The Dream Stewards and the Realm Wraith Trilogy by Roberta Trahan

This week's conversation for the podcast is with author Roberta Trahan.  We talked about 2 series that she has published: The Dream Stewards and The Realm Wraiths.  First up, The Dream Stewards:

Source

More than five centuries after Camelot, a new king heralded by prophecy has appeared. As one of the last sorceresses of a dying order sworn to protect the new ruler at all costs, Alwen must answer a summons she thought she might never receive.

Bound by oath, Alwen returns to Fane Gramarye, the ancient bastion of magic standing against the rise of evil. For alongside the prophecy of the benevolent king, a darker foretelling envisions the land overrun by a demonic army and cast into ruin.

Alwen has barely set foot in her homeland when she realizes traitors lurk within the Stewardry, threatening to destroy it. To thwart the corruption and preserve her order, Alwen must draw upon power she never knew she possessed and prepare to sacrifice everything she holds dear—even herself. If she fails, the prophecy of peace will be banished, and darkness will rule. (Source)

Roberta said she got the idea for the series when she had the thought, "What if Merlin had been a woman?"  Here we get a bit of that reimagining, although it's not the Arthur story.  Alwen is chosen as a steward as a young age and she and the other 3 women who are chosen must go into hiding until the king of the prophecy comes of age.  They are in hiding for 20 years when they finally receive the summons to return to take up their posts, which of course, is where the story really begins.  Alwen and her family must leave their home to travel back to Fane Gramarye where they face untold dangers and all must come to terms with Alwen's destiny.

Genre:

• Historical Fantasy

What I loved:

• That the main character is a 40 year old woman.  This is uncommon for the genre, where most main characters are young adults or teens.
• The multi-generational aspects of the story.  Alwen's children also play a role in the story, and it's nice to see the way they interact with each other as they all try to figure out their roles in this new life they have been thrust into.
• The way it feels like an Arthurian legend but isn't.

Who should read The Dream Stewards series:

• Fans of historical fantasy.
• Fans of fantasy in general.
• Fans of the Arthurian legends.

Great quotes:

• "Somehow, in that moment, Alwen understood the full depth of her own strength, the full measure of her ability, just as plainly as she knew the full weight of her decision.  This was the destiny she had waited for her entire life, and she would respond with every ounce of her soul, with every strength and skill at her hand." - The Well of Tears

________________________________________________________________________

The Realm Wraith trilogy:

Source

The Empyrean Defense is the faerie realm’s best defense against the human race and its self-propelled trajectory toward annihilation. If humans ever succeed in destroying their own dominion, they’ll take the faerie world out along with it. But the EDL is not about to let that happen.

Cadet Bliss Hoarfrost is an over-achiever with daddy issues and a chip on her shoulder, but she’s also the best agent for the job. Any job. Just one mission away from a coveted commission in the EDL’s uber-elite Realm Wraith Squadron, Bliss will stop at nothing to get the gig. But when she’s given the assignment that will make or break her career, she discovers the price of success just might be her soul.

Assigned to track down a once trusted EDL operative turned eco-terrorist, Bliss is ordered to infiltrate the human realm and hunt down the rogue before she unleashes a weapon that could unmake both worlds. It’s a do-or-die mission and Bliss is more than up to the challenge. There’s just one minor hitch – the rogue Bliss is after is also her sister.

With only 48 hours to complete the mission and earn her commission, Bliss soon discovers she isn’t the only hunter on the trail. The truth behind her sister’s defection is far more complicated than she has been led to believe and Bliss finds herself stranded and almost out of options. Reinforcements are on the way, but it could already be too late. An eons-old blind seer and a hot-but-morally-conflicted half human double agent are all she’s got until real help arrives, but the conspiracy Bliss has uncovered might be more than even the Realm Wraiths can handle. (Source)

While also fantasy, the Realm Wraith trilogy has some distinct differences from The Dream Stewards series.  First, it's contemporary fantasy, and pre-dystopian, if that makes sense.  The faerie realm is also threatened by the ecological changes being wrought by humans.  Second, it's a serial and you can read it on Roberta's blog.  She spoke about writing a serial in our interview and how she encourages her readers to leave comments about the story, how they are experiencing it, etc., and that their comments have helped to shape the story as it goes.

Genres:

• Contemporary Fantasy
• Urban Fantasy
• Serial Fiction

What I loved:

• First off, I just love the concept.  That you can read along as Roberta is writing and interact with her in a way that might eventually effect the story.  That's really cool.
• I like that this series is contemporary/urban fantasy.  I love stories that work magic and fantasy into the world as we know it.

Who should read The Dream Stewards series:

• Fans of contemporary fantasy.
• Fans of urban fantasy
• Fans of fantasy in general.
• Fans of serial fiction.
• Someone who wants to read a story as it is being written, to watch as it unfolds and develops.

Great quotes:

• "They live blissfully unaware of their surroundings, which is really just a poetic way of saying mankind is totally oblivious to its own impending doom. How the entire race came to be in such a predicament is a hotly debated topic among the leaders of the preternatural races – are the humans ignorant or apathetic, are they victims of an innate drive toward self-destruction and thereby unable to escape the consequences of their actions, or are they simply so arrogant they have convinced themselves there are no consequences to escape?" (Source)

Where you can find Roberta online:

Website: www.robertatrahan.com
Blog: https://robertatrahan.wordpress.com/
Facebook: @robertatrahan
Twitter: @robertatrahan
Instagram: @robertatrahan

Source

To hear my interview with Roberta please click here.