THE FLOWER EATER

A magical tale of fantasy, desire and revenge in medieval times.

In this magnificent debut, LaRose presents the young and beautiful Trilla, a maiden trapped between two desires—her dream to be a part of the Sisterhood of Zerr and serve the Goddess as a chaste priestess and her burning desire to be with Harnn, a handsome blacksmith whose amber skin and toned body fill her thoughts. Trilla is determined to hold firm to her promise of chastity, but Harnn proves to be too tempting; she finds herself running to find him, symbolically removing the ceremonial ribbons that represent her loyalty to the Goddess as if they are binding chains holding her back. At last, swept away by passion and longing, Trilla betrays her vows to the Goddess, and Harnn, as enchanted by Trilla as she is by him, proposes marriage. Despite her indiscretion, Trilla holds firm to her dreams and eventually chooses the ambition that has taken root over her blossoming love for Harnn; she abandons him. But the lonely life of the Sisterhood isn’t for Trilla: Eager for Harnn’s loving embrace, she fakes her death to escape. Trilla hurries to her village, brimming with plans for life in a faraway land, but she’s devastated to learn that Harnn, in her absence, has fallen for another. Trilla plots to destroy her rival, but in her attempt to do so, Trilla transforms and develops her own magical powers of insight and psychic ability. Soon, Trilla must turn to the Sisterhood for help as she begins to understand the evil that lurks in her land. Simply told in a straightforward manner, Trilla’s story is an easy read that romance readers will devour. Her struggle for identity and love is a timeless theme that resonates, and her foolish mistakes help create a likable, relatable heroine.

A delightfully entertaining story of how one woman’s effort to destroy helps her learn how to save.