But not a challenge, like Professor Higgins’ but a pleasure from start to finish. I read all five books of the Rose Shield series in three weeks, beginning during my week at the beach, and they took my breath away with the gorgeous descriptions, the beautifully detailed world, and the amazing characters, with all their flaws. Diana Peach is no slouch when it comes to creating ‘other worlds’. She just won The Next Generation Indie Book Award for Fantasy, the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, for The Necromancer’s Daughter. If you haven’t read this book, you should. You can see my interview with Diana and a review of the book here: https://saylingaway.com/2022/11/07/an-interview-with-d-wallace-peach-and-a-review-of-her-new-book-the-necromancers-daughter/
The world of the Rose Shield is the country of Elegeance, created by beings called the Founders millennia before. It is bounded on the south by the Cull Sea and is divided into areas defined by rivers which ultimately run to the Sea. The largest is the Slipsilver, at the mouth of which is Elan-sea, the biggest city. In the sea and rivers live beautiful winged and finned water dragons, which pull ships against the tides and currents. On land, a part of the population are Farlanders, tall with white hair, green spotted skin and three fingers on each hand
Elegeance is brightened by three moons, a sentient land, and rivers of luminescent water. The cities are rules by Lords with the help of members of an Influencer Guild, who are capable of manipulating emotions. They can make people feel the extremes of love and fear, pleasure and pain, but blending these emotions subtly allows them to control the population under the city’s rules.
Catling, the central character, is introduced in the first book, Catling’s Bane, as a young girl living in the city of Mur-Vallis, whose cruel City Lord kills Farlanders and city folk with impunity. Catling has a birth mark – a rose around her right eye, the rose eye granting her the ability to shield herself or others, but not both, from the influencers. This makes her a threat to The Guild, but more importantly to the City Lords whose influence she could nullify. In this first book, she is taken by a member of the Guild, Vianne-Ava, who reasons the Guild could use her more profitably than killing her, as a mean of counteracting those influencers who would seek power for themselves. She is taught by the Guild to be an influencer, assassin, and a healer.
In the second book, Oathbreaker’s Guild, Catling learns to wield her powers, and Vianne-Ava places her into the position of advisor to the Queen of Elegeance who rules from the city of Elan-Sea, where powerful forces, including influencers, maneuver for control of the throne. Catling’s ability to shield is of crucial importance if the Queen is not to be influenced. In the meantime, the country is in turmoil, Elegeans moving onto land owned by the Farlanders, a young man named Gannon stirring up the warrens of the cities against the City Lords, and Catling’s childhood friend and love, Whitt, joins the Guardian, Elegeance’s army. Catling returns to Mur-Vallis to assassinate the City Lord who killed her family.
In Farlander’s Law, the Cull Tar, the people who inhabit the Cull Sea in vast armada of boats and who threaten Elegeance from the sea, infiltrate the cities and their leader, the Shiplord, forces the queen into bonding with him. This will cede her realm to his rule. Catling’s daughter Rose becomes a pawn in the tug of war between the Queen and the various other factions: the Cull Tar, the Guild of Influencers, and powerful ruling Elegeans. Catling rebels against all these factions as her power becomes greater and more deadly. Treaties between the Elegeans and the Farlanders collapse in the Far Wolds. Whitt betrays his oath to the Guardian, takes Rose to protect her, and travels to the Farlander rebels’ camp in the Far Wolds.
In Kari’s Shield – the kari being the sentient spirits of this world – all of the warring factions face each other with spiraling intrigue and betrayal, to determine the fate of Elegance. Influencers, with their power in jeopardy, break their oaths, choose sides, and resume their search for Rose. With the Queen dead, the Shiplord seeks to solidify his power and take over the cities, Elegeance and the Far Wolds. All of these forces collide in a final battle for the realm. Catling and Whitt, each gifted with singular skills, seek to sway the course of the conflict. But another, more powerful player emerges, the kari. As spirits of the planet, they command the air, water, and land and are willing to manipulate events to save the planet and care not who survives.
This series deserves to be savored with all its intricate detail and amazing creations. You don’t need to read it one after another – you can stop and take a breath – and enjoy this world. Diana’s world building is equaled by her power of description, so beautiful and evocative that I had to stop here and there to reread it. She immerses you in the story with the power of her words and the strength and development of her characters.
Diana said in her earlier interview with me: I believe that when we create characters, we create real energetic entities who are capable of living beyond our pages and having an impact on the world. They’re the characters we fall in love with and learn from, the ones who change us. Once created, they can’t be uncreated. We set them free to live their lives independently of us, and we never forget them. In a way, they’re just like “real” people we’ve interacted with but never met.
For someone looking to immerse themselves in another world and enjoy a true saga, this series is for you! This is fantasy at its best. I would love to see this made into a movie, along the lines of Avatar or Tolkien’s Ring Trilogy.
About the author:
D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
The author can be found
On twitter: @Dwallacepeach
On her blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com
On her website: dwallacepeachbooks.com All of her books are available on Amazon.
Thanks for your review of this wonderful series, Noelle. Diana truly is amazing. Hugs to you both.
Thanks so much, Teagan. She blew me away with her world!
Thanks for the lovely comment, Teagan, and the nudge to get me here. I’m rather blown away by Noelle’s wonderful review. What an amazing honor. Have a great day, my friend. <3
Excellent review, Noelle. I am not a big reader of fantasy either. But having read The Necromancer’s Daugther and loving it, I am curious about Diana’s writing, so thanks for the recommendation and congratulations to her. She deserves all the awards.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment, Olga. This series is an undertaking for sure, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with Noelle’s review. And thank you for reading The Necromancer’s Daughter. It’s always a treat when a non-fantasy reader give my books a try and enjoys them. Hugs.
This tetrology is one to be savored because it gave Diana a full rein on her world-building. So impressive! Thanks, Olga.
Wow, Noelle. That was an amazing synopsis and review. Now, I want to read the books. Lol. You are too kind, my friend. That’s quite a feat to read all four books in three weeks, and while on vacation. I’m just thrilled that you enjoyed them. I’ll reblog this when I get back from the award stuff in Chicago (we just arrived). Thanks again for your kindness. I’m blown away. Hugs.
Have a wonderful time in Chicago! Get some stuffed pizza and take the architecture tour by boat. We do it every time we are there.
As for the series, it was delightful and kept me turning pages through all four books. After reading two of your stand-alones, I decided to see what this series was all about. And I was incredibly impressed because you had the time and space to fully develop that world. I LOVED the water dragons! Your mind is so creative!
When you find an author you really, really like, you just have to read more!
You’re the second blogger to mention the pizza! LOL. Now I have to try it. And the boat ride is on our agenda for Saturday. We heard it’s wonderful. Thank you so much for reading the series. OMG, what an undertaking. So I’m glad you enjoyed it. You’re the best, Noelle. I loved this. Hugs. <3
Chicago is known for its stuffed pizza. I like the spinach!
Diana is such a talented writer. I’m not surprised you loved the Rose Shield series. Great reviews!
Thanks so much for clicking through to Noelle’s blog, Priscilla. She wrote a wonderful review and I’ve been looking forward to sharing it. Have a great weekend. <3
Thanks, Vera. Sometimes you get tired when reading a series – this one left me eager for the next!
What a wonderful review, Noelle – congrats to Diana! I’ve read several of Diana’s other books – all of which have been fabulous – but haven’t gotten to this series yet.
Noelle did a wonderful job with her review, didn’t she? Almost a synopsis. I loved that she “got” all the elements of the story that I wanted her to. Thanks for clicking through, Teri. Much appreciated. Have a great weekend.
You won’t be disappointed since the series allows her imagination and creativity to explode!
Yowza! A huge congratulations to you on your reading achievement and Diana on her writing achievement!!
Ha ha. That was a reading achievement, for sure, Liz. I was blown away when I saw this amazing write-up/review. How awesome is that? Noelle was incredibly kind and generous, and I appreciate that you took the time to stop by. Happy Reading, my friend. 🙂
No problem with the reading, Liz. I was enthralled from beginning to end!
Fabulous review of an excellent series!
Thanks for stopping by, Andrea. I had to share Noelle’s wonderful review, of course. Have a wonderful weekend, my friend. <3 <3 Hugs
Thanks, Andrea. This is one series you will NOT want to stop reading!
Wonderful whole-series review.
Thanks, Craig! Much appreciated!
Thanks for visiting, Craig. This review from Noelle was a treat and I was delighted and honored that she took on the series in one giant gulp. 😀 Have a wonderful Sunday and Happy Writing.