Belawat made no effort to hide that they were trying to kill or kidnap Brishen and Ildiko. Radiance featured a lot of fantasy politics, but the part of me that loves vicious, underhanded, ruthless fantasy politics was disappointed at how direct everyone was. This honesty continued through the entire book and was a vital part of what made their relationship work, since they had trouble reading each other's expressions. Even so, I loved how direct and honest they were with each other. However, they could both still see that they were Kai and Gauri and, considering how tense things were between their peoples, not knowing each other's identities should have made them more careful about what they said, not less.

This anonymity was supposed to explain why they were so candid with each other right from the start. When Ildiko and Brishen first met each other, neither one had any idea who the other was. If you're put off by how quickly and easily the two of them get along, this book may not be for you. If you find yourself charmed by Brishen and Ildiko's first meeting, go for it. Radiance is definitely a fantasy romance, rather than a fantasy with strong romantic aspects, and I think it would work best for readers who gravitate more towards the romance aspects. It's just that I noticed the flaws and they had little-to-no effect on my love for the book. Which is not to say Radiance didn't have flaws. I flew through it, and now I want to read everything Draven has ever published. Something about it hit all the right buttons. I'll start off by saying that this book worked really, really well for me. Unfortunately, the countries of Gaur and Belawat have been at odds for some time, and the alliance between the Gauri and the formerly neutral Kai has put a target on both Brishen and Ildiko's backs. They privately arrange to postpone sex indefinitely (they aren't expected to produce an heir and, besides, it sounds like Kai and Gauri can't interbreed) and help each other through difficult moments as best as possible. Horrifying appearances aside, they get along remarkably well, and they begin to hope that maybe their marriage won't be so bad after all. The Gauri are terrified of Kai fangs, claws, and glowing eyes (I pictured them as being a bit like anthropomorphized anglerfish), and to the Kai, Gauri eyes look sickeningly like parasites.īrishen and Ildiko accidentally meet before their marriage.

They know that their impending marriage will forge an important alliance between their kingdoms, but they're both sick with horror and nervousness. Brishen is the third son of the Kai king, and Ildiko is a niece of the Gauri king. The colors are lovely, and the pose screams “romance.” One, I read a review of it on Dear Author and was intrigued by the idea of a fantasy romance in which the protagonists were repulsed by each other's appearances. Radiance is self-published fantasy romance.

Radiance novel grace draven