Series: Wraith Kings #1
Pages: 297
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 13th January 2015
Format: Ebook
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review: This is the second time I have read Radiance. I'm not a big re-reader, but there are some books: the Harry Potter series, Pride and Prejudice, that I return to again and again. Time will tell if Radiance is one of those books, but there was something about the relationship between Brishen and Ildiko that pulled me back to experience it again at least once.
Brishen is a Prince of the Kai, contented with his life as a nonessential heir. He hates the life of the court, and spends most of his time at his fortress on the border of the Kai lands, where an uneasy peace between the Kai and their neighbours has so far held fast.
Ildiko is the neice of the Gauri king. Her only value to her family is through strategic marriage, and she is willing to do her duty, however unpleasant it may be. Unpleasant because Ildiko is to wed the Prince of the Kai: a people with grey skin, fangs, claws, and dark, pupil-less eyes. To the Gauri, the Kai look menacing, with their wolfish fangs and their skin like the dead, but Ildiko is less afraid than she thought she would be. There is a freedom to starting a new life, with a different people, and, not knowing what to expect, she is determined to make the best of things. If her new life is an unhappy one, it will not be because she made it so.
The Kai view of the human Gauri is not any more flattering. To the Kai, the Gauri are mollusc-skinned aliens with unnerving eyes:
Her eyes bothered him most. Unlike the Kai, hers were layers of opaque white, blue ringed in gray and black pinpoint centers that expanded or contracted with the light. The first time he'd witnessed that reaction in a human all the hairs on his nape stood straight up. That, and the way the contrasting colors made it easy to see the eyes move in their sockets gave the impression they weren't body parts but entities unto themselves living as parasites inside their hosts' skulls.I enjoyed the way descriptions such as these "other" the (white) human. As well as being delightfully grotesque in their own right, they also hold up a mirror to that identity and say: you are not the central standard to which all others are held.
In spite of the mutual repulsion felt between these two species, Brishen and Ildiko at least find each other companionable. Ildiko may recoil at Brishen's smile, and Brishen at Ildiko's eyes, but they are each good-humoured, kind, and sympathetic to their new spouse. They may not ever be lovers, but they are both relieved that they can at least be friends.
The big draw of this book for me is watching the attraction between Brishen and Ildiko develop as their respect and admiration for each other as individuals continues to grow, and they become more used to their physical differences. They each appreciate how attractive the other is to those of their own species, but it is only through spending time together, and observing each other that they begin to feel that attraction for themselves. It's a glorious slow-burn, with a hugely satisfying conclusion.
The sense of impending war, and the political machinations of various kingdoms provide more than just an exciting backdrop to the love story. There are moments of genuin peril, of death, and of tenderness as Brishen and Ildiko work to protect the Kai borders and keep their people safe. I enjoyed the fact that these dangers didn't leave the main characters unscathed, as if they were separate to the men and women under their command. Ildiko and Brishen suffer, and we see them work to recover from physical and emotional damage, trials which only serve to make them stronger as a couple.
Radiance is an excellent romance, with fantastic characters, and a gripping plot, all set in a captivating world of competing kingdoms and dying magic. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and it is one that I recommend all of the time. Just read it!
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