THE BATTLE FOR TRIMERA

In this high fantasy, a powerful young priestess must lock her emotions away while defending her kingdom from savage beasts and magical attacks.

Prince Janu is 14 years old and Princess Pria is 5 when their parents are killed by grinlo—wild predators who hunt in packs at the edges of their kingdom. Pria was born with the magic of a high priestess, one of only two in all the land, and by rights, she should be sent to the far-off Lorien for training alongside priestesses. Instead, she is allowed a reprieve. Pria is 12 years old when she finally leaves, and in her subsequent 10-year absence, the grinlo hordes continue to make inroads, overrunning one stronghold after another. The creatures have learned to coordinate their attacks. They seek out magic and are commanded by a rogue priest. When High Priestess Lana is killed, Pria returns home as a high priestess in her own right. She finds Janu on the throne and their childhood friend Mian serving as his battle leader. But Janu and Mian still see Pria as the little girl they grew up with. Pria, though a potent magic user, is inexperienced. One misstep and the Lorien might well recall her from service. Can Pria reconcile herself to Janu’s overprotectiveness and Mian’s love and, in doing so, save the kingdom? Kennedy writes in the third person, largely from Pria’s point of view. The prose style is a straightforward blend of narrative, badinage-peppered dialogue, and characters’ inner thoughts. The minor players are well developed. As for the protagonists, Pria in particular is given both space and time in which to grow. Events don’t move quickly, but there is a chilling inevitability to the grinlo encroachments. The author’s worldbuilding is astute, conjuring a sense of realism to underpin the story’s magical conflicts, nobility, and heroism. The plot is engaging throughout. But given the book’s length (over 500 pages) and the interactions between Pria and Mian, readers might have hoped for more from its ending, which merely cedes meekly to the promise of a sequel. Nonetheless, fans of the genre should approve.

A well-crafted fantasy laced with frustrated romance.