The Benighted by A. M. Dunnewin
The King was dead. His body was found slain in his room, only months after his son had been brutally murdered. Skylar Mandolyn, his daughter, has now become the last heir to inherit the throne. But instead of becoming Queen, she has been imprisoned for helping in the escape of Sir Harlin Brien, her knight…
The King was dead.
His body was found slain in his room, only months after his son had been brutally murdered. Skylar Mandolyn, his daughter, has now become the last heir to inherit the throne. But instead of becoming Queen, she has been imprisoned for helping in the escape of Sir Harlin Brien, her knight who was framed for the King’s murder.
Confined to darkness, Skylar’s captors have given her no choice but to yield to a new kind of enemy: a kingdom that has advanced in both technology and warfare. It’s when she refuses that the prison uses its other means of persuasion, and although unmerciful, the whip lashings and isolation can’t suppress the memories of her family’s downfall. Pulled between her subconscious and reality, Skylar already knows who the true enemy is, because even the darkness can’t hide the deceptive hands that have destroyed them all.
With two kingdoms on the brink of war, Skylar’s only hope is in the person who has gone missing—Harlin, the knight who was sworn to protect her. The memory of him surrounds her when the darkness screams louder than the prisoners, and when Death smiles a faceless grin in between the cracks of the stone. While the tremors start to rise from the deep, crawling up through the prison’s walls, Skylar doesn’t realize that she will soon see why he’s one of the Benighted.
The mystery was never how Harlin escaped. It’s how he’ll return.
” Passion drives people to do things beyond what they thought they could.” – Skylar“
Five Star Review on Amazon By Hooked In a Book
From the synopsis you get the set up to this fantastical tale. We know that Skylars family is dead, she is imprisoned, and Harlin, her Knight, has escaped. It’s got me HOOKED already, wanting to know how Skylar got to where she is, how her family dies, how Harlin escaped, and what will befall the Royal and her land. While is imprisoned and tortured we are brought back and fourth form her past to her present in the form of memories in her times of distress. Skylar gets stuck in her past and you wonder … are her memories solace for her in times of great pain or are they a haunting of what has come to pass?
From their first encounter you immediately fall in love with Skylar and Harlins tragic yet beautiful dynamic. I found myself rooting for them… not just as a romantic interest but to see them succeed against the evils that envelope them. Harlin is the strong and silent type. He has that tough exterior and at times will let Skylar see the fun guy underneath. He doesn’t just act as her protector but an ally and friend. Skylar is a strong and beautiful women, with her own mind and a sharp eye. Full of passion and loyalty she endures more than any one person should have to.
This tale is equal parts fantasy and realism. It has it all … betrayal, death, deception, love, loyalty, strength, and courage. The account is gritty with fleeting moments of light. Dunnewin does an amazing job at giving us real character with real reactions and feelings that we our selves would have if put in their situations. Truly sublime! I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book and continuing on with this epic tale.
“Passion drives people to do things beyond what they thought they could.” – Skylar Mandolyn
About the Author
A. M. Dunnewin inherited her love for mysteries and thrillers from her family, which motivated her to pursue a B.A. in Psychology. An affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, her stories cover a wide range of genres that tend to take a dark turn when least expected. Her great loves in life center around art, history, music, and books, which includes being a passionate collector of both antique books and graphic novels. Quirky and ambitious, she’s known to search for stories in the most random places. She lives in Sacramento, California.