Review by Booklist Review
White takes her Pride and Prejudice-inspired fantasy in a new direction with the sequel to Heartstone (2017). Aliza Daired, née Bentaine, mistress of House Pendragon, must face the first challenge of married life separation from her husband. Her new spouse, Alastair, the foremost rider in the kingdom, has received an urgent plea for help. He and his dragon have been commissioned to track and kill a beast responsible for the murder of several peaceful creatures in a northern holding. The local lord fears the worst when a young girl goes missing and seeks aid in protecting his people. Alastair accepts the contract, but Aliza simply cannot stand to stay behind while her husband faces danger alone. She convinces him to take her on the long flight north, but almost from the start their journey is fraught with peril whenever they land, monsters are waiting to attack. Something is tracking them, but how? And what awaits them at their ultimate destination? Hints to a mystery from the previous book leave the door open for another novel.--Lucy Lockley Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dropping the Jane Austen homage of her first book, Heartstone, White delivers another warm-hearted tale of romance and fantasy adventure. Healer Aliza and her new spouse, noble dragonrider Alastair Daired, must abandon their honeymoon plans when Lord Niall Selwyn asks Alastair to help find a murderer. Despite Alastair's misgivings, Aliza joins the mission with the backing of Alastair's dragon partner, Akarra. With strange reports of attacks by "unfamiliar beasts" and mysterious activity taking place in the old tunnels beneath Alastair's castle, it's clear someone, or something, is up to no good. Rumors say a very old, very dangerous power has returned, and the mystery deepens when the Daired party arrives at Castle Selwyn. Add the reappearance of an old enemy who should be dead and a mysterious wedding present that proves impossible to leave behind, and there are more than enough puzzles to be solved. Despite some uneven pacing, White's latest offers readers another fun foray into a land of dragons and mystery. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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