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Kyra Halland

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Beneath the Canyons (Daughter of the Wildings Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Kyra Halland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 246 ratings

Book 1 of 6: Daughter of the Wildings

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The gunslinger. The rancher's daughter. They share the same dangerous secret – magic.

Silas Vendine, mage and bounty hunter, sworn to protect the non-magical settlers of the Wildings, has followed a trail of strange magic to the remote town of Bitterbush Springs. There, he lands in the middle of a deadly feud – and discovers that a local rancher's daughter is hiding a dangerous secret.

Lainie Banfrey has been taught all her life that wizards are unnatural creatures with no heart and no soul. If anyone finds out she has magical powers, she could end up on the wrong end of a hanging rope.

But when a mysterious gunslinger shows up searching for a renegade mage, she can’t hide her power from him. Drawn to the handsome stranger’s magic – and to him, she agrees to help him in his hunt for the renegade whose strange, dark power could be the force behind the feud that has devastated Lainie’s family and brought her hometown to the edge of open warfare.

While keeping their magic a secret – and falling for each other, in defiance of Silas’s duty and the strict laws of the Mage Council – Silas and Lainie must find the renegade mage and stop him before the dark and deadly power he commands destroys everyone who makes the Wildings their home.

Join Silas and Lainie in an adventure filled with magic, danger, and romance and discover the wonders and mysteries of the Wildings in Beneath the Canyons, the first book in the epic fantasy-western series Daughter of the Wildings.

Content Note: Language, violence, and mild to moderate sensual content.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kyra Halland has always loved fantasy. She has also always loved a good love story. She combines those two loves - like chocolate and peanut butter! - by writing the kinds of romantic fantasy novels she loves to read. Complicated, honorable heroes; strong, smart, feminine heroines; magic, romance, and adventure; deep emotion mixed with a dash of offbeat humor - all of these make up Kyra Halland's worlds. Kyra Halland lives in southern Arizona. She's a wife, mom and mom-in-law, proud grandma, and devoted servant to three cats.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00P6TUSM0
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kyra Halland (November 2, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 2, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 974 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 241 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #7,670 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #42 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #83 in Romantic Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #173 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy eBooks

Customer Reviews:
4.0 246 ratings

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Kyra Halland

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View Kyra Halland's complete book catalogue at: https://www.kyrahalland.com/books.html

Kyra Halland writes the kinds of romantic fantasy novels she loves to read, tales of adventure, heroism, and romance set in magical worlds where strong women and honorable men work together to save their world and each other.

Kyra Halland lives in southern Arizona. She's a wife, mom and mom-in-law, proud grandma, and devoted cat servant.

Learn more about Kyra's books at https://www.kyrahalland.com

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4 out of 5

246 global ratings

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teamlb

Wizards and Cowboys!

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015

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This book had me from page one. It has fantasy, mystery, and western with a great romance plot throughout. The intrigue kept me turning the page, and the well-developed characters made me care about what would happen next.

The plot was evenly paced, and it pulls you along to the end where you will immediately need to buy book two. There are western shootouts and farm hands looking out for their boss’s daughter. There were other magical races with an interest in one of the main characters. And there is a romance that changes the course of two character’s lives.

Lainie is a well-developed character with layers and competing motivations. She’s stubborn and loyal as all heroes tend to be. She’s not one to wait around to be rescued, but if she does need help she joins in to help her would be rescuers. She’s spent her life being told that magic is bad and Mages are soulless, but she believes in herself and trusts her instincts in the face of all she has ever been taught. She’s young and naive, but also strong and insightful.

The magic system is well thought out. The magic has a color/essence and leaves an energy residue. It also has a cost and can be depleted. An overlord style mage council controls the bloodlines and procreation of Mages. The Mage School is used to break them and remake them into something unrecognizable. I can’t wait to learn more about the secret council, and the underground movement to protect plain folk (muggles).

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Brandon Sanderson’s The Allow of Law.

One person found this helpful

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H. W. Stone

Not a fast read, but it stays on course.

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024

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The story as actually a triangle conflict with a mirror ending.

Instead of being two sides in conflict three sides were the balanced conflict, and the resolution was a mirror image combining two of the conflicts to create a resolution. That makes it a bit more of a reversed but balanced exit from this story to split the action and let it take root, but promises that for the characters the simple fact they took root did not mean they could not also march forward.

There were a few structural issues and some "too much explaining" to handle some changes in what is taking place, and magic was assigned an evolutionary origin but then painted over with human behavior making it less than perfect.

It deserved four stars, but I am not sure I really want to follow the story further because I could not really identify with any of the characters. I guess that comes out as "good but not great" even though it is better than several other stories infested with magic, but it was interesting.

.

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Robynn Tolbert

This reads like a first book

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2017

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I found this book after reading a post about the noblebright genre at The New Authors' Fellowship. The price was right, so I downloaded the Kindle version. I read it in one evening. This reads like a first book, although I haven't researched if that's true. All the bones of good writing are there, as well as some meat: varied characters, a vivid, detailed world, and good pacing that carries tension all the way to the end. I've recently rediscovered Westerns, so the Wild West overtones were enjoyable. The author doesn't seem to trust her own skill yet (why I think it's a first book), so there's a bit of unnecessary over-explaining, but not so much I couldn't finish. There's also a simplicity to the characters that may be a deliberate attempt at characterization that will grow over time (I see there are at least 6 books with these characters) or might be accidental skimming because the plot took precedence - I couldn't tell with the one book. The story did provide a little surprise almost at the end that moved it out of the "young adult" category I had mentally sorted it to, but that might just be me being old fashioned. In short, I liked it, but I think better is coming as this author learns to trust her storytelling abilities.

One person found this helpful

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Tina Morley

Exciting Romantic Fantasy!

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019

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This is an exciting romantic fantasy set in an alternate Wild West. It takes me back to my teen years reading Louis L'amour, but even better with the addition of magic and more romance. The characters are well-described and the chemistry is just perfect for the older hero and younger heroine. This is the first book in a series and does have a satisfying conclusion, but it isn't the end. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020

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I wasn't sure what I expected going into this story, as I've never read a western fantasy before...It was the best blend of both genres I could have hoped for. I felt firmly rooted in the wild west of the Wildings, but the magical aspects of the story fit perfectly somehow.

The characters were delightful; Lainie and Silas are both unique and nuanced, with distinct voices from each other.

The story had a steady pace, and the ending wrapped up nicely; this book could stand alone, but it had just enough threads for a sequel without feeling incomplete.

Looking forward to book 2 and further adventures with the wild west mages.

2 people found this helpful

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Desert1304

Very interesting and intence

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022

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Added dressed discs frfr off FCC fifth by bc gabby off bff frfr off I you tutu turn Keith rjrjr

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020

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I almost stop reading this book,because I don't like stories with witches and wizards and all that weird stuff.But when I got to the middle of the book it was interesting.

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An occasional guitarist

A stranger rides into town...

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2016

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This wasn't quite what I expected. When I thought about the combination of Western tropes with fantasy, I was imagining sorcerous show-downs at high noon, bandits robbing flying stage coaches, cowboys and loose ladies gambling in saloons with Tarot cards. The reality here is much less free-wheeling. Although it's set in a different world altogether, the feel is more like an old Western movie with a basic plot where a stranger rides into town and helps out the locals--only in this case, of course, the stranger is a Mage. He takes the side of local ranchers in their struggles against an evil Mage and the miners he's commanding to exploit their lands, seeking a dark power that lies under the land. There is also a rancher's daughter, with magical talents as well, and as you might suspect, she and the stranger get together.
Not many twists here, and less humor than I would have liked, but a pleasant story and quite well-written.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

CntrlFreak

Give it a chance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2022

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I found this a little slow in the beginning and it being a 'Mario's tale...must admit wasn't convinced I would finish it. Am glad I waited a little longer because it all improves rather suddenly. Interesting characters and twists and mystery threaded through...A series that I think could be addictive!!

James Downe

Love, Magic, and Gunslingers

Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

Not my usual cup o' tea, but Beneath the Canyons does not disappoint. Halland blends western with fantasy seamlessly, merging the two with a fair amount of romance. A little predictable at times, but just roll with the story and you'll see a world worth exploring. The two main characters are complex, breathing life into the story and introducing the unique qualities of this universe without overly drawn out exposition.

Now I just have to find the time to read the rest of the series!

D.L.R

Beneath the Canyons

Reviewed in Australia on January 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

First I am going to say I don’t read books with “ magic, or magically fantasy books “ if I had knowledge it was this type of book I would never have downloaded it

chettsgenie

Different & Interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

'Beneath the Canyons' is the first book in a series that mixes a wild west setting with a fantasy storyline. Lainie is a young woman who has inherited powers that she must keep hidden to stay safe from those who would do her harm.

It took me a while to get into this story, mainly because it took a bit of time to get used to the unusual world that was being set up. It was around the halfway mark that I was pulled right into the story and couldn't stop reading. It's a different and interesting read with a plot that is partly adventure, partly romance. I look forward to seeing where the next book takes these characters!

This is a solid start to a fantasy series that combines adventure and romance. Recommended to fans of high fantasy looking for something a bit different to read.

One person found this helpful

Nils Ödlund

An enjoyable discovery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2020

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I've not read any "weird west" style fantasy before, and I don't picture myself a romance reader. That said I rather quite enjoyed this.
The story is well written and well paced, and it paints a believable picture of the world it takes place in.
The romance aspect is important to the story, but it's not an overbearing part of it. The
I won't stay up and start the next part right away (it's past 2am), but it's definitely on my radar.