Publication Date: March 26, 2015
Princess Srilani’s brothers, one of whom is the crown prince, and sisters are kidnapped by pirates and taken to hostile territory. The Princess enlists the help Aldan and his gang of slaves to head into an against-the-odds adventure to free the captives.
I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.
When I see a book with 33 reviews on Amazon and none of them below 3 stars (76% of them five-star reviews), I think “Wow! That person has a lot of relatives.” No book is for everyone, right? No book can really have it all? If you are a fantasy reader, [easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] might just be that book that has it all. It has action and adventure. There are kings and queens. There are humor, romance and action and a Princess doing it for herself with the help of people that she might have never imaged herself aligned before.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] is an epic fantasy. As many authors do, the fantasy world that McKee has built has a medieval feel so that it’s foreign but familiar. McKee gives readers the full experience. Her plot is fast paced and fully developed, her characters are well rounded and are broken and put back together in the course of the narrative and the flow is fast and even. Readers don’t feel rushed or cheated on the story but [easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] also doesn’t suffer the fatal flaw of many books of its genre of over-explaining and dragging on.Princess Srilani is a character with whom a lot of teen girls will identify. She is strong, resourceful, independent and fiercely loyal but struggles to see herself as worthwhile. She is accustomed to leading because of the responsibility of her station but she is also capable. Srilani is delightful to read as is her growing relationship with Aldan. These are not characters that are attracted to each other as a result of their snap-together personal parts. Aldan respects and admires Srilani and she reciprocates that high regard. The romance plotline in [easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] will bring a smile to the face of readers of romance but isn’t so all-consuming as to detract from the enjoyment of readers there for the action.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] is about the journey and not the destination. There is a heavy religious subtext in the novel. Readers of this blog will know that I am not the greatest fan of religion but “El,” as the higher being is titled in this book, comes off more as spirituality than religion. Perhaps my readers won’t take note of the distinction that I’m making but spirituality, for me, often lives in nature and reflection as opposed to crying for mercy to an ultimate ruler of humanity. [easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] is the first book in a series but easily reads as a stand-alone story. If you like fantasy or romance, give [easyazon_link identifier=”B00QZ3PKRE” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series[/easyazon_link] a shot. It’s well written, well edited and is a novel you won’t want to put down until the last page.Read an excerpt and buy Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series (Volume 1) by Kathrese McKee on
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For more information about Kathrese McKee, visit her website. You can connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter @kathresemckee.