Prince of Magic

After finishing the author's first trilogy I quickly purchased the Children of the Sun trilogy. Once again, I was transported back to a time of magic, real men, and women who love with every fiber of their beings. I love finding an author who has such a strong talent of descriptive writing. I am going to hold on to every book that I have of hers because I know that I will be reading them over and over again.

Ariana Varden is the first-born child of the Sun Witch, Sophie Fyne. For the last two years she has gone against the wishes of her parents to be the palace healer of Arik, the ailing emperor of Columbyana. Using the knowledge she learned firsthand from her mother, Ariana utilizes daily everything she knows to continue to keep Arik alive. Her good work will be in vain if Arik's missing son and heir is unable to be found because if Arik succumbs, the kingdom very likely could end up in turmoil without an emperor. The plot thickens with the arrival of Sian Chamblyn, the grandson of a powerful magician who is hell bent on relaying his grandsire's last prophecy about Columbyana. As he is waiting for his audience, a blonde beauty leaves the imperial suite and Sian can't help becoming angry at being kept waiting while the emperor diddles with his latest ladylove, and he verbalizes that exasperation very loudly, much to the chagrin of the woman. Too late Sian realizes that the woman he just called a concubine is in fact a healer. Things continue to get worse when, after telling Emperor Arik about the last prediction of his grandfather, Arik sends for the sun kissed healer. It seems that Ariana is part of his grandfather's prophecy, whether Sian likes it or not. Sian must train Ariana for the battle that will ensue. He vows to ignore how alluring and sexy she is but that proves easier said than done. Then, to top it off, Ariana just might be as attracted to Sian as he is to her. I have to admit that Sian fought a good fight but from the first moment he saw Ariana at the emperor's palace his fate was sealed. Unable to remain impassive, his falling for Ariana was a powerful as her finally becoming the compelling healer she was meant to be. Love was the key and Prince of Magic was emotional, steamy, and for want of a better word, simply magical. Having been a fan of Linda Winstead Jones since reading her Sisters of the Sun trilogy, I had to read Prince of Magic. In reader heave at the thought of experiencing the Sun Witch's daughter's story, I began to read. Seven hours later I read the last word and the first adjective that came to my mind was "magnificent". Simply magnificent so much so that I had to run out immediately and get the next two installments. Prince of Magic is the first book of a trilogy called The Children of the Sun. Lovers of paranormal romance won't want to miss this first installment. It was gripping, addictive, and stunning. I loved it. Talia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I just finished Prince of Magic last night and am happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ms. Jones created incredibly likeable characters in Sian and Ariana. So much so I was sad to see the story come to a close. If you're looking for a strong fantasy romance with characters you will find intriguing from page one, look no further than this book. It's an asset to any romance lover's book shelf.

Healer Ariana Kane Varden does everything she can to keep Emperor Arik from dying, but she knows she is failing. Making matters worse, his only child Prince Ciro is missing. Wizard Sian Chamblyn tells Arik that his grandfather is dead, but left a prophecy that darkness grows and only three fine women can stop it. Arik tells him that fine is actually Fyne, the witch women, and the prophecy means their first offspring, Ariana and her two cousins, Queen Keelia of Anwyn and Prince of Swords Lyr Hern are the champions. Sian says Ariana is too weak, but will teach her though he hides from the healer and his patient that she will die during the quest. Although he disdains her power, he teaches her to read the colors of souls. She takes him to floor thirteen, a special chamber where the previous Emperor tortured prisoners. The chamber is dark and the spirit Dellia takes control of Adriana demanding a kiss from the wizard for information as she states she knows her host desires him and he wants her. As they work together and he realizes her courage as they begin their quest, they fall in love, but he knows he must let his beloved die if they are to stop the Darkness spread by a demon. The lead couple is an enchanting pairing of teacher-student while the villain is a fascinating demon. The mystery of the missing Prince is a key element as the lead couple begins her quest. Though this is the opening book of the Prince romantic fantasy trilogy, the well written story line provides closure to Ariana's segue and sets the stage for the next Fyne witch to continue the war against the demon. Fans from both genres will appreciate this terrific first tale especially those who enjoyed Linda Winstead Jones' previous Fyne witch trilogy (see THE SUN WITCH, THE MOON WITCH and THE STAR WITCH) Harriet Klausner

Ms. Jones does it again - "Prince of Magic" picks up at the last story of the Fyne Witches trilogy and this story between Ariana and Sian is engaging. Readers will enjoy this story and be pulled into the world of magic!