Bookhounds YA

Books, Gardens, and Dogs

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Giveaways
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Review Policy

$20 #Giveaway Reclaiming Ryda by Rachel Rossano Ends 4.29 @RachelRossano @XpressoTours

April 20, 2021 By Mary



Reclaiming Ryda
Rachel Rossano
(Once Upon a Duchy, #2)
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Romance

Rydaria lives as a prisoner in a tower library. Captured as a child, her past is a mystery. Maintaining the literary treasures within her care, she studies the world through books that give her a glimpse of the freedom she craves.

A scribe by trade, Crispin has devoted the last three years of his life seeking the lost heir of Avalene. He travels to Worthenave’s famed library in hopes of finding the key. Instead, he discovers a new mystery, a beautiful librarian who is locked in with her books every night.

As the days pass, Crispin must choose. Rydaria’s precarious situation is deteriorating. Meanwhile, his duty demands he leave before the Duke of Worthenave uncovers his quest. Still, the scribe can’t bring himself to abandon the captive in the library tower, even if it costs him his mission.

Inspired by Rapunzel and East of the Sun West of the Moon

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Crispin

A large circular room greater than thrice my height in diameter lay beyond the gate. On all sides from the floor to about two feet below the ceiling, which was well beyond my reach, were shelves laden with all manner of written records. Binders, scrolls, bound volumes, drawers, boxes, and files lined each shelf. Small tags hung from many of them—each card covered in neat writing. Over them, a wooden ladder hung by hooks on a rail that ran the circumference of the room. Above the track, small rectangular windows nested in the thick stone walls between the top shelves and the carved ceiling. In the center of the rotunda lay a thick round carpet. On it sat a large wooden table that had clearly been made to match the shelves and five padded chairs.

I crossed to the table and set my scribe’s bag on the polished surface. As I surveyed the shelves wondering where I ought to begin my search, I came up short. Someone was singing—a woman by the sound of it.

Leaving my bag behind, I turned around searching for the source of the voice, which was how I discovered the stairs. Tucked behind the shelves opposite the gate by which I entered, they could not be seen from the entrance. The narrow steps led upwards, following the curve of the stone tower wall. In the niches where the straight wooden boards of the stairs didn’t quite match the curve of the stone, someone had tucked all kinds of odd things, like clay jars, colorful baskets, and crocheted blankets.

As I climbed, I struggled to focus on the singer’s words. The words weren’t from my native tongue. However, the melody sounded familiar. I came to a halt on the landing just outside a second room almost precisely like the one below, the sounds fell into place.

She was singing in Saruthian.

Pale as the moon all still and lovely,
The maiden’s heart longed for his touch.
Still, the moon hung quiet, unresponsive,
Cold and unfeeling despite her love.

Her honeyed voice washed over me. Blinking in the glow of the late-morning light pouring in the octagonal windows above the shelves on this level, I studied the singer as she continued her work. She was perched halfway up the ladder against the shelf with a bag full of tomes strapped to her hip and a long golden-brown braid falling down her back like a thick rope. I couldn’t help thinking of the ancient Saruthian tale of the captive of the rampion witch.

She was definitely fetching enough to play the role of the captive. With the long length of hair, the color of honey, the hue falling between the alfalfa and buckwheat honeys my bees produced at home, she could snare any man. Her form appeared pleasant as well, slender and curved in all the right ways.

As she reached the last of the verses in the poem, I fully expected her to stop. Stepping into the room, I prepared to introduce myself.

But she didn’t stop. As she set the second-to-last book in place, she began to sing a verse I had never seen in any of my references. My mind scrambled to translate it as she sang. Then she turned around.

A soft squeak escaped her, followed by a heavy thud as the last book fell from her suddenly lax fingers and hit the floor.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

Author Bio:

Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction. A happily married mother of three children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

 

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • TSU
  • Share on Tumblr

Related Posts

  • Related Posts
#Giveaway Excerpt CURSE UNDONE by Brandie June @brandiejune @CamCatBooks @RockstarBkTours Ends 11.22
#Giveaway Why STEM? by Valerie Tripp #Win Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad #3: The Law of Cavities Ends 11.13 @mediamastersbks
#Giveaway How I Came to Write The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick #Win THE TILTERSMITH @AmyEHerrick @AlgonquinYR @mediamastersbks Ends 11.6
#Giveaway NO ADMISSIONS by Brittany Geragotelis @TheBookSlayer @PixelandInkBks @HolidayHouseBks @RockstarBkTours Ends 10.25
#Giveaway Excerpt ZARA’S RULES FOR FINDING HIDDEN TREASURE by Hena Khan @henakhanbooks @SalaamReads @SimonKIDS @RockstarBkTours Ends 10.18

Comments

  1. Angelica Dimeo says

    April 20, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    Beautiful cover.

  2. Kate Sarsfield says

    April 21, 2021 at 3:35 am

    I’ve never read anything by Ms. Rossano – always up for something new!

  3. Susan Smith says

    April 21, 2021 at 8:34 am

    Sounds great, I like the cover and the excerpt.

  4. Jennifer L. says

    April 21, 2021 at 11:36 am

    This sounds like the type of book I love best!

  5. Cindy Merrill says

    April 21, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    The female ion the cover looks so sad,. The story blurb seems to indicate she’s not even allowed outdoors, is this true?

  6. sherry1969 says

    April 21, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    This sounds like a very good book.

  7. Bonnie says

    April 21, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    What an interesting fairy tale! I love that the heroine is a librarian. Great cover and excerpt. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Antoinette M says

    April 25, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    Beautiful cover. Thanks for the excerpt.

  9. Marcy Meyer says

    April 27, 2021 at 5:21 am

    I like the cover. Very pretty.

  10. Denise Duvall says

    April 27, 2021 at 8:12 pm

    The cover is beautiful! Trapped in a library tower sounds exciting! Don’t know if I would want to leave!

  11. Karen H says

    April 28, 2021 at 6:29 am

    Thanks for the giveaway

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Goodreads
  • Email

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 29,786 other subscribers
You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 ·Modern Blogger Pro · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Design by Imagination Designs all images form the Future is Steampunk kit by Marta Van Eck WordPress · Log in