The Scarlet Rose by Erin Nichole
Originally Published in 2016

The Royal family of Wyvern love each other, their land, and their people. Theirs is a happy life, living in the castle, taking care of the citizens of the land, and ruling the peaceful country.

Across the water, Lord Davon of Nora has no intention of allowing the peaceful lives of the Wyvernians to continue. He wants the country for himself and he will stop at nothing to achieve his desires. Deceit, kidnapping, war, murder; nothing is too low and nothing will hold him back.

The Characters: There were several characters, who I liked. Bentley was probably my favorite, though one other rivaled him. (I can’t tell you who though.) Bentley’s obvious love for his family, especially his sister, and his tender heart toward the people of Wyvern, won me over fairly easily.

Lord Davon and his wife could hardly be listed among my favorites, but they were well-written in all of their evil plots and plans. Wicked, is the best way to describe and they exuded evil in their very dialogue.

A Few More Thoughts: This book is number two in the Wyvern Tales, but I think it works well as a standalone. I read it, before having read Book One, and though one or two small points may confuse the reader, that I assume were explained in the story’s predecessor, there was nothing major that I can recall.

Cautions: While there is nothing objectionable in this book, not even language, there was, nonetheless, sensitive topics introduced. I would recommend this book for sixteen or eighteen-years-old and up.

To the KING be all the glory!

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My friend Erin Nichole, is releasing her new short story, The Man Behind Thorns today on Kindle and in paperback. I got to read the story awhile back, but I just re-read it yesterday.

The Author:
Erin Nichole is a young Christian author, living in the United States. Along with writing, she enjoys reading and photography. This is her third published work. Her other titles include Amber’s Quest and Karissa’s Unwavering Faith.

Technical Details:
The Man Behind Thorns is a short story, but consists of 7 chapters and is 21 pages long.

The Story:
Jenna of Elderidge, servant in the King’s stables, loves to ride in the forest. When she discovers an unexpected, and previously unnoticed, wall of thorns, she decides to investigate, only to learn that a man hides in the bramble. She can’t see his face, as he keeps himself well hidden, but over a series of visits, she gets to know him and they become friends. When the man begins to tell her about an enemy at work in the kingdom, Jenna doesn’t want to believe him, but as time goes on, she can’t deny the evidence of her own eyes. The king must be warned, but will he believe them, and, more importantly, will he do anything about it?

The Writing Style:
Miss Sweeney’s writing style is easy, but captivating. I actually really enjoyed reading the story aloud, because of the flow of words. There are a few POV inconsistencies, but most of them are easily overlooked.

The Characters:
While I enjoyed Jenna, I preferred the character of the man, who hid behind the thorns. His character development was slow, but in a mysterious way, not one to bore. Especially in the very beginning. The reader doesn’t even know his name for most of the story, yet, his name doesn’t seem to be lacking.

I would have liked to see Jenna developed a little more, but she was still a good character. Especially for short story.

Cautions:
None.

Conclusion:
Overall, I enjoyed The Man Behind Thorns quite a bit! Since today is the official release, the story is only 99c on Kindle for a limited time. Buy HERE before the price changes!

To the KING be all the glory!