Ray crossed a line. Now there’s no going back.
He had to grow up fast. Life in Blue Fortress with a cruel stepfather wasn’t ideal, but he had a choice to make; run away or stand up to the abuse and protect his mother. Truthfully, it wasn’t a choice. That night, Marcus went too far, forcing him to fight for his life. Fear and anger unleashed powers he’d never known he had.
Ray got his revenge.
But in this grim world, his act would never go unpunished and if he wants to avoid the executioner’s sword, he must run.
A hostile kingdom offers him refuge, but Ray fears being misled by his enemy’s kindness. Life offers him hope to build a future, but when this new home comes under threat of war, he must choose again. Escape and leave the kingdom to its fate or wager his life to protect it.
Blood of the Chosen is the first book in the epic Cronan’s Kiss adult high fantasy series, perfect for fans of heroic protagonists steeped in dark worlds rich with lore and magic.
Ray crossed a line. Now there’s no going back.
He had to grow up fast. Life in Blue Fortress with a cruel stepfather wasn’t ideal, but he had a choice to make; run away or stand up to the abuse and protect his mother. Truthfully, it wasn’t a choice. That night, Marcus went too far, forcing him to fight for his life. Fear and anger unleashed powers he’d never known he had.
Ray got his revenge.
But in this grim world, his act would never go unpunished and if he wants to avoid the executioner’s sword, he must run.
A hostile kingdom offers him refuge, but Ray fears being misled by his enemy’s kindness. Life offers him hope to build a future, but when this new home comes under threat of war, he must choose again. Escape and leave the kingdom to its fate or wager his life to protect it.
Blood of the Chosen is the first book in the epic Cronan’s Kiss adult high fantasy series, perfect for fans of heroic protagonists steeped in dark worlds rich with lore and magic.
“Run!” Her voice in his head urged him to go, but his knees buckled underneath him. Blood was thick on the palm of his hand as he clamped it against his side, he pressed harder, and the trees swam in his eyes. This was for nothing. He had escaped for nothing.
Get up or die.
A branch hung low over him, and he grabbed it, forcing himself up. He stumbled, pushing toward the path. Death would find him soon enough, impotent as he was. Mom’s men would get him, or the forest would. Either way, he was done for.
He stopped to listen to the familiar sounds of the forest—the wind in the leaves, night creatures prowling, and the howl of a lone wolf silenced by a sudden chime of bells.
The signal. They knew he was gone.
Hair stood on the back of his neck, his senses sharpened, and the urgency produced a hit of energy from within him. It numbed his ache, firing his run. And he ran, lifting his free arm to protect his face from the merciless whipping of branches.
Breathe. Pain is inevitable. Make it your friend.
Darkness was his ally, but the dense forest slowed his progress. Finally, he reached the path, and the way opened before him, bright in the moonlight.
He took advantage and ran faster.
Pressed against his wound even harder.
In the distance behind him, an explosion of hooves hit stones. They crossed the main gate and galloped down the road, twenty horses at least. They would stay on the road for a while, then split to follow the paths, which meant some would be upon him soon, giving him no time to get to safety.
If there even was such a place. But he would cover as much of the distance to the creek before first light, hoping the universe would grant him a happy chance. The sound of hooves dispersed, right on schedule. They sounded almost as if they were further in the distance, but he knew it was a trick of the forest. A change of surface. He saw himself standing up against them, knowing they’d cut him to shreds. Still, the vision produced another push to keep running, but a set of hooves became more distinct. The thudding vibrated in his core, and he knew someone closed in on him.
Moonlight had betrayed him. Now there was but one choice—face his attacker. He stopped, taking a glance back. A silhouette appeared against the pale disc in the sky. Close, very close. A glint of steel above the head as the figure leaned to one side, ready to strike.
He was going for the kill.
Breathless, his face burning, he stood his ground and braced himself despite his senses screaming at him to run. His heart pounded. Time slowed. Air hissed with his inhalation, and he closed his eyes, digging deep into his soul for precious strength. Life coursed through his veins, invigorating him, and he wouldn't give up on it. Not yet. He opened his eyes. Exhaled. The rider swung, and he walked into the arc, his eye never losing sight of the blade. His left hand grabbed the rider’s wrist and his other took the arm, pulling the rider to the ground and knocking him out.
Hooves thudded away on the earthy ground, promptly drowned by his pumping heart and hissing breath. He unfastened the rider’s scabbard and sat him up to peel off his gambeson.
“Sorry, Nestor, I’ll need this.” Nestor, of course, couldn’t hear him.
He stood for a moment to listen, to steady his breaths. Her voice pushed through his defenses, and he waved his hand to dismiss it. He had to remain alert.
Hooves drew closer.
He slipped the gambeson on to cover his white shirt, then darted into the shrubs and scurried downhill to the sound of water—a risky move this time of year. In spring, snow melted in the mountains, feeding the rushing flow. Water rose. It was frigid, and the current ripped stones off the banks. He knew all this, but the sliver of light on the horizon meant his time was up, and he’d rather die in the damned creek than let his mother get her hands on him. With any luck, the soldiers would head south, where the creek was shallow, and he’d have a far better chance of making it through. He turned north, sprinting along the water bank.
Then the light came.
It always did, inevitably, day after day, waking the birds and breaking the darkness, providing a constant he hung on to.
The creek twisted and swirled at his feet with a thundering roar, running down the channel it had ripped. It headed south for miles, then tumbled off the cliff and rushed through the Valley of the Dead. His heart stopped as he stood on the bank, looking at it.
This was a bad idea.
A flash of steel cutting through flesh. Blood. Dark stone walls and sconces of fire. A lash cut through his skin, ripping him right through his core. The images broke through his thoughts, but he braced himself. It was over. It was his right to fight back, though it wouldn’t matter if they caught him. They would… He didn’t want to imagine what they would do to him. He held his breath and walked in, shuddering at the contact but pushed forward, fighting the flow, and failing to keep himself upright.
The water was rough. His feet slipped on stones underneath. The temperature made his skin raw and his chest tight. His strength diminished faster than he expected. But his thoughts relaxed somewhat, accepting this fate. The river would spit his body out on a shore somewhere, and the valley below would become his grave, alongside many others who lay there.
***
Thin streaks of moonlight crept between the curtains, glimmering in the darkness, casting lights and shadows in the most extraordinary way. Together with the sheer fabric of her bed canopy, the lights and the shadows worked together to form the most beautiful sight. She adored the ambiance, the mystery, the magic, and how it made her feel. She was a princess, and her room, a chamber in a castle brought to life out of an old page in a leather tome.
But not tonight.
Sleep wouldn’t come. No peace could be found in her dream or her wake. Her fantasy realm couldn’t distract her from the desperate calls. Calls she heard inside her head. Voices. They came at her again and again. Whispers of a multitude. Like a horde. A crowd speaking as one. She’d heard them occasionally, but now they assailed her, calling her name and demanding compliance.
They wanted her to get to him.
He had been in her mind since she was a child, since… forever. A particular pull drew her and compelled her to reach out to him. But since the ill-fated night when dread filled her heart, a barrier formed between them. Since then, she pushed him out of her mind. Now the voices turned to her, convincing her to speak to him, but she was having none of it. The last time she was pulled into his presence, a sound scared her. A crack like a thunderclap, like a bolt, cut through her, ripping her soul, and it wasn’t even the worst part.
She would never open herself to such hurt.
Never.
Gods should have protected her. They should have kept her safe from evil spirits, yet they didn’t. Even though she had been to the chapel, even though she had prayed, asking for protection. The pain she endured would remain with her. The fear she confronted was present within her even now, making her core tremble. But their voices insisted she obey them. They kept on persisting to get her attention, and she could not hide from them. They were in her head.
“Tell him to run,” they said. “Tell him to save himself.”
Then she saw his face as if he, too, forced her hand. She didn’t know what it meant. How could she be sure those were truly Gods who spoke to her?
“Run!” she finally said. A soundless scream in her mind.
As if on cue, he came alive in her head. Enveloped in darkness, fear tightened her throat. A throbbing in her side, and the strain of physical effort with blood rushing through her ears. The weakness it produced was so profound she thought she might die. The moment passed as she teetered between dream and wake. Between the fading silver light and the path almost aglow before her eyes. A moment of fright. Then calm, his breathing steadying, and his mind opening to her.
With it, she’d planted the knowledge in his head. "Run, save yourself. No, not through the creek, go toward the tower."
Then he vanished, obscured by shadows. His weakness, though, she felt within her bones. The despair. It touched her heart. Despite everything, she couldn’t help him.
“I said what you wanted. Now leave me be,” she said.
Turning in her bed, she pulled the quilt over her head, then abruptly uncovered herself and sat up. She needed to pray. Deep inside, a chill tightened around her stomach. The moon’s glow ebbed away and made shadows stir to life. The mesmerizing motion kept her eyes fixed as her gut quivered. Spirits emerged into her world.
Gods! She got out of bed and kneeled beside it, praying in silence. Begging Gods to keep her safe and ward the spirits from her chamber.
Immersed in her prayer, her mind drifted, enabling her to let go of fear. For the first time since that awful night, she felt at ease and calm. She gasped loudly, her body shaking as a connection formed with the universe. She became one with it.
Voices spoke to her, a myriad of them. All in perfect concert. “We are Gods, and you are obliged to assist us. Fear not, our child, for you shall be sheltered until your involvement will be called for.”
Everything would be alright.
In her mind, his presence became tangible. She was beside him, his ache touching her as if it were her own. Their connection became stronger, and she instantly knew what it meant. His torment—she was meant to ease it. A recurrence of her terror. Like before, she would be made to endure his suffering. Her lips dried, and her hands grew cold.
Then something strange happened.
He shut her out.
Their link was severed on his end, and all she felt was a forlorn void.
“You see? He won’t even let me in. Now leave me alone.”
So that was that. She dove back into bed, moving vigorously to warm up. Even though her room was comfortable and her covers were thick, the harshness of the cold bit into her bones. She tossed and turned, mumbling a prayer, keeping her voice down to not wake Mom. Since the night her momma panicked, she wouldn’t disturb the silence at night.
Blood of the Chosen by A. J. Leciejewska is an epic fantasy story set in a dark world full of powerful characters and rich mysteries that will leave you dying for more. Throughout its pages, we follow the story of multiple characters from neighboring kingdoms. Throughout every single one of their point of views, we're able to see their different perspectives not only on the turbid relationship between the kingdoms but also on Ray. Ray is a kid with a powerful secret who ran away from the place he used to call his home. After being forced to do the unthinkable, Ray ended up running away and making his way into the enemy's land--but it wasn't on purpose. There, he receives a level of help and kindness from the king and his people that he never expected, making him wonder if he should really leave the kingdom behind and run further away from his enemies or stay and try making a life of his own there--until things start getting out of control again.
Something that I found very interesting and loved about Blood of the Chosen is the fact that every character with a point of view is connected to Ray one way or another. Yet my favorite character with a strange (and powerful) connection to Ray was Katie, which can be considered our second main character in the story. She is a girl who lives with her family on a farm and will soon be ready to get married to a noble young man. The problem with her? She's been having weird dreams about a boy and that troubles her mother since it could make her unfit for marriage because she could be considered to be tarnished by their religion. But her dreams about Ray are more than just dreams, they're visions of what he's going through and a reminder of the powerful bond they've shared for years without really knowing anything about each other...yet. But that's all I'll say in order to avoid spoiling a few things here and there! If you'd like to know if they get to meet each other or what happens when they do, you may have to dig into the story yourselves!
In the end, Blood of the Chosen ended up being a powerfully rich epic fantasy story unlike anything I'd read before. I really enjoyed the way every single character in the story ended up being connected to Ray one way or another. I also enjoyed the rich world building and the whole mystery behind Ray and Katie, their connection and the forces at play behind everything that's happening. The only thing I didn't really enjoy about this book was the pace of the story. It ended up being a little too slow for my liking with all the characters, their perspectives and all that, but I ended up enjoying how everything was intertwined at the end of the story at least! Overall, Blood of the Chosen by A. J. Leciejewska ended up being a lore-rich and intriguing story that ended up being a little too slow for my liking but I still enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it for fans of thick fantasy books full of powerful mysteries and interesting characters!
I give it a 3.5 rating!