E.M. Leander

Two young people, lost in their world, find a magical connection.

A young orphan, Wren, is the lighthouse keeper in a town called Split, in the country of Aclines. When war breaks out with neighbouring Ocron, Wren is isolated from the town in the lighthouse where she lives and works. Wren has a unique ability to communicate and connect with animals, and she is cast out by the townsfolk who consider her strange. When an injured Tiger arrives at the lighthouse, Wren shelters the tiger and treats his wounds. Split is defeated in the war by Ocron, and the tiger returns back to the wild. But word soon gets out that Wren can control animals, and she is approached by an Ocronian from the ‘School of the Silver Flame,’ who believes she is a Mage. Mage’s have magical powers that can be used to control the natural elements - wind, earth, fire, and water. Wren leaves her home in Split and travels to the school, where she is manacled until she learns how to control her magic.

Aris, a handsome and arrogant young man, is a Shield, an animal shifter who can shift from human to animal form. Shields are trained from childhood to safeguard and protect a Mage. A Mage and a Shield are paired and bonded together for life. Aris is grieving the loss of his Mage and best friend, Stefan, and has not shifted into his animal form since his death. As Aris goes in search of another Mage, he meets Wren, and they discover they have a magical connection. But are Aris and Wren compatible to form a bonded pair? Will Wren ever learn to control her magic, and be free of her shackles? And will she ever see her tarnished tiger again?

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger is the first book in the Game of Gods series by E.M. Leander. This is a fantastic fantasy fiction novel for young adult readers, written in a dual narrative and alternating between Wren and Aris’s point of view. The novel follows Wren’s journey as she is uprooted from her home and thrust into a world of magic, and Aris’s journey as he goes in search of a new Mage, following the tragic death of his best friend. This is a thrilling, fast paced novel, with two charming characters, and a mesmerising world full of magic, drama, and intrigue. With epic battle scenes, animal magic, and a beautiful romance, this is a fantastic, fantasy fiction novel, not to be missed.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A fantastic fantasy fiction novel for young adult readers, with epic battle scenes, animal magic, and a beautiful romance.