Tag: Fantasy Series

The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan

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The Serpent’s Shadow

Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Kane Chronicles #3
Reviewer: Marlou

Summary

He’s b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can’t seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes’ only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent’s own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent’s shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld. Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“If you’re listening to this, congratulations! You survived Doomsday.I’d like to apologize straightaway for any inconvenience the end of the world may have caused you. The earthquakes, rebellions, riots, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and of course the giant snake who swallowed the sun—I’m afraid most of that was our fault. Carter and I decided we should at least explain how it happened.”

What a book. Lovely. Tragic. Suspenseful. Funny. Need I go on?

Rick Riordan did it again. I was getting stuck in a reading slump and his books helped me right out of that.

Rick would not be Rick if there weren’t very funny moments when they’re in very serious situations.

Exhibit A:“‘There’s my baby!’ I cried, quite carried away. ‘There’s my Poochiekins!’

Ammit ran at me and leaped into my arms, nuzzling me with his rough snout.
‘My lord Osiris!’ Disturber lost the bottom of his scroll again, which unraveled around his legs. ‘This is an outrage!’

‘Sadie,’ Dad said firmly, ‘please do not refer to the Devourer of Souls as Poochiekins.’”

Uncle Rick also gives some very nice advice from time to time. “Dealing with any man means dealing with multiple personalities.” I mean, good to know right?

There was one thing in the book, just a small little thing, that got me thinking for a bit: “‘And if someone doesn’t believe in any afterlife?’ I asked.
Walt gave me a sad look. ‘Then that’s what they experience.’”

Just saying, but this makes total sense to me. People are always saying there can only exist one god/religion but that’s crap. I’m not saying god/gods exist the way Riordan writes it, but I do think that all the gods can coexist or that all the religions are just different stories about the same divine being(s). Alright, I’ll shut up about this now.

This book was lovely. It was a great book and it made for a great end to the trilogy. I think my favorite book was the first one (The Red Pyramid), because the story was all new and I liked Set better as the villain.

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Nemesis by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Nemesis

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #4
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

What would you do if your beloved girlfriend suddenly became your worst enemy? That dilemma’s all too real for Syl Skye.

As the last princess of the fair Fae, Syl is all things brightness and sun and white flame. But even though she’s Summer incarnate, she’s drawn to Rouen Rivoche, the dark Fae princess-assassin of the Winter Court.

They should be mortal enemies, but they’re best friends. Girlfriends. In love.

That is, until an old enemy puts Roue under a dark spell that makes her forget all about Syl, their lives and their love. Now Roue rules Dark Faerie as a cruel and cold Queen, and she wants nothing more than to destroy Syl and her fair Fae people. 

Worse, both opposing Faerie realms stand on the brink of utter destruction, and only their queens, Syl and Rouen, can save them—and only if they can put their differences aside for two seconds and fight together as allies.

But how can you fight against an enemy when your true nemesis is on your team?

View on Goodreads

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Spoiler warning: this review contains minor spoilers for the series, but none for this specific book. If you’ve read this far in the series, you’re good to go.

Every book in this series gets better, and Nemesis is no exception. I discovered this series right before Inimical (book 3) released. If you’ve read this far in the series, you know that is the WORST one to end on because of what happens to Rouen. It was painful waiting for an entire year for the next main installment after reading 1 – 3 back to back. I’m so excited Nemesis is here and we can finally save Rouen! (I hope!)

Nemesis is shorter than the other books in the series but so much happens! There’s lots of action and tension since, you know, Dark Rouen wants to eliminate Syl and take over all of Faerie. Do yourself a favor and read it in one sitting. Don’t get to about 50 pages from the end and have to go to bed so you can go to work because that is NOT a good stopping point! 😅

Throughout Nemesis, we get background information on some characters we’ve met before, meet a handful of new ones, and the dark Fae kids return! The background info-reveals affect both Syl and Rouen which changes how they tackle their current situation. I suspected who a character really was when they were first introduced in an earlier book and I celebrated when I found out I was right…then I read a few more sentences and DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! 😱 Celebration to shock in 3 sentences.

Per usual, Syl and Rouen are excellent together. Their entertaining banter lightens the tense action scenes, even with Rouen under a spell. I really loved Rouen’s struggle now that her dark side is in control. She remembers her feelings for Syl but her dark side wants more power and doesn’t really care about Syl. Enter Jarden (yes, that puca!!) who decides to gift Rouen with a way to control Syl and become Overqueen of all Faerie. Rouen’s dark side can’t turn down the offer of more power, even though Rouen knows Jarden can’t be trusted. It’s never good when Jarden enters the picture and you know it’s terrible for Syl that she’s helping Rouen.

Syl learns the fair Fae will wake soon and thinks it’s great because they can stop the dark Fae. Then she learns both Faerie realms will perish in seven days when they wake. It’s not a lot of time, especially when Dark Rouen knows she has to kill Syl to prevent Faerie Armageddon and has no problem doing it.

During all this chaos, Syl and Rouen also grow in their relationship. Syl refuses to give up on Rouen even though Dark Rouen has control and decides Syl is a rival to eliminate. Rouen struggles between her feelings for Syl and trying to be the queen her people need. Syl learns some things about Rouen that impact their relationship, but they work through all this while also trying to figure out how to save their people. The ending is perfect.

There are a couple loose ends (mostly, I’m not giving up on a certain character who got swept up in one of the battles!). I’m assuming these will be handled in the final book which releases in 2020. I hope it ends with them on a Disneyland trip because they deserve a vacation after all this. 😉

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

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The Throne of Fire

Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Kane Chronicles #2
Reviewer: Marlou

Summary

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven’t given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians. 

And now their most threatening enemy yet – the chaos snake Apophis – is rising. If they don’t prevent him from breaking free in a few days’ time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it’s a typical week for the Kane family. 

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished. 

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly? 

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride. 

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“Words are the source of all power. And names are more than just a collection of letters.”

Took me a while to finish this book. Not because I didn’t want to finish it, but simply because I was doing other things. I did want to finish this book. It was so good. A solid 4 stars from me.

I think I liked the first book a bit more than the second one. I did appreciate that it was quite different. I do not like the boy drama one bit. Sadie Kane is only 13 years old (yeah, I have to keep reminding myself of that) and she has a crush on two boys (she’s crushing hard) and, well, I think it’s unnecessary. One guy already brings enough trouble.

There was one funny part about boy drama that I quite enjoyed:
“I thought she’d make some comment about the bloodthirsty gods chasing us, but when she finally found her voice, she said, ‘That boy kissed you!’ Leave it to Liz to have her priorities straight.”

Also, Uncle Rick has managed once again to include his other series (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) by mentioning Blackjack, Percy’s black pegasus:
“I looked across the river to Manhattan. It was a great view. When Sadie and I had first arrived at Brooklyn House, Amos had told us that magicians tried to stay out of Manhattan. He said Manhattan had other problems–whatever that meant. And sometimes when I looked across the water, I could swear I was seeing things. Sadie laughed about it, but once I thought I saw a flying horse. Probably just the mansion’s magic barriers causing optical illusions, but still, it was weird.”

This book was a little more all over the place. I didn’t mind that most of the time, but sometimes it really bothered me. It was still an awesome book though.

I’m very excited to read the last book.

Sadie and Carter don’t you dare die. I’m sure Anubis wouldn’t like that one bit.

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Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

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Once and Future

Author: Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Series: Once and Future duology #1
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

This inclusive retelling of King Arthur is sassy, entertaining, funny, stressful, exciting, heartbreaking, and really all the feelings. I loved Ari from the beginning. The other characters were hit or miss for me. It’s a little hard to keep track of everybody since several characters are introduced early on and Merlin tries to associate them with their original Arthur personality (e.g., Lancelot but nobody in the group is named Lancelot). The characters stick together for most of the story so you do get to know them all better eventually.

The internal and external conflicts keep the action going so it was difficult to put this book down. The characters always seem to under some sort of threat so it keeps the plot moving along.

I enjoyed how Ari’s story unfolded. She doesn’t recall her past and you gradually learn it throughout the book with her. I love how she does what she feels is right and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people she cares about, even if it means sacrificing herself or something she cares about.

I wish Ari and Kay’s mothers had more of an active role. They seemed to only be present as a means of motivation for Kay and Ari, or to keep them in check. They are there and not there at the same time.

Overall, I loved this book and can’t wait for the conclusion in The Sword in the Stars in 2020.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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The Bear and the Nightingale

Author: Katherine Arden
Series: Winternight Trilogy #1
Reviewer: Inopinion

Summary

This book is the first in a series centered around a girl in a Russian family. This book starts just prior to her birth and continues to her later adolescence. During this time perior, there is a shift in the village away from traditional beliefs that include sprites and demons to the orthodox teachings of the Russian church. Vasya and her step-mother both possess the abliity to see the old spirits. To one, it’s a comfort, to the other a sign of madness. Vasya is brought into conflict with her step-mother, the priest, and the spirit world as the old ways are abandoned and the natural balance is upset. Throw in a supernatural sibling rivalry, and you have a collision of worlds centered in the rural Russian forest.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I want to start with a recognition: many people like this book and go on to love the series. Every reader has at least one type of book that just falls short of their preferences and becomes a chore to read. This is one of those books for me. So, I will focus on the areas that made this a difficult read for me in hopes that others that feel the same may make a more informed choice.

Issue one: What’s the point?

I cannot stress how much detail is stuffed in this book. From the scenery, to the characters, the court, and the folklore, there is so much to get through. Unfortunately, most of that detail seems to be setup for book two because a lot of it has no bearing on anything in book one. The further I read, the more it became apparent that I was storing away details like a squirrel for a winter many months away.

Issue two: So much talk, but where’s the action?

Aside from a couple scenes in the later part of the book, there isn’t a lot of actual physical action that takes place. This book is mostly about making character connections whether that’s between the human characters or the humans and the spirit world. This requires a lot of conversation and observations, but not much action. I think there were opportunities where the same goal could have been achieved but in less of a stagnant, shut-in sort of way.

Issue three: What’s her name again?

Russian is a supremely confusing language, at least if I use this book as my guide. Every character has several variations of their names used by varying members of their families. It does make it difficult to understand if they’re being patronizing, kind, or formal without an explanation. And, it’s just not easy to keep track of all the characters, at least it wasn’t for me.

But what about the story?

Removed from the chore of actually reading the book, I can see the story for what it is and even appreciate the layers and nuance that the author provides. I will give the story it’s due: the ending finally pushed the pace from crawl to sprint. The ground covered in the last few chapters was immensely entertaining and engaging. And I greatly appreciated the ending of this portion of the story as a great set up for a far-reaching and epic adventure. I just don’t think I’ll be following along, at least not any time soon.

Appeal: This book would appeal to YA readers who are fans of darker themes and intricate character relationships. If you liked other fairytale retellings like the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers, or Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, then you may also like this series for the incorporation of folklore. For adult fantasy readers, think more along the lines of The Night Circus than The Way of Kings. These comparisons are not made to say this book is similar, just that it may carry some of the same appealing qualities.

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A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

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A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: VE Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Reviewer: Marlou

Summary

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

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Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”

I’ve been waiting a while to write this review because I just didn’t seem to be able to find the words. It didn’t look like a strong review if I just wrote asdfghjkl but that’s exactly what I was thinking. 

Delilah Bard is a freaking gem. I love her. I want to be her. I want to date her. But alas, she is a free woman and no one is gonna shackle that one. Good luck to anyone who might try.

Here’s one of my favorite Delilah snippets from this book:

“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.”

“I apologize for shooting you in the leg.” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”

Kell is such a grumpy cutie and he also has a good sense of very sarcastic humor. Exactly the kind of humor I love.

“What are you?” she asked. “A monster,” said Kell hoarsely. “You’d better let me go.” The girl gave a small, mocking laugh. “Monsters don’t faint in the presence of ladies.” “Ladies don’t dress like men and pick pockets,” retorted Kell. Her smile only sharpened. “What are you really?” “Tied to your bed,” said Kell matter-of-factly. “And?” His brow furrowed. “And in trouble.”

A Darker Shade of Magic is a book all on its own. The story could very well be finished with this book, but lucky for us it was not! This book is mostly about Kell and Lila and I really like that. The world(s) itself and its magic (or lack thereof) is already complicated enough. With Kell and Lila being in the spotlight the rest is much easier to comprehend and the world-building is very strong in this book. A solid 4 stars.

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Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

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Kingdom of Ash

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #7
Reviewer: Marlou

Content Warnings

Violence, Torture, Depression, Death, War

Summary

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“You do not yield.”

OMG…

This book tore my heart out, gave it back, shattered it, glued it back together, and then burned it to smithereens, never to be seen again.

I have never cried while reading a book. Thanks, Kingdom of Ash, for ruining my perfect record. And thanks, Sarah J Maas, for writing such an amazing book. SJM managed to make me cry, it can’t get much better than that.

“You do not yield.” Don’t mind me, I’m just bawling my eyes out. What a perfect line. It’s right along the lines of “I am Celeana Sardothien and I will not be afraid,” and yet so much more.

Yes, the book was lacking in several places. Unnecessary things were added and necessary things were deleted. It wasn’t a great serie finale but it was still an amazing book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Let’s talk about the characters since this was the last book of the series and we’ve met a great deal of people:

Rowannnnnn: He shall always have a special place in my heart. *insert multitude of love eyed emojis*
Dorian: I’ve loved you from those very first lines: “‘It’s clear that you respect me, Duke Perrington, but it’s a bit unnecessary to put such effort into forcing Celaena Sardothien to have the same opinion. You and I know very well she has no love for my family. So perhaps your intent is to humiliate her.’ He paused, and she could have sworn his eyes fell on her face. ‘But I think she’s had enough of that.’ He stopped for another moment, then asked: ‘Don’t you have a meeting with Endovier’s treasurer? I wouldn’t want you to be late, especially when you came all this way to meet with him.’”
Chaol: I didn’t like him, at all…That changed after reading Tower of Dawn. He’s still not one of my favorites or even close to second but he’s alright.
Aedion: Wasn’t impressed at first, but he started growing on me. Eventually I started to really like him, but what I like most of all is his love for his kingdom. He’s as fierce as any lion (see what I did there).
LYSANDRAAAAAA: As you can obviously see, I love this chick. Didn’t like her in Assassin’s Blade (but hey, who did?) but omg, Lysandra for the win! My favorite form of hers is her Ghost Leopard form.
Manon: I didn’t like her chapters in Heir of Fire. I wanted to skip them. Glad I didn’t. Manon is for me the character with the most character development. Gosh, I love her.
The Thirteen: a badass group of ladies that will always be friendship goals.
Nesryn: EMPRESSSSSS BADAAAASSSSSSS
Sartaq: Oh boy… what a darling… and such a flirt *waving hands frantically because ooh la la*
Yrene: “For wherever you need to go – and then some. The world needs more healers.” YAAAAASSSS GIRL YOU MADE IT!
Elide: DAYUMMMM you tell him darling, don’t take his BS, don’t be afraid of anyone.
FENRYSSSSSS: oh my lovely boyo. I love him so much. He deserves the world. *insert squealing fangirl*
Lorcan: You smol baby bean…You can go to Perranth with me. *winks with both eyes*
Gavriel: You amazing dad. Aedion loves you, you know…almost as much as I do. *hugs him tightly*
And last but definitely not the least:
AELIN: fire-breathing-bitch-queen/ fireheart/ Elentiya/ Lillian/ Celeana —it doesn’t matter what name she goes by, she is amazing. Aelin will forever be my favorite character of the Throne of Glass series and one of my favorites from any other book. *applauds for the Heir of Brannon*

I have definitely not mentioned all the characters but my review was getting long enough. Kingdom of Ash was an amazing book and will have a special place in my heart. Thank you, Sarah J Maas, for such an inspiring and lovely series and such an amazing series finale. This book will stay with me for a while.

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Rekindled by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Rekindled

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #3.5
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

Syl Skye, newly crowned Queen of Fair Faerie, would be psyched to be the ruler of her Summer realm, except for two things.

First, her girlfriend Rouen Rivoche became Queen of Dark Faerie, the Winter realm. That would be great except the Winter realm’s always been at war with Summer. By tradition, that makes Rouen Syl’s mortal enemy.

That said, love can break past old hatred, right? Especially with a new foe about to attack them both.

Ah, no.

Which brings us to Syl’s second problem. Rouen’s under a dark spell and doesn’t remember Syl, their lives, their love. Worse, if Syl doesn’t break the spell by the next new moon, Rouen will forget her forever.

To defeat their foe, it’ll take two soul-bound queens whose hearts and minds act as one. Trouble is, no one has ever broken the dark spell Rouen suffers from.

Good thing Syl isn’t the type of queen who gives up easily.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

This series owes me many hours of sleep, and this book is no exception. I strongly recommend dedicating a couple hours to read in one sitting because there is honestly no good place to say “Okay, I can stop here and come back later.” There is so much tension! (Make sure your device can handle when you will inevitably tighten your grasp while reading.)

If Syl and Rouen’s problems weren’t enough on their own, the dark Fae kids return to help…or cause havoc. Or maybe both. That Chuck E. Cheese scene! 😂 Rouen defending the dark Fae kids against unfair gaming machines. 😂 The new characters are also great (sounds like Laguna may make a return in Nemesis). We also get Glamma’s point of view a couple times!

You will find yourself smiling, laughing, hoping, and dreading what happens next. Now I need a time machine to take me to September because ROUEN!!! 😭😭

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

Inimical by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Inimical

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #3
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

Being a fairy princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you have to choose between saving your people…And killing your girlfriend. Oh, and let’s not forget having to pass summer school, too.

Talk about a hot mess.

First, there’s Rouen, princess of the dark Fae, goth-rock star Euphoria, and soon-to-be senior at Richmond Elite High. Her world is all things ice, snow, and death. And that death will include her own people unless she can defeat her evil father in a Battle of Wits and War and seize the throne. Trouble is, taking the throne is a death sentence for the princess of the fair Fae. In other words, a quick death for Syl, Rouen’s girlfriend.

And that’s so not good.

Second, there’s Syl, princess of the fair Fae, geek girl mathlete, also an incoming senior. Things aren’t any easier for her. Syl must save her people by battling her old nemesis, the fair Fae prince, and the same rules apply: taking the throne means a death sentence for the other court’s princess, Rouen.

Even worse, Syl and Rouen’s enemies have figured out they’re in love. Now, both Rouen’s father and Syl’s archenemy are teaming up to ensure neither of them makes it till Midsummer’s Day—never mind the fall semester. Looks like passing summer school is the least of their worries!

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The action doesn’t really stop in this one – it’s one problem after another. We see Syl and Rouen grow in their relationship and as Fae princesses. Be warned: you will need the next book immediately after reading this one! (It’s currently scheduled for release in September 2019.)

Rouen and Syl have to juggle summer school, their relationship, and saving their Fae realms, which happen to be on a collision course thanks to the Convergence they set in motion. The two are pulled against their will into their respective realms. This shows us a different side of each character since they’ve previously been able to rely on each other but they must tackle these problems independently since they cannot communicate across the different realms, even with their soulbond.

They struggle to come up with a plan to save both realms only to have others interfere and ruin their plan. Through it all they discuss their relationship and its priority with all the chaos going on. Even with everything and everyone telling Rouen and Syl they must destroy each other in order to become Queen, they keep fighting to save both of their realms. This is one of my favorite things about the series – no matter the odds or the challenges, Syl and Rouen always push back against what they are expected to do in favor of doing what they believe is right.

As with other books in this series, the action rarely slows so it was a page turner, especially near the end when everything comes together.

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

Dethroned by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Dethroned

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #2.5
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

For eighteen-year-old Rouen Rivoche, being a fairy princess isn’t about fancy parties and happily ever afters.

Rouen’s people are the dark Fae whose powers of lightning, thundersnow, and all things Winter make them cold, severe, and 100% intolerant of rebellion.

Too bad being a rebel is in Rouen’s blood.

Against tradition, she’s teamed up with Syl Skye, the sleeper-princess of the fair Fae—a mortal enemy who Rouen should want to kill but only wants to kiss. Plus, to be with Syl, Rouen’s masquerading as a glam goth-rock star and human high school student. Honestly, Rouen doesn’t think things could get any more complicated.

Then, she discovers she must become Queen of the Winter Court or all her people will die. No pressure.

Now, dark forces are amassing in the Winter Court, turning Rouen’s people against her and blocking her path to the throne. Even Syl with all her powers of white flame and Summer can’t stop this new kind of evil.

Because betrayal cuts close when it’s someone you love… and now it looks like Rouen’s going to be dethroned before she ever becomes queen.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

This is my favorite novella in the Circuit Fae series so far. We learn so much more about UnderHollow – the politics, races that live there, and of Rouen’s father, the current king. There is a larger focus on Rouen in this novella, and that’s definitely a plus for me! Rouen finds herself fighting her father for the crown, with the court divided on who should rule. Rouen ends up in prison with kidnapped dark Fae children while her father is slowly killing Syl (because he, of course, does not approve of his daughter dating a fair Fae princess).

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis