Nirel

The Timekeepers of Laeviin, Book 1

By: Sarah Emmer

Narrated by: Grace Noble, Beau Thomas

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

A healer in hiding. A soldier fulfilling his duty. A seer in need of an heir.

Nirel hides her healing magic from everyone except her family. If anyone discovers her secret, she'll be forced to serve as the king's healer—an honor most healers do not survive. When soldiers invade her village and fatally wound her brother, she must decide between keeping her secret or saving him. The soldier leading the invasion remembers her but can't recall how. Having witnessed her power, he must bring her to the king or forfeit his life. Once she reaches the capital, the seer sets his plans in motion to secure his future and her hand.

Nirel is a high fantasy adventure fraught with political intrigue, complex magic, romance, and time travel.

©2023 Sarah Emmer (P)2023 Sarah Emmer

Amazing story and narration

Loved this story when I first read it and had to get the audiobook. Perfectly casted narrators, especially Corvin, his voice still gets me! I can't wait for book 2!

Such a Great Story

I don’t listen to audiobooks too much so I’m not sure what’s normal or not. But the narrators were amazing. I loved the way they portrayed the characters and their ranges were phenomenal.

My only complaint is that the volume balancing seems to be a bit off. Chapters are occasionally louder or quieter than the last and even within the chapters themselves the volume fluctuates. Not too much of an issue, but just a slight annoyance.

The story though —-

Nirel was prepared to live an inconspicuous life. She was studying under her mother to be an apothecary. This changed when the king's army raided her village, looking to conscript. One guard in a fit of anger attacked her brother, which would have led to his death. She revealed her healing magic and saved his life. This caused her to be kidnapped and taken in service of the king, to become his personal healer. This is a death sentence as most don't survive the ten year contract.

Jase was the captain of the guards that discovered Nirel's abilities. He was attracted to her from the start but thought of her as forbidden. He felt like he knew her but couldn't place where. Over the 600 miles from her out of the way village to the capital, the two started to grow closer. Close enough for Jase to petition the king for the opportunity to court her.

Corvin is the King's seer. He works for the king to keep him safe and ensure the King's power to be absolute over the kingdom. He has seen a future in which Nirel becomes his wife and two grow a family together. He feels threatened by Jases' presence and entitled to the future he desires, which Jase puts at risk.

This book is honestly a really great story and debut novel. The series is going to be a trilogy and I ended this book desperate for the next.

The characters are interesting and even the small twists that occurred throughout were captivating. I enjoyed Nirel's development, especially considering that the "Saint" that she followed was against any form of pre-marital anything. The saint pushed for modesty in women, never showing skin, not holding hands or kissing outside of dating. When she transitioned to the capital she changed Saints and the way she struggled with her new beliefs and her old was enlightening. It was also refreshing to not have the change happen instantly.

As Nirel discovers there is more to her abilities than meets the eye, she navigates court politics, Two men who are vying for her heart, a priestess who has a secret job for her, and her own misgivings.

Overall, A great debut for an author I'm excited to read more from!

Amazing Narrators

The narrators are incredible. I love the three point of view characters and their portrayal. The story gripped me and I had to hear what happened next.

I couldn't stop listening.
I can't wait for the next book.

One of my top reads of the year!

The story was tightly knit and yet tremendous at the same time. Nirel was beautifully created in that the FMC’s complexity was wrought in the relationships she formed with the two main MMCs. The narrators did a wonderful job of bringing the world and these dynamic characters to life. The author’s ability to build nuance into situations that appeared cut and dry was masterful. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this book and the reading!