Tag: royal family

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lady Elodie Bayford, eldest daughter of the Duke of Inophe, loves her home. Yes, the country is poor and barren. Their people must rely on trade with one another and the generosity of the duke to get by. But Elodie is devoted to the people and the land. She would do a lot for her people. But the arranged marriage still took her by surprise.

Elodie would be marrying Prince Henry of Aurea, and her marriage in turn would save her country. But while excited about the match – and her future on the gorgeous and lush Isle of Aurea with the handsome and charming Henry – she is puzzled by what the prosperous country is getting in return for this arrangement.

And then she finds out about the dragon.

Review

This is a novel based on a screenplay which will be a Netflix movie this fall (October 13, 2023). And it is AMAZING!

I loved Elodie from the beginning. I was rivetted from the first few pages as I was watching for Elodie to discover the dragon and role she is to play in Aurea in exchange for resources to save her people. And once she knew the whole arrangement, I couldn’t put the book down until the end. This is going to make an amazing movie!

When I first picked this up and realized I had read this author before (Circle of Shadows was fantastic!), I was even more excited to read this. And Evelyn Skye did not disappoint. I was concerned that because Elodie was going to be alone, trying to survive the dragon, for a large portion of the book, that there would be a lot of long, dry sections of description. The sorts of things I usually skip over to get to the dialogue. But that wasn’t the case at all. This is super engaging, and I felt like I couldn’t skip past anything because I had to know it all. This is simply excellent.

Fantasy fans, there’s so much here to love – dragons, royalty, secrets, family, betrayal. I think this works for both adult readers and YA readers. And the bonus material at the end was FASCINATING – do not skip that part! I can’t recommend this highly enough – don’t miss this one! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

While Gemma and Leonides and their friends and family have survived Milo’s attempted assassinations, they are wary and on guard. Milo survived, too, and has gone into hiding with a huge bounty on his head. While some speculate that he will flee, Gemma feels it’s more likely he’s plotting something else, maybe for the upcoming Sword and Shield Tournament.

Gemma invites Queen Maeven and Princess Delmira as her guests for the tournament, hoping to lure Milo out of hiding to take another shot at his mother. The animosity between the Ripleys and the Morricones simmers as they kick off the tournament and wait for Milo to make his move. And Gemma and Leo are caught by their family loyalties and the history of plots and schemes – and murder – between the families. While they hope to eventually triumph over Milo, their love seems doomed to fail.

Review

I have loved this series – this world – since I first read Kill the Queen, first in the Crown of Shards series. The author has said this is the last book from this world, at least for awhile, and I’m a little sad it’s all over.

Gemma gets to have another showdown with the Morricones here – actually a few of them. And they are epic! If you love the big battles in this series, you will not be disappointed here. Most of the threads of Gemma’s story are tied up here, so the ending is satisfying. There are definitely a few loose ends for the author to play with if she ever comes back to this world. But if this is truly the end, I think fans will be satisfied.

I have to be honest. There were a few moments where I felt the plot was engineered to draw out the drama. I realize that’s fiction. Duh! But I mean moments where something happened – or didn’t happen – that felt out of character or so out of the flow that it pulled me out of the story with “Wait, what?” These moments didn’t ruin the story, and they weren’t *big* things. But they did shake up the flow of things for me. And then they sat in the back of my brain for the rest of my reading experience.

That said, there’s been some brilliant plotting in this trilogy. The teasers from earlier books get to resolve here in fantastic ways. I will definitely read this again once my personal copy arrives. I tabbed my way through a re-read of the first two Gargoyle Queen books, and I am eager to tab this as well to note where all the payoffs come.

Series fans should definitely pick this up asap. New readers should at least go back to the start of this series, Capture the Crown, if not all the way back to Kill the Queen to get the full experience with this awesome world and these fantastic characters. And remember, these are adult fantasy novels (language, sex, violence), not YA.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Cinders and Sparks: Magic at Midnight by Lindsey Kelk

REVIEW: Cinders and Sparks: Magic at Midnight by Lindsey Kelk

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

It all started with a sink of dishes that washed themselves.

It was a typical day for Cinders – her haughty step-mother criticizing her, her step-sisters acting like they are better than her, and her father refusing to take her to the castle where he works.

Then the dishes washed themselves. Sparks the dog started talking. And Cinders met her fairy godmother, Brian.

It turns out that Cinders has magic. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. The royal family is about to host a ball.

Review

This is a cute kick off to the Cinders & Sparks series. The opening follows the Cinderella story with a few notable wrinkles, including Cinders’ magic. But from there Cinders is launched on an adventure to find out who and what she is and how that will impact her kingdom and her new friend, the prince.

There’s a hint of a mash up here – the kingdom has electronics and social media and DMs. But otherwise it’s a typical fantasy kingdom with magic, witches, fairies, and creatures. There are some mentions of other fairy tale characters – Hansel and Gretel, Belle, Jack and Jill, Jack (from the beanstalk) – that I think readers will enjoy. This is a young-feeling middle grade story which I believe will also be a good fit for chapter book readers who are ready for longer stories. Fractured fairy tale fans should check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

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

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: American Royals by Katharine McGee

REVIEW: American Royals by Katharine McGee

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

An alternate history where General Washington was offered a crown at the end of the American Revolution – and he accepted, becoming King George I.

Now, two-and-a-half centuries later, his descendant, King George IV sits on the throne, and his oldest, Princess Beatrice, is in line to be the first Washington Queen of America. Beatrice’s grandfather changed the succession rules so instead of her younger brother, Jeff, being groomed for the throne, that is Beatrice’s path.

The pressure on Beatrice is enormous. And it doesn’t get better when her parents tell her she has to find a husband soon so she has a partner to help shoulder the load when it’s her turn to rule.

Beatrice isn’t the only member of the royal family struggling. Beatrice’s sister, Sam (Jeff’s twin) is watching the young man she has feelings for slip through her fingers. And Jeff is keeping a secret girlfriend from his twin and the rest of the family. The king himself is keeping the biggest secret of all – one that will have ripple-effects on each member of his family.

Review

It took me awhile to find the “why” of this book – why is this story being told? The alternate history angle was fascinating to me, so that kept me turning pages until I understood where the story of this family was going.

There are a series of love triangles at  play in the book among the royal siblings. Normally I don’t care for love triangles. But these were interwoven and intriguing enough to pull me forward through the story to see how things would play out.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like any of the characters. Maybe I’m not supposed to like the royals. I don’t know. I actively disliked the manipulative, back-stabbing character, but the rest were rather “meh.” I kept reading to see how the circumstances changed, but not because I wanted to know what happened to the people. I’m not sure I will try the sequel since I didn’t actually like any of the characters in this.

It wasn’t until after I finished this that I saw some online criticism of the concept of this book. Some readers are bothered by a story that would have the first George choose a crown – something they were fighting against in the Revolution. Another complaint was that a colonized country, built on slavery and stolen land and abuse of native populations, would have a monarchy. These are not factors that occurred to me as I read or before I picked the book up. Readers will have to decide on their own where they stand on those issues. (Language, sex, drinking)

Rating: ♥♥♥½