Iridesce

READ THIS BOOK!!! Iridesce by Cordia Pearson, like its name, sparkles and lingers in the mind thanks to top-notch writing, an exciting plot, and fantastic world-building.

Iridesce’s young heroine, Thea, is a flawed but sympathetic character whose struggles and trials among her adopted people, the A’talan, often come from the accident of birth—her skin and eye color show her to be born of the enemy across the border, the Daharsha. In the fascinating and brutal world the author has conjured, the horse rules, both as an instrument of war and in the national pastime of horse racing. But while Thea is a horsewoman and warrior to be reckoned with, neither skill can save her from a mistake that changes the course of her life.

An immersive, enthralling, coming-of-age romantic fantasy set in a unique, primal world spun masterfully with elements of Middle Eastern myth and legend, Iridesce explores what inclusion, honor, and love of family mean, and the lengths we will go to gain and keep them.

Molly Schulz Kelash, Author of Kiss of the Sphinx

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Cordia Pearson’s debut novel Iridesce is the story of Thea, an abandoned child from the Daharshan desert, adopted and raised by Pell, ruler of a tribe of horse warriors in the neighboring grasslands of A’tal. Generations of enmity and war between Daharsha and A’tal guarantee that dusky-skinned Thea will forever be the object of A’talan suspicion and mistrust.

Distinguishing herself a horsewoman without equal, Thea seeks to become a Venari warrior, thus earning A’talan citizenship. But in an ill-omened and fateful series of events, Thea’s entire life unravels, leaving her alone and facing a grim and uncertain future.

Mind-magic, strong family ties, ethnic hatreds, intense passions, coupled with the author’s deep knowledge of all things equestrian, make for a compelling and stirring story. Add in tremendous worldbuilding and Pearson’s superb character work, and the reader is pulled so deep into Thea’s world that when tragedy strikes, we feel it like a personal loss. This is a novel which is difficult to put down and a world impossible not to believe in.

In summary, Iridesce is one of the most powerful debut novels I’ve ever read. I look forward to more from Ms. Pearson.

Dario Ciriello, Author and Editor