Rise of the Tobian Princess — D.L. Gardner

When Erika accidentally kills the king of an allied island whose magic her father's kingdom needs, the entire populace is in jeopardy. With an enemy nation in the east, and an evil thaumaturge's army attacking from the north, King Tobias is left powerless against his foes.Despondent over her mistake, Erika travels across the sea to make amends. Arell had always thought of himself as a simple man, never imagining he could be a king. Despite his father's immigration to the island, he favors his mother's cultural traditions over his father's royal lineage. He has a strong aversion to residing in a castle, but his life is turned upside down when his father's body arrives home covered in mourning cloth, assuring Arell's coronation as King of Cho Nisi. The only comfort he finds after the death of his father, and the burden of being king, is the comfort that a lovely red-haired princess offers. He loses his heart to her, but little does he know that she is the one who killed his father. The islanders are relentless in their pursuit for justice and vengeance for their king's death. When they discover that Erika is the one responsible, Arell is faced with a gut-wrenching decision.Meanwhile, Erika's brother, left without a wizard in the face of the dark lord's army, is overcome by evil.  A masterful painter of words, D.L. Gardner's brushstrokes of prose bring to life a compelling fantasy tale that demonstrates the power of forgiveness and redemption in the aftermath of tragedy. - award-winning author Stephen Zimmer of the Fires In Eden SeriesOverall, Rise of the Tobian Princess is a nicely packaged fantasy adventure with a good secondary romance. There's never a dull moment in here; it's jam-packed with monumental events and action to look forward to. Princess Erika is one hero that readers are going to be thrilled to discover. - Independent Book Review