyracium to the splendor of the emperor’s keep and the wind-swept, wild island of Svartennos. Along the way, Marilia discovers, for the first time, the gift she has for strategy and warfare—a world that is forbidden to girls like her
When the empire is threatened by a foreign invasion, the defense of Navessea is left in the hands of a cruel and arrogant general no match for the empire's enemy. With the fate of her new home and her family hanging in the balance, Marilia swears to use all her courage and cunning to do whatever she can to help repel the invasion—if she can convince anyone to follow her.
The struggle that follows will test her to her core and lead her back to the past she thought she had escaped. Facing treachery within her own ranks as well as a devious enemy commander, Marilia will need all the help she can get, even if it means doing something her brother may never forgive—making a deal with the man who murdered her father.
My review: Marilia was born as a daughter of a painted lady and told her destiny was to be the same. Yet she and her twin brother, Annuweth, escaped and found a friend of their father's who takes them in to live a greater life. Except Marilia didn't want to be the lady daughter of a great general either. Her sharp and clever mind is drawn to strategy, and later when she helps her husband in a time of war, her sister-in-law whispers she might be a legendary warlord queen reborn. Soon the army believes it too, but does Marilia? She can only hope that her quick mind can help win the war and save her from treachery be her a warlord or not.
This book has sat on my Kindle for almost a year, and I finally got to it. I don't know why I waited so long! It's an incredibly well-written military fantasy with a heroine who will not give up even when all the world seems against her. Marilia starts as a bastard of a prostitute, becomes the adopted daughter of a respected general, marries a lord, and then becomes the leader of an army. She and her brother look out for one another, but there is strife and jealousy there too. It would be interesting to read Annuweth's side of this story. There is a fantastic cast of characters. Too many great ones to list. While the story takes place over the course of years, you do not lose any of the emotions or the connection to Marilia. I cheered her on from the beginning. There are lots of strategies, treachery, and maneuvering for military fantasy fans, and plenty of mythology, history, and great characterization to make this a must-read.
The author states this story was inspired by The Song of Achilles and Ender's Game. I liked it far more than either of those. Check out Marilia on Amazon and find Morgan Cole on his website.
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