Kingdomless

The Evamore Series, Book 1

By: Michelle Garyfalakis

Narrated by: Claire Glover

Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

The remnants of the United Kingdom of Garth, once ruled by the legendary dynasty of Evamores, are in the throes of conflict.

Ten years ago, King Wren of the West discovered Raelle washed up on the shores of the Balour Sea, with no memory of the first nine years of her life. She was brought back to the castle and dutifully cared for and cherished by the king and his three older sons. On her 19th birthday, the Western Kingdom's adoptive princess is secretly sent away by her stepmother to marry King Veras as a token of peace between the kingdoms. But the Northern King has other plans.

As Raelle's amnesia melts away with the help of a Northern storyteller, she discovers more about the Kingdom of Garth, magic, the lovetie connection of the Evamores, and her role in the grand scheme of things. She is confused, angry, and curiously comfortable in the North. A dark shadow overcasts all the kingdoms, and the threatening influence of the fallen god Kellar seems to spread among the people, inciting disorder and violence. While the fate of the kingdoms may rest on Raelle's shoulders, she can't help but feel kingdomless.

Betrayal is everywhere, from her own adoptive family to her newfound friends. Fearless, observant, witty, and determined, she is torn between her attraction to King Veras' good nature and the unexplained pull to the Tracker Calak. The challenge that she faces is not simple. As the old gods, laws, and magic awaken, so does her own sense of self. There is a choice to be made, step into the role expected of her or to dive into the unknown and make her own destiny.

This YA fantasy novel asks the listener important coming-of-age questions, capturing the attention with witty dialogue, relatable characters, and a world that is reawakening its forgotten magic. The listeners will be entranced and hungry for more (and perhaps a piece of chocolate cake).

©2022 Michelle Garyfalakis (P)2022 Michelle Garyfalakis

fantastic listen

This book was delightful. The story was engaging, the characters well thought out and played off each other so effortlessly. I really enjoyed the comic relief, which I wasn't expecting at all.
If you're a fan of fantastical fiction that involves a bit of romance, look no further. A really great listen and I can't wait for more!

On a side note, the narrator's main voice (main character and dialogue) was frustrating. She often whispered to the point I'd find myself increasing my volume and lowering my volume because of the strong consonant sounds. Otherwise, her other character voices were great.

Couldn’t Get Enough!

This book is -easily- in my top 5 of 2022!

I read the physical copy while listening to the audio version. I’m dyslexic, so having both versions at once helps a lot.

The world-building is phenomenal. The Kingdom of Garth has been divided into four kingdoms; respectively the North, East, South, and West, each with its own King ruling over it.

Raelle was nine when she was found shipwrecked with no memory of who she was, her family, or where she had been going. She was taken in by the King of the Western territory and accepted as one of their own.

Ten years later, on her 19th birthday, she is drugged and sent away by her step-mother, unbeknownst to her now father, the king, and her three brothers. When Raelle is met by the group that is to escort her to the North, she finds herself in multiple awkward situations that force her to depend on one particular member of the unit, Calak, despite how off-putting he seems, and they seem to simultaneously warmup to one another. (The banter between them is great!)

Not long after, she arrives at Castle Mount and meets King Veras only to be told that he has no intention on marrying her (I won't spoil why), but acts as though he's quickly catching feelings for her, which only confuses Raelle further. But Raelle finds that the more time she spends with Calak, the more he encompasses her thoughts. Even as she begins to feel things for King Veras, Calak continues to 'live in her head rent free'.

I won't spoil the rest of the story but there is a lot of amusing banter between Raelle and Calak that will leave you questioning which is better- the person that challenges you, frustrates you, and pisses you off or the person that you're supposed to fall in love with, the easy choice, the one who should feel right. How do you decide between the hearts of two very different men that both feel right for opposing reasons?

If you like ACOTAR, Crescent City, or Rhapsodic, you will LOVE this book!

I'm already counting down the hours to the release of book 2!

Although very graphically violent, this is great

Kingdomless is a very fascinating, captivating and fast moving story of a young girl who was saved by a King when she was only nine years old. Since that time until the story begins, she has enjoyed love, acceptance and fulfillment. As the story unfolds, all the things she has always believed, become questionable as she is “thrown” into new circumstances. She is a rained warrior who is now in a position to use the skills she was taught in her youth. New discoveries she makes is unnerving and shocking to her. She questions which Kingdom she actually belongs to, if any.

I read this book first, then I listened to the audio version, narrated by Claire Glover I totally enjoyed my reading experience. It totally kept my interest and I was eager to find what the next page offered. However, I did not like the graphic violence presented in the story. It was more detailed than I would want my youth to read.

The narrator, Claire Glover did a very good job in the creation of the various “voices” and was mostly consistent. However, the whispery voice she used for the key character annoyed me to no end! She could have offered a “soft” voice without it sounding as though she was sharing a great secret all the way through the novel.

The Novel earns a FIVE STARS rating. The Narrator deserves a FOOR STARS rating (if even that). Therefore the audio is a Four and a Half Star and the book itself earns a Five Stars rating

An epic fantasy blending old and new

This action-packed adventure begins when Raelle is sent away from her adopted home against her wishes on her 19th birthday to be traded in a peace treaty with the Northern kingdom. While Raelle struggles with her pull to get home and memories about her birth family, not to mention the distractions of a handsome king she's pretending to be engaged to, a cunning Queen makes her move and puts the entire Kingdom of Garth in jeopardy. Nineteen-year-old Raelle is coming of age while fighting emotional and literal battles which the complications of a love triangle aren't helping.

With a blend of old and new, Kingdomless, Book 1 in the Evamore Series, brings the harshness and restrictions of the 17th century to a group of young adults with a decidedly contemporary vernacular. Raelle has been trained to fight and is an expert with a bow and arrow, so although it's essential for the fate of the kingdom to stay alive, she often joins fights and finds herself in life-threatening situations. More adventures await as the cliffhanger ending leaves readers with unanswered questions about the fate of Raelle, the magical leader of the Evamores, and her rightful kingdom.

A sincere thank you to the author for an audio edition of the book.