EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
The Spirit Heir
(A Dance of Dragons Book 2)
(A Dance of Dragons Book 2)
by Kaitlyn Davis
The Spirit Heir is the second book in Kaitlyn Davis' A Dance of Dragons series. Also available: The Shadow Soul (currently FREE; read my blog post), The Golden Cage (FREE novella on B&N, iTunes, Kobo, and Smashwords), and The Silver Key ($0.99 novella).
Description
From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes the second book in the thrilling A Dance of Dragons series - perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and A Game of Thrones!
Drenched in darkness and surrounded by the echo of screams, Jinji waits deep in the dungeons of Rayfort, haunted by the memory of the knife stabbing Rhen, plagued by a foreign voice whispering through her mind. A few floors above, Rhen rests trapped in a coma, about to wake to a changed world - a world where his best friend is a woman, his nephew is the king, and an enemy army surrounds him on all sides.
But human wars are insignificant compared to the darkness gathering unseen. Memories of lives she never lived flash through Jinji's thoughts, hinting at a past that cannot be repeated. A mysterious phantom visits Rhen, carrying cryptic messages of the future. And somewhere out there, the shadow continues to lurk in silence.
Uncertain of their relationship and tempted by new feelings, Rhen and Jinji must find a way to work together. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders and the real battle has only just begun …
The Kingdom of Whylkin
Excerpt
Jinji has just been freed from the dungeons of Rayfort and was brought into a finely decorated room to wait and see who ordered her release.
The entry swung open, and there he stood. Commanding. Taking up the entire frame of the doorway, hair just as bright as Jinji remembered, eyes just as sparkling.
All breath left her body and she stood speechless, still not sure if she was awake.
Rhen looked at her with an expression Jinji couldn't read. Confusion. Horror. Sympathy. Longing. All of them or none of them, she couldn’t decide.
Jinji watched, waiting for him to disappear, to wink out of existence just like her illusions. But he seemed so solid.
Seconds ticked by but the room felt frozen in time.
Why was he just standing there? Jinji silently commanded he step forward, but Rhen didn’t move. Stubborn.
He must be real, she thought and bit her lower lip, almost afraid to find out the answer. But Jinji had waited a long time in the dark, and she would wait no longer.
Stepping cautiously forward, she approached Rhen. He watched on, impassive but not moving away. She stopped close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body, but far enough away to keep herself composed.
There were so many things to say, but her lips would not open. So many words that would not come.
Jinji wanted to collapse against him, to fall into his arms and let them catch her, protect her, convince her that it was all real. But she wouldn't, no matter how much her body protested against her. If this Rhen were real, he did not trust her. He did not view her as a woman to comfort. He did not ache for her in the way she ached for him.
To Rhen, she was a liar. A stranger. Without Jin, he didn’t know who she was. In time, she might change that. But now was not that time.
Still, she needed to touch him, to feel his strength, his solidity.
So instead, Jinji simply reached her hand up, cupping his warm cheek—peachy against her dirty fingernails. To her surprise, his eyes softened and his hand followed, holding hers tightly against his freckles.
"You're alive?" she asked, her emotions hanging by a thread. There was one thing her illusions could not do, one thing only a real person could create—noise.
Rhen smirked, left side of his lip raising slightly, and responded, "Barely."
Joy flooded Jinji's body, filling her up, and spilling over into tears that she could not contain. Just as she thought her legs could hold her no longer, that it was too much and she would fall against him just to feel his embrace, it was Rhen who faltered. Clutching his stomach, he slumped, stumbling as one leg gave out beneath him.
Against all of her predictions, Jinji was the one who caught him.
Featured Review
Where should I start? With the fully rounded out multi-dimensional characters? Or the ever-expanding yet utterly easy-to-follow layers upon layers of plot?
Unlike the prequel novella (The Golden Cage) and book 1 (The Shadow Soul), I didn’t have the luxury to read this in one sitting. But no matter – every time I picked it up, I was instantaneously sucked right back into the adventures, dilemmas, and emotions of this awesomely drawn tale.
The end of Book 1, The Shadow Soul, set up a totally new dynamic between the two viewpoint characters. Instead of believing Jin to be a boy, Rhen is now aware that she is a girl. Very aware. And this colours the whole of this segment of the story, as they grow from distrust to trust and beyond, despite all that transpires around them – war, the probability of the annihilation of Rhen’s family’s kingdom, and the encroaching presence of the spirit worlds heralding a future that appears destined for unavoidable ruin.
Personally, I can’t imagine this book being written any better. I’m guessing some readers might prefer a slightly more pared down version, but for me, it’s perfect. The rich descriptions, the utterly convincing dialogue, the plot twists and turns, yet always with that feeling of inevitability – this is story-telling at its absolute best. If you are looking for originality in a fully immersive experience, I can’t recommend this series highly enough.
About the Author
Kaitlyn Davis is the bestselling author of the Midnight Fire series, a young adult paranormal romance, and the A Dance of Dragons series, a young adult epic fantasy.
Kaitlyn graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars. She's been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to finally share her work with the world. She currently lives in New York City and dreams of having a puppy of her own.
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