The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy
Author: Farah OomerbhoyTitle: The Rise of the Dawnstar
Series: The Avalonia Chronicles #2
Published: April 24th 2017
Genres: fantasy, ya
Goodreads: The Rise of the Dawnstar
Amazon:The Rise of the Dawnstar (Avalonia Chronicles)
(Affiliate link) Synopsis:
Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.
The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it’s only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.
With Avalonia growing more dangerous by the day, Aurora must travel through war-torn lands and deep into the heart of the fae kingdom of Elfi. Her goal is to find a legendary weapon infused with the last of the realm’s ancient magic—the only weapon in the world powerful enough to stop the queen.
Aurora might have survived her first battle against Morgana, but the true fight to save her kingdom and restore her throne has only just begun…
Prologue
“Why is the girl still alive, Lucian?” said a
woman’s voice from a shadowy corner.
“I’m working on it, my queen.” The Archmage of
Avalonia swept into the darkened room, his black mage robes, bordered with
gold, billowing around him as he walked. Broad-shouldered and regal in his
bearing, he raised his right hand and the damp fireplace flared to life,
warming the cold stone floor.
Morgana sat in a red velvet chair, staring into
the flames that suddenly appeared before her, illuminating her heart-shaped
face. The windows were shut against the cold wind that had started blowing down
from the north and a dark mist swirled outside as the wind howled, racing
through the kingdoms of Avalonia, heralding the coming of winter.
“Then why does she still live, Lucian?” Morgana
snarled, rising slowly from her high-backed chair and turning to face the
Archmage. Her obsidian hair was loose and tangled and her emerald eyes were
bloodshot red.
“We have no idea where she is.” Lucian bowed
before the queen of Illiador. His eyes narrowed as he addressed Morgana. “It is
proving impossible to find her with magic. As long as she wears the Amulet of
Auraken, I cannot determine her whereabouts.”
“Yes, I know that.” Morgana waved her hand,
dismissing the thought. “But surely there are other ways to find her?”
“Not with magic.”
“Then find her without magic,” Morgana hissed.
“I have spies everywhere, looking for the
princess,” said the Archmage, his jaw tightening. “The last we heard, she left
the Summer Palace in the dark of night. That was days ago – by now she could be
anywhere in the seven kingdoms.”
Morgana clasped her hands together and started
pacing in front of the fireplace. “She won’t get far on a normal horse; at
least she doesn’t have the added advantage of a pegasus anymore.”
Lucian coughed and looked down.
Morgana’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose.
“What are you not telling me, Lucian?”
“There was an incident in the ruins, after you,
um, left. My sources say that the princess healed the pegasus.”
“How is that possible? The pegasus was dead, I
saw it with my own eyes.” Morgana paused as she assessed the Archmage. “Is her
healing power so great?”
“I believe it is. She has the blood of the
immortal fae running through her veins. You know how powerful their healers
are, and she is stronger still. My sources say that the healing she performed
on that day was something no one has ever seen before.”
“The Shadow Guard were supposed to kill the
pegasus and the princess, but they failed.” Morgana looked utterly unimpressed.
Lucian looked down.
“Why did they fail, Lucian?” Morgana’s green eyes
narrowed. “I thought you had trained them all personally? How can a little chit
of a girl defeat the deadliest warriors of Illiador?”
“She is too strong,” the Archmage said, his face
almost feral at the thought of the girl who had evaded them for over fifteen
years. “The more she uses her magic, the more her power grows. There is no mage
who can stand in her way now.”
“Rubbish!” The flames in the fireplace leapt and
danced as Morgana’s anger flared. “There is always a way.”
Lucian bowed his head, not so much as blinking an
eye. “Whatever you say, my queen.”
Morgana flashed him a glare. “And what news is
there from Eldoren? Are you sure your sister and her husband know what they’re
doing?”
Lucian nodded. “The Blackwaters will take over
the throne of Eldoren as you have commanded. The plans are already set in
motion.”
“That is not enough,” Morgana snapped. “I want
Prince Rafael dead as well. The Ravenswood dynasty supports Aurora, none must
be allowed to survive. We will strip her of all her allies and all her friends;
she will have no one to turn to, no one to help her. Without proper guidance
the girl is likely to destroy herself. Then we will strike when she is at her
weakest.”
“What about Izadora? The fae queen will never bow
to your rule, and you know that.”
Morgana’s eyes narrowed. “Izadora will have no
choice, once I am done with her,” she gave Lucian a pointed look. “My plans
concerning Elfi are already underway. You just make sure that Aurora never
reaches her grandmother’s kingdom.”
Lucian shook his head. “Forget her, Morgana.” He
came closer and put his hand on her shoulder. “She is weak and foolish. She
doesn’t have it in her to be queen. Like you said, she will eventually destroy
herself. Concentrate on taking over the other kingdoms first. Once you are
crowned High Queen of Avalonia, Aurora Firedrake will become just a memory.”
“I want her dead, Lucian.” Morgana moved away
from him, and turned to face the flames. “I should have called for the Drakkar
assassins much earlier,” she said quietly, dismissing the Archmage with a wave
of her hand. “They will find her and they will destroy her, even if you can’t.”
“But, Your Majesty.” The Archmage’s spine
stiffened. “The Drakkar are not to be trusted. They will extract a high price
for this – remember what happened after you hired them to kill Azaren.” He
paused and took a step closer, lowering the tone of his voice. “Morgana, let me
find the girl. I will not fail, just give me more time.”
“There is no more time,” snarled Morgana, turning
back around to face him. “The people have already heard that she is alive. You
told me yourself that rebel factions have sprung up all over Illiador and they
are searching for her too. We have to find her before those troublemakers who
call themselves the Silver Swords do. They are the last remnants of Azaren’s
supporters, and I want them gone as well. Burn the forests where they take
cover, and scorch the villages and towns that conceal them. If anyone is found
supporting Aurora, they must be made examples of. My niece must have no place
to go, nowhere to hide, then we will strike and make her wish that she had
never been born a Firedrake.”
The Archmage bowed, his eyes like shards of cold
steel. “It will be done, my queen.”
“See that it is.” Morgana turned to gaze into the
dancing fire. “If I want to become High Queen over all the seven kingdoms,
Aurora Firedrake must die.”
Anie
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