Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 442 pages
Author: Renee Dugan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads
BOOK SUMMARY:
The Middle Kingdom of Talheim has enjoyed peace for decades. But with the threat of war rising from the ruthless South, the dream of a quiet life is fading. And for the noble but naïve Princess Cistine, that means embarking on a dangerous quest to the Northern Kingdom, where she hopes to forge an alliance against their southern foes and save her people.
But when Cistine is captured by an outlaw and his band of cutthroat warriors, she finds a more deadly adventure than she bargained for – and a greater power within herself than she ever knew.
Swept up in the unpredictable tide of a tenuous and shadowy political climate, a ruthless land governed by the stars, and the unexpected revelations that come from her mysterious new companions, Cistine must learn how to fight, how to lead…and above all, how to trust herself.
If the young princess can’t be forged into a fighter, then her kingdom will fall.
HI, THIS IS MY NEW PERSONALITY.
Y’all. New fantasy obsession alert. I LOVED this!! Another Kindle Unlimited gem that has its hooks in me.
This is a slow build. And at times you do feel that slowness, but it has a necessity. I hate when things are slow and aren’t truly moving. In this case, we got to see some major character growth from Cistine and I looooved that. I enjoy seeing the development of skills rather than overnight they are fantastic at everything.
The plot is satisfying too. The world building is easy to follow and I like how the magic system is involved. I also absolutely loved that this had FOUND FAMILY. One of my favorite non-romantic tropes. This group grew on me and I am hopeful that we get to see there stories as the series progresses.
I can see that the romance will be a super slow burn. And I love those so doesn’t bother me one bit. I even like how it’s set-up right now (I don’t want to mention more because of spoilers). It’s just a true to life way of romance and I think this slow development will be EVERYTHING.
I can’t wait for more of this one. It was just what I was looking for when I picked it up and I’m genuinely excited to keep reading. Highly recommend for my fantasy friends!
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: mild
- Trigger/Content Warnings: small battle scenes, torture, loss of loved ones, domestic abuse (recounted)
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