Release Day Review ~ The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Title: The House of the Four Winds
Author: Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Series: One Dozen Daughters #1

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Published: August 5th 2014

Mercedes Lackey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Valdemar series and romantic fantasies like Beauty and the Werewolf and The Fairy Godmother. James Mallory and Lackey have collaborated on six novels. Now, these New York Times and USA Today bestselling collaborators bring romance to the fore with The House of Four Winds.
The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes.

Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.

Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.

Full of swashbuckling adventure, buoyant magic, and irrepressible charm, The House of the Four Winds is a lighthearted fantasy romp by a pair of bestselling writers.

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I have always had a soft spot for fantasy novels, (thanks to my sister for introducing me to them) so when I read the blurb to this one, I was excited to dive into the world of sailing and pirates!!

As you can tell by the blurb, Clarice is a princess and she has left home to make a life for herself. To do so, she has disguised herself as a boy and set sail looking for adventure. She formed a strong friendship with Dominick and together they faced many twists and turns from threats on and off of the ship.

Clarice adapted well to ship life; her parents raised her so that she could do things for herself. I enjoyed watching her masquerade as a boy and how her knowledge and advice was often called upon. Although she was just a passenger on the ship, her trade was required and soon the ship was sailing into uncertain territory and Clarice, along with the crew, had a whole new set of challenges to deal with.

It was sweet to see Clarice and Dominick’s relationship grow and strengthen. They formed a great friendship and Dominick quite often sought Clarice out for companionship. Clarice often contemplated telling her secrets, but there were always hurdles in the way.

The House of the Four Winds was a very entertaining fantasy read and I think the authors did a great job telling Clarice’s story. I enjoyed being swept away in the story line and the dangers they all faced. It had a nice mix of magic, piracy and adventure. I also liked how the wording in this book reflected the time period it was set in. I will be looking forward to more books in this series and see what adventures the other sisters go on.

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.