Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Ciara, princess of Mide in the ancient land of Iirinn, has mind-control powers that help her kingdom defeat Northmen invaders but also terrify her father's army. After being banished for believing a dire vision, Ciara works with a captured Northman leader to defeat an even bigger threat to her land. Leake creatively mixes Celtic and Norse mythologies, which elevates an otherwise predictable romance.

ALA Booklist (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Seventeen-year-old Ciara is a different kind of Irish princess: she's also a warrior with the uncanny power of mind control, using her enemies as weapons against their own comrades. Banished by her father when she refuses to kill a Northman prisoner because of their similar prophetic abilities, Ciara must find her own way of protecting her family, avenging her sister's murder, and figuring out her actual parentage l while trying to resist the attentions and appeal of Leif, the Northman leader. Leake has done her research, weaving in elements of both Irish and Viking mythology (such as the Morrigan, Odin, and the Valkyries), which lend flavor to an otherwise formulaic romance (boy meets girl, they hate each other, they like each other, trouble arises, and everything works out in the end). But with undead armies, flesh-eating spirit horses, and a powerful heroine, fantasy, romance, and historical-fiction readers will have a great time.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Ciara, a princess with the ability to control the minds and actions of others, aligns herself with her enemy, a Northman named Leif, to save their world from fantastical creatures bent on its destruction. Throughout their journey, Pagan beliefs and Norse gods clash. Ciara becomes an outcast banished from her kingdom, and the initially glaring differences between her and Leif soften as they find more rare similarities to bind them. Elements of the -star-crossed lovers- trope renders their bond unsurprising, and moments of lust paired with carnage-such as a first kiss shared while they-re burning corpses on a funeral pyre-can be off-putting. Faerie magic and an army of the dead help to enliven the story, and Ciara proves to be a formidable warrior in her own right, with or without her love by her side. In her YA debut, Leake creates a strong backdrop of fantasy and myth, and she draws on her background as a psychotherapist to instill her characters with a rich vitality. Ages 14-up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Apr.)

Kirkus Reviews

As heir to the throne and a skilled warrior, 17-year-old Ciara wields considerable power, but when a deadly enemy threatens her home, she must call upon her supernatural talents to protect those she loves.In Ireland in 1035 C.E., dangers come not only from the violent Northmen, but from ancient deities warring against each other and the influx of Christianity. When a power-hungry king allies himself with the jötnar, a race of horrific giants, Ciara must fight alongside her enemy. While the thought of allying with the Northmen is repugnant, she finds herself falling for the charming Leif. Together they face duplicitous kings, painful memories, and dangerous magical creatures. But if their kingdoms and love are to survive, Ciara must embrace her birthright and Leif must honor the pact he made with the Valkyries in this historical fantasy that is rich in Celtic and Norse lore and threaded through with a story of star-crossed lovers. While Morrigan and Odin are terrifying, raven-haired Ciara is the star. Beautiful, strong, and independent, she is the perfect warrior princess.Epic historical fantasy filled with deadly creatures, simmering romance, and nonstop action. (Fantasy. 12-16)