Customer Reviews

Predestined

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Predestined" is one of the best paranormal romances that I've read in a very long while. Bryna and Tynan were wonderful characters that truly reached out and pulled the reader into their story. This was a romantic but at the same time sensual read that held my interest until the final page. Without a doubt this is a "top drawer" read.

Bryna was orphaned and left along the shores of an ancient loch but was found by a healer named Derina. Derina never tells Bryna of her true ancestry and Bryna grows up feeling alone and lost. She is the slave of a Roman Centurion and is called "witcheyes." When Derina comes to her and tells her that she must fulfill her destiny and save the prisoner that is kept in the dungeon Bryna does as she says but does not understand how the Dark prisoner has any connection to her, let alone how he could be her destiny.

Tynan is known as the "Dark Chieftain" and he has a prophecy that he must meet. He is chained naked in a dungeon and suffering when a cloaked figure comes and despite the danger helps him to escape. It is not long before Tynan realizes that his rescuer is indeed the mate that he has been looking for. Bryna is Fey and she is the territorial goddess that is meant for him. Problem though is that Bryna has no idea who or what she is. Despite this she trust Tynan and is drawn to his dark beauty and the safety and home that he represents. Separate they are weak, but together they are strong. Will they be able to defeat the evil sorcerer and find peace in which to love? Or will Evil win?

Ms. Gray is an exceptional author and one that paints a vivid picture with her words. The reader won't be able to help but be drawn into her magical world, nor will they be able to help falling a little in love with Tynan themselves. This is a strong debut read and one that I have no trouble recommending. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I am stunned at the positive reviews for this novel! Fast-paced?! Tynan is a character to "die for"?

I have read a lot of fantasy. This falls more under the "light romance" category, in my opinion.

The main character, Bryna is slow-witted and totally unbelievable as the "faery". Her most common line is "I doona know", which appears to be written such to remind us this is supposed to be Pictish-Irish. She is clumsy, often tripping and falling, and in most of the book, her only talent is to know when people are lying.

I was disappointed that the Roman master had only a couple scenes in this story, with little said about him.

"Tynan", the main male character was either fighting his "geas" of lust or being territorial & possessive of Bryna.

I did not feel the characters were fleshed out. The plot was very predictable. I often found myself rolling my eyes at the ignorance of Bryna.

It was extremely difficult to finish this first novel by Gray, and I will save my money for other authors such as Morgan Llewelyn and Marjorie M. Liu in the future.

Perhaps this would appeal to pre-teens.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

In a land of fantasy and magic, ancient promises must be fulfilled...

Tynan has been captured by an evil sorcerer in service to the Romans. Prophecy tells of the legendary Dark Chieftain who will claim the territorial goddess as his mate, free the faeries from imprisonment, and return magick and peace to the lands. When Tynan arrives, they suspect he is the one to fulfill the prophecy and desire to stop him at any cost.

Bryna is an orphan, abandoned at birth and slave to the Romans. She has no knowledge of her family and therefore knows nothing of her true identity. All she has learned was at the side of her beloved Druidess teacher. Fate has great plans for Bryna, beginning with the rescue of Tynan.

Now Tynan and Bryna discover a bond between them that was totally unexpected yet unable to be resisted. She does not believe Tynan when he tells her she is his mate for she in convinced her dreams tell her otherwise. They are meant for a destiny greater than she ever expected, but first she must accept her true nature and learn to harness its powers. Can Bryna and Tynan overcome the treachery set on separating them forever? What of her hidden spirit? Can she accept her Predestined fate in time to save Tynan's people?

Predestined by R Garland Gray is a fresh vision of the land of the Fae and its connection to the world of humans. Her concept of forsworn vows passed on through the generations by blood is fascinating to explore along with Tynan and Bryna. Magick plays a key role, as is typical of fantasy romance, but its effects on the land and its people is revealed in a unique way.

The action lulls in some places, and the conflicts can be somewhat anticlimactic, but this story is more character driven, which makes the slower pace work well. There are still enough surprises to the tale which will make readers eager to find out what will happen next.

Ms. Gray paints a vivid picture with her landscape of twilight beauty. Readers can see the stone fortress and brilliant moonlight and will feel the rain and wind in their hair. This world is one of magick and enchantment, which is reflected in the land and trees. One will long to travel along the feypaths and experience the life and festivals of Bryna, Tynan and company. Come along and enjoy their world, it is guaranteed to be a thrilling adventure.

(c) Kelley A. Hartsell, February 2006. All rights reserved.

When I see authors I'm not familiar with, but whose books I'd like to read before buying, I check the reader and critic reviews and try to borrow the books from the local library. Predestined and Fey Born weren't stocked at my library, so I waited several months before taking the plunge and ordering both books, primarily based on the blurbs and the mostly positive reviews here.

The result: I have to agree with the sole dissenter among the reader reviewers. I will not be buying (and likely not reading) more of this author's work.

Predestined's story line is meandering and leaves some loose ends; the characters are at times incredibly superficially drawn, waffling, and seemingly stupid; and the denouement, after a drawn-out pace, is over in a blink... but the story continues for a few more chapters to no purpose.

Fey Born is actually better written, although the plot and characterization remain weak.

My recommendations are (in no particular order): Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Robin D Owens, Barb & JC Hendee, JR Ward, Lynn Viehl/SL Viehl, Michelle Sagara West, CE Murphy, Marjorie Liu, Kat Richardson, Nalini Singh, Alexis Morgan, Karen Chance, Kerrlyn Sparks, Kim Harrison, Angela Knight, Kelly Armstrong, Laura Anne Gilman, Herbie Brennan, Holly Black, Catherine Spangler, Jim Butcher, EE Knight, and many others.

If you are reading this - thank me for reading this drivel so you won't have to. I have read hundreds of romance books, some of them them paranormal/fantasy, some of them not.

This has to be - by far- the absolute worst book of any type - that I have ever read. There is zero character development, believable dialogue, or logical, linear plot. The only reason I finished this book is because I was stuck on an 8 hour bus ride from DC to Atlantic City, and it was the only way to drown out the snoring of the elderly gentleman sitting next to me.

I wish I had better words to describe how truly, truly, truly this dreadful book is. If you want an example of how not to write a book - by all means pick this up. It will also provide amusement if you are on a car trip with friends - I read some of this to my husband on the way back and he almost swerved off the road laughing.

So, buy this book at your own peril. Consider yourself warned.

Bryna is a slave to a Roman invader who lives in the Castle Kindred. When the "Evil One" catches and holds a man believed to be the Dark Chieftain below the castle in the dungeon, it is Bryna who saves him. With this act she sets in motion her own destiny, the awakening of dormant feelings as well as the fairy with-in her. Only she doesn't believe that this could possibly be her future - she was raised as a slave!

Tynan is indeed the Dark Chieftain, the salvation of his people but he is more than this. As the Dark Chieftain, it is his destiny to free the fairies from Castle Kindred and can only marry the Territorial Goddess or there will be further disaster upon his people. His heart believes that Bryna is his goddess, but until he has freed and gained the approval of the fairies, he cannot claim her.

R Garland Gray changed gears from futuristic space novels to historical fantasy, and has again written a powerful and extraordinary novel. Here, she takes two people, brings them together and their future is PREDESTINED. While Bryna believes she can only be the false goddess, the truth is a little bit of a surprise!

I really enjoyed the sensory input written into this novel. Tynan's father betrayed the fairies as well as held them prisoner. Because of this their anger is expressed in the land and plant life dying. Bryna has the knowledge of the fey paths and because the paths belong to the fey they smell awful! I know bad smells generally aren't a good thing, but I love the way you can feel them walking through these hidden paths because of descriptive wording.

Something else I really like about this novel is the way that the fairy magic is such an important underlying element woven consistently throughout the novel. I got a kick out of the little pixies as well as the inclusion of other lesser-known fantasy creatures.

There are a few little twists and surprises in our plot that made this story very memorable for me. PREDESTINED is an excellent fantasy novel I would highly recommend.

I liked how this began. Tynan, the legendary Dark Chieftain of the human branch of the Tuatha De Danann is captured by the Evil Sorcerer who is working with the Roman Centurion who holds the ruined fairy fortress, Kindred. Bryna, a slave to the Roman, helps free him from imprisonment and sorcery, guided by a Druidess. Tynan needs to lead his people to re-take the ancient fortress and free the imprisoned fairies. He's also under a geas to find a fairy goddess and mate with her--an ancient promise to keep the blood intermingled between his people and the fairies. He thinks Bryna is the one.

Bryna, however, does not think she's more than a simple slave girl. She's a frustrating mix of insecure, retiring mouse (somewhat understandable given her enslavement) and opinionated, heedless innocent. The Druidess tells her that she's the one, not the golden fairy goddess she dreams about, but does she listen to her? And when Tynan is with her she's totally passive-aggressive, afraid of him and backing away while secretly wanting him and responding to him when he's pleasuring her. When Tynan's rival pretty much tells her he's going to take her no matter what she does or thinks, she just sits there, and believes him when he tells her Tynan doesn't love her. Gah.

She also says things like, "I doona know." *sigh* Accents in dialog is a pet peeve of mine. I dinna like it. I'm afraid it's one of those things I canna abide. So ignore that crit if you doona mind such things.

The plot could have been tighter and better developed, too. Certain elements seemed too easily over-come. I would have liked the characters to have been more developed as well. It did have enough interest for me to keep going until the end. I'm not sure if I am interested enough to read more, however.

Bryna never knew who she was. Her history consisted of being a foundling and a slave until a prisoner was brought into the home of the centurion who owned her. She is charged with helping him by her only friend, an ancient druidess, and thus it is that she makes her escape when she frees Tynan from his bonds. However, there is one bond she cannot break so easily; the gaes he must fulfill or cause ruin for his people. Tynan must take a faery wife, one who is an avatar of the goddess of his people. Is it Bryna? As she freed Tynan, can she free his people with her life and love?

**** If you like a complex story that is not simple to sum up in a few, pithy words, then you will revel in this one. Fans of Moran Llewlyn or Eric Flint's early work will surely find this to be a most welcome addition to their TBR list. What is particularly fascinating is the fact that rather than focusing on one aspect of the fey world, the entire panoply of fairies is brought into play, making for an interesting exploration. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

Almost two decades have passed since newborn Bryna was abandoned. Raised as a slave to the Romans, she has no family that she knows of and no friends except an ancient Druid Derina.

The Sorcerer has chained a naked Tynan to an ancient stone hoping that this one is the Dark Chieftain of Prophecy. Derina sends Bryna to help the prisoner; she starts by bringing water with crushed apples. Meanwhile Tynan hears voices of fairies crying to him to rescue them from the darkest lowest dungeon. He is the Dark Chieftain who will break the spell that binds the fairies in the pits beneath the keep. His only hope to escape rests in rescue by the territorial goddess not by a Roman slave even if he admires her courage and in spite of his predicament desires her.

PREDESTINED is a terrific Ancient Britannia romantic fantasy that grips the audience the moment that Bryna serendipitously provides water to the chained Tynan. This is more a fantasy than a romance though the latter is heavily imbued in the fast-paced plot. Tynan is a terrific champion seeking his ally the territorial goddess but ironically as he is attracted to his rescuer he fails to realize who she really is. For that matter the Sorcerer fails to comprehend who his slave is. While these two rivals seek the key female, readers have a fine time knowing what we know as R. Garland Gray provides a colorful historical tale that will elate fans of both genres.

Harriet Klausner

Down deep in the dungeon of the fortress Kindred, the Dark Chieftain is held in chains. An evil sorcerer tortures him hoping to gain the information he needs for his own salvation. Meanwhile Bryna, a slave, plots to free the Dark Chieftain at the guidance of her blind teacher, Derina.

Guiding Tynan through the secret fey caves, Bryna succeeds in leading the Chieftain to freedom and assumes with her job completed she will return to her duties as slave to the Roman leader at the fortress Kindred. What she does not realize is that her fate is woven with that of the Dark Chieftain. For she may be the Territorial Goddess prophesied to return balance and hope back to Tynan's people and restoring their bond with the fey world.

Bryna is not so quick to follow Tynan, as she has never known her self to be more than just a slave at Kindred. Her only memories are those of being found at a young age on the shores of an ancient loch by her teacher. Other than that her world revolves around the blatant disregard of a roman leader who calls her `witch eyes' and the kind teachings given to her by Derina.

World's collide and the plot twists as Bryna chooses to trade her life as a slave for that of mate to the Dark Chieftain who has marked her as his. And as their relationship begins to blossom, so too, does Bryna's life as her real destiny and heritage begin to unfold. Unfortunately, Tynan still struggles with the frustration of a prophecy that chooses a faery mate for him. A prophecy his father blatantly disregarded by marrying a human and destroying the bond between his people and the fey.

Predestined is a magnificent book that kept me turning pages to find out what could possibly challenge these characters more? I enjoyed Ms. Gray's use of sensuality driving Tynan relentlessly to fulfill the prophecy. The world she has created is magical with strong secondary characters and villains that come in many different forms. Ms. Gray excels at taking a fascinating prophecy and energizing it with dynamics of different mystical cultures and beliefs. I definitely recommend PREDESTINED as a fantastic fantasy read!