Book Review: Legacy

Legacy - Cayla Kluver (Legacy #1)
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 496

Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodsreads

I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst.In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.
When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.
In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

My Review: 
It has been seventeen years since the abrupt end of the bloody war between the Kingdoms of Hytanica and Cokyri. But the war did not end in an agreement of peace. Instead, in the dark of night forty-nine newborn baby boys were stolen from Hytanican homes and forty-eight were found dead. But the last boy was never found, he was simply gone. Taken by the Cokyrians across the river. For year there was no sign of either the boy or the Cokyrians and the inevitable continuation of the war that was left unfinished, until now.


Seventeen year old, Princess Alera of Hytanica was born at the end of the war and has lived a life of peace. But her father the King has become weary of the strain that being a king brings on one. So Alera is charged with the duty of finding herself a worthy man who is capable of becoming the next king.  As the firstborn princess, the man that Alera marries is to become the next king due to their extremely male oriented society. But despite Alera's efforts her father seems to be dead set on Lord Steldor, the son of the Captain of the Guard and the heartthrob of the kingdom. Well, everyone's heartthrob except for Alera's.


Through a series of events and the appearance of a young Cokyrian warrior called Narian. Alera's world is turned upside down. Now, it is not only her Kingdom at stake but her heart as well.


Being a total cover freak, it was the cover of this book that initially caught my attention but soon in enough I was totally infatuated with this book. The concept sounded amazing to me, I love stories about princesses and and kingdoms and all that awesomeness! But what truly hooked me to this book was the prologue. Oh man, it's just amazingly written. As I read, I felt chills going down my spine. So of course I had to read this book and am I glad I did or what! It was amazing! 


Cayla Kluver did such a wonderful job with everything in this book. The character are all great. They are interesting and the plot is gripping, and best of all is the world Kluver created in this book. I was amazed at the history between Hytanica and Cokyri, it was really interesting to read about!


I found Alera to be a great character she was strong, intelligent and a good leader. She fought against the gender roles that her society placed on women and tried to get involved in really ruling her country instead of sitting aside and have the men do it for her. So, I really enjoyed reading about her.


As for the romantic male intrigues, I was torn between the perfectly egotistical Lord Steldor and the mysterious Narian. I can't wait to see more of both of these character in the next books!


Overall, Legacy was an amazing introduction to a new trilogy! I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the series. I thoroughly enjoyed Cayla Kluver's writing and I recommend this book to all lovers of romantic fantasy novels! 


More on the sequel, Allegiance:

Allegiance - Cayla Kluver (Legacy #2)

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Goodreads

Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive. 
An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return... 
Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. 
Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....