The Tears of Elios
The Elgean Chronicle - Book 1
By Crista McHugh
October 2011
Fantasy (with Romantic Elements)
Ranealya was always on the run. Always alone. There was only one individual that she could trust, but her existence would make anyone near her at risk. When she was injured in an attack, she found herself trapped. But the man wasn't trying to hurt her - it appeared that maybe he was trying to help her.
Gregor had never met a shape-shifter before. Hard to meet one when they had been hunted to near extinction. Now he had met one of these fascinating people, and found himself more interested in Ranealya as a woman than in the powers she possessed.
Soon, however, to protect so many in the kingdom from the king's slaughtering, the abilities of all the peoples of the kingdom will be needed to discover a way to block them from the approaching enemy.
The Tears of Elios is a fantasy with fascinating world building which included magic, shapshifting, elves, fairies, goddesses and more. Many are uniting to defend themselves against a tyrannical king. A plan is in place, and Gregor finds himself pulled from the isolated backwoods into the heart of this rebellion. Gregor and Ranealya were not your typical couple, and it was fun watching them interact. Although there was a romance between this secluded scholar and warrior shape-shifter, this book would be categorized as a fantasy with romantic elements (not a romance). Also, as a reader who primarily reads romances, there were certain elements regarding the ending that I did not find completely satisfying. However, considering that this was a fantasy - as opposed to a fantasy romance - such elements are acceptable.
Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com
FTC Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of the book directly from Crista McHugh. However, this website only posts "good" reviews. If I cannot post a positive review, I notify whoever has provided me with the book/ARC/ebook.