The Archers Heart by Astrid Amara
The Archers Heart 
By Astrid Amara
Tags: Fantasy, series, drama, warrior, magic, romance, Amara, August, review, good, intrigue, politics, mm slash, mm romance, new relationship, established relationship, angst
Series: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3 (From what I can tell, this book was broken up into three parts for e-book release. Honestly, I'm not really sure why. I think it would have had a much more complete feel if it has been kept as one volume. The story really is one continuous narrative.)
Length: 656 pages
Rating: Good
Blurb: In the ancient kingdom of Marhavad, noblemen dominate the lower castes, wielding mystic weapons, known as shartas, against any who oppose them. For generations the rule of Marhavad’s kings has been absolute. But now the line of succession is divided, and whispers of revolution are heard in even the royal palace.
Keshan Adaru, an outspoken man of unearthly charms, welcomes these changes. All his life he has foreseen an uprising that will shatter the castes and end the tyranny of the old laws. His visions have driven him but now, at the brink of their fulfillment, he finds himself obsessed with Prince Jandu Paran- a man whose entire family must be destroyed if the kingdom is to be freed.
Tarek Amia would gladly see Jandu Paran brought low. Born the son of a charioteer, Tarek has no love for the royal princes who have slighted and insulted him all his life. Only Keshan’s philosophies have elevated him from the brutal ranks of common soldiers. Tarek owes Keshan his devotion, but he is a pragmatic man and when he discovers Keshan’s reckless affair he realizes that Keshan may have to be sacrificed for the sake of his own revolution.
Young Prince Jandu Paran has never concerned himself with court intrigue. His life has been dedicated to the lordly art of archery and mastering the immense powers of the shartas. Handsome and arrogant, he is sure that no man can surpass him and yet Keshan Adaru’s mere touch brings Jandu to his knees. But his desire for Keshan is more than forbidden; it threatens to destroy Jandu’s pride, position and family. In the midst of this turmoil, an unspeakable event forces Jandu to redefine the meaning of honor and loyalty.
And now, as armies arise to war, each man must decide where his allegiance lies and what he will sacrifice in his heart and on the battlefield.
So, this is one of those titles that I've looked at for a while but never read. I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it. :)
This is one of those books that contains a whole other world, between its covers. If you cut down to the bare bones this is a book about social inequality, built on the idea of the caste system. Of course on top of that the various plot threads build a rich and interesting world surrounding the interactions and romance that blossoms between Keshan and Jandu. All in all this is the kind of book that I think of as a bit of an 'epic'. In many ways the author doesn't just cover a single story but a life--perhaps not from beginning to end--but it has that feel. This work reminds me of Ann Somerville's longer works the story and the relationship are really allowed to build not just jumped into. There also are some similar threads with Gine Hale's, " Lords of the White Hell".
It took me a little bit to settle down into this story and figure out how things work. Likewise, sometimes longer works with more a build up are slower to start. I didn't get bored while reading these books but I wasn't instantly hooked in either. Once I get settled in with the setting and the characters I enjoyed the width and breadth of Astrid Amara's imagination. There were a few things that were obvious, but there was enough in the going's on that weren't obvious to keep me interested. Like wise Amara doesn't shy away from building interesting and fun side characters, whose lives and actions are part of what's going on. That is why I call this a book about a world, because it's about the whole not just a slice of something.
The story goes from the bloom of first romance, to the angst of separation and eventually builds into something much more. All in all it was a book that made me laugh, made me cry and not want to finish it.
By Astrid Amara
Tags: Fantasy, series, drama, warrior, magic, romance, Amara, August, review, good, intrigue, politics, mm slash, mm romance, new relationship, established relationship, angst
Series: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3 (From what I can tell, this book was broken up into three parts for e-book release. Honestly, I'm not really sure why. I think it would have had a much more complete feel if it has been kept as one volume. The story really is one continuous narrative.)
Length: 656 pages
Rating: Good
Blurb: In the ancient kingdom of Marhavad, noblemen dominate the lower castes, wielding mystic weapons, known as shartas, against any who oppose them. For generations the rule of Marhavad’s kings has been absolute. But now the line of succession is divided, and whispers of revolution are heard in even the royal palace.
Keshan Adaru, an outspoken man of unearthly charms, welcomes these changes. All his life he has foreseen an uprising that will shatter the castes and end the tyranny of the old laws. His visions have driven him but now, at the brink of their fulfillment, he finds himself obsessed with Prince Jandu Paran- a man whose entire family must be destroyed if the kingdom is to be freed.
Tarek Amia would gladly see Jandu Paran brought low. Born the son of a charioteer, Tarek has no love for the royal princes who have slighted and insulted him all his life. Only Keshan’s philosophies have elevated him from the brutal ranks of common soldiers. Tarek owes Keshan his devotion, but he is a pragmatic man and when he discovers Keshan’s reckless affair he realizes that Keshan may have to be sacrificed for the sake of his own revolution.
Young Prince Jandu Paran has never concerned himself with court intrigue. His life has been dedicated to the lordly art of archery and mastering the immense powers of the shartas. Handsome and arrogant, he is sure that no man can surpass him and yet Keshan Adaru’s mere touch brings Jandu to his knees. But his desire for Keshan is more than forbidden; it threatens to destroy Jandu’s pride, position and family. In the midst of this turmoil, an unspeakable event forces Jandu to redefine the meaning of honor and loyalty.
And now, as armies arise to war, each man must decide where his allegiance lies and what he will sacrifice in his heart and on the battlefield.
So, this is one of those titles that I've looked at for a while but never read. I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it. :)
This is one of those books that contains a whole other world, between its covers. If you cut down to the bare bones this is a book about social inequality, built on the idea of the caste system. Of course on top of that the various plot threads build a rich and interesting world surrounding the interactions and romance that blossoms between Keshan and Jandu. All in all this is the kind of book that I think of as a bit of an 'epic'. In many ways the author doesn't just cover a single story but a life--perhaps not from beginning to end--but it has that feel. This work reminds me of Ann Somerville's longer works the story and the relationship are really allowed to build not just jumped into. There also are some similar threads with Gine Hale's, " Lords of the White Hell".
It took me a little bit to settle down into this story and figure out how things work. Likewise, sometimes longer works with more a build up are slower to start. I didn't get bored while reading these books but I wasn't instantly hooked in either. Once I get settled in with the setting and the characters I enjoyed the width and breadth of Astrid Amara's imagination. There were a few things that were obvious, but there was enough in the going's on that weren't obvious to keep me interested. Like wise Amara doesn't shy away from building interesting and fun side characters, whose lives and actions are part of what's going on. That is why I call this a book about a world, because it's about the whole not just a slice of something.
The story goes from the bloom of first romance, to the angst of separation and eventually builds into something much more. All in all it was a book that made me laugh, made me cry and not want to finish it.