The Quest of Dai: The Eroe

Okay before I put my weekend in Atlanta then Fourth of July pictures & post I have to take a moment to post about the book I read yesterday.

A few weeks back I participated in a charity auction for Bridget Zinn. She is a new author who in one year published her book, got married & also was diagnosed with cancer. Her cause is one that brought together many members of the writing community. They offered items such as signed books, ARCs, paraphernalia, etc.

I bid & won 2 items: a signed Stephenie Meyer "Eclipse" & a signed "The Quest of Dai: The Eroe" by Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris.

I had never heard of Vivian nor her book, but just the synopsis caught my attention. I was blessed to receive a direct email from Vivian & was pleased that she responded to a reply that I sent. I expressed to her my own writing goals and just enjoyed 'speaking' with another young woman who has/had dreams that are similar to my own - give or take the bunny. :o) (you will have to visit her site to understand that last bit).

I was excited to receive my personalized book and then came yesterday. The first day I had free of other reading/writing projects to open the cover; a beautiful cover with a majestic picture of a wooded area. I came home from work around 5:15 and as I sat on my couch I traveled to a world full of amazing people & places. Dai is the main character (Diamond Gold is her whole name - cool, huh?). She is a normal 18 year old from Indiana who only wants to enjoy the magic that Prom and your last years of High School bring. Who knew she was destined to save another world? The characters she meets are mysterious & in their mystery I lost myself. I fell in love with the one person who gives her more grief than anyone else - much like I feel she is falling in love with him. After 4 hours I closed the book. I had laughed outloud, balled my eyes out, gotten angry at the frustrating attitudes that we as humans tend to develop, and I ached for love lost. But thankfully this is book 1 of a trilogy....I just now need the other two books :o)
I could not breathe for about an hour. Literally I would sit on the couch with Marcus & Peanut, then I would just start crying. I ached for so many things in that book. I am now invested in the story. Vivian wrote a book that I many times in the past have found myself falling in love with. There is chivalry and the hilarious misunderstanding of people from different lands. Love, compassion, hatred, betrayal, confusion, & destiny flow through the chapters. Those things we think we would choose so easily become the difficult choices. How we see the world - the good we see in people is questioned by evil actions. Then there is the romance of two people who think that the other hates the first & vice versa. They internally fight the connection for fear that if they fall they will lose everything in the end & the pain of that is so unbearable that it is better to just deny it all.

I completely adored this book. It is fast paced so it is a quick read even for those who don't read as fast as I do. I cannot wait for the next two & so hope to see many more things from Vivian. She began this book when she was 18. It is now, I am sure, her pride & joy.

I also hope to one day share one of my own with her, for I may have found a kindred spirit from a far away land myself. It was a wise choice for a good cause and I will forever be grateful that I stumbled upon it. I only hope that Dai will look back on whatever choice she has to make & will feel the same.....