The Royal Wizard (Dragonborn, book 1)
by Alianne Donnelly
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Word count: 103,000
The kingdom of Wilderheim stands bastion between the world of humans and the Otherlands. It is ruled as much by people as it is by creatures Other and as such, it must always have a wizard at the right hand of its king. Nico has seen three generations of rulers sit the throne; he knows he will not see the fourth. Desperate to find a worthy apprentice, when Nia appears like a godsend in his path he wastes no time taking her under his wing as his last sworn duty to the young king Saeran.
But Nia and Saeran have many trials ahead of them. With destinies converging toward an inevitable battle for power, countless lives hang in the balance, including theirs. As love brings them together, so strife tears them apart and as the balance between justice and magic shifts, the royal wizard and her king get caught in a maelstrom of colliding forces. Nothing is ever as it seems with a trickster hiding in the shadows. When the gods begin to play, mortals tremble…
This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.
Alianne, how did you come up with the title for your book? Does it have any special meaning?
The title is Nia’s rank in Wilderheim. Her duty is to stand by the king and advise him for the good of the kingdom. I chose it because identity plays such an important part in the story. It dictates many of the difficult choices the characters have to make.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Without a doubt, my favorite character is Loki. He fascinates me. Sometimes you think he’s all bad, but there is a happy, lighthearted side to him that’s almost childish. You never know what he’s going to do next, but it’s definitely ill advised to get on his bad side.
Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?
If anything, the message is to always be true to your heart. The place we are born into is only part of what makes us who we are. What we choose to do there defines our destinies. We can fall in line, buck the system, or utterly redefine it.
What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
My goal is always to touch a reader’s heart, so the best thing to hear is that something in the story resonated with the reader, or brought back pleasant memories from childhood fairy tales. I love hearing people say they’ll be re-reading this book in the future. I treasure it.
Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“I loved all of the characters, both good & bad. Loved the world the author created and deeply admire both Nia and Saeran (LOVE Saeran!)” ~Ava (Romance Book Junkies)
Where can people learn more about your writing?
Readers can always find me at my website: http://aliannedonnelly.com. It contains information about all my books and series, including excerpts and sample chapters. I also regularly update my blog there with progress reports on my current projects.
