4.5 stars for The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening by @JulieDarcy57 #fantasy #fantasyromance
top of page
  • N. N. Light

4.5 stars for The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening by @JulieDarcy57 #fantasy #fantasyromance



Title: The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening (The Tarlisian Sagas)

Author: Julie A. D’Arcy

Genre: Fantasy Adventure, Fantasy Romance


Book Blurb:


Princess Tannith of Ellenroh, descendant of Dragonbane, King of the old code. Only by her hand can the pieces of the legendary Cross of Tarlis be assembled and used to raise their God and remove the yoke placed on her people. Kaden of the Wolfhead, son of a cursed king, haunted by his failure to save his family hunts the cross in order to seek revenge for the destruction of those he loved. Sernon of Asomos, a powerful Necromancer seeks the Cross to open portals to other worlds, in turn giving him access to unlimited power. Can Tannith, Kaden, and their companions stay ahead of the evil dogging their steps, be the first to claim the pieces of the cross, and stop Sernon from enslaving their world and destroying their future?


My Review:


The Cross of Tarlis has unspeakable power to those to wield it but the race is on to find and assemble the pieces of the cross before evil-doers enslave the world for their own gain. Princess Tannith comes from a long line of rulers. Her people suffer and her only recourse is to find and assemble the Cross of Tarlis so she can reach out to God for help. When she meets Prince Kaden, they decide to join forces in order to find the cross’ pieces. They both want to use the cross to free their people from oppression. It’s a race against time as a powerful Necromancer, Sernon, is also after the Cross of Tarlis for his own evil deeds. He seeks unlimited power so he can enslave the world. Can Tannith, Kaden, and their forces stay one step ahead of Sernon and be the ones to wield the Cross of Tarlis or will Sernon rule over them all?


The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening is a thrilling fantasy adventure I enjoyed. If you’re a fan of fantasy and looking for a comprehensive action-orientated adventure with a cast of intriguing characters, you’ll want to read this book. From the characters to the setting, from the action to the plot progression, this book has it all. The only thing I didn’t like was the cliffhanger ending. There are three main storylines to The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening and each one is mesmerizing. The author reveals details like breadcrumbs leading to an unpredictable conclusion with characters I grew to either love or hate. If you love fantasy, you’ll want to read The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening. If you’re a fantasy romance reader, you’ll want to read The Cross of Tarlis: The Awakening. An epic fantasy romance and I look forward to reading the next in the series.


My Rating: 4.5 stars


Buy it Now:











Author Biography:


Ju​lie A. D’A​rcy grew up reading the likes of Lord​ of the Rings, Once and Future King, and every fairy-tale she could get her hands on. Later on falling in love with the works of David Gemmell, Terry Brooks, and Johanna Lindsey.


As a child, she spent hours drawing and writing stories to accompany the pictures she drew. Graduating to writing short stories and poems as a teenager.


Her love of both the Fantasy and the Romance genres prompted her to try her hand at writing her own novel.


Her first book, 'Time of the Wolf,' was published in 1999 and went on to win the 1999 Dorothy Parker RIO Award for Women’s fantasy fiction. She was also runner up in the Australian RWA Ruby Award, the U.S.A, PEARL AWARD, and the SAPPHIRE AWARD.


Time of the Wolf has been given an update and was released by The Wild Rose Press in Jan. 2021.


She has had seven full-length novels and four novellas published. And has finished writing a new novel in her 'Tarlisian Sagas' series.


Julie lives in rural Victoria, Australia with her two spoiled Oriental cats, Alara and Keila named after two characters from her novels.


Social Media Links:



Reviewed by: Mrs. N

bottom of page