Then there's the matter of him having been her teacher when she was little (at least between the ages of 6 and 8, when he was banished.) The books pass this off as "look, you raised your own wife; it's your own fault you can't escape her determination to marry you. Haha." That's really not great, again. Known as the celestial stone, most people associate sapphire with a stunning blue colour, but there are many more shades available, perfect for earring, bracelet, pendant and ring settings. Hmm. Perhaps. How much choice did he have with a mother like that probably poisoning him from the start? (If we accept the premise of the story.) … oh wait, does that shoot my theory down, at least somewhat, given that is probably exactly the reason why he’s hungry for power? Dang.

There is a longstanding enemity between Sparhawk and a banished brother knight called Martel, that ended in a pretty good fight. The result was good, almost like the tip of the iceberg if the entire story could have been about that. But it wasn't. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read the books, but I'd guess that this series would be best enjoyed by boys in their early teens.The closer you can get to “true” blue, the more expensive and desirable the sapphire will be. It’s common to refer to this variety of sapphires as “cornflower blue,” as the cornflower is one of the few flowers said to be purely blue and not violet or purple like most other “blue” flowers. There is a lot more to this story than first meets the eye. With wonderful world building- it’s fast-paced and full of adventure, magic, spells, action, knights, and more- it is a light, easy, and very entertaining read. Yes! This is what’s been irritating me the whole time, and it only gets worse as the series goes on. Doesn’t matter how strong a woman is, she still resorts to hissy fits and theatrics or childishness to either get what she wants, or basically keep control of the ‘relationship’. Even Sephrenia does it in the later books! It just feels to me like the books believe that deep down, women are irrational children. OR that they will resort to acting like them as a way of keeping their men in line.

Blue sapphires are the most popular and most sought-after type of sapphire. The exact blue hue can vary, from a pale blue to a deep, intense royal blue. There is little as captivating as a perfect, intense blue sapphire.

About the author

watch as the church knights defend the holy city of Chyrellos from an invasion by Martel and his armies; All in all some very odd ideas about women expressed in this book in general, and the creepiest, creepiest hero-gets-the-girl ever. Seriously.