Alissa never believed in magic. But then she went to the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers once learned magic from enigmatic Masters. Under the tutelage of the last surviving Master, Alissa discovered that she had inherited her father’s magical ability.
But the Hold is ruled by Bailic, the renegade Keeper who seized the First Truth, a book of magic he will use to harness the might of the city of the dead and wreak a war of total devastation. The book has thwarted Bailic’s every attempt to access it, while it continually calls to Alissa—who must summon all her will to resist it. For if she gives in to the First Truth’s ultimate power and knowledge, she will be utterly changed—and the man she loves could be lost to her forever.
Download and start listening now!
"I knew this would be the book where we settle down and learn some magic, and though I don't follow at all anytime an author tries to explain the practice of magic like she does in these books, I still like to see the inevitable mistakes and victories. I liked the odd tension of Balic (and winter)forcing Alissa and Strell to stay basically as prisoners, but they have some freedoms, unlike Useless did in his cage. While theoretically enemies, it's company for Bailic who has been alone a long time and most of the time Alissa and Strell are safe and more comfortable than they were in their respective poor households. It's like the building of a very dysfunctional family, though clearly it's building towards it's own demise. When I finished this book, I thought, well that was good, but do I need to read the next one? Then I read the back of it...shapeshifting, time travel. I thought for sure it would have too many gimmicks and would ruin the series, but gave it a chance and ended up liking it even better." — Jill (4 out of 5 stars)
"I knew this would be the book where we settle down and learn some magic, and though I don't follow at all anytime an author tries to explain the practice of magic like she does in these books, I still like to see the inevitable mistakes and victories. I liked the odd tension of Balic (and winter)forcing Alissa and Strell to stay basically as prisoners, but they have some freedoms, unlike Useless did in his cage. While theoretically enemies, it's company for Bailic who has been alone a long time and most of the time Alissa and Strell are safe and more comfortable than they were in their respective poor households. It's like the building of a very dysfunctional family, though clearly it's building towards it's own demise. When I finished this book, I thought, well that was good, but do I need to read the next one? Then I read the back of it...shapeshifting, time travel. I thought for sure it would have too many gimmicks and would ruin the series, but gave it a chance and ended up liking it even better."
“In her beguiling debut, Cook has woven together magical threads…a tale of courage and quest…a world rich with vivid detail…and characters, whether valiant or villainous, impossible to forget.”
“Characters to cheer for.”
" I liked this book much better then the first book because I understood what was going on better. In the first book the main characters were somewhat in the dark about how things works and therefor so was I. The second book helps us understand much more. Yet there is still more that we do not understand yet. I guess that is what draws you into the next book each time. Plus it is also a love story which is always a plus for me. "
" Much better than the first. I find the main characters kind of annoying sometimes, but the supporting characters are very interesting. The story is simple, but quite addictive. "
" I had this on audiobook too. Not sure why I broke down and started this one, but I didn't hate it. So that's an improvement. The characters seemed capable of learning from their mistakes this time around, and something actually happened throughout the book instead of the mind numbing nothing that happened in the first book. So, not recommended, but not mind numbing either. "
" I love this series. Dawn Cook is a skilled story weaver with an amazingly imaginative tale that is difficult to put down. This fantasy world is full of fascinating characters who grow and change and learn valuable life lessons while entertaining the reader. "
" A bit slower and a little repetitious, but still a great book! I am loving this series! :) "
" The second book in the series, which brings additional characters and reveals more of the world. "
" Pretty good! I thought it was better than the first of the series, "First Truth." The story picks up a little more in this one, but still not a page turner. "
" I liked the first book but this one lost my interest. I have the rest of the series and will hang onto them for a while just in case, but I'm done for now. "
" So it's a little, itty, bitty, bit better than the first book. Again, the author has established a great world and a really good running story/mystery in this one. But, she still bugs me. Stupid girl. "
" One of my favorite fantasy. "
" A good sequel - I'm looking forward to the next one. "
" It was hard to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. "
" Good storytelling, but the sociology is still troublesome, and there are still some continuity issues which should have been caught. "
" Great follow-up. Loved it just as much as the first. "
" I still prefer The Hollows, and I'm still not entirely sure I like this series yet. I'll keep going for now because I'm a bit stubborn at times. "
" While I found First Truth to be a little slow, this one kept me much more engaged. Although there were not any big surprises, the way some of the bigger steps were revealed was well done. Now looking forward to the third book on the series. "
" I really like the characters but this seemed very complete to be in the middle of a series. I wonder if she's going to run it like sets of duologies. "
" The 2nd was a little slower, but I still thoroughly loved it! I couldn't wait to read the 3rd in the series. "
" Brilliant. Even better than the first one... "
" These are some good books. I am savoring them and reading the series slowly. This one had some great suprises in it I really liked. I am loving the characters the more I read. "
" Kim Harrison writing about dragons instead of witches and things that go bump in the night. "
" Aussi bon que le premier.Critique sur le blog à la rentrée des vacances.Je reste sur la fait que Dawn Cook a une réelle maîtrise des détails.Génial ! "
" See review of book #1 "
Dawn Cook wrote both the Truth and the Princess series. Better known as fantasy writer Kim Harrison, she was born and raised in the upper Midwest but has since fled south. Her New York Times bestselling novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Every Which Way but Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails, and White Witch, Black Curse.
Marguerite Gavin is a seasoned theater veteran, a five-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award, and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones and Publishers Weekly awards. She has been an actor, director, and audiobook narrator for her entire professional career. With over four hundred titles to her credit, her narration spans nearly every genre, from nonfiction to mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and children’s fiction. AudioFile magazine says, “Marguerite Gavin…has a sonorous voice, rich and full of emotion.”
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.