THE PAGES OF THE MIND – Jeffe Kennedy
The Uncharted Realms
A Perfect 10
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-1-4967-0424-5
June 2016
Fantasy Romance

The Twelve (now Thirteen) Kingdoms

High Queen Ursula is settling in to her new role at the death of her father, the evil Uorsin. Her closest counselor, librarian Dafne Mailloux, is determined to make Ursula a great queen. But the Kingdoms under Ursula's rule are not exactly stable. A magic barrier that shielded the land Ursula's sister Andromeda rules, Annfwn, has shifted and absorbed another land, and confusion reigns throughout the kingdom. When Ursula's Dasnarian lover Harlan's brother arrives at Ursula's gates with a band of warriors, it's time to get down to business and find out what is happening in the unsettled areas of the kingdom. Ursula knows the only person educated and level headed enough to represent her is Dafne, and she sends her with the Dasnarians to look for answers.

Not one to venture far from her library, Dafne is a bit unsure that she is the right person to help her queen. Still, she is under orders, and her language abilities will be needed to discover the reasons for the magical shifts in boundaries.

The Dasnarians take ship and arrive in the tropical paradise of Nahanau, ruled by King Nakoa KauPo. To everyone's surprise, the king singles out Dafne and escorts her ashore, urging her to remove her shoes and stockings to walk on the Nahanau soil. A rumble of thunder, the island's volcano smokes, and Dafne's feet feel the burn. Something very magical just happened, but it will take everyone, except Nakoa, a while to understand what it portends.

To Dafne's consternation, she is unable to fathom Nakoa's language, and she engages the help of his librarian to translate and teach her. For the Dasnarians are leaving, and Dafne is remaining in Nahanau, seemingly as a hostage, or queen, of Nakoa. Regardless, she must find answers for Ursula, and she must work to understand the magic that surrounds her. If only she could communicate with the king!

I love the Twelve Kingdom tales. The intricately detailed lands that are brilliantly brought to life, the amazing, emotional, and realistic characters, and the surprises that magic brings to the story encompass a terrific, beautifully written story for all fantasy lovers. The romance is both heartwarming and heartrending among the people from the previous novels and the new ones in this one. THE PAGES OF THE MIND is simply a terrific book. I highly recommend the three Twelve Kingdom novels: THE MARK OF THE TALA, THE TEARS OF THE ROSE, and THE TALON OF THE HAWK so that readers will be acquainted with Ursula and her sisters and all they have gone through.

Jani Brooks