Homegoing

The Tall Ships of Saradena, Book 1

By: Michelle Markey Butler

Narrated by: Karen Merritt

Disowned. Disgraced. Discarded. I had been Princess of Bruster, then Queen of Ferrant. Now I was neither. I built a new life, in a new land. The clerk of my adopted lord. I wanted to copy books and build his library. Quiet and unremarked amongst parchment and ink.

Then the great ship came. It delivered a letter - to a land where almost no one could read. By the time the letter came to my hands, the ship had departed. We had no way to tell them we had never heard of them. They gave us one year, but how could we meet their demands when we did not know what they meant? War was coming. Unless I could prevent it.

©2015 Michelle Markey Butler (P)2019 Pink Narcissus Press

Started slow, gradually building suspense

If you are interested in medieval times, you will enjoy this fantasy story about a woman who is racing to protect her country from a potential overthrow by another country.
It starts out slow, with nearly the entire first half of the story discussing the heroine’s story as she searches for answers among old books. The second half of the story brims with more adventure as plots develop that involve poison, treachery, murder, a coup, and a family torn apart. By the end, I couldn’t wait to get hold of the next book!
The narration was a little too crisp; it felt like every letter was carefully enunciated and I found the story flowed better at 1.25 speed.

Exciting new series

Engaging characters, rich world-building, captivating plot. I can't wait for the next book! Highly recommended.