Louise Briony Hallam’s Guardians of Destiny follows Alora, the immortal Guardian of the Sun, and Dorien, the Guardian of the Land, as they leave the safety of the Guardian Realm for a world they no longer remember. Chaos has returned to Asteria through a mortal vessel called the Shadow Master, while the missing Guardian of the Sea and Sky remains hidden among the living. Alora must find a man known as Hunter, whose ring is bound to hers and who can guide her toward the Stone of Souls. Dorien searches for the woman destined to complete their order. Their powers are finite in mortal form, and every step through Asteria may restore memories of the lives they lived more than a thousand years ago. With High-Sun approaching, they must find the Third before Darkness reaches her first.

Louise Briony Hallam’s Guardians of Destiny is a fantastic epic fantasy, and Hallam gives Asteria a history that feels completely thought through. I found the Seers especially fascinating, with Hallam making foresight part of an entire culture, so the gift shapes how they live. Dorien is wonderful. My favorite moment comes after Faun, the young Seer guiding him, calls him stubborn and churlish. The enormous Guardian of the Land privately contacts Alora for advice about the unfamiliar problem of a woman’s feelings, then wonders whether all women enjoy laughing at him. Hallam makes him funny without making him ridiculous, which I appreciate. Hallam also writes Alora with tremendous presence as mortal memories begin returning around Hunter. Well written and completely absorbing, readers who enjoy epic fantasy with prophecy will adore this.

Guardians of Destiny: Book One of the Stone of Souls Trilogy by Louise Briony Hallam is an epic fantasy set in the world of Asteria, where four realms exist. Peace reigns in the land for almost a thousand years, but beneath that is the threat of war and with it, the warnings about the Coming. It has become clear that the Shadow Master, a dark force connected to Chaos, has returned. To prevent this, the Guardians of Light are summoned. There are three Guardians of Light: Alora, Dorien, and a third one that must be found. As they travel across the lands, they start discovering memories of their previous incarnations, putting an unexpected twist on an already harrowing mission. Join the immortal guardians, Alora and Dorien, as they traverse the mortal realm to find the last Guardian before Darkness destroys the fragile balance that has protected their realm for centuries.

The author does a good job of laying down the foundation and introduction of the world of Asteria and its chosen heroes. Asteria is a world with its own history, realms, and mythology. Drought, prophecy by the seers, guardians, and the Shadow Master that roamed the dark are just some of the things that hint at the bigger picture of what's beyond the immediate quest of the characters. Louise Briony Hallam creates an entirely new, exciting world to explore. I enjoyed the thought Hallam put into the worldbuilding of Asteria and the care and attention that went into the two main characters: Alora and Dorien. I found it exciting to follow these two immortals as they are cast into the mortal world to find the third guardian. The dangers they face become more vivid as they are separated because of differing missions and learn to fight the darkness with their restricted abilities. The story is rich in possibilities for intrigue and character development, especially with the idea of fate, reincarnation, lost memories, and the guardians versus Chaos. The first book of the series has left me eager to find out what comes next for the Stone of Souls Trilogy. Excellent work!

Guardians of Destiny is the first book in the Stone of Souls Trilogy by Louise Briony Hallam. The story is set in the world of Asteria, where the Light of Being and the force of Chaos have been locked in an ancient war since the beginning of time. Destiny, the immortal keeper of Fate, created three Guardians to protect the world, but the Third Guardian was lost before she could be found. Now drought is ravaging the land, and Chaos is stirring again. To fight it, Destiny sends Alora and Dorien, the First and Second Guardians, into the mortal realm to find her before it's too late. Stripped of most of their power, Alora ends up guided by a mysterious man named Hunter. However, strange memories of a past life keep coming into her mind, memories of a woman named Ayla who was deeply in love with a man named Ethane. As Alora grows closer to Hunter, she has to untangle what belongs to her past and what belongs to her present. But as the lines between reality and memories blur, Alora has to get a hold of reality and find Chaos before it is too late.

Author Louise Briony Hallam created a wonderful fantasy world with incredible characters. The narrative style reminded me of Sarah J. Maas. I loved that the world-building is rich without being overwhelming, and I loved how the story of Destiny and the Stone of Souls was woven right into the opening pages. Alora was such an easy character to root for. She was strong and capable but still a little lost in this new mortal world. The slow-burn romance between her and Hunter was done well, especially with those past-life memories crashing in at the worst possible moments and making things so much messier and more emotional. Guardians of Destiny is a great start to the series, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Guardians of Destiny by Louise Briony Hallam follows Alora and Dorien, two immortal Guardians sent into the mortal realm by Destiny when Chaos begins to rise again, and Asteria starts to suffer from drought, war, and the growing influence of Darkness. Their mission is to find the long-lost Third Guardian before the forces of Chaos destroy the world. The catch is that Alora and Dorien have no memories and their Guardian powers are greatly limited. Alora travels with Hunter, a mysterious warrior who is actually Ethane, while Dorien follows his own path with Faun, a Seer whose visions help guide their journey. As Alora and Dorien begin to regain memories of their past lives, they also develop feelings for their mortal companions, making their mission much more complicated.

I really enjoyed the combination of fantasy, romance, and adventure in Guardians of Destiny by Louise Briony Hallam, and I thought the characters made the journey particularly interesting. Alora was my favorite because I liked watching her slowly rediscover who she was while trying to understand the woman she had become. Her growing connection with Ethane was also one of my favorite parts because there is so much mystery surrounding him and their relationship. Dorien brought a completely different personality to the story, and I enjoyed his more serious and sometimes sarcastic nature, especially in his interactions with Faun. The world-building is quite detailed, with the different realms, Guardians, magic systems, ancient history, and conflict between Light and Chaos creating a world that feels much larger than the immediate story. The writing can be deep at times because there is so much mythology to take in, but I liked how much thought has clearly gone into the world. Overall, I found this to be an engaging start to a fantasy series with characters I wanted to know more about.