Donovan and Krystal's three teenage daughters must learn to master special talents to help rescue their father, the true king. Krystal organizes an epic battle between good and evil.
“The planet Drako is inhabited by space travelers who over time regressed to a feudal society where previous technology is outlawed, until a new generation of human visitors, including a psychopath bent on total domination, change the status quo. Good might triumph over evil, but it is taking years to accomplish within the framework of the existing society. The struggle presents reminders from our history and lessons for the future woven between the lines of this intriguing adventure.” Arleen Alleman, Author
When chaos erupts in the kingdom, Havenshire falls to Krystal’s worst enemy. As queen she must safeguard her precious daughters and devise a plan to rescue her beloved husband from Jarrack. She forms the "Havenshire Resistance" and initiates an underground black market to finance a ragtag army of Samurai, peasants, and renegades among the gentry.
Hiding in the safety of the Fire Temple, Krystal waits for her daughters to mature. As the girls near their seventeenth birthday, dreams stimulate their repressed memories, and they are compelled to find each other. It’s a dangerous world for teenage girls. Desert riders roam the countryside to find and capture Krystal’s daughters.
The girls travel with trusted guardians and animal friends—a dragon, panther, and hawk—to join forces and learn how to use their special abilities in the upcoming battle. The daughters petition the wolves to join their fight against Jarrack the wolves’ Council of Elders. Krystal prepares her army to wage a surprise attack against the enemy stronghold that was once her home.
A cunning schemer and determined general, Krystal is now a stranger to her own children. Can she win the battle and regain her stolen life? How will her strong will and fortitude fit into the role of queen once the battle is over?
Excerpt
Tessa reached the horses and tied a bundle to Sparks’ saddle. She bent to pick up another when a man jumped out of the shadows. Instinctively she grabbed her hunting knife and faced the large man.
He loomed over her, muscular but agile. He kicked the knife and it clattered across the floor as he knocked her to the ground. “Got me a little scrapper and a shapely girl at that!” Rough hands bruised her breast with a hard squeeze. “We’ll have a lively time, me beauty.” He grabbed her shirt and lifted her close to his face. She gagged at the foul smell of his breath and body odor. “Want to give old Gill a little kiss for starters?”
She squirmed to escape his grip but strong fingers tightened around her neck. He shook her like a rag doll, laughing.
Tessa barely heard Amber’s growl as she gasped for breath, hardly noticed the black body leap at the enemy. When the man’s laughter turned into a painful scream, she saw Amber’s fangs sank into the soft flesh of his underarm. Trying to shake the black monster off, he flung Tessa across the floor. Amber dropped off his bleeding arm, and stood snarling and growling.
Scrambling to escape from snapping white teeth, the brute lost track of Tessa. She crawled under a feed trough and watched Amber leap at the man’s throat. He beat at the wolf with his fist but Amber sank her fangs and shook her prey.
Maggie charged into the cave brandishing a butcher knife. Tessa stayed hidden while Maggie circled behind the brute. Tessa often saw Maggie wield that butcher knife, deftly slicing meat and chopping vegetables in her cozy kitchen. Now the large blade flashed as Maggie struck the man from behind.
He stiffened, turned toward Maggie with an expression of shock on his grizzled face, and crumpled. His massive body landed on the wolf.
Professional Reviews
I sat under the red moon, stroking the wolf, communicating telepathically...
This is the second book in the `Heirs to the Throne' series and I cannot wait for the third! I am hooked. I would like to mention an excellent feature that was included in the beginning of the book. It was the back-story. Brilliant! If you have not read the first book, you will get the brief summary and avoid any confusion when reading the second book. If you have read the first book, it is a nice synopsis, as you continue your journey.
Diane Rapp has a style of writing that I like to call `musical'. When I read her books, she takes me on an intense voyage where I can smell the fragrance of the night blooming flowers and stroke the soft fur of the sentient wolves, under the red moon. This adventure takes place on the planet Drako and it is action packed!
As we join our friends, trouble is brewing. King Donovan works hard to create a Kingdom where all the citizens have equal opportunities. He promotes fair trade and makes enemies along the way. He has to fight with the lords within his Kingdom, who do not want change. Then there is the ever-present threat of ominous evil that is Jarrack. He is a power hungry tyrant with the gift of mind control. He wants everything that King Donovan has- including his Queen Krystal and daughters.
When anarchy explodes, Jarrack traps Donovan in a type of `time warp' and takes control of Havenshire.
Krystal is obligated to make some painful decisions. It is essential to separate her daughters, to keep them safe. In addition, she must find a way to rescue her beloved King.
She summons all of her strength, to create a strategy whereby she can covertly rule the Kingdom and gain the support of her people. She soon creates the Havenshire Resistance.
It is the start of a secretive black market, to finance the motley crew that will become her army. This unique army will consist of samurai, peasants, renegades, & the abused women, rescued from Jarrack's harem. Moreover, of course she will have the support of the sentient wolves.
Years go by, each of the three daughters grow up in different environment, giving them each unique skills that will serve them well. Krystal stays safe by becoming the leader of The Fire Temple. As the girls approach their seventeenth birthday, the plan goes into effect. They must find each other and band together as a family.
Danger lurks around every corner and under every rock. Jarrack sends Desert riders to find and capture the girls. Even with their guardians, the journey is one of danger. They must rely upon the wolves but they need the approval of the wolves' Council of Elders, who is skeptical, doubting the intelligence of the humans. There are challenges at every step of the way.
With the help of the wolves, a dragon, panther, and a hawk, the daughters brace for the fight to save their father.
Krystal leads the Havenshire Resistance and defeats the enemy. Jarrack is killed, but is he really gone" King Donovan is freed. The family is reunited. All is well in the kingdom. Or is it? Kathleen Patel
Long Live Havenshire
Intriguing, exciting, action-packed! A roller coaster ride of emotions. I really enjoyed this story and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. This story pulls you in and keeps you wanting more. I can't wait to find out what else is in store for planet Drako and the residents of Havenshire. Kim Jandle
It's Good to be the King!
It's good to be the king -- or is it? The leader of a group of intergalactic escapees from the realm of the ominous sounding "Institute" finds himself drafted unwillingly into the role of monarch in a feudal society. He is forced to accept the crown of the dying king to ensure the survival of his loyal group of fellow refugees, one of whom, Jarrack, is an agent for the Institute, tasked initially with bringing the rebels back into the fold.
Stranded on the planet Drako, King Donovan and his band find themselves fighting not just for their own survival, but for the oppressed majority of their new home. Reliant on advanced technology to which they no longer have access, Donovan and company learn to live by their wits, aided in their conflict with the forces of evil by a noble race of sentient wolves.
Early in his reign, Donovan is captured by Jarrack, who sets himself up as ruler of Drako. Cut off from the support of the Institute as well as its constraints, Jarrack becomes even more evil. Donovan's Queen, Krystal, emerges as a strong leader in her own right, organizing and leading the citizens in subtly undermining the would-be dictator. She disrupts his plans until her three daughters mature sufficiently to join forces with her in restoring Donovan to the throne. Separated from their mother and from one another early in life to ensure their safety in the hostile environment, they elude capture and develop their individual strengths with the aid of carefully chosen mentors. One daughter loses her mentor early and finds companionship with wild creatures, learning to communicate with them telepathically.
Skeptical at first as to the intelligence of the telepathically mute, socially backward humans, the wolves eventually realize that Donovan's "pack" is fighting for the cause of righteousness. When they encounter the telepathic daughter, their alliance with Donovan's cause is sealed. As the wolves and humans learn to work together, there are valuable lessons learned on both sides. Mutual respect, tolerance for cultural differences, and a shared commitment to make their world a better place bring the wolves and the humans together and enable them to triumph over Jarrack.
Ms. Rapp weaves an exciting tale with plenty of suspense and intrigue, keeping us on edge until the very last pages. Her characters are believable -- even the sentient wolves -- and her technique as a writer is solid. Krystal, reunited with her newly empowered daughters and aided by the wolves, frees Donovan and reestablishes his monarchy. Good does finally triumph over evil -- or does it? There's some unfinished business that must be dealt with in the third book of the series. Who will carry fight forward? Donovan? Krystal? Their daughters? Write faster, Ms. Rapp. We're waiting. Charles Dougherty
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