Stain by A. G. Howard
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Stain’s real name is Princess Lyra. She is the only daughter of King Kiran and Queen Arael; however, Queen Arael dies during child-birth. King Kiran adores his daughter and is willing to do anything for her. King Kiran has a despicable sister named Lady Griselda who has three daughters.
After a magical war long ago, the land was split into two kingdoms. King Kiran’s kingdom is called Eldoria. Its residents live in constant daylight, and their skin is bronzed by the sun. The other kingdom, called Nerezeth, is ruled by King Orion and Queen Nova. It was dragged down into the Earth, lives in eternal nighttime, and the inhabitants are pale-bluish skinned with silvery-white hair. King Orion and Queen Nova have a son named Prince Vesper. There was a blood pact between the two kingdoms that when Princess Lyra and Prince Vesper both come of age to marry, the joining would benefit both kingdoms. Oddly enough, Princess Lyra looks more like the people of Nerezeth and Prince Vesper looks more like the people of Eldoria. Both stand out as outcasts in their respective kingdoms.
STAIN is an intricately woven story. The magic touches with all the prince and princess overtones is truly enjoyable, giving the reader prior knowledge to draw upon. There is evil lurking, dark ravines, and suspense throughout the 500+ pages. I was initially concerned about the length of this novel, but it became clear that the length was necessary to tell the whole story. Ultimately, I became so invested that I was sad the story had to end. Clearly there is an opening for a sequel, which I would enjoy reading as well.
I became extremely engrossed in this novel. The details are well thought-out and cultivate into one truly enjoyable story. The characters are so well developed, the reader comes to fully understand their feelings and motives, right or wrong. Family, friendship, loyalty, love, fate, deceit, wickedness, and selfishness are all themes throughout this novel. The friendship aspects of this novel are well-written, strong, and touching; it makes for a perfect read for a middle-school student.