Review: The Legacy of King Jasteroth Vol. 1 by S.L. Wyllie

The Legacy of King Jasteroth by S.L. Wyllie is a wonderfully realized work of fantasy filled with magic, suspense, and romance. More geared toward a younger audience, readers will immediately fall in love with Princess Ariella and her tutor Austin – a half-elvish warrior – as they join them in their journey to harness Ariella’s powers, which are stronger than anyone realizes.

The daughter of the King of The Golden Peaks, Ariella is portrayed as the typical princess who is to be seen and not heard. As her mother is struck with an unknown illness that rapidly incapacitates her, Ariella starts to feel more alone than she ever has.

Ariella becomes increasingly frustrated with her plight when her father orders her to stay within the confines of the castle grounds to be tutored 10 hours a day without any explanation. Through her tutoring sessions, Ariella discovers that she is no ordinary princess. She has magical powers, and the evil King Jasteroth intends to gain control of her and use those very powers to his advantage.

Living in a time where women are viewed as less than, Ariella struggles to come to grips with her station in life, the powers she didn’t know she had, her feelings for Austin, and the fact that an evil King and his dark magic army are out to get her. Austin soon realizes that she is the key to everything and becomes even more concerned for Ariella as his feelings for her grow deeper. He no longer sees himself as just her tutor – he has fallen for her and will do anything he can to protect her and her kingdom, as well as his home, The Community.

Wyllie has presented a strong female character in Ariella, with an ability to show weakness, and never defined by her relationships with men. They may want to define her, but she is self-willed and eager for adventure, making her an extremely attractive character. Many of the issues that Ariella faces are immediately relatable, despite the fantasy setting, and will be especially evocative for younger readers, as she acts as a role model who could inhabit the world today.

The story works so well because Ariella is always grounded: her powers – or at least her relationship to them – are always in the realm of the possible. She demonstrates that everyone has a bit of magic inside them even if they don’t know it. When faced with situations that require strength all she has to do was trust her instincts to release what is inside her. Her character also lets readers know that while you may feel alone and like you must do everything on your own, it’s okay to accept help and trust other people.

Of course, the story has elements of pure fantasy, so Ariella fits the “chosen one” narrative to a tee – including her own “Excalibur”moment, which defines her destiny – but this female-centered take on familiar myths offers an interesting spin that isn’t merely a retelling of old stories with a different protagonist. These common fantasy tropes don’t get in the way of the story’s overall theme of trusting your own strength and resourcefulness.

As the first book in a series, The Legacy of King Jasteroth will have readers racing to get their hands on the next book. S.L. Wyllie is an author with a fantastic career ahead of her.