Read for: Requested Review/ Netgalley
Synopsis: "An Orphan's Throne
Magic has broken free over the Twelve Kingdoms. The population is beset by shapeshifters and portents, landscapes that migrate, uncanny allies who are not quite human…and enemies eager to take advantage of the chaos.
Dafne Mailloux is no adventurer--she's a librarian. But the High Queen trusts Dafne's ability with languages, her way of winnowing the useful facts from a dusty scroll, and even more important, the subtlety and guile that three decades under the thumb of a tyrant taught her.
Dafne never thought to need those skills again. But she accepts her duty. Until her journey drops her into the arms of a barbarian king. He speaks no tongue she knows but that of power, yet he recognizes his captive as a valuable pawn. Dafne must submit to a wedding of alliance, becoming a prisoner-queen in a court she does not understand. If she is to save herself and her country, she will have to learn to read the heart of a wild stranger. And there are more secrets written there than even Dafne could suspect…"
My Review: I originally put in for this book on Netgalley after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, it sounded like a book right up my alley. I then saw that it was book number 4 in an ongoing series and was a little hesitant to start it, worrying that I would be lost without reading the previous 3 books. Thank goodness I still decided to read it! While it would have been helpful to read the other three books in the series, it is not entirely necessary. I was able to figure out at least a rough idea of what happened in those books, enough to identify characters and backstory. I absolutely love Dafne, she is the perfect character for fantasy/ fantasy-romance bookworms to love, she is known as the librarian and has a very logical mind. I did find the so called 'barbarian king' to not be as brutal as one would expect, but a different culture entirely which was presented wonderfully. I also appreciate the way the language barrier was handled, while not entirely realistic, it was handled very well in the scope of a novel. There was a lot of great foreshadowing throughout the book and some nice twists to keep you guessing. This is one of those books that leave you with a hangover and counting down the days to the next release. I do think I will also go back and get the original 3 books in the series too.
Magic has broken free over the Twelve Kingdoms. The population is beset by shapeshifters and portents, landscapes that migrate, uncanny allies who are not quite human…and enemies eager to take advantage of the chaos.
Dafne Mailloux is no adventurer--she's a librarian. But the High Queen trusts Dafne's ability with languages, her way of winnowing the useful facts from a dusty scroll, and even more important, the subtlety and guile that three decades under the thumb of a tyrant taught her.
Dafne never thought to need those skills again. But she accepts her duty. Until her journey drops her into the arms of a barbarian king. He speaks no tongue she knows but that of power, yet he recognizes his captive as a valuable pawn. Dafne must submit to a wedding of alliance, becoming a prisoner-queen in a court she does not understand. If she is to save herself and her country, she will have to learn to read the heart of a wild stranger. And there are more secrets written there than even Dafne could suspect…"
My Review: I originally put in for this book on Netgalley after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, it sounded like a book right up my alley. I then saw that it was book number 4 in an ongoing series and was a little hesitant to start it, worrying that I would be lost without reading the previous 3 books. Thank goodness I still decided to read it! While it would have been helpful to read the other three books in the series, it is not entirely necessary. I was able to figure out at least a rough idea of what happened in those books, enough to identify characters and backstory. I absolutely love Dafne, she is the perfect character for fantasy/ fantasy-romance bookworms to love, she is known as the librarian and has a very logical mind. I did find the so called 'barbarian king' to not be as brutal as one would expect, but a different culture entirely which was presented wonderfully. I also appreciate the way the language barrier was handled, while not entirely realistic, it was handled very well in the scope of a novel. There was a lot of great foreshadowing throughout the book and some nice twists to keep you guessing. This is one of those books that leave you with a hangover and counting down the days to the next release. I do think I will also go back and get the original 3 books in the series too.
My Rating: I really can't recommend this book enough, it will be right up there with some of my top books of 2016 without a doubt. I can't help but give this one a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!!
I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can find out more about Jeffe Kennedy on her Goodreads Page or Website.
The Pages of the Mind was just released on May 31st, so you can pick up your copy in digital or print format from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Really?! Well I might have to check out this series. That cover is to die for!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it the best cover?! I really loved this book and am tracking down the previous books.
DeleteI love a book that actually surprises me. There are some nice twists here that remind me that Kennedy is an outside-the-box thinker, her intelligence and respect for the reader's intelligence apparent throughout.
ReplyDeleteMariz
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Thank you for stopping by Mariz, and that is a well put statement. Now that you have said that, I do believe that she does respect our intelligence.
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