Displaced

Bridget E. Baker

Oct 2019 · The Birthright Series Book 1 · Purple Puppy Publishing

About this eBook

"A fast moving, engaging tale in what promises to be an epic fantasy romance series," Kirkus Reviews.

The first time Chancery’s twin sister tried to kill her was on their ninth birthday. In the intervening years, nothing improved. In fact, Judica stabbed her hand with a fork just this morning so she could take the last pancake.

Then Judica threw it to her dog.

But Chancery has a secret.

She’s been watching their people’s finest warrior for years while she was supposed to be studying. He’s gorgeous, powerful, and a genius in all military applications—flawless in every way. Chancery thinks he may like her, too.

But he’s supposed to marry her evil twin, because their mother chose Judica as her heir, the future empress of one-sixth of the earth.

Chancery, sick of all the drama, decides to run away from court to live among the humans, but the day before she’s supposed to leave, she’s helping her prepare for a ball. She tries on her mother’s royal ring and the staridium stone reacts to her. She inadvertently fulfills an ancient prophecy of the woman who will unite the six families and save the entire world.

There’s no way her mother’s going to let her leave now, and things just became much more complicated.

★★★★ AWARDS!! ★★★★

SOVAS 2020 Finalist in Fantasy-Best Voiceover (Audiobook)

Whitney Award 2020 Finalist in Fantasy

Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize 2020, Quarter Finalist

CRITIC REVIEWS: What are people saying about Displaced? 

Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize gave it a 9.25/10: 

Displaced, the first novel in Baker's Birthright Saga, boasts a fleet, often inspired story of matriarchal superheroes on a Hawaiian island. The story's heart is the conflict between royal teen twins Chancery, the kind-hearted protagonist, and Judica, her cruel sister and the heir to the throne. Baker's story pulses with exciting incident, and even though this is the first book in a series the climax is consequential and exciting, even as it entices readers with the promise of more. 

 Baker's writing is swift but potent. She invests each scene with the heart of her protagonist, so it's always clear what's most important in each moment. The large cast is clearly described and differentiated, and scenes of action and romance both prove exciting. Chancery's perspective is likably wry for a royal narrator. The dialogue varies from flirty teen banter to regal proclamations, but always is crisply crafted.

Baker brings fresh energy and invention to even familiar elements like the inevitable royal succession crisis. Her Evians' powers and customs fascinate, and Displaced never misses an opportunity to jolt readers with a surprise.

Chancery is a strong and appealing protagonist, split between two worlds and ultimately dragged into battle against her own twin. Both sisters are vividly drawn, as are their paramours, guards, relations, and friends. A letter from Chancery's mother, after that queen's death, is a moving highlight of the story, and Chancery's exciting choices power the narrative from start to epic climax.

Kirkus: 

The notoriously stingy Kirkus called Displaced, "a fast moving, engaging tale in what promises to be an epic fantasy romance series." 

Check out their full review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bridget-e-baker/battle-song/

And best of all, READERS:

"This book drew me in from the first page. Bridget is a fantastic writer, and the story is intense and beautifully written right out the gate. The authenticity of the characters, coupled with the well thought out and complete character storylines made me feel as if I was in the thick of the story with Chancery and Judica. I couldn’t put it down. I read this book in my spare time over the course of 48 hours. It was absolutely irresistible.

I quickly purchased the rest of the books in The Birthright Series, and am anxiously awaiting the sixth installment. After finishing this series, I actually read through all of Bridget’s work, and each and every time, I was blown away by the care and attention to detail that she put into the story. I am in awe of the way that she can manage the entire universe so beautifully.

I haven’t been this excited waiting for a new book to be released since I was a kid waiting for Harry Potter, or Twilight to come out."★★★★★

"It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten addicted to reading a book, but Bridget is a very compelling author!" ★★★★★

"She’s phenomenal at laying hints, and she leaves no thread unfinished. What you get is a complete, clean story, everything answered beautifully. Her timing and pacing is incredible as well!" ★★★★★

"If you love romance, if you don’t mind starting a book and never wanting to put it down, and you want a stong female character who is written by a woman with insight into what that really looks like, this is it. Read it. Enjoy it." ★★★★★

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Ratings and reviews

I loved this book so much. The characters and world and plot all fit together so seamlessly. And somehow it goes from a quasi-secondary world fantasy to a "supernatural human in a normal high school" halfway through, and it feels like a totally normal transition. I listened to this book on Audible and honestly at times forgot that I was listening to a novel. It felt so immersive, it was more like I was just hanging out with Chancery and her friends. The book has a timeless feel to it, like any good fantasy story should, but also has the characters faced with issues and questions of morality and philosophy that feel so relevant to the world we're living in, without feeling like the author is being heavy-handed. Bridget Baker has the amazing ability to create a whole cast of dynamic and complicated characters who are neither good nor bad, but complicated people who make mistakes and make bad decisions but also have the capability to love and forgive. And also introduce a love triangle with two characters who I honestly don't care who Chancery ends up with in the end because I love them both. If you're a fan of YA fantasy, this book is a no-brainer slam dunk. Add it to your bookshelf or ebook library now, and thank me later.

Chancery is a daughter of the Empress of the Evians, a superhuman group that runs the world, unbeknownst to most humans. But she never expected to rule. The youngest daughter always inherits the throne, and Chancery's twin is younger by a few minutes. Chancery doesn't mind, though. She'd rather be in the background than the cutthroat society of Evian elite, and even dreams of moving to New York to blend in with humans. But her world changes when she tries on her mother's ring, passed down from ruler to ruler through the generations, and it responds to her. Now Chancery must decide whether to embrace her destiny, possibly at the cost of her life, or to continue her safer life in the shadows. Things I loved about this book: -The world-building was so well done. Without extensive explanations, the reader comes to understand a society of superhuman people with enormous physical and mental ability. They can heal themselves, live nearly a thousand years, and learn any subject with a small amount of study. Their society is a unique take on human tradition: rather than the oldest son inheriting the throne, it's the youngest daughter. Due to the long lives of Evians, sometimes a daughter will be heir to the throne, training and expecting to rule, for over a hundred years before the Empress has yet another daughter and the first is displaced. -The characters were not cliché. Chancery is the more reserved, quiet sister, but shows strength even before she is faced with the prospect of ruling. Judica (seen through Chancery's eyes) is cruel and remorseless, but we see glimpses of her pain and brokenness early on and eventually much more, making the reader empathize with the "villain." Teenage Chancery has a close relationship with her mother, rather than the usual angst, while Judica longs for the same affection but hides it with contemptuous words. -The humor was just enough to lighten the mood without distracting from the tone. Chancery and her friend Lark attempt to blend into a human high school but don't know what to wear and end up dressing like the teachers instead of the students. The Evian bottled water business is owned by the Evians, who gave it the name as a joke, knowing the humans who buy it won't understand the significance. -The ending left some questions unresolved (since it's the first book in a series) but does not end on a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to finishing the series, but am satisfied with the amount of closure in this volume. All in all, I'm impressed with this book and author. I cheered and mourned and can't wait to see what happens next. How will Chancery's relationships with Edam (Evian who supports her and hopes she will change Evian's societal inequalities) and Noah (human who shows Chancery incredible courage, loyalty, and kindness) turn out? How will things develop with the sister who betrayed Chancery, as well as with the twin who has been her rival all her life? Can the mystery surrounding Chancery's mother be solved? And how will Chancery use her power when/if she rules? I'll find out as soon as I can!

Chancery is wonderful. While she doubts her own strength she definitely grows into it. I look forward to reading the rest of her story.

About the author

Bridget is a lawyer turned novelist who loves her husband (every day) and all five of her kids (most days). She has three goofy horses, one very busy dog, two spoiled barn cats, two lion’s head rabbits, and more chickens than she cares to admit. She makes cookies waaaaaay too often, and believes they should be their own food group. In an attempt to level the scales between consumption and exertion, she kickboxes every day. So if you don’t like her books, her kids, or her cookies, maybe don’t tell her in person.