Princess of Dorsa

The Chronicles of Dorsa, Book 1

By: Eliza Andrews

Narrated by: Elizabeth Saydah

Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

The fate of an empire lies in the hands of one untested princess.

Princess Natasia is the eldest child of the Emperor Andreth, ruler of the Four Realms. If she was a boy, she’d be the unquestioned heir to the throne. But as a girl, her main duty in life is to marry someone her father can shape into his successor.

Everything changes when an unknown, would-be assassin nearly takes Tasia’s life. Someone wants to destabilize the Empire - but who? Was the assassin aligned with the power-hungry Western lords, who have always rebelled against the Emperor? Was he hired by the barbarians in the East; who are fighting against the Empire’s subjugation? Or was he a member of the mysterious Cult of Culo?

Unsure of whom he can trust, the Emperor realizes that his daughter might be his best option for an heir. There hasn't been a female heir to the throne in living memory, but as palace intrigue becomes increasingly dangerous, the reckless, rebellious, and stubborn princess suddenly has to face the responsibility of learning to lead. Will she rise to the occasion? Or will the Empire fall at the hands of one of its many enemies?

For fans of epic fantasy...with an LGBTQ twist.

©2018 Eliza Andrews (P)2018 Eliza Andrews

Can’t wait for the next one!

I never write reviews, but I as I finished this book I felt like I had to. I was sucked into the story and began to care about the characters quickly. The story ticked a lot of boxes for me as well, such as political intrigue, magic/fantasy elements, romance, intelligent strong female characters , and a bit of witty humor. The performance by the narrator was really good as well. She used varies voices, accents, and intonation for many characters as well as had nice speed/timing throughout the story.

If these qualities seem like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend giving this book a chance. I definitely was not disappointed :)

The perfect blend of fantasy and lesbian romance.

It has an amazing plot and well written characters. I cannot wait for the next.

cute little story

The bit of erotica at the beginning caught me off guard. It didn't seem entirely necessary. I wish there were warnings at the beginning of a chapter or at least in the beginning of the book.
That said, there is an interesting character arc going on. The character is bisexual, not lesbian, but I guess that's how you get more readers. However, it's not the same thing.

So pleasantly surprised.

I’ve always understood the concept of representation, but this book really hit home. I love the otherworld/ fantasy genre, and Andrews really did a fantastic job. Being able to actually identify with the characters was mind-blowing. Is this what straight people get to enjoy when they read cis character fantasy books?! Thank you Eliza Andrews.

Elizabeth Saydah did well with the the three lead characters (including Mila). The men tended to sound the same but it wasn’t a big deal.

A beautiful tale of love in a fantasy world...

In the past year I've read a lot books that were progressively better but this one really stood out for me. I'm not particularly good at reviews and am generally terrified to write things in public spaces. So here goes...

If you are looking for a fantasy romance story involving queer women, there are a few of those out there and for the most part are very good. Princess of Dorsa is something special though. The story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, forgiveness, moving on, and coming back around had me crying for various reasons throughout. The main characters are likeable from start to finish and even in cringe moments it's hard not to understand why. Motivations are natural and unforced. There's a few lovemaking scenes and they are written beautifully, rather then what is often embarrassing or awkwardly forced.

It's a really good book. If you are into romance or fantasy, or fantasy romance, I would urge you to give it a chance.

For what it is, not bad at all

It kept me listening, and I'll keep an eye out for more. Nowhere near the depth of storytelling as Sarah Waters but A LOT better than most other lesbian books out there. Definitely recommend if you like fantasy and strong female characters.

I couldn’t ignore the tokenism

I've been waiting so long for a good f/f fantasy novel for so long that I couldn't wait to jump into this book. The Princess of Dorsa unfortunately follows the usual trend of most fantasy novels where the world around the main character is all white. The token person of color is introduced in the first chapter and the ethnicity bashing beings.

I liked Princess Natasia and her arch is very fun to follow. She learns and grows throughout the book and charmed me along the way. I've read some complaints about the book’s pacing but I was too wrapped up in the story and romance to notice. I think I finished this book in like two days. I can say that this is probably one of the best f/f fantasies I've read. Still, I can't get over my disappointment by the lack of diversity and the same racist tropes that I see in most works of fiction. It is possible to create diverse fantasy worlds, N. K. Jemisin and Anthony Ryan certainly do it well.

I found the book’s cover cheesy. It’s interesting that for all the ethnic bashing toward Joslyn, she's depicted as white woman on the cover. There were some surprising elements of the book and it wasn't as predictable as most lesfic. It was a thrilling ride and I hope that the next one brings the same energy.

Couldn’t stop listening!

This book was simply amazing! Quarter into the book I was hooked. I could not stop listening! The princess’ character was very developed. The author took you on a journey watching the princess grow from a spoiled teenager to a wise adult.

This book can be described as a softer (not as grotesque) lesbian Game of Thrones type book. This author definitely knows how to bring out the emotion in the reader; I may have cursed out loud at one point. The villains were hated and the heroine loved. This book does not disappoint in any way. It has mystery, fighting, drama, romance... A little bit of everything. I enjoyed it so much I’m going to listen to it again.

The narrator does an amazing job of different character voices where you always know who is speaking. Did a great job. First time listening to the narrator and was very pleased.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed a book this much in a while. Looking forward to the second book and hopefully this author writes more than just a sequel!!

Brilliant!

To Eliza Andrews: Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart thank you for writing this book. I can not wait for the next in the series. During my early formative years, figuring out I was bi was a hugely scary prospect. Thankfully I fell in to theatre, which was a widely supportive community, but I wish books like this we're available when I was in the middle of it - brilliant stories with good representation. Thank you, again.

To everyone else: This is an amazing story for fans of multiple genres. There's a sweet under current romance amidst a political coup set into a fantasy world. So much is set for this to continue to be a great series. If you love scifi/fantasy get it! If you like mystery and intrigue with a host of intertwining storylines and motives, get it! If you are part of the LGBT community wanting an exciting fantasy based story with some beautiful representation - get this book!!! Audio was lovely too. Took a few chapters to get used to voice/characters but Elizabeth Saydah does an incredible job. Honestly, I can't recommend this enough.

Buy it. It’s amazing.

It’s an amazing story with intriguing complex characters. It’s the fantasy novel the lgbt community deserves.

Ahhh!

This was a really well written fantasy story with lesbians! I can’t wait for the second one!

Anxiously awaiting the next book!

Refreshing find from an already favorite author, can not wait for sequel. Narrator was spot on as well.

A pleasure of a queer fantasy novel

The characterisation, storytelling, world-building and exquisite queer romance had me absolutely gripped by this story, and I would have marathoned the whole thing in 6 hour stints if it wouldn't have meant I'd be without something to read until I got my new audiobook credit. I'm absolutely in love with the romance between the two women protagonists, and I love seeing it within a fantasy setting. The politics of the world are complex and interesting without being boring or over-complicated, the characters are likable and flawed and develop realistically over the course of the story, and the romance between the protagonists grows and flourishes in a completely authentic way. An absolute pleasure to read, and I'm itching for the next installment.

Awesome read.

I really enjoyed this book . Well written and very well narrated. The voice acting was really well done and very believable. The story is exciting and emotional. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lesbian fantasy.

great start

I bought this first volume of a swords and sorcery epic just to give it a try.
I was impressed with it to the extent that I "read" it straight through and now have to go looking for the next volume. great start,keep it up.

Good start to an epic fantasy story

A coming of age/ inherit the crown story with an epic fantasy background. The story world is multifaceted; the characters are interesting and still developing even at the end of the book. There are a number of twists along the way ... I am looking forward to the next book.

Can't wait for book 2

Really enjoyed this fantasy book which included a lesbian story in it. It was well narrated and written, can’t wait for book 2.

Entertaining Tale & Brillant Narration.

Enjoyed this & the narrator was on point. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

great listen

Really enjoyed the book. looking forward to the next one.

Only minor issue was an occasional stutter in the reading

Clever and Birlliant

Loved it! I havent found many LGBT+ fantasy stories with such well rounded characters and this is one is perfect! From the character arcs to the plot and all the twists along the way. Lots of questions to be answered in a sequel. I can't wait!