Predictably, The Dark Lord's Daughter (YA) is about the daughter of a Dark Lord, whose magically commanded warrior has spent years searching the multiverse for the infant who was sent away by the Dark Lord's sister, supposedly for protection. The Dark Lord died, but not before setting up some more curses on the castle.
Meanwhile, the daughter is now fourteen, and her widowed adopted mother and only slightly bratty younger brother were touching her when the portal opened, so guess what, Mom's along for the adventure, complaining all the way. Now Kayla has to repair the castle, convince the servants that she isn't going to execute them for existing, and learn enough magic to get back home. It's going to take a while.
While being very much its own thing, this story has Goblin Emperor vibes, as much of the action is about settling in, finding councilors, and the business of ruling, written for YA. There is advice from unlikely sources, danger from some obvious ones, and a lot of preconceptions to fight. It would be a reasonable gift for anyone who liked Pratchett's Tiffany books. It comes to a comfortable stopping place while leaving room for a sequel.
Meanwhile, the daughter is now fourteen, and her widowed adopted mother and only slightly bratty younger brother were touching her when the portal opened, so guess what, Mom's along for the adventure, complaining all the way. Now Kayla has to repair the castle, convince the servants that she isn't going to execute them for existing, and learn enough magic to get back home. It's going to take a while.
While being very much its own thing, this story has Goblin Emperor vibes, as much of the action is about settling in, finding councilors, and the business of ruling, written for YA. There is advice from unlikely sources, danger from some obvious ones, and a lot of preconceptions to fight. It would be a reasonable gift for anyone who liked Pratchett's Tiffany books. It comes to a comfortable stopping place while leaving room for a sequel.
