Hi, Friday Fiction friends! I’ve discovered a new-to-me fantasy author, Haley Walden. I’ve really enjoyed reading her books. The first in the series, Defender of Histories, is a fast-paced, fantasy thrill ride with plenty of magic, swordplay, romance, and mystery. Walden’s strength is description and plot, making the book hard to put down. At times, the writing could be tighter but the story itself pulled me along, and I finished it in a couple of days.
I think you’ll like to follow the adventures of Silira, Aidryn, and Eremon as they fight to save their world and find romance along the way.
Defender of Histories (The Witness Tree Chronicles Book 1)
Introverted bookworm Silira Mór is the most promising historian to serve the city-state of Iathium in centuries. When Lira is selected to inherit the city’s archive as the next Defender of Histories, she can hardly believe her good fortune. Lira has more than she could have ever dreamed possible: true friends, meaningful work, and even a budding romance with Iathium’s young ruler, Rí Eremon.
In a cruel twist of fate, Lira learns her beloved histories have been falsified—and that a forgotten, long-suppressed magic is surging across the continent. With the help of Eremon and her childhood friend, Aidryn Tarlach, Lira sets out to learn the real truth about her world. But when tragedy strikes, she finds herself completely alone, with enemies at every turn.
If you love epic fantasy with strong friendships, tragic romance elements, and a friends-to-lovers slow burn, you will love Defender of Histories.
