The Falcon of Imenotash #MFRWhooks

March Book of the Month
​The Falcon of Imenotash 

Aridis: Concubine's daughter, emperor's sister, and the provincial queen of Imenotash

Edan: Peasant's son, mystic warrior, and captain of the palace guard of Imenotash

Giroch: Emperor of the Harudin Empire and unable to produce an heir of his own body.

A dangerous class of wills erupts when an intelligent and strong-willed woman with deadly secrets defies the Harudin emperor by marrying her peasant-born captain of the guard, who has lethal secrets of his own. Emperor Giroch gets his cruel revenge by threatening them both with death unless they bow down to cruel humiliation designed to destroy them and produce an heir. They find an unlikely ally and risk everything in a desperate gamble to obtain freedom from cruel tyranny. Along the way, their mutual respect is tested and begins to transform. Will they achieve freedom, love, and happiness, or will their enemies and deadly secrets destroy them?

This fantasy romance novella contains mature content not suitable for readers under 18 years old.

5 Star - Review "If you love something, set it free..."​

The Falcon of Imenotash is a marvelously crafted and beautifully told ADULT fantasy that draws on the fables of Aesop, medieval European history, the legends of the Shaolin monks, paranormal (shifter) romance, and the fiery feminist fiction of the 1970's. The ruler of Imenotash, Queen Aridis, hold her throne with the support of the Emperor. He hatches a nefarious plot to control her through a forced marriage, and she outwits him by marrying her Captain of the Guard. The war between evil emperor and independence-minded queen, now supported by her husband/consort Edan, escalates from sick and depraved to outright violence. Both Emperor, Queen, and Consort reveal hidden aspects to their identities and their goals, take bold risks, and carry the fight to its grim conclusion, with the fate of an empire and a marriage hanging in the balance. The story has the somewhat stereotypical characterizations common to fairy tales, which fits perfectly with its fantastical elements and medieval-esque setting, as well as with the stereotypical attitudes and behaviors of the powerful men who rule, and the peasants who live in fear of them. And, like the fables of old, it speaks powerful truth from the mouth of fiction. Totally entertaining and thought provoking. Thank you, Candid Book Reviews, for the ARC, and my review is (as always) voluntary, independent, and uncompensated.
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Excerpt ​

Chapter 1

From two steps behind and slightly off to the right, he watched his lady walk with stately grace and ignore the thinly veiled sneers of contempt, jealousy, avarice, and resentment from the provincial kings who sat in their imposing thrones that lined the great hall. Captain Edan Morrellen, captain of the palace guard and all military personnel of Imenotash, regarded his lady only with pride and loyalty. She’d done much good for the province, leading it back to productivity and prosperity after a generation of greedy, shortsighted, and careless rulers.

It mattered not to him that a woman ruled. She’d proven herself more than capable. He served her with pride.

She stopped a respectful distance from the gilded throne and bowed deeply, again showing the proper respect, and murmured, “Your Majesty. I have come as you bade me.”

Giroch, emperor of the Harudin Empire, stroked his bearded chin and nodded.

“Welcome, Aridis. It is good to see you again, sister.”

Edan’s queen nodded and replied in kind, “And it is a pleasure to see you again, your Majesty.”

“We shall speak privately later,” the emperor stated, not bothering to check whether Aridis had time in her busy schedule to accommodate him. He was the emperor; everyone always had time to accommodate him. He glanced at the captain of Aridis’ guard and added, “Do you feel an armed escort necessary within the walls of your old home, sister?”

Her expression remaining serenely impassive, the provincial queen simply replied, “It is law that no woman approach the emperor without male escort. Captain Edan accompanied me on the journey to the capital and is more than capable of serving as my escort here.”

The emperor nodded his acceptance of the captain’s double duty and waved his hand in dismissal. Aridis bowed deeply again and retreated to the empty throne in the great hall, the throne assigned to her province. Maintaining a protective, yet still respectful, distance between himself and his lady, Edan escorted her down the long, marble-floored room. He discreetly pulled a clean handkerchief from a coat pocket and wiped the throne’s surface clean of whatever nasty substance one of her peers had spilled on it. Their resentment, envy, and greed spurred them to such petty, mean-spirited attacks and he despised them for it.

“Thank you, Captain,” she murmured as she shrugged off her cape and draped it over the seat to protect her gown. “Drop the handkerchief on the floor. A servant will clean it for you.”