Sorceress

by Saskia Walker

Forbidden love, magic, danger and desire...Young Empress Elishiba has vowed to protect her people, even if it means marrying an enemy. But when the mysterious man known as Amshazar arrives as a spokesman for her future husband, her passion is ignited. Amshazar is an attractive and powerful man who is rumored to be a sorcerer, and he is allied to her enemy. Consorting with him would be disastrous. Why then does she let him distract her from her goal?...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1502553597
• ISBN13: 9781502553591
• Release Date: September 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Unveiling The Soceress

Elishiba finds herself at a crossroads in her life and her choices will not only affect her, but the future of her country and its people. Her country Aleem is surrounded by unfriendly neighbors and if she wishes to avoid outright warfare. she must align herself to Karseedia - hopefully through a peace treaty but if all else fails through a marriage to the Karseedian Emperor. However, when she sets out to the capital of Karseedia, Elishiba believes it is to negotiate what terms both sides will abide by, but what she finds is a trip surrounded by possible enemies and constant intrigue and manipulations by the Machiavellian Empress of Karseedia. In the midst of all these events that threaten to overwhelm Elishiba, she begins to discover powers beyond imagination within herself - but will Elishiba be able to use them for her benefit? Will Elishiba be able to save her country and herself or will she be the sacrifice required to keep the peace in Aleem? Unveiling the Sorceress is an incredible magical tale that weaves all the elements of a wonderfully sensual fantasy - love, magic, intrigue, murder, true evil and gods who are not above influencing the outcome of events. Ms. Walker does a wonderful job of creating such vivid characters and a world so full of magic that it will leave you wishing it were real so you could visit. Elishiba is an amazing character who will have you turning the pages to find how she will face and overcome all the challenges in her path. She is left constantly wondering who her allies truly are and it is entertaining to watch Elishiba navigate the intrigue and test her mettle against all the forces aligned against her. Pick up Unveiling the Sorceress for a truly entrancing read that will transport you to a world where magic is real and the gods interact directly in the lives of their people. Sabella Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Imagery and romance

To stop an impending war and create unity among countries, Elishiba, Empress of Aleem, consents to an arranged marriage to the Emperor of Karseedia, Hanrah. Unknown to Elishiba, the motivation for the union actually stems from the greed of Hanrah's mother. Mehmet will use any means necessary to gain power, even if it means sacrificing her son's happiness. That is exactly what is happening, as Hanrah's heart belongs to a slave and marriage to a stranger belies his nature. In preparation for Elishiba's journey to Karseedia and the forthcoming marriage, Mehmet sends dowry offerings via courtly messengers. These messengers are also charged with leading the Empress and her attendants back to Karseedia to meet the groom and make negotiations for the betrothal. One such escort immediately captures Elishiba's attention. Amshazar carries with him a power and mysticism that reaches the Empress' core and awakens a repressed sorcery within her. He is an emissary of authority other than Mehmet, however, and takes special interest in helping Elishiba recognize the power she holds. Her kingdom's peace and well being relies on this, for she is about to meet the most threatening adversaries she has ever faced. Unveiling the Sorceress is Saskia Walker's second fantasy romance for Juno Books. It follows a similar pattern as The Strangeling, her first fantasy romance, narrating a young woman's discovery of unrecognized power through love. Once again, a strong female lead takes control of her destiny while a wise male counterpart nudges her along. While The Strangeling followed the self actualization of a peasant, Unveiling the Sorceress chronicles the trials of the privileged. The only complaint I had for The Strangeling was the romance overshadowed the fantasy storyline, which was not surprising since Walker was first an author of erotic fiction. However, Unveiling the Sorceress takes advantage of Walker's talent for imagery and allows the romance to complement the storyline rather than commandeering it. The novel is a shining example of Walker's creativity and talent, and draws on the reader to participate emotionally during periods of loss and melancholy. It is evident that Saskia Walker has the ability to branch out and master many facets of literature.

'Passion, politics and powerful magic in a faraway land'

"Unveiling the Sorceress" is set in a land that feels rather like ancient Persia with slaves, empresses and concubines (as well as names and places that sound rather Persian). Elishiba is the daughter of the Emperor of Aleem, a country that has often been threatened by its neighbour Karseedia. Elishiba understands that to safeguard her country she needs to make some kind of an alliance with Karseedia and has agreed to a betrothal with the Emperor, Hanrah. The story follows Elishiba as she welcomes the delegation from Karseedia who are to prepare her in the courtly manners and behaviour of Karseedia before returning her to that country for her wedding to Hanrah. Things aren't all as they seem, however. Hanrah is a rather ineffectual emperor with his mother, Mehmet, really in charge of the country, assisted by her evil sidekick mage Sibias. Hanrah has no desire for the wedding with Elishiba as he has another love, one who is under threat of death, and Elishiba finds that a member of the Karseedian delegation has attracted her attention. Amshazar is also known as 'the Nomad'; he arrived in Karseedia some time ago and worked his way up to advisor to Hanrah and yet he is clearly an unusual man. As the story moves from Elishiba's palace in Aleem to the journey and finally to the palace in Karseedia we learn more about sorcery, the skills that both Amshazar and Sibias have and that Elishiba is beginning to discover in herself. There is intrigue amongst the slaves, the evil Mehmet has a trump card in which to have her way, and Hanrah's weakness seems likely to mean that he will have to submit to his mother's choices for him and his kingdom. Yet there are more powers involved in the struggle between Aleem and Karseedia than the individuals on the ground know, Amshazar's very presence there is part of a plan by the gods, and his and Elishiba's relationship may be a pivotal part of that plan. The setting of this book was very engaging with the different lives of the Emperors and Empresses, with their servants, guards, warriors and concubines. The magical element wasn't overpowering in the book, much of the plot instead revolved around political machinations and Elishiba's own learning and understanding. Elishiba is a great heroine with pluck and sympathy and care for others as well as the ability to learn and grow and to trust when trust must be difficult. The relationship with Amshazar sometimes felt rather rushed with their connection being based on a few scorching looks rather than actually knowing each other, but this was a relatively short novel and perhaps didn't have the time to delve more deeply into their feelings. There were perhaps some rather pantomime-level villains in Mehmet and Sibias who fulfilled all the traditional roles of evil characters without any different characteristics to make them seem more believable. However the overall story was enjoyable and the setting added considerably to that, the political elements were never boring a

More like 4 1/2 stars....

Elishiba of Aleem and Hanrah of Karseedia are to be wed as a means of solidifying a treaty between the two neighboring provinces. Hanrah may be the Emperor, but the real power of Karseedia is with his mother, the deceitful Mehmet. Karseedia is a land known for a history of treachery while Aleem is the wealthier and more honorable of the two provinces. Elishiba will be tested, as she must decide who is to be trusted and who will ultimately betray her. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to the magi Amshazar, but will this attraction be her downfall? Saskia Walker is a master at creating haunting beautiful images. The lush scenery of UNVEILING THE SORCERESS draws the readers into this mystical world. The eerie atmosphere makes one believe that sorcery really does exist as Ms. Walker brings this fantasy world to life. The vivid backdrop for UNVEILING THE SORCERESS sets the stage for the battle between good and evil that ensues. UNVEILING THE SORCERESS has a whole host of extraordinary characters! Saskia Walker does an excellent job at creating strong female characters and it is enjoyable to see Elishiba emerge as such a powerful heroine. While Elishiba's innate goodness is well known from the beginning, there are other characters whose motivations are revealed as the novel progresses. Who can Elishiba trust when intrigues and deception surround her? The tension and relationships between the characters is exceptionally well done as many of the characters are multifaceted, making their decisions unpredictable at times. Saskia Walker proves with UNVEILING THE SORCERESS that she has a true knack for writing superb fantasy novels. I can't help but hope that she continues writing in this genre as I think she has carved her own niche here. Thank you, Ms. Walker, for yet another splendid tale from your talented and creative mind! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

terrific romantic fantasy

The Emperor of Aleem and the Empress of Karseedia sign a friendship alliance between their nations. Besides ending the war between them, the key coda to affirm their serious adherence to the treaty and as a final binding is the agreement that his daughter Elishiba and her son Hanrah will marry. Although Elishiba does not wish to wed the stranger who just became emperor, she knows her duty to her people must come first and if marriage prevents further hostilities so that her people can prosper in safety so be it; still she hopes to negotiate with her future spouse. Meanwhile the Council of the Gods is worried about the unrest in the exotic lands inadvertently caused by a bored rogue member Hurda. The Godsend Amshazar is assigned to unravel the mess and return things to what they were before Hurda's women's rights interference. As Elishiba quickly learns the power of the Karseedia throne resides totally with her future mother-in-law as Hanrah is her ineffective childish puppet, she meets and falls in love with Amshazar; he feels as strongly about her. However, their respective missions appear to leave these star-crossed lovers as adversaries. This is a terrific romantic fantasy in which the key players seem genuine especially the heroine who finds herself struggling with layers of political intrigue and Machiavellian manipulations by the Empress, the Godsend she loves, and even her father. If she chooses Amshazar she will have to obey the Empress; something she does not seem capable of doing. Readers will appreciate this strong tale as the magical elements enhance the deviousness of mortals and Gods to get others to do their bidding; welcome to Walker world. Harriet Klausner