In The Mark of the Tala (The Twelve Kingdoms #1) by Jeffe Kennedy, Princess Andromeda, or Andi as everyone calls her, has always known there was something different about her. Her other two sisters, Ursula and Amelia, each have their own niche: Ursula is the warrior princess, whereas Amelia is the soft-hearted stunning beauty. Andi is the reserved princess who feels invisible until she’s on her beloved horse Fiona, exploring 
her people’s land of Ordnung. It is on one such excursion where she meets the man who will forever change her life: Rayfe of Annfwn.
“I know you’re afraid, but I do not have the luxury of your inaction. You belong to Annfwn.”
“I am my own person.”
“Are you, Princess? Are you sure about that?”
Andi is startled by the dark, oddly attractive man. There is a wildness about him she can’t explain, yet is drawn to. From that first meeting, Rayfe is in pursuit of Andi as a mate, to take back to his homeland of Annfwn, saying she is the key to helping his people. When politics complicate the situation and family secrets come to light, Andi is in the midst of a power struggle while trying not to succumb to her attraction to Rayfe. For the first time in her life, she must make decisions that could affect not only herself, but all people of the Twelve Kingdoms.
‘He drew me close, weaving his fingers with mine, free arm going around me to rub up and down my back under the long fall of my hair. The touch warmed and alarmed me, as did the implacable certainty in his face. “I knew I would win you or die trying.”
The Mark of the Tala is an adult fantasy novel filled with secrets, action scenes, and a love that surprises and sweeps our protagonists off their feet.
Fantasy is a genre that is total escapism for me. And I thoroughly enjoyed the world that Jeffe Kennedy created here. It was the type of sweeping story that was easy to get lost in, thanks to the interesting characters, the bit of mystery surrounding Andi’s mother, Salena, and their otherworldly heritage. I thought there was a lot of really solid dialogue between all the characters, with a nice mix of humor and seriousness. I particularly liked how Andi and Rayfe communicated together, both in person and possibly even in a dream state. That made me want to skip ahead to see if Andi’s visions were real or just dreams…but I was good and waited it out!
I thought Andi was a character who showed quite a bit of personal growth throughout the story. She was the middle daughter and considered herself “invisible” to others. No one paid attention to her until Rayfe did. She found herself having to make choices, pushing herself out of her comfort zone which I could certainly relate to. The connection Andi and Rayfe had was striking, to me, and I enjoyed watching their bond grow. Like I said, this is an adult fantasy so there are definitely romance scenes. They were very raw, yet tender at times as well, but undeniably very hot.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy who love to escape to a world of magic and romance.
Book Info:
Published May 27th 2014 by Kensington | (The Twelve Kingdoms #1)
In this romantic fantasy trilogy, Jeffe Kennedy brings to life the Twelve Kingdoms, a world of beauty, darkness, strength and danger, and the three sisters who must uncover their destinies.
Queen Of The Unknown
The tales tell of three sisters, daughters of the high king. The eldest, a valiant warrior-woman, heir to the kingdom. The youngest, the sweet beauty with her Prince Charming. No one says much about the middle princess, Andromeda. Andi, the other one.
Andi doesn’t mind being invisible. She enjoys the company of her horse more than court, and she has a way of blending into the shadows. Until the day she meets a strange man riding, who keeps company with wolves and ravens, who rules a land of shapeshifters and demons. A country she’d thought was no more than legend–until he claims her as its queen.
In a moment everything changes: Her father, the wise king, becomes a warlord, suspicious and strategic. Whispers call her dead mother a traitor and a witch. Andi doesn’t know if her own instincts can be trusted, as visions appear to her and her body begins to rebel.
For Andi, the time to learn her true nature has come. . .
bn100
Sounds interesting