For those of you who have read Melokai (In the Heart of the Mountains #1) and would like a refresher on what happens before diving into Violya (In the Heart of the Mountains #2), then this short synopsis is for you! **WARNING**: this includes EVERY spoiler about the story in Melokai, so only read it if you’re happy to find out exactly what happens, and the ending, of the first book. This synopsis is included in the ebook of Violya (In the Heart of the Mountains #2), but not in the paperback. THE STORY SO FAR…
One thousand years ago, the Stone Prophetess Sybilya turned all but a handful of men to stone. Ever since, the mountain nation of Peqkya has been a powerful matriarchy. Most Melokais rule for ten years, but the current ruler, Melokai Ramya, has reigned for twelve. She expects Sybilya to end her rule, but instead, she hears a prophecy. Trouble will come from the east. A wolf will claim the throne. Ancient Sybilya is slowly turning to stone, her powers fading, but no other with magic can be found. She has not spoken in many years, so the prophecy is a shock and sparks a catastrophic chain of events. A plot to overthrow the Melokai is masterminded by one of Ramya’s councillors, the Head Trader, Riv. She is helped by a pleasure giver called Ferraz who was once the Melokai’s favourite and fathered a child with her; an old, bitter warrior, Ashya; a disaffected group of lowly peons; and powerful friends in the neighbouring desert country Drome. Riv’s Drome allies – the ruler’s favourite concubine Jakira and her eldest son the Crown Prince Ammad – want to use the Peqkian warriors to settle a long-standing dispute about the ancient city of Vaasar with another neighbouring country, Fertilian, and to place Jakira’s youngest son on the Peqkian throne. They dupe the Drome ruler into believing his army is fighting a holy war with the Peqkians. Meanwhile, Ramya is distracted by the appearance of a cave creature from the east, Gwrlain, with whom she falls in love, but whose intentions are unclear. It is revealed that Peqkya’s coffers are empty and, in a bid to open up a new trade route, Ramya sends a trading party into the unknown rainforest, overrun with dangerous pygmies. The party is led by a distinguished warrior, Violya, who has a big secret – she has magic. And she has never told anyone where she went, or who she met, during her year away. Peqkya’s old ally Fertilian requests help to end their civil war which is about to come to a head after two decades, with the opposing army gearing up to attack. Ramya, after befriending the Fertilian Queen, Jessima Cleland, negotiates a trade deal to boost her country’s funds and agrees to loan warriors, depleting numbers in the Peqkian capital of Riaow. Now strengthened by a host of one thousand Peqkian warriors, the Clelands are guaranteed victory in Fertilian. But at the last minute, the loaned Peqkian Captain shifts allegiance to the enemy, taking her warriors with her. In the north, the wolves, whose males can stand on two legs, are emboldened by the first female standing wolf, Sarrya, and take revenge on the Peqkians for stealing the Lost Lands. Sarrya’s father, Darrio, reluctantly unites all the packs across the snowy wilderness, to form a gigantic pack hell-bent on human destruction. War erupts and the first clash devastates the Peqkians. But during the second battle, tigers loyal to Sybilya thrash the wolves. After receiving visions from Sybilya, Sarrya takes charge of the wolf pack and brokers a truce with the tigers. In the meantime, Ramya learns that Peqkian women have been kidnapped by the eastern people of her beloved cave creature. Gwrlain admits that his species is dying as no more female babies are being born and believes the women have been taken for breeding. Ramya recalls the trading party with the plan to send Violya to the eastern front to rescue the women. On Violya’s return journey she discovers the stone army, suppressed for one thousand years, is coming alive. As all these issues reach a climax, Ramya has to deal with her Head Warrior’s death, the anger of her citizens at her decision to keep her baby with the cave creature, as well as hearing rumours of the plot to remove her from rule. With no time to contemplate how to deal with these matters, she is betrayed and Riaow attacked. The small, novice warrior force still in the city is overrun by the Drome army, assisted by treacherous Peqkian warriors led by the old warrior Ashya and the rebellious peon army. Riv disappears with Ferraz’s child, who shows signs of magic. Ramya and her baby die at the hands of Crown Prince Ammad and it seems the Drome army is triumphant until Violya arrives and fights back, her long-repressed magic erupting during the battle. >>>Violya (In the Heart of the Mountains #2) is out now! Available from Amazon, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.<<<
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