Witch of the Week – 1 June 2021 – Alena, Kingdom of Embers
Kingdom Journals, award-winning young adult urban fantasy series
I’ve declared June Kingdom Journals month to celebrate the upcoming release of the Kingdom or War finale audiobook on June 20, 2021. Each week I’m highlighting an amazing witch from the series. This week’s Witch of the Week (WOTW) is Alena from Kingdom of Embers, Kingdom Journals Vol. 1 – Alena’s Story. Kingdom of Embers is an award-winning novel, recognized by Colorado Independent Publisher’s Association for fantasy in 2019, and is a 5* and Gold Readers’ Choice Award Winner for fantasy in 2020.
Alena, witch-vampire hybrid
Alena, pronounced Uh – lee – nuh, is half witch and half vampire. Her mother is the Vampire Chancellor, the leader of the vampires, or at least the registered ones. Alena has no idea who her father is. Her mother keeps this information secret only telling Alena he stays away to keep them safe. This makes sense given both witch and vampire laws forbid half witch, half vampire beings.
Alena hides her witch nature from everyone in the vampire community save those in their inner circle of trusted friends. But not only must she hide her witch powers from the vampires, unlike other vampire teens, she integrates into society, posing as a normal high school student.
This situation challenges Alena to keep her heightened vampire emotions and urges in check. Further, her mother moves them every two years so Alena experiences little consistency. Her mother seems to be searching for something but Alena can’t figure out what it is. All of these issues weigh on Alena’s mind as she enters her senior year in high school and approaches her eighteenth birthday. At eighteen, those with witch heritage may choose to become full witches, being initiated into a coven and granted their full range of powers to develop.
At seventeen Alena already possesses great power. Her mentor, Orm, trains her in cloaking, compulsion, levitation, and many other spells. He teaches her both vampire and witch histories dating back to the origin of witches and vampires.
Alena’s role in Kingdom of Embers
Alena is the main character in Kingdom of Embers. The book is written from her point of view. Alena’s quest to discover what her mother searches for ramps up when she meets a once thought imaginary friend, Hunter. The question becomes how did they interact as children and why did her mother target Hunter? And when Alena’s mother introduces her to Theron, another half-witch, half-vampire teen, things become even murkier. Is Theron who she is fated to meet? Does her mother mean for them to fall in love, create a new line of hybrids?
Her story twists and turns as she dives into the search for the truth. Even with surmounting danger, Alena remains committed to learning her place. Does she belong with the witches? Or should she follow in her mother’s footsteps? Will her insistence on finding the truth leave them all in a pile of embers?
Only time with tell in this opener to the Kingdom Journals series! Discover Alena and Hunter’s world in the Kingdom of Embers, now only 99 cents in ebook.
Download on Amazon, Apple, B&N, or KOBO, or find learn more on the Kingdom of Embers webpage with official blurb, trailer, and audiobook preview.
Happy reading,
Tricia
P.S. Dying to know the origin story of witches and vampires? Download Of Witches and Vampires free short story on Amazon, Apple, B&N, or KOBO or learn more on the webpage.