A Review for Chevalier (Ondine Quartet #2.2) & Warrior Prince (Ondine Quartet #2.5) by Emma Raveling

Posted by Donna & Melanie
Release Date: December 21st, 2012
Finished Date: December 20th, 2012
Publishers: Mandorla Publishing
Source: For Review 
Format: Kindle

Chevalier is a short novelette (approximately 10,000 words) set within the Ondine Quartet world and is from Julian’s point of view.

 

The events in this work take place between Billow (book two) and Crest (book three).

 

New York poses an unknown challenge to Julian LeVeq and Kendra Irisavie. Determined to help elementals gain traction in the war, they partner in the covert investigation of the elusive Shadow and plunge into the complex depths of the city.

But when the First Lieutenant and sondaleur finally cross paths with the world of Manhattan’s Aquidae, they find more than they bargained for.

The Review.....

Donna: When Emma told us she was writing a novella from Julian’s point of view, I couldn’t wait. In the other books, Whirl & Billow he comes across as quite a lady’s man and I really wanted to find out if what he feels for Kendra is true. Well, I got my question answered and he sure does. I really enjoyed how protective he is of her but, I’m sad as well because I love Julian but I’m not rooting for him and Kendra to be together, I’m rooting for Kendra and Tristan to be together. So, I’m hoping that he manages to find that special someone within this series. I also loved seeing him in action in this novella, its short yes but 100% entertaining. Kendra doesn’t disappoint with her snarky comments and I love seeing how both of these characters bounce off of one another. 4 stars!

Favourite Quote: She wasn’t distant. She was close enough to touch. Upper arm brushed against mine and heat flared through my veins. Sh*t. I was getting turned on in the middle of the damned museum.

Melanie: I really enjoyed this little peak into Julian’s head through his POV, I liked that we see how he works with his ‘virtue’ and makes me think that there are endless possibilities for him really. It makes a few things from Whirl & Billow click into place as we see what could be happening on those absences he often has and he seems to be a valuable person to the Chevaliers and it’s no wonder he has taken over as acting ‘chief’. I also feel this setting makes him seem more mature than we have previously seen him, maybe because he’s ‘on the job’. His love/lust for Kendra is another thing I have underestimated from him, even his envy & jealousy of Tristan and it’s given me something to ponder. Although he seems to be ‘all about’ Kendra, he still has eyes for others which I think will help him when the time comes to let her go….. Because we all know she belongs to Tristan! Lol Great addition to the series though and I loved it just the same. 5 stars!

Favourite Quote:  Her clothes were ripped in several places and stained with sweat and blood. Unkempt hair flew around her face in a tangled mess and an ugly purple bruise marred her cheekbone. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

Posted by Donna & Melanie
Release Date: December 21st, 2012
Finished Date: December 30th, 2012
Publishers: Mandorla Publishing
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle

This is not a short story, novella, or stand alone. It is a collection of scenes from Tristan’s point of view and is meant to be a companion work to the Ondine Quartet series.

Warrior Prince features eighteen scenes from Whirl (book 1) and Billow (book 2). 

Seven of them areextra scenes that do not appear in previous books.

It is highly recommended that you read Whirl (book 1) and Billiow (book 2) before you read this, to avoid any spoilers.

The Review.....

Donna: Tristan, Tristan, Tristan. I’m so pleased Emma decided to write this book, so we could get inside Tristan’s head. Sigh…I love him. How could I not? He’s amazing! A strong silent type, broody, handsome, older and did I say handsome? Even though there is an age difference between him and Kendra, it doesn’t really matter. It’s one that readers can overlook because while Tristan is older, he doesn’t look that much older. It’s one of the things I love about him and you can really see how mature he is and because of him being a Prince, he’s quite a serious guy too. I do love him!

 

I love how the connection between him and Kendra is really deep and it’s clear they’re both fighting the attraction and this book just proves how much Tristan feels for Kendra. With this book going over some of my favourite moments between both characters, it was intense to a whole new level. I remember reading Whirl and Billow and thinking at the time, “I wonder what is going through Tristan’s head right now?” and Warrior Prince sure does answer them questions. My favourite scene is ‘the beach/first kiss’ scene. I loved it from Kendra’s point of view and I loved it even more from Tristan’s. I’m even more excited to see these two come together and I’m praying that Cress – book three in the series, provides us some more romance and scenes are these two together. 4 stars!

Favourite Quotes " I suddenly had the urge to hold her. Not to offer comfort, but quiet privacy. A way of giving safe haven for her to let down that armour even if it was just for a moment."

"I wanted to lose myself in the scent of jasmine and rose, sink into the sultriness of her voice. Taste those lips to see if they were as soft as they looked. Slide my fingers over that satiny skin and bury them into caramel locks of hair. I wanted to make those walls fall. Discover if what was behind them was the same as what was in me."

Melanie: I LOVE TRISTAN!!! That is all......

Well not really, but you get the gist. I LOVE when I connect with a couple in a series like this, I am so invested in Tristan & Kendra’s relationship, I feel like I go through everything with them and feel their emotions in the pit of my stomach….. So this book was like chocolate for me, feeding my addiction with key scenes from Tristan’s POV. It has all of the ones I would have wanted including the ‘club scene’ when they first really picked up on their feelings. We get Tristan’s feelings of responsibility towards his friend’s daughter and how he took his promise to Naida as seriously as if she had put the fate of the world in his hands but also his sympathy & empathy towards Kendra because he starts to see a kindred spirit in her from their similar life experiences. He knows what she is going through and what she has yet to go through and because of his burden, he just ‘gets’ her, he knows what she needs and how to go about it. I loved that we see his view of Julian, who’d have thought Tristan would be jealous?.....I like it though, it shows how deep his feelings for Kendra are and I liked that both he & Julian had the little confrontation where they both accept their interest in her and both feel like they could be the better prospect. I liked that we got a few extra chapters too, I’m very curious now about his time in the Selkie kingdom, he seems to have come to some sort of decision and I’m very eager to find out what it is, hoping that it’s what I think it is…. It was also nice to see him in his home environment although I wasn’t keen on the ex being there :S I can say that those chapters have definitely left me hopeful but it isn’t just the getting together that will be a problem…. So there’s that to think about also. I did come away from this book loving Tristan all the more, I really ‘felt’ his emotions and it was just lovely seeing his feelings towards Kendra revealed….Now all I need is their HEA. 5 stars!

Favourite Quote: "Her beauty was as startling as a wildflower in an urban concrete jungle. It exploded around her, a vibrant, fiery wash of colour amid a world of grey. A life straining to be free."

"Longing blazed through my veins, the sensations heightening when I realized she looked at me with the same intensity. The same want."