Illuminated
Publisher Description
She has no memory of her past.
But the king who imprisoned her knows exactly who she is.
Alyra—mockingly called Princess—has spent her life as a captive in the dark land of Racah, ruled by the cruel King Darnel. She remembers nothing of her childhood and nothing of who she truly is. After years of captivity, she has nearly given up hope of freedom.
Until a mysterious messenger arrives.
He reveals a hidden truth about the medallion Alyra has guarded for years—and about the life that was stolen from her.
Now she must run.
Fleeing Racah, Alyra travels a narrow road with unlikely companions, discovering that the world beyond the kingdom is far stranger than she ever imagined. But the farther she journeys, the more dangerous the truth becomes.
Because the king who imprisoned her is not simply hiding the past.
He is trying to stop the future.
Illuminated begins the six-book epic fantasy series The White Road Chronicles, a journey through the kingdom of Alburnium filled with hidden identities, dangerous rulers, loyal companions, and the enduring struggle between light and darkness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the first of Castle's White Road Chronicles, 17-year-old Alyra begins to learn who she really is. Captured as a child by the ruthless king Darnel, she has no memory of where she comes from. Only when she meets with a man that Darnel has captured, a messenger of sorts, does she realize that she is somehow significant; she carries a medallion that is worn only by those who have "stood in King Shaydon's presence." Armed with this knowledge, Alyra determines to overthrow Darnel's rule and return to the land of her origin. The Christian allegory is obvious: King Shaydon represents God and Jesus Christ, and Darnel the Devil or forces of sin. Alyra's story is both heroic quest and spiritual journey, and Castle sets up the story well for the sequels. While the Christian allegory is solid, other elements are flawed. The story is set in medieval times, but the dialogue is peppered with contemporary slang, and the prose is stilted at times. This may satisfy allegory fans, but as fantasy fiction it brings little new to the genre. (BookLife)
