2006 Dream Realm Award Finalist
Spec. Fiction Romance
The Highlord's Daughter
The Highlord of Darkness finally has his male heir, and a daughter, but if Narragan has anything to say about it, neither of them will follow in his footsteps. With the galaxy no longer at war and Orgon on the road to full membership in the Empire, Narragan is working to end the traditions that require the Highlord to be the Evil One. But forces off and on the planet are plotting to bring an end to Narragan’s reign, and both he and his son are targeted.
Narragan may want to believe that his teenage daughter is still just his little girl, but Ally has hidden strengths. Are they enough to save Orgon? and her father’s sanity?
Reviews
“What an intriguing end to a fascinating look into an alternate world. Ms. Murphy continues with the rich characters and language that helped her stand apart from other authors of this genre in the beginning two books. . . .
“There is a great deal of romance in The Highlord’s Daughter, the romance of various couples as well as the romance of an exciting well-written adventure. . . . Ms. Murphy does an exceptional job of bring her characters to life. . . .
The Highlord’s Daughter was a fun read for me.”
–Reviewed April 8, 2006, by masha, E-Romance Writers Review:
Full Text of Review
The Highlord’s Daughter is a wonderful science fiction/fantasy that is full of action, adventure and some good old-fashioned romance! I was enthralled by this world that Christine Murphy set before me of telepaths, blockers, warriors, maidens and villains.
In The High Lord’s Daughter, there are a lot of relationships that fill the pages and kept me extremely satisfied. The one that was the most breathtaking to me was that of Narragan and Diana. When the book began, we learned of their forbidden love and a kiss from long ago that neither of them have been able to forget. Diana is a beautiful character, willing to give everything up for her child and the man she loves but can never have.
Narragan is the epitome of what an arrogant Highlord should be, and yet he is soft in all the right places. He knows that Diana is the only woman that he will ever love, and yet he is bound in marriage to a woman who has given him the heir to his throne. I saw Nargi as being larger than life, commanding with an iron fist and yet being a loving father while also, in his own way, being a devoted husband to the best of his ability.
Through the trials and tribulations that descend upon The Highlord’s City, we meet many people along the way, all of which add to the story in one way or another. I applaud Ms. Murphy’s ability to bring all of these characters together so smoothly, and in such a way that I never became confused over the characters. Quite simply, I was so taken with this story that I followed every character with no problem whatsoever. Christine W. Murphy is an extremely talented author, and those looking for a great science fiction/fantasy romance with something for everyone should pick up The Highlord’s Daughter.
Kristal Gorman, RRAH’s Thoughts & Ponderings
“Narragan rules with absolute power as Protector of “Lady” Orgon, a planet inhabited by superstitious people who believe their Highlord of Darkness must be evil in order to do his job.
Narragan doesn’t disappoint them. Gifted with both telepathy and telekinesis, he sometimes kills with his anger alone. Yet the Highlord is also a man, haunted by memories of the father and predecessor who abused him and finally died by Narragan’s hand. A man with a wife he doesn’t love, but children he adores and fears for.
Twins Bowyn and Allegra will have different destinies, thanks partly to gender and partly to their differing inheritances from Narragan. Bow, of course, must prepare to become Highlord someday. Ally, born without telepathic ability, won’t need it because women cannot rule. Narragan is glad to have one child who won’t have to suffer everything that power costs. Or so he believes, until events – both on Orgon, and in the Empire of which that world is one very small protectorate – force the adolescent Lady Allegra to leave her childhood behind forever.
This third book in an on-going series is a wonderful ride for fans of character-driven science fiction adventure. . . . Author Murphy has created an intricate future universe, imagined in such detail that I found it easy to believe this universe real. Her characters, villains as well as heroes, are multidimensional even when they play relatively minor roles. Murphy does a particularly good job of making the story accessible to a reader coming in at the tale’s third installment.” Full text of review: SF Myself Review 2006