Tag: political/royal intrigue

REVIEW: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

REVIEW: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The kingdom of Kadala is suffering. A deadly fever has taken root, and the only treatment that makes any impact is Moonflower petals. Only two sections of the kingdom can grow the flower, so it’s limited, rationed, and expensive. Only the privileged can get any. And the poor are becoming desperate.

Tessa and Wes are among a rare few who are trying to help the poor. Tessa’s background as an apothecary has led her to learn that a smaller dose could be equally effective, which means more people could receive the elixir. Wes helps her steal Moonflower petals, mix the elixir, and distribute it to those in need.

But the cruel King Harristan and his brother, the brutal King’s Justice enforcer, Prince Corrick, are clamping down on “smugglers.” When Wes disappears, Tessa fears the worst – that Corrick has killed him and made an example of him. And that fear makes her reckless. But when she sneaks into the palace, she discovers things aren’t exactly as she expected.

Review

Brigid Kemmerer is a master of writing compelling characters. I have adored her previous books like Letters to the Lost, More Than We Can Tell, Call It What You Want, and her Elementals series. And this book is no exception. I really enjoyed the characters in this one. They were what kept me flipping pages. I wanted to know what happened to them.

But at the same time that I was turning page after page in search of the full story of these characters, I was also wondering what exactly the goals were to the story. I need my books to have a goal – a villain to fight, a quest to complete, a mystery to solve. Other kinds of books are fine, but these are the sorts that most appeal to me. But for the early part of this book, as the character pieces are being developed, I wasn’t clear on the goal. I knew Tessa wanted answers and revenge for Wes. I knew Corrick was trying to protect his brother and their kingdom. But it wasn’t until closer to the end that an external villain/problem became clear.

While I was content to keep reading to see what happened to the characters, and eventually was caught up in who was lying and sneaking and causing trouble, that “quest” of the book took too long to develop for me. I might pick up a sequel to see what happens with Tessa and the rest. But this sense of not really knowing where things were going is hanging over this one for me. If that sense is still there when book two releases, I might not pick it up. While this was good, it wasn’t as great as some of the other Kemmerer novels I have loved in the past. (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Keeley has taken up the title of The Blacksmith Queen out of obligation. Her soulless younger sister, Beatrix, has married the Old King’s merciless son, Marius. She helps him in his quest to kill his brothers and have the throne to himself. Although her true aims have nothing to do with her husband. He is a means to an end. Keeley can’t have the murderous couple in charge. So while she’d rather return to her forge and her comparatively quiet life, she leads and she fights.

Keeley’s sister, Gemma, fights at her side. The two also fight with each other every chance they get. But when push comes to shove, they always have each other’s backs.

When someone starts wiping out the various religious orders in the land, including Gemma’s War Monks, she returns to her old order, hoping to convince them to take Keeley’s offer of sanctuary. But Gemma’s order has changed a lot in the two years since she left.

While Gemma deals with the War Monks, Keeley is still trying to figure out what Beatrix is up to and how to stop her. It may seem like all of their worries when this began two years ago were unfounded. But anyone who knew Beatrix would know she’ll stop at nothing but full control and domination. They may not yet see or know what she is plotting, but there is no doubt she is up to no good.

Review

I cannot get enough of this series! I reread book 1, The Blacksmith Queen (♥♥♥♥♥) to prepare for this, and then read this cover to cover. In fact, I’m ready to read this again, and I just finished. This is far more gory and violent than I usually like or read, but the story and the characters are outstanding enough that I push past the yuck to stick with the awesome rest.

You will likely find this in the romance section of the bookstore, but for me this is a fantasy series first and foremost. Yes, there’s a romance in each book. But the real focus here is on the world, the political and religious action, and on this particular family.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the shift from Keeley as the focus in book 1 to Gemma as the focus here. But it was perfect! We get a tremendous amount of information and understanding for Gemma here, and I loved it. This made me like her more than I did in book 1. I have my fingers crossed that Ainsley is the focus of book 3 because she was probably my favorite character in this book full of awesome characters.

I keep coming back to this series for the excellent world-building, the humor and sass in the writing, and the fantastic characters. There are tons of fantasy elements here – magic, sword fights, allies and enemies – with some romance thrown in. For me, this is the perfect blend of genres! (Language, sex, violence/gore, LGBTQ+, TW: Sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

REVIEW: Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

After the events of Realm of Knights, Reid is sent to Axian for an arranged marriage to Prince Henrick’s son, Prince Dexter. They have a rocky history, and he seems as excited about the match as she is – that is to say, not at all.

Reid and Dexter are both aware of the king’s true lineage. And neither of them trust him. But a marriage will align their counties and put them in a stronger position if King Eldon ever decides to cause trouble.

But Reid also has an obligation to the Knights of the Realm, at least until she is married. They want to know where Dexter sneaks off to. And they are keeping an eye on Eldon and some suspicious activity around the kingdom.

When assassins come for Dexter and Reid, it’s obvious that Eldon has escalated his plans. Whatever Eldon’s true goal, the attempt helps Reid and Dexter break through the frosty barriers between them. And together, they could be a formidable force against the illegitimate king.

Review

I would have liked a little more information at the beginning of the book to refresh my memory from book one, but once I was back in the flow of the story, I couldn’t put this down.

The development of Reid’s character in this is terrific. I feel like the match with Dexter is FAR better than the weird romantic dynamic in book one. Dexter – and his family – seem to bring out the best in Reid. And for the first time she gets to be as much herself as she can be with the Axian customs and her role as the prince’s fiancée.

There’s a major twist at the end of this that I totally saw coming, but loved anyway. And this left me breathlessly waiting for book 3 so it could all be explained. There are some nice, big developments at the end of this that add to the suspense for book 3 – Hidden Knights – and I was caught up in all of them. I was thrilled when my local library ordered book 3. They have been great about helping me stay connected to this whole series. (I wrote this review months ago and by now I have read – and enjoyed – book 3. I won’t be posting a full review of it due to my review backlog.)

This series is fantastic! The royal intrigue and the girl-power moments are right up my alley. There are some laugh-out-loud moments to balance out the suspense and seriousness of assassination, conspiracy, and war. Don’t miss this great series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Crush the King by Jennifer Estep

REVIEW: Crush the King by Jennifer Estep

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Queen Everleigh has survived the Seven Spire Massacre and numerous assassination attempts. And she’s over playing defense. As all the kingdoms prepare for the annual Regalia Games, she’s ready to crush the king of Morta once and for all.

He’s the one who ultimately orchestrated the massacre. His illegitimate siblings comprise the Bastard Brigade who have tried to kill off the entire Blair line and conquer Bellona. If Everleigh can eliminate him at the Regalia Games, not only does she eliminate the threat to her kingdom and her friends, but she will show the rest of the world that she is not to be underestimated.

Review

This was perfection!!! It’s my first five star plus review of 2020.  I loved everything about this. All of my favorite characters were back for this – and we added some new ones.

There’s a TON going on here! We get some new backstory on Evie we haven’t had before. There are some new players adding into the plots to kill her. We get to meet all the other royalty in this world. And through it all, Evie is learning even more layers to what it means to be Queen, and what that role looks like when she is in it.

One of my favorite pieces in this is the way Evie starts to see her various responses to danger based on where the responses come from. There are techniques she learned as a gladiator and others she learned growing up as an orphan in the palace. She traces her plans to these sources – including one that is ALL her, all part of the legacy of her family and her people. She realizes that another queen might handle things in different ways, but she is best served by being herself and using her unique skills. I loved all of it.

Fans of the series should not hesitate to grab this one immediately. I had hoped there would be a last minute shake up to point us towards a fourth book. There was certainly a weird wrinkle in this that could have developed into something. But this wraps up in a completely satisfying way with no cliffhanger. There may be lingering questions, but it sounds like the author has wrapped up this particular story arc with this book. There may be future stories set in this world, though, and I can’t wait to read them.

If you’ve missed the earlier books in the Crown of Shards series – book 1, Kill the Queen, and book 2, Protect the Prince (♥♥♥♥½) –  and you love fantasy stories, you’ll want to scoop up all three right away. There’s plenty of royal intrigue and magic, amazing characters, and tons of scenes that will leave you frantically flipping pages. Don’t miss this series! (Language, sex, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

REVIEW: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lady Alessandra Stathos is not a young woman to be trifled with. She knows her own mind and her plans for her future. Nothing will get in her way.

The one young man who broke her heart was killed by her own hand.
Her various lovers all have secrets they wish to keep so they keep their liaisons secret as well.
And now that her older sister is betrothed, Alessandra is finally permitted to join society. And she has her eye on the biggest prize of all – the Shadow King.

She will make him fall in love with her and then marry her. And once she’s queen, she’ll kill him and take over the vast kingdom. But the first step is to get him to notice her out of a slew of young beauties vying for his attention. And the second is to keep an assassin from killing him before she can do it herself.

Review

This was fantastic and different. I loved it! It’s a classic fantasy tale of lords and ladies and royal marriage. But the protagonist – the “hero” – is a murderess. She tells you in the first sentence of the book. She’s wicked smart, calculating, and ruthless. She will do anything to get what she wants.

The king has a ruthless streak of his own. It’s not as well explored because Alessandra tells the story, but there are some stellar moments in this where you really see that part of him. He’s a conqueror, and he will kill anyone who crosses him or fails him. These are the stars of the story! These are the potential love interests. And it’s crazy because Alessandra is so likable. The writing of these characters is brilliant to pull that off. I’ve read standard protagonists who were morally good who I didn’t like as much as I liked Alessandra.  Her relationships with her new friends at court and her no-nonsense conversations with the king were actually endearing. I loved her sass, her fashion sense, and her confidence.

There’s a touch of magic in this – enough to add an interesting layer to the king and to the story, but something simple enough not to require tons of world building. The details could be doled out over time to keep the intrigue while never mucking up the storytelling. But the magic is essential to the plot. The whole setup was brilliant.

The ending was terrific. I loved how all the pieces fit together. I would absolutely read this again! This is a stand alone story, something which can be hard to find in YA fantasy. The dedication describes this as a “Slytherin romance,” and that is the most perfect description of this I can think of. Now I need to track down the author’s other books because this was so great! (Some language, sexual references)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Tell Me Lies by Ed James

BONUS REVIEW: Tell Me Lies by Ed James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Megan Holliday is shopping at the mall with her two kids. Avery is four. Brandon is three. They can both be a handful. The family has  no idea the guy in the elevator with them has been waiting for them. Watching them.

Megan wakes up on her porch with a note in her lap telling her not to call the police. Her children and her van are gone.

Senator Chris Holliday is in a congressional hearing when his phone buzzes. It’s in bad taste to check it, but it’s his private cell. Megan might need him. He sees a picture of Avery and Brandon with the morning paper, asleep in their van. The message that accompanies it sends him into a panic.

Special Agent Max Carter heads up the Seattle Field Office for the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team. He interviews Megan. She can’t reach the Senator. Carter promises he’ll do all he can to find the kids. But inside he’s wondering where the Senator has disappeared to.

Review

This was a great, suspenseful thriller. The twists and turns in this were like trying to get through a complicated maze. Every time a character made progress toward finding the truth, it opened an alley to another cover up, another lie, another suspect.

I liked the multiple perspectives in this. It allowed the reader to get into the heads of several characters including the kidnappers. There are so many secrets and lies in this, it added to the suspense to read the story from different perspectives. The reader keeps having to ask, “Is this character even trustworthy?”

There’s some darkness in this – violence, a good bit of foul language, and the dark subject matter. Kidnapping, murder, cover ups. It didn’t feel excessive for the story, but sensitive readers might run into issues with some story elements/moments.

If you love suspense, thrillers, conspiracy stories and twisty mysteries, be sure to check this one out. It’s a wild ride! It looks like this is the first in a series starring Special Agent Max Carter. There are a couple threads of this left open, so future books might pick up pieces from this one, but the case is mostly resolved by the end. (Language, sexual references, violence, TW: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin

BONUS REVIEW: Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Coin is one of the Nameless of Seriden. She has no “voice,” no power in her world. She is a thief and a con, trying to avoid the authorities who could execute her on the spot. When she was younger, like her friend Hat, she was part of Marcher’s crew. But she’s independent now. Marcher doesn’t like it and tries to cause her trouble whenever he can.

And Coin does NOT need any more trouble. She already has Hat fallowing after her like a puppy when it’s hard enough just looking out for herself. Then there are the rumors of Nameless who have disappeared without a trace. Not arrested, just vanished. And if that wasn’t enough she has a blasted burning crown tattoo around her arm. It appeared out of nowhere and can’t mean anything good.

King Fallow of Seriden has died. And instead of naming his daughter as the new ruler, he whispered some other name. And now Coin has the tattoo – and the magic – that marks her as the new queen. How could the king have “named” a Nameless in the first place? How would he have even known her to name her? And how many people are going to try to kill her so she can never officially become the Nameless Queen?

Review

This is part of a long line of displaced royalty/hidden royalty/forgotten royalty/fake royalty sorts of stories, and I am here for every last one of them! Ash Princess, Kill the Queen, The False Price, The False Princess, Ruined, and so many more. I love them all. And now Nameless Queen joins the list.

I loved this. Coin was what drew me in. She’s smart and sassy, scared yet brave. She doesn’t put up with anyone’s garbage. She can play the role and be what people expect of a Nameless, the whole time marking the exits, lifting the trinkets, and reading the room. When she is brought to the palace and is faced with those who see her as a dangerous inconvenience, I felt like she really got to shine. There are other terrific characters – a little band that Coin develops around her unintentionally – that I also adored. The characters made this book for me.

But the plot drew me in, too. There’s some great world-building with the magic the king or queen gets in Seriden. I enjoyed reading how Coin developed that magic using the instincts she had developed in her years on the streets. I read several other reviews that called the character a “Mary Sue” (someone too perfect, too good to be true), and I suppose I get where they are coming from, but I never felt that way about Coin or about how she worked her way through the trials she faced.

There are some terrific twists in this! I can see where the author could build a sequel out of some of the open pieces at the end, but for the most part this wraps up the story well. If there is ever a sequel, you can sign me up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

REVIEW: Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Reid Ellington is the youngest of the five daughters of Duke Ellington. And in the kingdom of Marsden, five daughters is a problem. Inheritance law dictates that property and rights move from father to son. So Reid is raised as a boy, and everyone is told that “he” is the heir to the estate. Only the family knows the truth.

When the king of Marsden dies, his oldest son, Eldon, takes the throne. And all of the dukes, including Reid’s father, are told to provide soldiers to protect Marsden. Eldon’s uncle, who rules the county of Axian, is preparing an invasion.

Eldon’s younger brothers, Prince Gordon and Prince Ackley, come to Ellington and discover Reid’s secret. Her father could be charged with treason for his lies. But if Reid agrees to help the princes with a secret mission, she can secure a pardon for her father.

So Reid agrees to spy for the kingdom of Marsden and joins the Knights of the Realm. Her future is so uncertain, it seems like a safe choice. But Reid’s work for the crown leads her to question everything she thought she knew about her home.

Review

This was great! Reid is a terrific character. Being raised as a man in a patriarchal society, but knowing she is a woman puts her in a unique head space. She loves the freedoms her unusual upbringing has given her, but she also knows those freedoms are largely illusion. She can’t live as a man forever. But she also can’t walk back the authority she’s enjoyed. She can’t accept an arranged marriage and a life as a powerless, voiceless woman in her society after 18 years of freedom.

There are hints of a romance which felt like the weakest parts of the story to me. One of the princes is blatantly flirty. The other is brooding. Reid has a visceral reaction to one, and apparently he is interested in her, too, but I didn’t find this played out very well. There’s supposed to be angsty-ness over his engagement to someone else, but the groundwork didn’t feel strong enough to me for that to really play out well.

The twistiness of the political/royal story was delightful! I had so many questions along the way – what would Reid be asked to do? Who can she trust? What lies have been passed off as truth, and to whom? I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the series. Book 2, Shadow Knights, released earlier this month. Book 3, Hidden Knights, will be out in the spring. I have to know what happens next!

If you enjoy political or royal intrigue, spies, and strong female protagonists, don’t miss this one! It reminds me of books like Ash Princess or Kill the Queen or Ruined. I LOVE books like this, and I am here for this whole series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½