The Guileful Rose

The Curoria Chronicles, Book 1

Amaria’s entire life was duality or circumstance, and she was a master at the game.

Magic controls the world of Cesmassia. It is in the air, in the soil, in the water, in the animals, and in Amaria’s veins. Magic is inseparable from the fabric of Thestitiunian society, and Amaria has always tried to use her magic for good. War has made that difficult. Destabilizing kingdoms has made that difficult.

Dark magical threats threaten every nation, imbalance magical energies, and worse, Amaria feels a draw towards their desires. She never wanted to be entwined with dark magic, but as a powerful mage, she must fight against evil. Amaria must face the darkness in herself.

©2023 E.A. Almanza (P)2026 Ashley Velvet

Give it time to cook!

IMHO only: The narrator had a choppy cadence and some character-voicing conflicts at the beginning but it evened out after the first 2 hours or so and ran much smoother.

The novel itself is a slower-paced, 3rd person, decently character-developed story filled with political intrigue. It’s a whole vibe!