Cara's Twelve - Chantel Seabrook

Raised in the backwater province of Crowthorne, Cara finds her fate bound to a system she despises and a goddess she no longer believes in. When it becomes clear that the heir to the Elbian throne has found disfavor in the eyes of the goddess, Cara is ordained by blood to take her cousin's place as heir apparent. 

One man from each twelve provinces are chosen by the royal council to pledge their lives and swords as champions and consorts of the future queen. From these men, Cara must choose the future king of Elbia. Before she is able to take her place on the throne, Cara and her Twelve must visit each province and perform a sacred ceremony, one that will make Cara question everything she thought was real.

Cara soon realizes that not all of the men who swore to protect her are what they seem, and that there are those who would use her as a tool to gain power.

Cara's Twelve is a refreshingly different, romantic fantasy story of fair maidens and fearless warriors in a medieval land.

What did I think?

I have to be in the mood to read something in the fantasy genre, so it took me a little while to push Cara’s Twelve to the top of my reading list but I’m so pleased that I did.  It really was a page-turner of a medieval fantasy, like a cross between Game of Thrones and the Hunger Games, as I raced through it at lightning speed.

Cara’s aunt is Queen and names Cara as her heir due to her daughter, Maeve, being barren.  Cara has to leave her district of Crowthorne and travel to the City of Annul where she is introduced to the court and twelve eligible men, one from each district, pledge their allegiance to the future queen.  Before Cara is officially crowned, she has to travel to each of the twelve districts where a ceremony is carried out and Cara has to spend the night with the relevant one of her twelve consorts.  At the end of the tour, she must choose one of them to be king so, with such a prize on offer, we are treated to backstabbing, jealousy and treachery amongst the men.

Will Cara choose bad-boy Tahdaon, lovely Finn or will she be coerced into choosing evil Edmund?

There are some steamy scenes as Cara explores her choices and some bloody battles as rebellion sweeps the land, resulting in a perfectly blended and riveting story.  With a wicked queen, a daughter cast aside and evil lurking in every corner, Cara’s Twelve has the feel of an adult fairy tale…although not everyone is destined to live happily ever after.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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