THE MARK OF THE TALA – Jeffe Kennedy
The Twelve Kingdoms
Kensington Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-7582-9443-2
June 2014
Fantasy Romance

The Twelve Kingdoms

Andromeda has always known she was different from her two sisters. Being the middle born between Ursula and Amelia, she's mostly felt in the shadows. Brave, strong, and a natural born leader, Ursula co-rules the Twelve Kingdoms with their father, High King Uorsin. The youngest sister, the blindingly beautiful Amelia, is everything a princess should be. Which leaves Andi in the middle – not necessarily brave, and not necessarily beautiful. Plus, it's obvious to her that her father barely tolerates her, although it was Amelia's birth that supposedly killed their mother, Salena. Andi's few memories of her mother are vague, and she only has the doll given to her by Salena as a reminder of her love.

With the upcoming nuptials of Amelia and Prince Hugh of Avonlidgh, Andi feels even more alone; her only company is her horse, Fiona, whom she rides farther and farther from the confines of Castle Ordnung. It is on just such a ride that she encounters Rayfe of the Talas and his pack of wolfhounds. Even though she knows she is still within the boundaries of her kingdom, Andi is stunned to be accosted by someone who has no business being there. In fact, she's not even sure Tala exists; it's always been a touchy subject with her father. Rayfe insists on Andi coming with him to Tala. In the struggle to escape him, they kiss, and Rayfe bites her lip, exchanging blood with each other, and a shocking thing happens that confuses Andi even more. When she finally manages to escape, his voice rings in her ears that the fight is not over.

It is only upon Andi's return to Ordnung that she begins to discover that some of the tales she's heard about her mother and Tala become reality. Uorsin is furious that the Tala have infiltrated his land, and, after an attack on the castle by the Tala in all of their shapeshifting forms, he sends Andromeda away with her sister and her new husband, vowing that Andi will not go to Tala. He also makes it very clear that he doesn't trust her.

Thus begins the very captivating new trilogy, The Twelve Kingdoms. THE MARK OF THE TALA is told in the first person by the very perceptive Andromeda, who must make some monumental decisions in her life. Ambivalent in her feelings for her father, who comes off as a tyrant even to his daughters, Andi is devoted to her sisters and her homeland. But Rayfe has put doubts in her mind about where she actually belongs. Unsure of what she feels for him, yet she must do something to save those she loves.

An exciting, terrifying, and magical world awaits readers of this new series. Beautifully written, it's a difficult book to put down at any point in the story.

Jani Brooks