Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Amazon Deborah Jay Author Deborah Jay Books Category:  Fantasy ISBN-10:  1547152680 Type: Fiction Pages: 444 Copyright: Feb 5 2014 ISBN-13: 9781547152681 Price: $3.99 (eBook) Think James Bond meets Lord of the Rings What if the magic that could save your loved ones condemns you to death? Rakish royal spy, Rustam Chalice, loves his life the way it is, so when the kingdom he serves is threatened from within, he leaps into action. To his dismay the spymaster prince teams him up with an untouchable aristocratic assassin. And to make matters worse, she’s the most beautiful woman in the Five Kingdoms. Plunged into a desperate journey over the mountains, the mismatched pair struggle to survive deadly wildlife, the machinations of a spiteful god—and each other. When Rustam discovers he has magic of his own, he is forced to question his identity, his sanity, and his loyalty to his prince. For in Tyr-en, all magic users are put to death. The Prince’s Man is the first book in The Five Kingdoms epic fantasy series. If you like action, intrigue, and magic, spiced with a touch of romance, then you’ll love Deborah Jay’s vividly realised characters.   Excerpt “Remove your hand, Chalice,” Risada hissed, “unless you want to lose it.” Rustam released her, and lay back with a sigh. “Don’t you ever get tired of making threats? Or is it the only form of conversation you know?” “It seems to be the only sort you respect. And I hardly think the kind you’re used to is appropriate outside the bedchamber.” She stood up and flounced over to her horse, began digging through a saddle bag. Rustam reconsidered—flounced was not really the correct verb. It would be hard for anyone to flounce wearing those figure hugging breeches and bulky jerkin, but that was how she moved and it made for interesting watching, particularly from his supine viewpoint. Goddess, he thought in frustration, what a gorgeous woman. Why must she be so obnoxious? A pair of thin legs walked past his face and Rustam glanced up, startled, his wrist knife slipping instinctively into his fingers. “Don’t do that!” he snapped at Elwaes. “Pardon me? Do what?” “Creep up on people like that. You can get killed that way.” He slid the dagger back into its sheath. “Apologies, friend Rustam. I had no intention of creeping and, I might suggest, your thoughts were elsewhere at the time.” Rustam scowled, unable to dispute the Shivan’s observation. “What’s that?” he asked suspiciously, eyeing the greenish mess in Elwaes’s hand. The elf smiled. “Rhak moss. It makes an excellent poultice.” At that moment, Risada returned with a length of cloth. She raised her eyebrows as Elwaes proceeded to slather the gooey moss onto Rustam’s wounds, but wordlessly handed him the cloth which he bound tightly around the whole mess. Rustam stood up and tentatively put some weight on the injured leg. It did feel a touch better, cooler at least. He hobbled over to Nightstalker and began rummaging through his saddle bags for a new pair of breeches. “Can we ride on now?” Risada asked with a touch of impatience as he fastened his belt. “Lead on, your Ladyship.” For the remainder of the day they followed the stream along the plateau, keeping a wary eye out for further ambushes. The towering peaks to either side drew a little closer, but still there was no end to the broken ground staggering endlessly away in front of them. Mosses and short tufts of coarse grass were the only vegetation and they saw no signs of either animals or trolls, other than the occasional pony sized hoof print in the softer soil of the stream bank. As night fell, Risada reluctantly agreed to make camp where they were, rather than fumble on in the dark and risk falling into a crevasse. “I don’t think we should risk a fire,” she said. “If they’re following us it’ll act as a beacon.” “I agree,” said Rustam, unsaddling Nightstalker. “How about that?” he muttered to Elwaes who was removing the mare’s bridle. “We actually agreed on something.” “Don’t expect it to last,” snapped Risada from behind her grey, and then added, “I have very sharp hearing, Chalice.” “Matches your tongue then, doesn’t it?” he murmured beneath his breath. This time she didn’t hear.

Elves, Magic, and Spies--what a fast-moving tale
Deborah Jay's The Prince's Man (Amazon Digital Services 2014) is a beautifully told epic of noble people, magic, elves, and vicious trolls. Rusty is a bon vivant male companion to wealthy women and undercover spy in the service of his king. To save the kingdom, he partners with a woman--something that just isn't done in this fantastical world--and together they rescue a captured elf in the hope it will garner the assistance of his kinsmen. As they travel the long journey required to return him to his home, they face trolls, sprites, and elementals, each with their own goals and none of which help the pair succeed. When they finally reach their destination, they find this is only the beginning of a mission fraught with danger, unusual alliances, and death-defying consequences.

This elaborately constructed world of royalty and spies, intrigue and romance, is truly is a mix of fantasy and 007. In so many ways, it resembles the delightful conniving multilayered world of the French and British court life with its flirtatious characters, the one-upmanship of lords and ladies, and the subterfuge that can surface at any moment to threaten the ruler. But when you add an elixir that offers the fountain of youth, the price of victory or defeat skyrockets. This award-winning story, the first in the Five Kingdoms series, is intricately woven, dramatically told, and filled with twists and turns that will keep every reader guessing.

Great Beginning to a New Fantasy Series
What an interesting, captivating world Deborah Jay has created with Book 1 of The Five Kingdom series. I admit, I am in awe of writers who can lay out a fictional realm of this scope, complete with political structure and geographical details that make total sense. I can barely cope with writing about the world I live in, so my hat's off to all the great fantasy authors out there, including Deborah Jay.

Ladies' man extraordinaire, we first meet hero Rustam Chalice as he's escaping from the bedchamber of a married conquest. It soon becomes apparent, though, that Rusty is not just a dancing tutor with an eye toward bedroom dalliances. Oh, nothing so simple as that. He is actually a spy for Prince Halnashead, and unpleasant (wink-wink) though it may be, when duty calls, he's happy to seduce whichever "lady" will help him in his espionage.

Of course, there's one Lady who's unattainable, and Rusty is fascinated by her, but as it turns out, she has a few secrets of her own. Throwing these two together, in a world populated with every sort of magical and truly scary creature you can imagine, results in a love/hate romance that pulls you right in.

I will say that I am not a fan of Lady Risada, thus far, and have no clue what she could possibly be thinking by the book's end, but I'm quite sure it will all sort itself out in the next book. Or the one after that. Each of which, I will be reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the likable, though somewhat shallow, Rustam Chalice grow up, question his life choices to date, and become a far more interesting and admirable man by the conclusion of the story. His friendship with the elf he and Risada rescued from years of torture was probably my favorite part of the tale. Elwaes was a delightful character, who added a lot of mystery and fun to the adventure.

All in all, a great read. If you enjoy epic fantasy, be sure to give this one a try.

Diamond in the Rough
One of the most important thing in a fantasy novel is the world that the author creates.
This world is great. The author designs a logical world with believable rules. She also does not fall into the trap of trying to explain everything. There is much mystery in the design. Much is hinted at, but not explained.

The story itself is good. It is a fun and interesting read.

Don't be scared away by the #1 in the title. This is a complete novel. It leaves some unanswered questions and will have you hungering for more. However, it does end, and it wraps up most of the loose ends by the finish of the book.