01 The Pages of the Mind – Jeffe Kennedy – 4* ARC

This is the first book in a new series by Jeffe Kennedy sort of.  It is more a continuation of the Twelve Kingdoms series because you will not understand what is going on in this book without reading the other three books.  I will say I had read the first two books in the Twelve Kingdoms and hadn’t read the third one when I read this one.  There were some things that were confusing but was able to figure it out without reading The Talon of the Hawk.  This book starts where The Talon of the Hawk ended.  Ursula is High Queen and they are now the Thirteen Kingdoms since the “fall” of the barrier.  The Pages of the Mind centers around Dafne Mailloix who is a librarian.  She spent over 30 years under the harsh reign of the High King.  She learned much as the librarian that is helping the High Queen.  When a neighboring kingdom comes with a force to find out about a barrier that hadn’t fallen but had expanded Dafne is pivotal in the negotiations and is sent with the forces to investigate the barrier shift.  On the journey they stop on an island where she accidentally marries their king. 

I enjoyed this book and not just because I am a librarian.  Dafne ends up in an interesting situation and she runs with it.  She learns the language and culture.  She tries to honor her commitments to her queen and her husband even though they are mutually exclusive things.  Dafne’s husband is also awesome.  Even though Dafne married him he never pushed her for more than she was willing to give.  Even if he would be harmed by not pushing her.  Part of the problems between them came from him not willing to tell her everything she needs to know but they were able to work through their issues.