Rand by Silvia Shaw begins on an archeological dig deep in an Algerian desert before magically whisking you away to a glorious fantasy realm ruled by a benevolent, though somewhat stubborn, Queen, and teeming with a plethora of fantastical creatures, places, and people.
Dr. Savannah Cole is world renowned archaeologist specializing in women warriors of the past. Throughout her life, there have been strange and inexplicable events surrounding her, but on her latest dig in Algeria, the strangeness shoots up a few hundred notches or so.
While working the dig, a colossal sandstorm forces her to take refuge in a nearby Berber ruin where a little magical intervention leads her to the most incredible discovery of her career. In a hidden cavern Savannah finds the remains of what appears to have been a mighty warrior woman, clad in armour with inscriptions in a language she has never seen before, and a medallion with a pull so intense she is unable to resist putting it on. Taking it off however, well that is another matter.
When a strange and imposing woman approaches her after one of her lectures wanting to bring the medallion home, Savannah finds herself unable to remove it. It has chosen her to be its bearer. Reluctantly she accompanies the woman, to Rand, a magical realm ruled by a long line of powerful Queens. And the current Queen, is less than happy to see her.
Ordered to Falcon’s Keep, the elite guard training camp led by the brusque Commander Pela, Savannah must learn to control her newfound power and her budding feelings for the Commander as dark forces wreak havoc across the realm. In a land of powerful Queens and formidable women warriors, Savannah must determine why the medallion has chosen her, a stranger from another world who has spent more time in books than battle, and why it has resurfaced now after being hidden for so many years.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
What I liked most about this book is you just never know what is coming next. With every turn of the page something new and incredible leaps forth from beautiful Pegasi, the mysterious Forgotten Realms, evil demons, shape-shifting assassins, a subterranean desert city of outcasts, conniving witches, and fierce women warriors. Shaw has taken the elements of fantasy, stuffed them into a canon barrel and fired them onto the page where they exploded into a cornucopia of imaginative awesomeness.
The characters are not outdone by the incredible setting. Savannah is driven and brilliant and I love the arc of her struggle over being the chosen one when surrounded by fierce warriors as well as the progression of her romance as she falls for, and thaws, the honourable but coarser than a Brillo pad, Commander Pela. The supporting cast are amazing from Tamasin Epoch, the Mistress of Dreams and Horses, to her wife, the beautiful Queen Valeria and the many other wonderful characters they meet.
Cons And Heads Up
There is a lot going on in this book and it might be a little overwhelming for some readers, but if you like to stay on your toes, I can honestly say, it never gets boring. Content warnings for non-consensual genetic alteration for nefarious dark magic purposes, slavery, and some gore.
The Conclusion
This is an epic tale of sword and sorcery set in an imaginative and exhilarating world, and one helluva wild ride. If you let go of the reins and embrace the chaos, this book will take you on an unforgettable adventure.
Excerpt from Rand by Silvia Shaw
It was only when she walked past the pool, did she see the skeleton stretched out on a slab in a recess in the far corner of the cavern. From the breastplate, it was obvious the soldier was a woman. She was arranged in a warrior’s death, in full battle regalia, her hands crossed over her chest and her sword in her arms. A shield lay at her feet.
Savannah’s pulse pounded. Could this be the legendary Dihya?
She shone the torchlight over the skeleton.
This woman had been tall, seemingly well over six feet, which the queen was reported to have been. But the armor was all wrong for a seventh-century Berber. With the tip of her finger, Savannah rubbed a little dust off the shield. It gleamed in the beam of light. This soldier’s armor was made of a shiny substance similar to titanium, and whatever metal or alloy it was, it hadn’t eroded with time. Curiously, she lightly brushed the rest of the dust off the shield. There were markings on the surface, a script she didn’t recognize. Certainly not Arabic or Libyco-Berber.
She flicked the flashlight back up to sword. The same markings were on the handle. She was photographing the inscriptions when she noticed the medallion hanging around the neck of the warrior. When she reached over and gently cradled it in her palm to examine it, a warm tingle spread through her body. At that moment, Savannah just knew it was the link the old crone had mentioned. And though she couldn’t explain why, she was also sure she was meant to put it on.
Despite knowing it was strange, she accepted it all – odd things had happened to her before. There had been some unexplained happenings in her childhood that had defied logic, things she’d pushed firmly from her mind…
As outlandish as it seemed, she finally reached the conclusion she was meant to find this place. It had been waiting for her to arrive…
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Series
Series name Rand
Rand
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9798529319079
Publisher: Indie Author
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