The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley

The Beginning of Everything (Rising, #1)

by Kristen Ashley

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake….

Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on

5 of 5 stars

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This is...The Beginning of Everything

It's truly hard to judge and rate this story because it's...The Beginning of Everything. Unlike other stories by Kristen Ashley, she has decided to run simultaneous love stories. With so many couples meeting and connecting, it means that we don't get even close to a *Happy Ever After*. It is The Beginning of Everything...

While I hated certain parts, was at times confused, and struggled following who was who and what was what, I was completely SUCKED IN!! My emotions were high from the very start and I welcomed the loathing that overwhelmed me at the very beginning. After all, I had been here before. I recognised my feeling of outrage and disgust. I was giddy because it reminded me of my journies through Fantasyland.

I will not be judging The Rising from my introduction to The Beginning of Everything but I will give it 5 stars because of the journey the emotions I felt. This story made me extremely angry at times, had me smiling like a loon at others, and I was constantly wearing a frown in concentration. I had to remind myself that this is not my love story and it IS unreal. These stories are about other people and their lives, so I can hardly judge them on their decisions and sexual proclivities.

Even when I was overwhelmed and upset towards the end, it duplicated the emotional devastation I felt when I read The Golden Dynasty for the first time. I reminded myself that we are nowhere near the end, and if my Dax Lahn can come good, there's hope for The Rising. I admit that the ending left me a little wild-eyed. So much is going on and I'm a little discombobulated. I NEED to know what's going to happen next and I can't wait for more.

For fans of the Fantasyland series, this will seem a little like returning to visit with old friends (and enemies). There are a few scenes that will push some readers too far and while some left me uncomfortable, I was able to get past them. The narrators do an AMAZING job and by the end, I found it easier to follow along because of the different narrators.

I can't wait to see how...The Plan Commences plays out.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 December, 2019: Finished reading
  • 1 December, 2019: Reviewed