The Golden Dynasty Series: Fantasyland #2 Also in this series: Wildest Dreams, Fantastical, Broken Dove, Midnight Soul
on December 7, 2013
Pages: 530
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Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire - and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their Queen.
Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend.
Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader.
❝He’s a husband, he’s a king, he’s a man, but above all, my queen, always remember, above all, he… is… a warrior.❞
WOW! I get it now. I totally understand the accolades and the raving messages. The Golden Dynasty was brilliant! It was unlike anything I have ever read before and probably ever will again!!
I am among the many fans of Kristen Ashley. I have loved most every book from her that I have read. But, this book had a different feel than all the others. The writing was exceptional. It was beautiful. There was pain, sacrifice, anguish, joy, laughter, love… so much love. I experienced so many emotions. I was sucked into the fantasy world of Korwahk and I didn’t want to leave! After forcing myself to go to bed at 3 am, I dreamed about these places and characters KA created. When I woke up, I tried to force myself to go back to sleep, so I could continue with my dream — no lie! I didn’t want to leave my fantasyland.
❝It is the Korwahk people’s belief that the mightiest Dax in their history will find the golden queen, a warrior bride, fair of hair, kind of heart, fierce of spirit. This story has been told for centuries, millennia… the mighty Dax and his golden Dahksahna would unite and the Golden Dynasty would begin, bringing the Korwahk nation great wealth, abundant crops, fruitful women.❞
Circe goes to sleep in Seattle and awakens in a cage. She has no idea where she is or how she got there. Suddenly she finds herself thrust into a primitive, savage world. She is among other women. People on the outside are peering into the cage, staring at her and the other girls. She soon discovers she is going to be part of the wife hunt. An event where women are paraded through the streets for the warriors to see. They are their gift for a job well done. The women are “let loose” and the warriors then “hunt” the woman who caught their eye during the parade. Once caught the women are “claimed” and become their bride. It is brutal and often deadly. The end result, often times, scaring a woman for life unless she is able to accept the ways of the culture into which she has been forced.
Circe is fierce. She is strong. She is a force to be reckoned with. She does not sit back and give up and she realizes she just very well may be in for the fight of her life. Further, she has caught the eye of Dax Lahn, the King, and he wants Circe for his wife, his Queen. All she knows is what she briefly heard about him and none of it good.
❝He is a savage. Tales of his exploits have spread wide. Very cruel. Heartless.❞
Dax Lahn. The King, who speaks a different language than the woman he wants as his Queen, is determined no man, nor woman, nor circumstance, will keep him from getting what he wants. What he determines to be his. Circe, his Golden Queen.
❝You and me. Gold and paint. King and Queen. Tiger and Tigress. Your gold is on my body now. My paint will be on your body tonight, my Circe.❞
There is a language barrier between Lahn and Circe. She must learn the language of the land, and Lahn chooses to learn hers. He is a quick learner and let me say, their conversations were some of the funniest, sweetest and sexiest dialogue I have ever read. EVER.
❝I could not dream a better you.❞ ❝A better wife, a better queen. Not even in a dream could I create better than you.❞
It must be said that I am in love with Dax Lahn. Like, IN LOVE. I would trade places with Circe without a second thought. Okay, maybe I would think twice (for a second), because of some of the things that happened to her and the situations she had to witness, but if I knew Lahn was the prize, yeah. I would switch!
This was a love story between two unlikely characters who had everything going against their union. She being from a different world, culture. A universe between them. They had other countries who didn’t want them together. He being brutally savage, yet undeniably tender when it came to her.
I know this review does not do my feelings nor this epic story justice. I am having trouble condensing my thoughts, let alone formulating them into a coherent review. I am in awe of Kristen Ashley. How she created this world and fabulous characters is beyond me. I don’t understand it. I could never come close to replicating a page, let alone 500+ pages. I know that probably sounds silly, since she is a writer and I am not. But I am completely serious. I am captivated by her words, her stories, her talent.
One last thought, for those of you who have read this book, let me say I will NEVER listen to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” the same way again. I will always think of Circe and The Golden Dynasty.
About Kristen Ashley
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.
Nothing’s changed.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.
SHIT. I need to read this. It sounds so romantic!
WHAT? OMG YOU HAVE TO READ IT!!!!!!!!!