Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Sons of the Countryside
Author: Jenni Michaels
Heroes: Knox & Cailean
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: July 3, 2015
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: In the kingdom of Ailis, the Council removes all magicians from their family at the onset of their powers. All except one—Knox Cane, whose father hid him to keep him safe. But when Knox’s skills become known, the Council captures his father and gives him an ultimatum: use his abilities to help them locate and kill the last prince of the Phela line, the royal family the Council overthrew twenty years before, or never see his father again.
When he was just a child, Cailean Phela lost most of his family in a senseless slaughter perpetuated by a power-hungry group of men. His race—the Mac Tire—were banished to the nearly uninhabitable northern mountains of Cairn, where their numbers have dwindled. Luckily for the Mac Tire, the rising resistance is finally ready to make a move. If they can harness the magic the land holds for them before time runs out, they might find the strength to take back their kingdom.
Cailean knows he is a hunted man. He anticipates a difficult battle to free his land from the Council’s tyranny, but he never expected to fall in love with the man charged with ending his life.
Review:
Knox has had powers ever since he could remember and the only reason he was not given to the Council was because of his father. But when Knox’s powers are discovered, the Council hold his father hostage unless he can find the last prince of the Mac Tire. Unfortunately, Knox’s abilities allow him to talk to animals, not slay beasts. But when the prince, Cailean, kidnaps him, Knox soon realizes that the Mac Tire aren’t the beasts he thought they were and they’re doing everything they can to keep their race alive. When it comes down to survival, will Knox be able to understand that sometimes Cailean has to go to war to gain his people freedom while trying not to fall in love with the very beast he was meant to kill?
This book.. WOW. I totally did not expect that. I’ll be honest, I read the blurb when I first requested the book but by the time I actually read it, I didn’t really remember what it was about. But I saw the cover and I thought Vikings or that type of setting and I gave it a try. And I’m so glad I did! This book pulled me in right from the start. I loved, loved, loved the setting and how it had that Viking feel to it while being obviously fantasy. It made things extremely interesting and I loved that while there were wolves and magic users, it wasn’t insta-love… actually it was more like insta-hate at first LOL.
Still, the best thing about this story is the characters. I really enjoyed seeing Knox come to understand his power and really find himself as a person. It was intriguing to see him go from an innocent, naive boy to someone so powerful and brave. At the same time, I really adored Cailean’s determination and stubbornness. As characters, I liked that they didn’t jump into sex and that it wasn’t about just them. At the same time, I wished there had been a little bit more depth when it came to their relationship and where they stand now. Will Cailean want Knox to find love elsewhere? Or will he let Knox be with him during this huge transition? Will he publicly claim Knox or will he keep him a secret? There was just a lot left unanswered on where things will go now.
In the end, this was still a phenomenal story. I fell in love with it from the start and as I read, I became more and more enamored. I adored the characters and I was captivated by the world. I hope the author considers writing a sequel about Knox and Cailean or at least continuing the world in some way because I really, really want to read more!!!
Overall Impression: I LOVED IT!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
The Blogger Girls 