Crown of Rebellion by Felix Taylor

SPFBO9

An apprentice healer. An exiled noblewoman. To defy tyranny, they’ll need to even the odds. They’ll need to grow stronger.

Every year, the youth of the North are tested for a Reyad—a magical bond with an animal with the potential to grant immense power. Pirin is ripped away from his village, and from his healer’s duty. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll be tested like everyone else. He doesn’t expect anything to come from it. He certainly doesn’t expect to meet Myraden, a noblewoman whose hunt for revenge draws him into a destructive war.

Desperate to fulfill his mentor’s dying wish and stay alive, Pirin embarks on a quest to earn a power greater than he could have ever imagined. Surrounded by enemies, all odds are against him. Worst of all, he can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong… 

Read if you like: Multiple perspectives Healthy, positive relationships Slow but consistent increases in power A mix of Epic Fantasy and Progression Fantasy plotlines