Category: Review (Page 2 of 276)

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima's first installment in a thrilling new fantasy series, in which the lives of Han Alister and the brave Princess Raisa collide in a magical and dangerous adventure.

One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna has her own battle to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father's family. Raia aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her—plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Review:

The Demon King was a YA fantasy that slowly unfurled into a fascinating story!  With multiple kingdoms, clans, and street gangs, there was so much going on in this story.  Throw in some forbidden magic, and so many questions, whelp I was hooked.  I loved learning everything and seeing how different groups of people fit together.  Two of my favorites, and who we got POVs from, were….

“Don’t ask for the truth, boy, unless you’re ready to hear it.”

Han was a street thug who easily captured my heart.  He had a way to make you want to root and cheer him on.  I didn’t care about his past, or what he had to do to get to where he was.  He was someone who was so charming, you couldn’t help but like him.  I wasn’t sure how he played into the bigger picture, but I gobbled up every single one of his chapters!

“You have to take chances, Raisa. What seems safest on its face may not be in the long run.”

Raissa was not what I expected.  While she enjoyed kisses and boys, she also spent time outside of the courts with the clan.  That gave her such a different view from the others we met.  As she very slowly started to realize how much in the dark she was being kept, I had such strong opinions on who she surrounded herself with.  I despised Micah even though she liked having him as her friend.  And then there was also Amon who was wickedly smart and made me want to steal him from the pages!

“History,” Mari muttered, as if she’d overheard his thoughts. “Why do we need to know what happened before we were born?”
“So hopefully we get smarter and don’t make the same mistakes again.”

I wasn’t sure how Raissa and Han would meet up, but I definitely got nervous because as the time passed I thought they would be perfect for each other.  But there was also Micah and Amon swirling around too.  As someone who has finished this series, I was extremely happy with how each of the characters’ stories went!  It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a YA fantasy that made me want to never put it down and consumed my thoughts, and this series did just that!

The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden's Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn't mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa's paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

Review:

I didn’t even realize The Exiled Queen had the academy trope and I absolutely ate it up!  With treachery, secrets, lies, and friendships I loved the second installment of this series.  But my favorite thing was how Princess Raisa made me so proud of her!  I loved how grown-up she has become, and the choices she made!  She was what anyone would want as a true queen!  Han is still my top favorite, and I couldn’t wait to see what he got into and learned next!  Micah, I still want an anvil to fall on his head haha.  And my heart bled for Amon and his duty.  This is a fabulous YA fantasy that I can’t recommend enough!

 

The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3)
by Cinda Williams Chima
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Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana'Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he's concerned, the princess's family as good as killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he's saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

Review:

In The Gray Wolf Throne, so many secrets came out!  I was floored with not only all that we learned, but what the characters finally got to learn too.  Especially since they realized that truths could cut just as deep as a sword!  With plenty of action, the characters we have come to love were put through the ringer.  I truly couldn’t figure out how everyone was going to get their HEA, and that made me listen to this story so quickly!  This book was so much fun and a great addition to this series.  Han, Raisa, Amon, Dancer and Kat are everything!

 

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.

Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.

Review:

I’m so happy I read this young adult fantasy; it was so easy to fall for!  With tensions running high and so many moving parts, there was so much happening in this final book!  And while the politics of court, along with the wants and needs of other groups of people played such a large role in this book, what I adored most was how the characters carried out the story.  It was so easy to become invested in their lives.  I loved how they pulled us along on their journeys and we watched as love, betrayal and friendship laced through the pages.  This is definitely a series I will always remember, and I loved how it wrapped up!