Heartstone ~ Review and Spotlight

Heartstone
By Elle Katharine White

Have you ever wished for a little more action in Pride and Prejudice? Well, Heartstone adds a fun fantasy twist that brings dragons, trolls, hobgoblins, gryphons and other fantastical beings into the mix.  But all isn't fun and country dances - danger roams the countryside and those ready to wield a sword are called in to protect the local populations.

When Merybourne Manor finds itself at the mercy of a hoard of gryphon a band of riders is hired to rid them of this danger.  A danger that has already cost Aliza Bentaine the life of her young sister. But this band of riders calls Alastair Daired one of its own - that a dragonrider, one of the Daired of the legendary House Pendragon should be coming to their aid is most unusual.

But an even greater danger is threatening - a danger that few can see or sense and fortunately or not Aliza is one who has seen something. And the threat is one of legends. But how can one prepare for a threat when one has only myth and legend and the threats of a Silent King?

Unlike the Bennett sisters the Bentaine sisters aren't falling for every man who graces the pages. Yes there are suitable matches that leave all involved quite happy and more than content with the situations in which they find themselves. The characters are easily identifiable with their Pride and Prejudice counterparts yet different - suiting this new world that they call home. As this is a land that is under threat from various powerful creatures there are some deaths to key characters that may surprise some readers but it adds depth to the story.

This book is a standalone but if the author could find a way to expand this world to include additional works by Austen or even create a prequel that focused on the history that was hinted at throughout I would find myself first on the pre-order line. This world and the characters caught and held my attention and I had no trouble getting into the story from the first word.

I was provided a digital review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review - all opinions expressed are my own.

** I have since purchased a paperback copy of this book so that 

I could re-read this book again at my leisure. **

Title: Heartstone
Author: Elle Katharine White
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Historical Fantasy

A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice in an
imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them
against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias,
banshees, and lindworms.

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to
slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one
sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to
hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider,
Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of
wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she
anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep
as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . .
something far more sinister than gryphons.

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one
spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.
Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of
magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique
new world.

About the Author:
Elle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where she learned valuable life skills like how
to clear a snowy driveway in under twenty minutes (a lot easier than you think) and how
to cheer for the perennial underdog (a lot harder than you think).

When she’s not writing she spends her time reading, drinking absurd amounts of tea,
having strong feelings about fictional characters, and doing her best to live with no
regrets.

Connect with her on Facebook at @ellewhite.author, or witness the hilarious spectacle
that is a writer contending with the 140-character limit on Twitter at @elle_k_writes.

Connect online also at: website  GoodReads  or Tumbler

Purchase the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo

Be sure to check-out the entire Tour Schedule

Monday, January 23
Book featured at Rolopolobookblog
Book featured at Queen of All She Reads

Tuesday, January 24
Book featured at E-Romance News

Wednesday, January 25
Book featured at CBY Book Club

Thursday, January 26
Book reviewed at RhiReading

Friday, January 27
Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge
Book reviewed at Blooming with Books
Book reviewed at Books Are Love
Book featured at I Smell Sheep

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Monday, January 30
Book reviewed at I'm Shelf-ish

Tuesday, January 31
Book featured at A Book Lover

Wednesday, February 1
Book featured at The Dark Phantom

Thursday, February 2
Book featured at Write and Take Flight

Friday, February 3
Book featured at A Title Wave

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