This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Jennifer Reinoehl for Readers' Favorite
Evelyn Puerto’s The Girl Who Wrote on Water is book 2 in The Royal Mages series. It begins with Princess Derya surviving a cataclysm that separates her from her friend, Queen Eliana. Derya commits several social blunders that cause her father to reconsider her as his heir. To regain favor, she is given a choice. She can ease her father's relations with the Nafplians to prevent them from joining the evil sorcerer, Cetus, in his plans to enslave the continent. Or, her other option is to find Cetus’ scepter—a mythical object that may not really exist but that would secure Cetus’ power if it is real and he is the first to find it. She chooses the latter quest. Eliana, on the other hand, was cut off from most of the world by the cataclysm and is faced with her own challenge of uniting her people with those of Prince Adakizh against Cetus. She also must try to win her way back into Adakizh’s favor after making several decisions affecting both nations without him. With no one they can trust, will Eliana and Derya be able to accomplish their missions before Cetus enslaves everyone around them?
In The Girl Who Wrote on Water, Evelyn Puerto develops an intriguing plotline with strong female characters in a world that men clearly rule. Both Derya and Elaina have been thrust into difficult situations and time is running out, but they take all this in their stride with tenacity and grace. I loved that Derya kept saying, “I will not be shaken,” whenever things got difficult. Characters who are at the end of their rope but keep putting one hand on top of the other to keep climbing always inspire me. My favorite supporting character was Bahadir who seemed to rely solely on logic when he gave advice. He was a stable part of Derya’s court when her other advisors allowed too much emotion to color their advice. The theme of not knowing who you can trust is very real in the political world—especially one where competitors for leadership are frequently killing those around them. Everything from the dangers of sleeping next to a lusty king on the trail to battles with dragons to travels through cursed forests keeps the reader turning the pages as soon as Derya chooses her path. This intriguing story will leave the reader wanting more.
