Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1)

by Grace Draven

[stacey_is_sassy]

I took a risk on a grey-skinned hero...

Radiance has been on my radar for a very long time. Every time I logged onto Amazon it was a regular recommendation that eventually I HAD to look a little closer. Hmmm...this hero seems to be a little off-colour. The first time I checked it out I didn't even bother reading the blurb...THE HERO HAS GREY SKIN! The second time, I read the blurb, took another look at that decidedly grey tinged skin, and stepped away again. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth time I looked, read the blurb and studied the reviews as well. The reviews only had good things to say and nobody was appalled that the hero was a nightmare. I took the plunge and decided to give the audio version of Radiance a try.

I think Grace Draven did a remarkable job of getting me past my fear of grey skin. When I started listening, I wasn't convinced I'd get past the grey skin and believe the characters could fall in love. Instead of beating around the bush, the author deals with the characters differences up front. Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, describes Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, as having mollusc skin. She thinks he's a thing of nightmares. We're not supposed to see these two characters fall instantly in love. We are fortunate to see the journey Brishen and Ildiko take in accepting each other and learning to love what they originally thought hideous.

Both Brishen and Ildiko have not been raised in a loving family environment. Brishen's parents are horrible and every time they were mentioned it made my skin crawl, especially his mother. She's EVIL and her last comment to Brishen was absolutely REPULSIVE. Ildiko's family were quite happy to see her go and I think she was even happier to leave them.

An unlikely friendship is formed between the married couple and the more time they spend with each other, the more their connection grows. Radiance is not an overly sexy read but we definitely see their connection when they do come together. Again, we're not expected to believe that these two will easily work or connect and they must adjust how they handle each other.

It's not long before outside forces try to tear them apart and it's going to take Brishen, his warriors and a few friends to keep them safe.

The storyline was captivating, the characters original and the narrator does a very good job keeping me enthralled. I absolutely loved that Grace Draven left me satisfied and convinced me that Brishen and Ildiko could be together and have a successful relationship. I'm a firm believer that you can learn to appreciate the outside once you fall in love with the inside.

If you're a fan of Fantasy Romance but hesitant because the hero has grey skin, take my advice and give it a try. I was not disappointed and a little angry at myself that I took so long to take the plunge. I will definitely be coming back to the Wraith Kings series soon.