The boys eyes were swollen, the cut on his lip was not healing well, and he was still badly bruised and scratched. Xelphea and its neighboring nations of Perlador, Ammyl, and Voerlow have known peace for more than half of a millennium. However, Voerlow has not forgotten its loss in that long-ago war. The bitter, warlike nations monarch is ailing and soon to pass on the throne to his wicked son, Kellup. Upon assuming his place as the leader of Voerlow, he attacks and leaves his gentle brother for dead, then hatches a plan to help him take over Xelphea by kidnapping its king and queen and turning them into his slaves. AnnaLusia, an Ammylite, has served as the Xelphean royal governess for almost her entire centuries-long life. When Kellups plot results in Queen Delshannas kidnapping, she uses her magic powers to protect the ruler she helped raise and try to establish peace in Collandonia. Good fantasy fiction should always strike a balance of having one foot in the exciting and impossible and the other planted in the real world with characters that are charming and accessible. This story, the first in a planned trilogy, establishes that well, doing most of its world-building with politics and then treating the audience to magical powers and abilities with the kind of afterthought that a narrator and a world familiar with them would provide. The pacing of the book is crisp and quick, making it very easy for any reader to devour and indulge innot just those looking for a new realm to explore. Without getting bogged down in mythical terminology or requiring readers to consult a map as a reference guide, this is a fantasy book that is fun to read and hard to put down. Perfect for a quiet weekend or some relaxing reading before bed, this title should be appealing to more than just those dedicated to the genre. The US Review of Books After resettling in the States, R.L Waterstone began to work on what she had found inspiration to write while living in England. It became a trilogy. She wanted to write a fantasy that didnt follow cliches so, love, bravery, sacrifice, and integrity come to prove more important than a stash of treasure or a talisman, in fulfilling the prophecy. However, those are included, along with dragons and little people. Chronicles of Collandonia The Dawn of Change By R. L. Waterstone Trafford Publishing Copyright © 2017 R. L. Waterstone All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4907-7878-5 Contents List of Important Characters, xi, Part One ~Premonitions~, Part Two ~Plans~, Part Three ~Transitions~, Part Four ~Three Journeys~, Part Five ~Moving On~, Part Six ~The Calm Before the Storm~, CHAPTER 1 In the pink and lilac dawn, the rising sun shining on the frost made everything shimmer. Fruit and magnolia trees already showed buds in great abundance. Crocuses, lily of the valley, snowdrops, and hyacinths were pushing up in the grounds of Braelea Castle. Mist hovered over the village of Brianstone below, and subdued the colours of the soft downs and farmland flanking the vista. The thawing River of Nether flowed from the west, wound through the village and underneath a bridge like a silver snake, and slid into the forest in the distant north. A few of the houses below had smoke rising from their chimneys as early risers were beginning their day. AnnaLusia stood gazing down on it all from a window in the northeast turret. The light caused her to squint slightly, but the youth of her soul shone in her clear blue eyes. Her soft face was almost unwrinkled, giving her the appearance of being much younger than she was. Her long, white hair, which moved gently in the breeze, was the only thing that gave a hint of her age. She wore a midnight blue velvet robe, and slippers patterned with blue and silver threads. She felt weary, as she had not slept well the night before. Usually she loved this time of year, when things began to change in preparation for new life. However, this time she felt as if something was different. She sensed a change coming that would bring more than a new season. The anniversary of her birth was approaching, and Queen Delshanna was planning an elaborate celebration, even though AnnaLusia was from Ammyl. It was Ammylite custom to only have an actual celebration of a person's birth on the day itself. Although she did not want the attention, she did not feel that this was what was making her uneasy. As if someone my age could enjoy such a thing, she thought, with amusement. Ammylites lived simply in their home islands, although some would immigrate to Xelphea or Perlador, and preside as healers, advisors, and professors. The strict education they received as children included philosophy, sciences, and the history of all the known territories, going back even beyond when the Xelpheans and Perladors had begun to record theirs. These things made them very wise, understanding, well respected, and highly valued. AnnaLusia was a royal governess. Ammylites usually