Book Shelf: Mother of the Chosen by Janeal Falor

Adriella always wanted children. Now, she finally has her wish. Overcome with joy, she cannot wait to tell her husband about her pregnancy…until she hears a new prophecy proclaiming that a child will soon be born—one who will destroy the High King.

When a royal decree demands the death of all young children, along with any born over the next two years, Adriella’s life comes unraveled. Instead of the excitement of a new baby, she feels nothing but trepidation at telling her soldier husband. She decides to flee before he can turn her in.

With the High King and his men searching for anyone who defies his edict, she knows there isn’t much of a chance she’ll survive. But in a country full of newly grieving parents, on streets red with the blood of innocents, Adriella will do whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the law. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose the one thing even more precious to her than her own life—her child.

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Review: 

Mother of the Chosen is Janel Falor’s latest release and is an adventurous fantasy novel that is brimming with magic and danger.

Adriella has always wanted children and after trying to conceive for so long she finally has her wish; she’s expecting. Excited to share the news of her pregnancy with her husband, Adriella soon learns of a prophecy where a chosen child will destroy the High King. In response, the High King is sending out his guards to kill all pregnant women and young children. Terrified for her unborn child and afraid where her solider husband’s loyalties will lie, Adriella decides to flee before he has the opportunity to turn her in. Yet escaping is far from easy and with the King’s men searching for any pregnant women, Adriella’s chances of survival are slim, but she’ll do whatever she needs to do in order to protect the most important thing in her life; her child.

As someone who has always loved Janel Falor’s work I was very excited to read Mother of the Chosen even if it looked somewhat different that her previous YA novels that focused heavily on a romantic element. In the beginning I found the novel to be somewhat slow before quickly picking up. After this initial slow beginning, I found it to be well paced, with some fabulous magical creatures woven into the story including trolls, fairy’s, orcs, dragons and more.

There was plenty of action and fight sequences as Adriella and those helping her to get into one pickle after another making for exciting reading, but I also had a few concerns with the story. I honestly did enjoy Mother of the Chosen, I don’t want you to think I didn’t but there were some issues I think could have been addressed differently.

To begin with I found it strange that our protagonist Adriella could know her husband so little despite being married for four years and having created a child together. I had a fair idea of where Janeal Falor hoped to take the couple as Adriella’s pregnancy progressed and could envision this lack of familiarity changing. I think the idea of the characters way of life within the story fit with this situation, but to me it was still weird and left me unsettled. This could be more a personal ideal for me (a man and woman knowing each other and caring for one another before making a baby) than an issue with Falor’s storytelling and plot-arc than anything else.

I also wanted to know so much more about the world the characters inhabited. We weren’t given much backstory to set the stage and rather were thrown right in. Adriella and her husband Richart also seemed to come from two different religions featuring the Sun and Moon that I didn’t really understand. I’m hopeful to learn more about this as the series progresses as well as more about some of the characters who assisted Adriella in her escape and the High King that seems to be the driving force behind all the danger threatening Adriella.

Overall I did enjoy this novel and am looking forward to the second novel to see what happens next to Adriella and her baby. I love the idea of a series focusing solely around a mother’s love for her child and considering the cliff-hanger Janeal Falor ended Mother of the Chosen with, I’m looking forward to book two sooner rather than later!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Janeal!)
Publisher: Chardonian Press
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: May 30th 2018
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Final Thoughts: After a slow start Mother of the Chosen really picked up and I'm keen to read book two to see what happens next!