Orienne has served her country of Farindel through long years of cold war with a neighboring kingdom. Now she longs for a quiet life. Her position as a diplomat and translator allows her to stay near her soldier brother Allegar, the only family she has. Then a spy betrays her, and the enemy’s army strikes, driven to madness by dark magic. All of Farindel is plunged into a battle for survival. Orienne must fight to trust the Shield, the mysterious deity residing in a temple, to protect his people. This lyrically written fantasy follows a wide cast—Orienne and Allegar as well as Farindel’s leaders and the traitor working to destroy them. Nordic vibes and dramatic characters beautify this epic tale of grace and restoration.

Best for: Fans of epic fantasy.

Discern: Realistic depictions of post-traumatic stress disorder; battle scenes yet without gratuitous descriptions; allegorical depiction of God using Old Testament ideas; telepathic wyverns called avelin serve the Shield, similar to angels; soldiers on both sides of war use magic in battle, but with clear differences between dark magic and the Shield’s power.