In Allegiance Kate Islay 9781523644179 Books
Download As PDF : In Allegiance Kate Islay 9781523644179 Books
Mathias commands the Cortesian army, but what he most longs for is home. When his king gifts him with a slave from a conquered princedom, Mathias is intrigued—even as he resists the king’s machinations. But Reve soon tests Mathias’s allegiance and his heart. Once the son of a prince, now a slave in a foreign land, Reve has few allies in his goal to protect his younger brother from the king. He’s forced to navigate the treacherousness of Cortesa and his own conflicted feelings for his captor. Faced with what he most wants, Reve has to make a choice—and Mathias has to make his. An empire stands against them, but Mathias’s loyalty to the king may be too much for Reve to conquer.
In Allegiance Kate Islay 9781523644179 Books
I originally wanted to title this review "Captive Prince Lite," but I decided not to. First, I hate when people use "lite" and "nite" instead of light and night, etc. But, mostly, that title would have been a disservice to In Allegiance. Captive Prince is a trilogy and therefore has more time to spend on developing the romance and political intrigue. I felt like In Allegiance was a little light on the development of both (honestly, I'm still not sure exactly WHY Mathias and Reve cared for each other so much that they would put their honor and years of family/country allegiances on the line for each other, but it's a romance, so I will go along with it). I would have liked a little more descriptive sex. I think it would have helped me believe their strong connection (plus, you know, just HOT). I also would have liked more detail about the time they spent getting to know one another on the march back to Mathias's home. That would also have made their connection more believable. But, overall, I liked this book. If you're looking for a quick read, without all the very dense prose of Captive Prince, but with a similar theme, In Allegiance is well worth your time.Product details
|
Tags : In Allegiance [Kate Islay] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mathias commands the Cortesian army, but what he most longs for is home. When his king gifts him with a slave from a conquered princedom,Kate Islay,In Allegiance,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1523644176,FICTION Gay
People also read other books :
- Perfectly Incorrect Why The Common Core Is Psychologically And Cognitively Unsound eBook Terry Marselle
- Perfectly Incorrect Why The Common Core Is Psychologically And Cognitively Unsound eBook Terry Marselle
- The Quadity Jacob I Pfeiffer 9780692818305 Books
- Perfectly Incorrect Why The Common Core Is Psychologically And Cognitively Unsound eBook Terry Marselle
- The Search For My Inner "I" Joseph W Macy 9781483679297 Books
In Allegiance Kate Islay 9781523644179 Books Reviews
I quite enjoyed this book but I came to it as a m/m romance reader rather than a fantasy reader. I found the romance at its heart pretty lukewarm and this has affected my overall grade.
Cortesian army commander Matthias is 'gifted' with Reve as a slave by the Cortesian king. Reve is the second son of the recently conquered prince of Salenne, and Reve's slavery is meant to ensure the prince's continued subservience to the conquerors. This is an intriguing premise for a romance, but I found the development of the relationship between Matthias and Reve to be too low-key. They skirt around each other for a while, with Matthias resisting his attraction to Reve until Reve invites intimacy.
Meanwhile, Reve's homeland has rebelled against Cortesian rule and Matthias has to choose between his loyalty to the king and the future peace and prosperity of Cortesa and its neighbours. The unfolding political and military action kept me interested, but I didn't believe in the grand romance that is supposed to be at the centre of the book. I could believe that Matthias and Revel would desire each other, but I didn't feel the kind of emotional connection that would justify their subsequent behaviour.
In truth, Reve's main concern for much of the time is the welfare of his younger brother Leal, held by the Cortesian king as another political pawn, but Matthias from the start places great importance on Reve's safety and happiness despite the political uncertainty they face. They just hadn't interacted enough on the page for me to feel that kind of strength of feeling for each other. Also, various other characters, including a councillor, a fellow soldier and even the queen all acknowledge Reve's influence with Matthias, when I didn't see how these people could have known about or given such credence to Matthias' feelings for Reve, who is after all a foreign slave.
The military manoeuvrings between Cortesa and Salenne and Matthias's crisis of loyalty are well written and engaging and perhaps worthy of a four star book, if the romance had been only a minor element of the story. But the love between Matthias and Reve is clearly meant to be a key element of the plot, so the unconvincing nature of it was really disappointing. As a result, I've given this book 3 stars, but if you like historical fantasy with a military plotline then this is well worth a look.
"Everyone in this city seemed to be conspiring against one other."
I read the original version of this story on Live Journal three years ago and found it to be a solid four stars in its unedited state. In fact, second to Captive Prince, it was probably one of the best crafted original works posted on Live Journal. I think if Ms. Islay had pulled it to publish as it was, it would have done just fine. However, when she released this new version, she stated she had wanted to make some “significant revisions that (I think) bring out the romance more, as well as flesh out some character and plot points. I've also added an epilogue, for a bit more closure.” And I have to say she delivered on all fronts, producing a very fulfilling novel that is contextually the same while adding depth to the plot, characters and romance.
Revolving around the central theme of choices – and the freedom to make them no matter how confined your circumstance in life may be, Islay provides fully fleshed out main as well as tertiary characters that are laid out on a political game board. Everyone hides their intentions while playing their roles. At the center is Mathias, Commander of the Cortesian Army and Reve, a prince conquered and gifted as a pleasure slave to Mathias by the Cortesian King. For me, Mathias is the star of the show. He does not embrace the snake pit atmosphere of the royal court, but he knows how to play the game. Unwilling to engage in court antics, but adept at deflecting them. However, as the empire expands the game begins to change and his loyalty to the king is challenged by his loyalty to the people and to make matters more complicated for him, he must solve the mystery of a rebellion brewing in the North and a growing attraction to his newly acquired northern slave prince. He navigates the field with a level head, a composed façade and a sharp mind.
Reve struggles with his new submissive role, the fact that his father bargained his life as a political pawn and his reluctant admiration of Mathias. Brash, prideful, but aware of his faults and frustrated by his change in circumstances, Reve vacillates between playing his subservient role (and begrudgingly acknowledging the leniency he is given by Mathias) and clinging to his pride. He emerges as an unwitting player on the board who, despite his status as a slave, is in essence seen as a powerful threat by the empire or an asset to oppose it. He comes to realize he must trust someone, if not himself to choose wisely.
There is a lot of plotting in this story. So much so that I hesitate to toss it in the category of “M/M Romance”, but if anything it features a love story between two men that is as understated as it is integral to the plot. I dare describe it as a well contrived historical AU centered around political machinations with a number of wild card players on the fringe, a mystery circling it’s center and at it’s core - every possible outcome for all involved hinges on whether Mathias and Reve’s affection is merely duty bound or more. A number of chapters even feature Mathias and Reve apart, but Islay keeps their dynamic and influence on the unfolding story remaining as they try to calculate each other’s motives and moves from a distance, clinging to the hope they haven’t misjudged or misplaced their trust.
Islay uses not only Mathias and Reve’s alternating POV to tell the story, but also that of an unbiased narrator, Luca, who is playing at his own game on the board as well while keeping a careful eye on all of it’s players. Supporting cast are fleshed out just as fully as the protagonists, two of which stand out – Reve’s father, who struggles with the choices he has been faced with to sacrifice his sons for his people and later ultimately one son for a slave so another son may succeed, and King Arturus, whose descent into obsessive insanity gives depth to the motivations of his villainy. The world building from the mountains of the North to the countryside of the south, the court life of Cortesa and the subtle societal homophobia of the times are adeptly painted.
The added depth of characterizations, a steady pace of action, fleshed out plot holes and a much more satisfying ending with an HEA over an HFN makes this story well worth purchasing, though I am happy I got to watch it evolve from it’s free version on Live Journal. Recommended to readers who enjoy a well crafted story to accompany their romance.
I originally wanted to title this review "Captive Prince Lite," but I decided not to. First, I hate when people use "lite" and "nite" instead of light and night, etc. But, mostly, that title would have been a disservice to In Allegiance. Captive Prince is a trilogy and therefore has more time to spend on developing the romance and political intrigue. I felt like In Allegiance was a little light on the development of both (honestly, I'm still not sure exactly WHY Mathias and Reve cared for each other so much that they would put their honor and years of family/country allegiances on the line for each other, but it's a romance, so I will go along with it). I would have liked a little more descriptive sex. I think it would have helped me believe their strong connection (plus, you know, just HOT). I also would have liked more detail about the time they spent getting to know one another on the march back to Mathias's home. That would also have made their connection more believable. But, overall, I liked this book. If you're looking for a quick read, without all the very dense prose of Captive Prince, but with a similar theme, In Allegiance is well worth your time.
0 Response to "[FMK]≫ PDF Gratis In Allegiance Kate Islay 9781523644179 Books"
Post a Comment