I am so excited to be part of the Unspoken Takeover Tour! Shifters and wolves are making a comeback within YA fiction. Also, how fitting for Unspoken to be published near the full moon! Unspoken is Celia McMahon's debut novel and it's the first book in a trilogy. I look forward to reading the next two installments in the series.
Title: Unspoken
Author: Celia McMahon
Publisher: The Parliament HouseRelease Date: September 17, 2019
Purchase here: Parliament House | Amazon Kindle | B&N Nook
Synopsis:
Princess Isabelle of The New Kingdom has lived her entire life in the confines of her palace. She spends her time hunting for the poverty-stricken Voiceless-people of the Old Kingdom who warred with her kingdom and ultimately lost-and dreaming of a world beyond the walls of her home. As the only remaining child of the king and queen, she is to be married off by her eighteenth birthday.
When Izzy witnesses the use of forbidden magic in the woods outside the palace, she is attacked, and saved by an unknown man. Soon after she discovers her rescuer is a Voiceless servant in the castle named Fray, she befriends him to seek out the magic users who tried to kill her. Fray agrees to help, but not before Isabelle discovers the servant boy harbors a secret the king has tried to bury-that he is a Gwylis, people of the old Kingdom who made a pact with the demons of the underworld for the power to transform into giant ferocious wolves. But to shift into a beast, Fray must be able to speak the words to do so. If he is to thwart the attackers from killing her entire family, Izzy needs to cure the ailment that took away his voice.
But curing Fray holds more danger than she ever thought possible. The lies of her parents and the risk of putting her own life on the line deems as destructive as falling for the servant boy. If Isabelle is to save herself and Fray, she’ll need to face enemy Gwylis, cross paths with usurper kings and princes, and decide what side she is on-human or wolf-or lose her kingdom forever.
Isabelle Rowan is a princess of Stormwall but she defies what her mother says. With her father off beyond the Archway at war, a brother who passed away during the war, and an overprotective mother, Izzy finds solace in the little things. Izzy enjoys being in the company of her cousin, Lulu; talking to her brother, Henry, at his grave; and escaping through the servants' entrance to go hunting in the forest with a bow and arrow.
Izzy is snarky, speaks her mind and loves archery. Henry taught her archery, hand to hand combat and basic survival skills. However, Izzy can be annoying at times when she doesn't listen to anyone. When someone tells her no, she wants to do the things that are forbidden even more. At least she acknowledges this stubbornness. Izzy's mother matches her with Prince Ashe Paratheon of the Peek Islands and hopes Izzy will marry him. However, Izzy has a fondness for the Voiceless servant, Fray Castor.
What Izzy doesn't know is the harrowing secrets that her family holds. The House of Rowan has been conquering land for quite a while. When a group of people of the old kingdom dabbles in magic to overcome the House of Rowans, they are poisoned by the opposition. This group loses their voice and are now known as the Voiceless. The royal family sees the Voiceless or the Gwylis as a disgrace. However, Izzy falls in love with Fray and seeks redemption along with the creator of the poison.
Izzy's friendship with Lulu is strong. Lulu is Izzy's only female friend she confides in. Pyrus, a healer, is another one of her close friends who she often visits. Izzy is close with her bodyguard, Crim. She first learned to sign with the Voiceless through Crim. While others in the new kingdom avoid the Voiceless like the plague, Izzy tries to help them as much as possible.
Izzy knows there is magic in the air but she has no proof besides what she sees with her very own eyes. However, she soon finds out that people do know about the magic but often denies it exists. I assume they believe in the idiom, "out of sight, out of mind." Izzy feels betrayed when those close to her are harboring secrets. While her father seeks to conqueror all the lands and its people, others seek to take advantage of Izzy and the Rowan family.
The worldbuilding is definitely a strong point in Unspoken. The way the Gwylis transform into wolves is very unique. They must recite a certain phrase in order to shift into wolf form. However, without a voice, they remain human. I would have loved more intricate character development. However, since there are two more books in the series, I hope to see growth within the characters. I am not one for insta-love or love triangles but then again, everyone's loyalties lie differently. The pacing of the book started off slow but ramped up quickly at the end.
Celia McMahon has penned a fantasy novel with a dash of magic, a dash of paranormal and forbidden love. If you are looking for a novel about a princess, a prince, messenger crows, and wolves, check out Unspoken.
Although this quote is not one of Izzy's, I find it quite memorable:
"A woman may be forgotten. But a queen lives on forever."
ABOUT CELIA MCMAHON
Celia McMahon is a devourer of books and coffee. She lives in Italy for the time being as a full time author and mother to a strapping young knight. If she’s not busy buying more books than she can read or discovering new ways of being tired, you can find her scouring the world for book ideas.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
No comments:
Post a Comment