The Tarnished
Book Two in The Blameless Series
by E.S. Christison
**Please read Book 1 in this series before you read this review.**
Hi! Have you ever just wanted to be at home? Sometimes when I am out of town for a long time, I’ll wish that I was just at home with my family and friends. Well, all Brie wants to do right now is be back at home at Mount Elrad with her friends.
Brie has escaped Vaylec’s clutches and is on the way home. She cannot wait to see Cassie, Taeo, Milly, and all the girls. When they arrive, it is a happy reunion. They immediately settle down to have a good meal. As always, Milly’s food is amazing and they get ready to share stories of what has happened. Brie shares what has happened to her in the fullest detail and everyone is appalled at what she’s been through. The uncles then share their side of the story.
It turns out that they were delayed in rescuing Brie because they stumbled upon rebel camp. It takes awhile to convince the rebels that they are on the same side, but they eventually do and are released to go and rescue Brie. Brie then acts very disoriented and woozy and passes out. She comes to in her bed. Brie was bitten by a wolf when she escaped Vaylec and the bite has become infected and she is close to death! She is on medicine that is making her strangely happy, and she is worrying Taeo who is there with her. However, they are able to get a healer to heal Brie. The experience is extremely painful and Taeo is sent out of the room because he causes a disturbance. The pain causes Brie to pass out. When Brie comes to, the pain in her leg has disappeared. She overhears her uncles and the healer, who is a leader in Mount Elrad, talking over something. They are discussing a matter that would change Brie’s life. There was a possibility that Vaylec would come looking for Brie at Mount Elrad. The leaders of Mount Elrad had decided that Brie and her three uncles needed to leave for Brie’s and Mount Elrad’s safety.
At first, Brie agrues, saying that she doesn’t want to leave, but she realizes that she needs to in order to keep everyone safe. Cassie and Taeo are furious when they hear that Brie is leaving without them. However, the resolve to make the most of the time that they have with each other.
The next day, Brie, Cassie and Taeo go all over Mount Elrad doing whatever their hearts desire trying to make up for time they won’t have to spend with each other. They’re supposed to have another day together, but Vaylec’s guards had been spotted around the village and they decided it was of utmost importance to leave immediately. Flinton, Kove, Derek and Brie got on horses and headed away from Mount Elrad. Cassie and Taeo come after them aways into their journey. The uncles decide it is unsafe to send them back, and so Brie gets to stay with her friends. Brie discovers that their destination will eventually be the rebel camp. However, they are going slowly and leisurely because Vaylec’s guards think they are in Mount Elrad. They stop at a village along the way. They are disguised as a noble family with guards and servants. To draw attention away from Brie, she is the “servant.” However, Brie notices an old man about to be trampled by a crowd. She uses her Blameless powers to help him get to safety. Unfortunately, there is a Blameless under Vaylec’s control right in front of her! The party has to make a quick getaway to avoid being caught.
The company makes their way to the next village. In this village, Brie will be staying in the hotel room to make sure she is not noticed. However, she is upset about not being able to help, and so she sneaks out with Taeo and Cassie. Brie sees some girls being taken away from their families all because they might be her. Vaylec has ordered any young girl with resemblances to Brie to be sent to the castle. There, they will be servants if they are not the princess. Brie is outraged and decides that she can’t let this happen. She tells the guards to let the girls go.
However, there is a Blameless guarding them. Brie shoots the Blameless with an arrow in the arm to ensure that he is distracted and can’t use his power. Then, Brie’s uncles arrive. They use their powers to intimidate the guards, which results in the girls being let go.
My favorite part of the book was when Brie made the decision to stand up to Vaylec by releasing the girls. Up until this point, her main goal was her own survival. Now, she is fighting for others as well as herself.
This book is a lot like Keeper of the Lost Cities (as I said in my review of The Blameless). They both involve selfless people with powers trying to overcome evil.
Will Brie be able to stop Vaylec’s tyranny? Or will she be captured and watch her kingdom fall to ruin? As I always say, read the book to find out!
A few helpful things I like to say about the books I read:
“Run and Get Mom” (how I describe the scariness factor – zero being not scary at all and five being majorly scary): 3
“Yucky-Lovey Stuff” (how I describe the romance factor – zero having no yucky-lovey parts in it and five having major yucky-lovey parts): 1
I give this book 5 wands.
This was an amazing book! I couldn’t put it down from the moment I picked it up. This story highlighted the qualities of selflessness and bravery. There were so many cliffhangers – everytime I had to leave, I couldn’t pick it back up fast enough! I can’t wait for the third book!
Source: Review Copy
