Leyna Saunders dreams of becoming a wizard huskarl, a
protector of the royal family. She almost loses her chance after a harrowing
incident leaves her injured. A mysterious wizard gives Leyna an opportunity to
achieve her career goals. Her first task as a huskarl is to escort an annoying
jester and his troupe to the royal castle. The man exasperates Leyna at every
turn. She soon finds herself deeply entrenched in a dangerous game of intrigue,
secrets, and lies. Can Leyna find the true perpetrator behind the king’s death?
Is the Jester an ally? Or is he, her foe?
Jester is just one of the many personas he adopts to hide
being the king’s spy. He cannot help but taunt the moralistic huskarl escorting
him to the castle. There is something about the young woman that fascinates
him. News of the king and his court’s demise forces him to include Leyna into
his dangerous world. She could prove instrumental in ferreting out the
perpetrators behind the massacre and ensuring the crown prince’s safety. Can
Jester entrust Leyna with the truth of his identity and his job? Or will her
strict morals doom them?
Leyna really annoyed me at the start of the book. She
came off as too sanctimonious, self-absorbed, and ambitious for my tastes.
However, my opinion of Leyna started to change as the story progressed. Her
moments of vulnerability and doubts helped endear her to me. I like how Leyna’s
mindset changes for the good. She learns the valuable lesson that the things she
wants are always best for her or what she needs. Leyna also realizes that
everything is not laid out in black and white, but in shades of gray. This
change allows her to adapt to situations and her surroundings.
Jester won my heart instantly! He is such an entertaining
and delightful hero. I never thought I would enjoy his character type the way I
did. It is a nice change of pace than the usual brooding, alpha warrior-types
in the fantasy genre. I absolutely adore Jester’s banter and interaction with
Leyna. It helped lighten the serious mood in certain places of the storyline.
His ne’er-do-well persona helped balance out Leyna’s strait-laced
attitude. What I love the most about
Jester is how he secretly admired Leyna for her single-minded drive. He may
have teased her mercilessly about it, but he respected that aspect of her
nature.
WIZARD’S MASQUERADE is the first book in Jay Pellegrin’s
fantasy romance series, THE HUSKARL DUOLOGY. I believe this is the author’s
debut novel. I admit the cover is what first drew me to the book, then the
synopsis. The concept of a jester being the hero intrigued me. And it did not
disappoint! I found myself quickly and deeply immersed in the plot and
characters. The author does a superb job setting up the intricacies of her
world, especially their magic system.
WIZARD’S MASQUERADE is a must read for high fantasy
readers. It has a little bit of everything from wizards to demons, castles and
political intrigue all wrapped in a spellbinding romantical tale. I cannot wait
for the next installment!
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