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Kingdom of Lies #2
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty
Risk everything for your kingdom�
Or be destroyed by it.
In a world darkened by deceit, the truth is a light that won’t be dimmed. Even when it illuminates Lorian’s betrayals more starkly than I could ever want to see.
They call him the Bloodthirsty Prince.
His reign of terror has left a trail of blood across this continent. A trail that intertwines with my own past–not even my parents were spared from his merciless slaughter.
To save my brother’s life, I agreed to another bargain with the fae prince. Now, I’m forced to work with him. Forced to travel to the fae lands. Forced to spend my every waking moment with the man who betrayed me. All because King Sabium has woven a deadly tapestry of manipulation, using those we least suspect for his wicked schemes.
There are no lines I won’t cross to protect the people I love. So I’ll work with former enemies. I’ll manipulate, blackmail, and deceive potential allies. I’ll swallow my pride, bury my shattered heart, and cooperate with the fae to prepare for the coming war.
Because there are creatures far more monstrous than the fae.
And some of them masquerade as men.
Or be destroyed by it.
In a world darkened by deceit, the truth is a light that won’t be dimmed. Even when it illuminates Lorian’s betrayals more starkly than I could ever want to see.
They call him the Bloodthirsty Prince.
His reign of terror has left a trail of blood across this continent. A trail that intertwines with my own past–not even my parents were spared from his merciless slaughter.
To save my brother’s life, I agreed to another bargain with the fae prince. Now, I’m forced to work with him. Forced to travel to the fae lands. Forced to spend my every waking moment with the man who betrayed me. All because King Sabium has woven a deadly tapestry of manipulation, using those we least suspect for his wicked schemes.
There are no lines I won’t cross to protect the people I love. So I’ll work with former enemies. I’ll manipulate, blackmail, and deceive potential allies. I’ll swallow my pride, bury my shattered heart, and cooperate with the fae to prepare for the coming war.
Because there are creatures far more monstrous than the fae.
And some of them masquerade as men.
536 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2023
6,310 people are currently reading
38.7k people want to read
About the author
Stacia Stark
22books4,135followersStacia Stark is a fantasy romance author who loves writing about found families, self-reliant heroines, and brooding, grumpy heroes.
Born in New Zealand, Stacia spent over a decade traveling and living in various countries around the world, and attributes both her wanderlust and creativity to those adventures.
When not traveling or writing, Stacia is usually lost in the pages of a good book.
Come say hi on Facebook:
Or learn more at Staciastark.com
Born in New Zealand, Stacia spent over a decade traveling and living in various countries around the world, and attributes both her wanderlust and creativity to those adventures.
When not traveling or writing, Stacia is usually lost in the pages of a good book.
Come say hi on Facebook:
Or learn more at Staciastark.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,908 reviews
May 28, 2024
3.5 stars�
THAT CAN'T BE HOW IT ENDS?! 😭😭
The book starts off strong and is much better written than book 1 imo. But the second half was weak, it was prolonging what was about to happen with fillers.
I did like Prisca and Lorian bonding and falling deeper in love and ofc the spice but some of the things could have been eliminated imo. The chemistry between the two was chef's kiss and it kept me interested.
The ending was action packed and the cliffhanger? OH.MY.GOSH. I can't wait to continue it 😭😭
•~•~
Please be better than book 1😩
THAT CAN'T BE HOW IT ENDS?! 😭😭
The book starts off strong and is much better written than book 1 imo. But the second half was weak, it was prolonging what was about to happen with fillers.
I did like Prisca and Lorian bonding and falling deeper in love and ofc the spice but some of the things could have been eliminated imo. The chemistry between the two was chef's kiss and it kept me interested.
The ending was action packed and the cliffhanger? OH.MY.GOSH. I can't wait to continue it 😭😭
•~•~
Please be better than book 1😩
August 22, 2023
Guys I am back after reading it and.....*sigh* I hate to disappoint but I had to DNF this. No one is more surprised than I am okay... Yes I know Im a minority
But I just was not feeling this book , not wanting to continue. All the relationships in the book somehow seem forced to me and just chemistry-less. It might be my fault and I might have just expected too much but I just couldnt pick it up again.
I feel like the Povs of The Queen and The Boy could have been made more interesting but they felt quite disconnected and put into the book as an afterthought almost.
I hope you find this read worthwhile though👍🏻👍🏻
August 18th!!! Aaaaahhhhh
Im not responsible for the person i become when this comes out.
But I just was not feeling this book , not wanting to continue. All the relationships in the book somehow seem forced to me and just chemistry-less. It might be my fault and I might have just expected too much but I just couldnt pick it up again.
I feel like the Povs of The Queen and The Boy could have been made more interesting but they felt quite disconnected and put into the book as an afterthought almost.
I hope you find this read worthwhile though👍🏻👍🏻
August 18th!!! Aaaaahhhhh
Im not responsible for the person i become when this comes out.
September 2, 2024
I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Dreamscape Media). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
� Multiple POVs
� Plot
� Pace
� Politics and scheming
� Characters
� Found family
� Romance and some smut
� Magic
❗️❗️ڴڳԲ
4.5 stars
This book picks up right where the first book ended, with Prisca and the hybrids on the run. Prisca just discovered Lorian’s true identity, and while she would love to be able to hate him and never talk to him again, she knows that the hybrids need the help of the faes to survive, and she also can’t see herself being away from Lorian, even if a part of her hates him for what he did and the lies he told.
While it has a different vibe, this sequel was just as entertaining and engaging as the first book. The pace was good, but some parts of the book felt longer. Even though what Prisca and her group are doing is very important for the survival of the hybrid and eventually defeating the King, it also felt like the stakes were lower than in the first book. Still, a lot was going on in A Kingdom This Cursed & Empty as Prisca needed to find allies, lie and manipulate at times, keep the hybrids safe, and also locate the infamous hourglass that was gifted to the hybrids by the gods that would allow her to be much more powerful.
We see in this book how much Prisca has changed since the beginning of A Court This Cruel and Lovely, and how she struggles to reconcile what she wants with what she needs to do. She does not want to be the hybrid queen, but she wants to save them nonetheless and she knows they need her. Prisca needs to make many decisions in this book, and she constantly needs to think about the consequences of those decisions. I like that she took the time to consider the different paths and the outcomes, it was not simply a matter of saying yes or no. She also showed that she could be quite cunning and even ruthless when it came to getting support and helping the hybrid, and I love this fierce and protective side of her, that does not negate her thoughtfulness and gentleness.
There were a few flashbacks, but they were very short and well-integrated into the plot. As someone who is not usually a fan of flashbacks, I liked that they were concise and that they gave us a little more input on Lorian’s past. They also allowed us to see him in a different light at times, with what we discovered about him, which is good because I finished the first book wishing to have more backstory for Lorian, and we got it in this book. I also have to applaud how much he believes in Prisca and her abilities. He never tries to coddle her or diminish what she can do, he knows how strong she can be, and he is also confident enough about them not to be an overbearing and overprotective male.
The romance between Prisca and Lorian is cute and slow, while also being very intense. They are not over the top, but their feelings for each other run deep, and even though their relationship is quite new, it is clear that they are not ready to give up on each other, even though people keep reminding them that they eventually will not be able to remain in a relationship because of who they are and their status. I am confident that they will ultimately be able to remain together, but I am eager to see how they will manage it, considering that they are both royalties from different races and that the Hybrids are not pleased at all with the idea of their future queen being friendly with the fae prince.
I love that Prisca spent more time with Lorian’s group, and we got more of the “found family� vibe that was building in the first book. I would still love more of them in the next book. Found family is a trope I adore, and this group of strong mercenaries that are big softies deep down is so easy to love! I am also very curious to see more of Madinia, especially after what happened in one of the Queen’s chapters. I am also curious about the Queen’s plan because she is definitely more aware of what the king is planning than it appeared in the first book, and I think she can and probably will surprise us before the end of this series.
Thankfully, the third book was released on the day I finished this amazing audiobook because it ends with a cruel cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what will happen to Prisca and her group!
1. A Court this Cruel & Lovely ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
🙂
� Multiple POVs
� Plot
� Pace
� Politics and scheming
� Characters
� Found family
� Romance and some smut
� Magic
❗️❗️ڴڳԲ
4.5 stars
Nothing hardened a woman like betrayal from a man she’d trusted. And then men had the audacity to call us cold.
This book picks up right where the first book ended, with Prisca and the hybrids on the run. Prisca just discovered Lorian’s true identity, and while she would love to be able to hate him and never talk to him again, she knows that the hybrids need the help of the faes to survive, and she also can’t see herself being away from Lorian, even if a part of her hates him for what he did and the lies he told.
While it has a different vibe, this sequel was just as entertaining and engaging as the first book. The pace was good, but some parts of the book felt longer. Even though what Prisca and her group are doing is very important for the survival of the hybrid and eventually defeating the King, it also felt like the stakes were lower than in the first book. Still, a lot was going on in A Kingdom This Cursed & Empty as Prisca needed to find allies, lie and manipulate at times, keep the hybrids safe, and also locate the infamous hourglass that was gifted to the hybrids by the gods that would allow her to be much more powerful.
“It will take more than a few arrows to kill me.�
“What would it take?� I asked, curious despite myself.
“Given your wicked temper, I think I’ll keep that information to myself, wildcat.�
We see in this book how much Prisca has changed since the beginning of A Court This Cruel and Lovely, and how she struggles to reconcile what she wants with what she needs to do. She does not want to be the hybrid queen, but she wants to save them nonetheless and she knows they need her. Prisca needs to make many decisions in this book, and she constantly needs to think about the consequences of those decisions. I like that she took the time to consider the different paths and the outcomes, it was not simply a matter of saying yes or no. She also showed that she could be quite cunning and even ruthless when it came to getting support and helping the hybrid, and I love this fierce and protective side of her, that does not negate her thoughtfulness and gentleness.
There were a few flashbacks, but they were very short and well-integrated into the plot. As someone who is not usually a fan of flashbacks, I liked that they were concise and that they gave us a little more input on Lorian’s past. They also allowed us to see him in a different light at times, with what we discovered about him, which is good because I finished the first book wishing to have more backstory for Lorian, and we got it in this book. I also have to applaud how much he believes in Prisca and her abilities. He never tries to coddle her or diminish what she can do, he knows how strong she can be, and he is also confident enough about them not to be an overbearing and overprotective male.
“I’ll never be safe, Prisca. I’ll always be the monster who slaughters anyone who attempts to hurt you. I don’t know how to be anything else. My mistake was attempting to shield you from the sight of that monster.�
The romance between Prisca and Lorian is cute and slow, while also being very intense. They are not over the top, but their feelings for each other run deep, and even though their relationship is quite new, it is clear that they are not ready to give up on each other, even though people keep reminding them that they eventually will not be able to remain in a relationship because of who they are and their status. I am confident that they will ultimately be able to remain together, but I am eager to see how they will manage it, considering that they are both royalties from different races and that the Hybrids are not pleased at all with the idea of their future queen being friendly with the fae prince.
I love that Prisca spent more time with Lorian’s group, and we got more of the “found family� vibe that was building in the first book. I would still love more of them in the next book. Found family is a trope I adore, and this group of strong mercenaries that are big softies deep down is so easy to love! I am also very curious to see more of Madinia, especially after what happened in one of the Queen’s chapters. I am also curious about the Queen’s plan because she is definitely more aware of what the king is planning than it appeared in the first book, and I think she can and probably will surprise us before the end of this series.
Thankfully, the third book was released on the day I finished this amazing audiobook because it ends with a cruel cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what will happen to Prisca and her group!
“No one gets to choose if you’re worthy of that crown except you.�
1. A Court this Cruel & Lovely ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
🙂
August 11, 2024
That ending was insane ?????????
October 25, 2024
˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗ 3.5 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗
I enjoyed this book but it felt so much slower than book 1. I will say that I love Lorian our MMC is everything so for him and probably him alone- I pushed through this book.
The switching of the POVs from FMC, to MMC , to 'The Boy' and then 'The Queen' threw me off. Not because it was too much but because they were boring and my mind would start to wander.
Overall this was a very standard fantasy, they're on a quest for magical objects, lots of political intrigue. I just wasn't as captivated as I was in book 1.
➽┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶�
Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Stacia Stark for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💖
I enjoyed this book but it felt so much slower than book 1. I will say that I love Lorian our MMC is everything so for him and probably him alone- I pushed through this book.
The switching of the POVs from FMC, to MMC , to 'The Boy' and then 'The Queen' threw me off. Not because it was too much but because they were boring and my mind would start to wander.
Overall this was a very standard fantasy, they're on a quest for magical objects, lots of political intrigue. I just wasn't as captivated as I was in book 1.
➽┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶�
Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Stacia Stark for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💖
November 17, 2023
3.75 Stars
This novel gave us a fascinating insight into Lorian's childhood, providing an opportunity to understand his character better. We also got to see the growing relationship between Prisca and Lorian. However, the pacing of the story felt a bit uneven. Nonetheless, it was an engaging read, and I am excited to see what the rest of the series has in store.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Stacia Stark, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
This novel gave us a fascinating insight into Lorian's childhood, providing an opportunity to understand his character better. We also got to see the growing relationship between Prisca and Lorian. However, the pacing of the story felt a bit uneven. Nonetheless, it was an engaging read, and I am excited to see what the rest of the series has in store.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Stacia Stark, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
December 19, 2023
DNF @ 75%
I can’t read any more. I can’t.
I’m sorry to anyone reading this review who loved this book/series but I think it’s awful.
One dimensional characters, repetitive in the extreme, lazy, juvenile writing that requires AT LEAST one thorough pass from both a developmental editor and an editor focused on syntax, plot holes galore� must I go on?
I can’t read any more. I can’t.
I’m sorry to anyone reading this review who loved this book/series but I think it’s awful.
One dimensional characters, repetitive in the extreme, lazy, juvenile writing that requires AT LEAST one thorough pass from both a developmental editor and an editor focused on syntax, plot holes galore� must I go on?
November 29, 2023
Somehow this was even worse than the first one...
Prisca has 3 personalities and none of them are appealing
First off she has major gastrointestinal issues. I swear to god almost every single page of this book her gut is twisting/clenching/in knots, bile rising to her throat, her chest tightening, her heart clenching and twisting, she can't breath, bile again, now the stomach again and she's retching.
Then you have woe is me Prisca... where EVERYTHING is her fault, and the weight of the world is ONLY on her shoulders and no one would ever die ever again if she could be everywhere with her powers to save them (even though when she is there she can hardly ever use her powers to save anyone) Someone died 400 years ago? Its her fault. Someone died 400 miles away? Its her fault. And everyone should leave her alone and let her wallow in her self pity because ITS ALL HER FAULT. fucking please. Also woe is me cause I finally found someone I love and when I look at him my heart clenches but alas...sigh.. we can never be together after this war is over cause he is Fae and I'm a hybrid (half fae) and so we aren't each others people. Even though the whole point of the war is so everyone can coexist and live together in peace and I have no dark thoughts about not ever being able to have relationships with my human friends after the war, only this guy, this guy I love so much, he is the only one I cant be with after we accomplish PEACE and oh.. my gut is twisting, my hearts tightens, it makes me want to retch.
You know what makes me want to retch? The stupidity of that concept.
Then again as we had in the first book we have completely unlikable, bitch mode all day Prisca. Of course not to anyone super important that she loves and cares about like her aunt who is not actually her aunt who lied to her and is shady as fuck, no no... to those people she is as sweet as pie. But to all the people she needs to ally with to win a war? Oh well fuck them, I am going to snarl and narrow my eyes, and think about punching them in the face, and threaten them and then when they don't want to ally with me I am going to go back to woe is me mode and sulk about it wondering WHY on gods green earth no one would want to be allies with an innocent little old me. The author might almost use snarl, growl, and narrowing of eyes as much as the gut wrenching.. almost.
Lorian had potential and is now just beholden to Wild Cat. That's it. That is all he is now.
The only thing I will comment on the plot is that there is none. It is pretty standard to have a beginning, middle, and an end in every story. Even a middle book. There is supposed to be a point to the book that is completed even if the main story is not completed. So here you have an author that tried to be really clever with her "cliff hanger" however it was not a cliff hanger. It was just a sentence and then the book was done. Literally NOTHING was accomplished in this book. If you wanted it to be a cliff hanger you should have let her get the hour glass, or someone else get the hour glass, and THEN something happens where the book ends. You do not end a book in the middle of a fucking fight scene. It is almost laughable that no editor or friend or anyone would point that out.
This book royally pissed me off. I had hopes it would be somewhat better than the first one and maybe the author learned some things and made some improvements as the story itself has potential, but instead it somehow got worse. I cannot for the life of me understand the high reviews on this series.. mind boggling.
Prisca has 3 personalities and none of them are appealing
First off she has major gastrointestinal issues. I swear to god almost every single page of this book her gut is twisting/clenching/in knots, bile rising to her throat, her chest tightening, her heart clenching and twisting, she can't breath, bile again, now the stomach again and she's retching.
Then you have woe is me Prisca... where EVERYTHING is her fault, and the weight of the world is ONLY on her shoulders and no one would ever die ever again if she could be everywhere with her powers to save them (even though when she is there she can hardly ever use her powers to save anyone) Someone died 400 years ago? Its her fault. Someone died 400 miles away? Its her fault. And everyone should leave her alone and let her wallow in her self pity because ITS ALL HER FAULT. fucking please. Also woe is me cause I finally found someone I love and when I look at him my heart clenches but alas...sigh.. we can never be together after this war is over cause he is Fae and I'm a hybrid (half fae) and so we aren't each others people. Even though the whole point of the war is so everyone can coexist and live together in peace and I have no dark thoughts about not ever being able to have relationships with my human friends after the war, only this guy, this guy I love so much, he is the only one I cant be with after we accomplish PEACE and oh.. my gut is twisting, my hearts tightens, it makes me want to retch.
You know what makes me want to retch? The stupidity of that concept.
Then again as we had in the first book we have completely unlikable, bitch mode all day Prisca. Of course not to anyone super important that she loves and cares about like her aunt who is not actually her aunt who lied to her and is shady as fuck, no no... to those people she is as sweet as pie. But to all the people she needs to ally with to win a war? Oh well fuck them, I am going to snarl and narrow my eyes, and think about punching them in the face, and threaten them and then when they don't want to ally with me I am going to go back to woe is me mode and sulk about it wondering WHY on gods green earth no one would want to be allies with an innocent little old me. The author might almost use snarl, growl, and narrowing of eyes as much as the gut wrenching.. almost.
Lorian had potential and is now just beholden to Wild Cat. That's it. That is all he is now.
The only thing I will comment on the plot is that there is none. It is pretty standard to have a beginning, middle, and an end in every story. Even a middle book. There is supposed to be a point to the book that is completed even if the main story is not completed. So here you have an author that tried to be really clever with her "cliff hanger" however it was not a cliff hanger. It was just a sentence and then the book was done. Literally NOTHING was accomplished in this book. If you wanted it to be a cliff hanger you should have let her get the hour glass, or someone else get the hour glass, and THEN something happens where the book ends. You do not end a book in the middle of a fucking fight scene. It is almost laughable that no editor or friend or anyone would point that out.
This book royally pissed me off. I had hopes it would be somewhat better than the first one and maybe the author learned some things and made some improvements as the story itself has potential, but instead it somehow got worse. I cannot for the life of me understand the high reviews on this series.. mind boggling.
August 18, 2024
nothing hardened a woman like betrayal from a man she’d trusted. and then men had the audacity to call us cold.
a kingdom this cursed and empty delves straight into prisca and her fellow hybrids escaping the castle/main city in search of finding somewhere safe, far away from the human kingdom. lorian’s true identity has been revealed, leaving prisca feeling hurt and lied to. however, despite wanting to stay away from lorian for forever (if she had her way), prisca realises the fae are valuable allies against fighting regner/sabium.
this book focuses on prisca’s journey across the continent in search of allies and for the coveted hourglass of the hybrid kingdom.
“no one gets to choose if you’re worthy of that crown except you.�
my favourite aspect of prisca’s characterisation was her take-charge attitude and willingness to embrace her extraordinary, unique magic she wasn’t expert at using, but also the ways she faced her enemies and challenges head on.
in this, prisca suffers from self-deprecating moments and blames herself for a lot of issues. she’s torn between what she wants and what she’s destined to do in order to ensure the safety and prosperity of the hybrid kingdom. with increasing pressure from outside forces, prisca’s made into making difficult decisions, considering all outcomes and possibilities, and becoming more cunning and sometimes even ruthless in her search for allies and the hourglass. she’s fierce, protective of everyone deserving of shelter and values her loved ones, but she internally struggles with making the overall right decision.
more. i wanted more. i always would when it came to this man. and that was what made him so fucking dangerous.
lorian continues to encourage and support prisca in her journey. he doesn’t coddle prisca, or diminish her capabilities by overstepping boundaries and swaddling her into a protective bubble like an overbearing and overprotective man. lorian understands prisca’s strength and motivates her into being the best version of herself. there’s nothing hotter and sweeter than a male character who has a love language of actions, not just words!! he may be the villain known as the bloodthirsty prince to the continent, but he is everything to prisca.
we learn more about lorian via flashbacks, allowing us to understand him and his motivations in clearer, concise detail. short and sweet, they felt well suited to the overall narrative but they weren’t necessary. the same outcome would’ve been achieved through conversation but it’s understandable that this wasn’t always achievable.
“this is never going to work. you and i. we’re doomed. you know that.�
he sighed, and i closed my eyes, basking in the feel of his breath against my neck.
“i know.� he slowly drew back. “but that doesn’t mean i won’t wish for you with every fucking breath for the rest of my life.�
the romance between prisca and lorian continues to blossom—it was slow albeit intense, full of cute banter and heated moments. it’s still new and fresh and prisca’s reeling from lorian’s betrayal, but the earnest feelings coursing through them is fierce and fervent. it was fuelled with deeper emotions, i swooned!
the world building continues to be expanded on and it was a serious journey travelling the continent with prisca and her friends. we’re introduced to various kingdoms and territories outside of eprotha/the human kingdom, but you know there is still so much to know and learn about these histories and cultures!! i’m a little nerd for history, so the new and old details excite me beyond measure.
i also adore found families and we’re blessed with more time with not just prisca’s fellow hybrids (and some side characters we were introduced to in the last book), but lorian’s closest friends who are more like family. the band of mercenaries come across as enormous, muscled men but underneath they're secret softies!!
“maybe that’s what love is. finding someone who brings out the best in you.�
that ending sent me insane, how dare you, stacia stark!! i knew something terrible would happen—it's expected in long series such as this—and felt the associated character would somehow be involved but that was not it. overall, this series is entertaining to read but it's fucking long. two books later and there's been 1000+ pages.
kingdom of lies
a court this cruel and lovely � 4 stars
a kingdom this cursed and empty � 4 stars
a crown this cold and heavy � 3 stars
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August 23, 2023
Another absolute banger!
I find this authors writing SO BINGEABLE! I just don’t want to put it down, but I also didn’t want it to end so there were days I didn’t pick it up because when I did I couldn’t stop.
Everything is effortless, the plot engaging, the characters realistic & the romance 🤌🏽
There was one (ONE) moment that I wish had landed with a bit more impact rather than just dropped in to the story, but I’m coming to trust the author with her decisions because I ended up liking how it played out.
Like book 1 I found some plot points predictable—but did I care? NOT ONE BIT!
This world is expanding, the characters growing & I throughly enjoy every single word of this story� & that ending 🤯
GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE 🦃
I find this authors writing SO BINGEABLE! I just don’t want to put it down, but I also didn’t want it to end so there were days I didn’t pick it up because when I did I couldn’t stop.
Everything is effortless, the plot engaging, the characters realistic & the romance 🤌🏽
There was one (ONE) moment that I wish had landed with a bit more impact rather than just dropped in to the story, but I’m coming to trust the author with her decisions because I ended up liking how it played out.
Like book 1 I found some plot points predictable—but did I care? NOT ONE BIT!
This world is expanding, the characters growing & I throughly enjoy every single word of this story� & that ending 🤯
GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE 🦃
August 22, 2023
rating: 1.5
not much happened despite the five hundred pages that made up this novel.
the romance and plot were both cheesy and predictable and honestly, I'm shocked that I made it the whole way through.
not much happened despite the five hundred pages that made up this novel.
the romance and plot were both cheesy and predictable and honestly, I'm shocked that I made it the whole way through.
April 15, 2025
hope the next one picks up or i fear this would be a dnf
September 30, 2023
•✿•3.75�
“𝑰’𝒗� 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’� 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’� 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒈𝒂𝒔𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒊𝒓. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏…𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉�. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰’� 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔…𝒘𝒉𝒆� 𝒘𝒆’𝒓� 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’� 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰’𝒍� 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.�
“𝙒𝙝𝙖� 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙖? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙥. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪.�
Book 2 sure has more depth than Book 1. Everything is more raw and has so many layers and even more pov from certain characters, which makes the story more absorbing.
As well as the characters themselves we got to explore more of Lorian and Prisca as well as the others. And I love it. Some things make sense as we learn more about their lives and their kingdoms as humans, faes, and hybrids.
The particular thing that I liked about this book is how the author explores Prisca's struggles. For some people I totally get how it seems to be really frustrating but that's the point—that's the point of life or of making decisions, especially with Prisca's situation here. It's not just as simple as saying "yes" or "no" but how it will affect her life and everyone around her.
“𝙂𝙤𝙤� 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡,� 𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙄𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙄’� 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.
And the thing that I struggled with in this book was the amount of side characters that were so many that they had almost no meaningful role.
Also it's slow and it's 508 pages but you know when the story is just engaging you just forget the pages of the book? But this one made me check the page every time because there were some repetitive moments.
But! I can't wait for the next book to be out. I need to know what happened next.
𝙈𝙚𝙣. 𝙎𝙤 𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙪𝙨.
----------------
after the ending of book 1 the grovelling better be good in this🧎🏼♀️🙏�
“𝑰’𝒗� 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’� 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’� 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒈𝒂𝒔𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒊𝒓. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏…𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉�. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰’� 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔…𝒘𝒉𝒆� 𝒘𝒆’𝒓� 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’� 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰’𝒍� 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.�
This book started right from the ending of book 1, the journey of Prisca after that gut wrenching ending.
“𝙒𝙝𝙖� 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙖? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙥. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪.�
Book 2 sure has more depth than Book 1. Everything is more raw and has so many layers and even more pov from certain characters, which makes the story more absorbing.
As well as the characters themselves we got to explore more of Lorian and Prisca as well as the others. And I love it. Some things make sense as we learn more about their lives and their kingdoms as humans, faes, and hybrids.
The particular thing that I liked about this book is how the author explores Prisca's struggles. For some people I totally get how it seems to be really frustrating but that's the point—that's the point of life or of making decisions, especially with Prisca's situation here. It's not just as simple as saying "yes" or "no" but how it will affect her life and everyone around her.
“𝙂𝙤𝙤� 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡,� 𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙄𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙄’� 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.
And the thing that I struggled with in this book was the amount of side characters that were so many that they had almost no meaningful role.
Also it's slow and it's 508 pages but you know when the story is just engaging you just forget the pages of the book? But this one made me check the page every time because there were some repetitive moments.
But! I can't wait for the next book to be out. I need to know what happened next.
𝙈𝙚𝙣. 𝙎𝙤 𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙪𝙨.
----------------
after the ending of book 1 the grovelling better be good in this🧎🏼♀️🙏�
March 28, 2025
WHY! WHY! WHY!😭😭😭 I'm just thinking about the child growing up without a father 😭😭😭 Why did Stacia do that????? She could have picked anyone ANYONE 😢
May 7, 2024
I enjoyed this one, however it was not as addicting can’t-put-this-book-down as the first one. And to be honest, not very much happened 😅 there was a lot of filler and the relationship is SO TOXIC. But like entertaining toxic. Brittany Spears toxic. Toxic that we love.
October 8, 2023
Ugh I never write reviews but this one left me a bit mad. I was so let down by this book because the first one had promise and a nice steady build that I was excited to get into this second book.
What annoys me is that the FMC falls into that annoying female protagonist morale where she takes the blame for everything. It’s such an annoying cliche for women and I hated reading all of her self deprecating thoughts that had no logical basis.
As for the romance, it felt very forced and because it felt forced only highlighted for me the fact that the relationship between Prisca and Lorain is another cliche romantasy relationship. Young ignorant woman falls in love with an ancient, powerful, brooding, and complicated man and for whatever reason, they both ignore their feelings toward each other for way too long.
Also, Lorain can read minds. Why is it never stated? It’s frustrating when Prisca has a thought and then Lorain responds to that thought and Prisca just says “I didn’t realize I said that out loud� several times. GIRL please, you’re driving me nuts.
Something else about Prisca is that throughout the whole book it’s mentioned that she’s smart and cunning but where/when?
Prisca didn’t make any headway with anyone in the book. She formed no alliance, she can’t get the fae and the hybrids to get along, and we still aren’t sure if she gets the hourglass or if her group found another amulet. Like we didn’t get one thing from this book other than some lackluster romance. I believe the author was using this book to set up and answer all these questions in the next book but how am I expected to want to read the next one?
What annoys me is that the FMC falls into that annoying female protagonist morale where she takes the blame for everything. It’s such an annoying cliche for women and I hated reading all of her self deprecating thoughts that had no logical basis.
As for the romance, it felt very forced and because it felt forced only highlighted for me the fact that the relationship between Prisca and Lorain is another cliche romantasy relationship. Young ignorant woman falls in love with an ancient, powerful, brooding, and complicated man and for whatever reason, they both ignore their feelings toward each other for way too long.
Also, Lorain can read minds. Why is it never stated? It’s frustrating when Prisca has a thought and then Lorain responds to that thought and Prisca just says “I didn’t realize I said that out loud� several times. GIRL please, you’re driving me nuts.
Something else about Prisca is that throughout the whole book it’s mentioned that she’s smart and cunning but where/when?
Prisca didn’t make any headway with anyone in the book. She formed no alliance, she can’t get the fae and the hybrids to get along, and we still aren’t sure if she gets the hourglass or if her group found another amulet. Like we didn’t get one thing from this book other than some lackluster romance. I believe the author was using this book to set up and answer all these questions in the next book but how am I expected to want to read the next one?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
The first book in this series is one of my absolute favorite fantasy romances of the year. It is just SO good and I highly recommend. I loved the fast pace plot of the first book. This was a very anticipated read for me and maybe my expectations were a tad too high. Sequels are usually my favorite and this one sadly didn't reach the same level as the first book.
There was nothing on the surface that was wrong with this per se. It felt slow at times and I wanted a bit more plot advancement or excitement. It felt like we were doing a lot of waiting for something to happen. I realize looking back that things did happen. It just felt like the stakes were so low most of the book.
I started to get a little annoyed with the intensity of the found family aspects and how much Prisca emphasized not wanting anything bad to happen to her brothers, friends, etc. It was just so repetitive and felt a bit in our face rather than letting the reader infer the emotions there. I think the characterization of Prisca in general just started to feel repetitive and in our face and I didn't have anything else to focus on because the plot was so slow.
While I love this romance, it also felt a little dragged out and slow and I was wanting something more to happen. I think that's the consensus for this entire book. I just wanted more of something. Also the sex scenes are all nearly identical which makes them kinda boring.
I know this all sounds pretty negative, but I am still very much anticipating the next installment and can't wait to see where things are going to go from here. I think a lot of groundwork was laid and I'm excited to see what will come of it.
Edited to add:
So I got trigger happy and requested an audiobook copy of this on Netgalley thinking it was book 3, but the audio is fantastic and I love the narrators, Meg Sylvan is one of my fav narrators so I was very excited to see her on this. If you like audiobooks I don't think you can go wrong reading this in that format. Even more excited for book 3 now.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an audiobook copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There was nothing on the surface that was wrong with this per se. It felt slow at times and I wanted a bit more plot advancement or excitement. It felt like we were doing a lot of waiting for something to happen. I realize looking back that things did happen. It just felt like the stakes were so low most of the book.
I started to get a little annoyed with the intensity of the found family aspects and how much Prisca emphasized not wanting anything bad to happen to her brothers, friends, etc. It was just so repetitive and felt a bit in our face rather than letting the reader infer the emotions there. I think the characterization of Prisca in general just started to feel repetitive and in our face and I didn't have anything else to focus on because the plot was so slow.
While I love this romance, it also felt a little dragged out and slow and I was wanting something more to happen. I think that's the consensus for this entire book. I just wanted more of something. Also the sex scenes are all nearly identical which makes them kinda boring.
I know this all sounds pretty negative, but I am still very much anticipating the next installment and can't wait to see where things are going to go from here. I think a lot of groundwork was laid and I'm excited to see what will come of it.
Edited to add:
So I got trigger happy and requested an audiobook copy of this on Netgalley thinking it was book 3, but the audio is fantastic and I love the narrators, Meg Sylvan is one of my fav narrators so I was very excited to see her on this. If you like audiobooks I don't think you can go wrong reading this in that format. Even more excited for book 3 now.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an audiobook copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 11, 2023
4.5⭐️ “uh, excuse me…what the actual f*ck?!�
I loved book 1, so I was super excited for this sequel. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! So bingeable and hard to put down. I always have a difficult time reviewing books that I loved. I just love this, ok. Everything about it. When I think of fantasy with romance. This is what I mean. A plot that’s engaging, action, twists and turns, a decent helping of romance with a sprinkle of spice, and loveable characters. This of course had ANOTHER freaking doozy of a cliffhanger. I will be impatiently waiting for book 3 🙃
I loved book 1, so I was super excited for this sequel. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! So bingeable and hard to put down. I always have a difficult time reviewing books that I loved. I just love this, ok. Everything about it. When I think of fantasy with romance. This is what I mean. A plot that’s engaging, action, twists and turns, a decent helping of romance with a sprinkle of spice, and loveable characters. This of course had ANOTHER freaking doozy of a cliffhanger. I will be impatiently waiting for book 3 🙃
January 25, 2025
3⭐️ but this wasn’t as fun as i’d hoped it would be
first off, i read this, but i actually have no idea wtf even happened 🥸 nothing major really happened until like the enda cliffhanger bc why not
the queen is kinda sus, i don’t know what her game is yet🤨
but that chemistry that was between prisca and lorian in book 1, it’s pretty much gone now� or it was just me that didn’t feel it😬 it took all of not even full 10 chapters for her to forgive him for lying and betraying her, cmon 🙄self-respect left the chat💀 but the 🌶� parts were very short and briefthank god for small mercies bc i really wasn’t having any of it👏🏼
also why is vicer keeping his powers secret? kinda sus if you ask me.
i need more rythos, stat👏🏼🤌🏼and i will never stop complaining about long chapters , that kind of ruined this for me, i kept checking how many pages were left bc it felt like it was dragging�
but what really pissed me off was that new characters get introduced into the group, just to be killed off right away not even a few chapters later�
first off, i read this, but i actually have no idea wtf even happened 🥸 nothing major really happened until like the end
the queen is kinda sus, i don’t know what her game is yet🤨
but that chemistry that was between prisca and lorian in book 1, it’s pretty much gone now� or it was just me that didn’t feel it😬 it took all of not even full 10 chapters for her to forgive him for lying and betraying her, cmon 🙄self-respect left the chat💀 but the 🌶� parts were very short and brief
also why is vicer keeping his powers secret? kinda sus if you ask me.
i need more rythos, stat👏🏼🤌🏼and i will never stop complaining about long chapters , that kind of ruined this for me, i kept checking how many pages were left bc it felt like it was dragging�
but what really pissed me off was that new characters get introduced into the group, just to be killed off right away not even a few chapters later�
August 24, 2023
Unfortunately, I just really don't like Lorian. I think he's controlling and manipulative. I do believe he loves Prisca, but that doesn't mean he treats her right. And I got so sick of how horny he was all the time. He doesn't respect her feelings and opinions. She would be mad and all he could think about was how hard he was. I don't think he's a terrible person or anything, I just don't like him. But putting that aside, I couldn't rate this higher because there were bigger issues with the plot. This book was just so slow. And there was no balance between the characters. Twice we had characters show up and then almost immediately get killed. It didn't add anything to the story because we didn't get to know them well enough for their deaths to have any emotional impact. And some of the other events that should have been more emotional weren't executed well. (Example: Spoiler: Prisca learning about the attack on her village was almost boring because we knew it happened long before she did based on the other POVs.) Overall, I was just bored. I think this series has so much potential, but something just isn't clicking with me. Many it's that there are too many characters so we don't get enough time with each of them to grow attachments. Maybe Prisca's ignorance is taking too long to correct. Maybe it's that Prisca's moral compass is shifting. I don't really know. But I don't think I care enough to keep reading this series to find out.
February 29, 2024
That was so good, RTC I think
TLDR
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5
TLDR
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5
May 31, 2024
His lies had hurt the most.
With secrets swirling, danger on the horizon, and perilous journeys, A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty was a fabulous continuation of the Kingdom of Lies Series! There were scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat. Steamy moments that will tug at your heart. And an addictive storyline and world that continues to build and grow. Fans of romantasy definitely need to have this series in their life!
“Why would you do this?� she asked.
The question burrowed deep into my chest. I clenched my teeth. “Figure it out.�
Prisca was a heroine we could easily love and respect. She was smart, had grown so much and her strength and courage gave her a backbone of steel. Yet Prisca was struggling. Not only with learning that she was fated to become the queen. Since she didn't see herself being worthy enough to rule the hybrids. But also with accepting what Lorian was. She was raised to see the Fae as the nightmares and monsters of the world. He was supposed to have been the one who killed her biological parents. And she had been falling for him all along, none the wiser. But as their journey progressed, she still confided in him. Trained with him. And she saw how much he cared and wanted her to be the best she could be. She just needed to learn to accept what he was.
He’d asked if I remembered how he’d made me feel.
Some days, it was the only thing I could think about.
“Please,� I said quietly.
Lorian was protective, lethal, deadly and would do anything to keep Prisca safe. He would hand her the world if he could, yet he lied to her. And according to her, destroyed her past. Yet as a skeptic I kept hoping there was more to the story, because I am ever so hopeful and can only be positive when it comes to Lorian haha. He may be the villain to others, but he could never be that to Prisca. So I loved as we watched him let her grow. That he stood by her as she figured out how to rule and deal with powerful people. And the words he would say to Prisca *screaming while jumping up and down*?! Lorian's words to Prisca were beautiful, powerful and elicited so much emotion! Lorian was the ultimate book boyfriend!
“This is never going to work. You and I. We’re doomed. You know that.�
He sighed, and I closed my eyes, basking in the feel of his breath against my neck.
“I know.� He slowly drew back. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t wish for you with every fucking breath for the rest of my life.�
While the odds were continually stacked higher against them, they fought with everything they had. I cried tears for Lorian. I was terrified for some of the situations Prisca was put in. And through it all, Lorian and Prisca had the most fabulous banter! It was laced with even more emotion now! They were from opposite ends, even if they were fighting a common enemy. They could never be together, so my heart cried trying to figure out how it'll all work out in the end. So I loved their steamy moments and that they were detailed, explicit, and absolutely fabulous! And when you get to the part where Lorian lists things, try not to have your heart explode!
He smiled, as if he’d expected nothing less.
I smiled back. One day, I would make him pay for everything I suspected he had done to Lorian.
We got so many answers to questions, yet we were also left with many more questions. And as the world expanded and we met others, I was completely enthralled. I was happily surprised to see that we got this story in a few different point of views. Prisca was still the main one, and of course Lorian too. But we also got some moments with the Queen. Those moments made me contemplate everything I knew. I did not expect to feel compassion towards her or learn all that we did. There were quite a few times where my mouth was left hanging open. And there was even one moment I cried tears for the Queen, I am still shocked. So where this story ended with her left me terrified. With political intrigue, and dangerous ploys, I can't wait to see what happens next with the Queen!
The war had barely begun. And we were already losing.
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty was laced with friendship, love, quests, forgiveness, battles, death and it was so easy to devour! With a star-crossed lovers romance, forced proximity and a found family, just know that this story ended with a fabulous cliffhanger. Don't mind me over here panicking until that next book is in my hands! I absolutely love this world and these characters and I can't wait to see what happens next!
I just wanted her to be mine.
PS My favorite new character we met was Drakoryx, by far!
PPS Is anyone else keeping their fingers crossed that Asinia & Demos become a couple?
Reviews:
A Court This Cruel and Lovely #1
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty #2
A Crown This Cold and Heavy #3
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
* * * * * *
November 30, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this thrilling audiobook.
I don´t know how to express how much I loved this second book!
The plot was well paced and it kept me engaged from the very beginning.
I´m always scared to go into a second book if I really enjoyed the first one, but this one it´s maybe even better.
The magic elements are better explained and the character arcs are full of adventure, bumps, and action.
⚡️Lorien is even better than in book one. His love for Priska makes him a fierce protector and amazing lover.
I LOVED all the glimpses we had of his past and how we understand how he came to be.
⏳Priska is also an amazing character. She is maybe the one character that annoyed me more, mainly because of her constant questioning of herself and her inability to be Queen. Girl come on, believe in yourself!!!
All the secondary characters are well-written and, like for the first book, their friendship makes this story so much better. I fell a little in love with all the Fae and their loyalty to each other.
Lastly, I totally wasn´t expecting the Queen PoV and it was such a nice addition.
Ends with a major cliffhanger 😱😱
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this thrilling audiobook.
I don´t know how to express how much I loved this second book!
The plot was well paced and it kept me engaged from the very beginning.
I´m always scared to go into a second book if I really enjoyed the first one, but this one it´s maybe even better.
The magic elements are better explained and the character arcs are full of adventure, bumps, and action.
⚡️Lorien is even better than in book one. His love for Priska makes him a fierce protector and amazing lover.
I LOVED all the glimpses we had of his past and how we understand how he came to be.
⏳Priska is also an amazing character. She is maybe the one character that annoyed me more, mainly because of her constant questioning of herself and her inability to be Queen. Girl come on, believe in yourself!!!
All the secondary characters are well-written and, like for the first book, their friendship makes this story so much better. I fell a little in love with all the Fae and their loyalty to each other.
Lastly, I totally wasn´t expecting the Queen PoV and it was such a nice addition.
Ends with a major cliffhanger 😱😱
July 10, 2024
The slow burn continues. Though I think both Prisca and Lorian know they are the best all and end all for each other, the multitude of tasks in front of them hinders their ability to totally focus on each other, things gives a deliciously different element to slow burn because they are connecting on a physical level, but not sure of each other emotionally.
I enjoyed their various journeys and tasks, the group dynamics growing continuously and the banter still quite amusing.
The plot twists have been fun and not overly obvious, and don't even get me started on that ending!! Tears people, shocked, angry tears!
I enjoyed their various journeys and tasks, the group dynamics growing continuously and the banter still quite amusing.
The plot twists have been fun and not overly obvious, and don't even get me started on that ending!! Tears people, shocked, angry tears!
January 21, 2024
4.5 stars!
It's not often a sequel lives up to promise of the first book, but this one absolutely did.
It's still giving heavy Throne of Glass vibes and honestly I'm here for it 100%.
Stacia Stark must be lacing these books with something because they're so hard to put down. Once you're sucked into this world you're in all the way and before you know it you're on the last page and questioning what planet you're on.
The first book laid a solid foundation for this series and this book built so nicely upon that. We got to see a healthy dose of all of my favourite aspects of the first book along with some new characters and it just worked so, so well.
It's not often a sequel lives up to promise of the first book, but this one absolutely did.
It's still giving heavy Throne of Glass vibes and honestly I'm here for it 100%.
Stacia Stark must be lacing these books with something because they're so hard to put down. Once you're sucked into this world you're in all the way and before you know it you're on the last page and questioning what planet you're on.
The first book laid a solid foundation for this series and this book built so nicely upon that. We got to see a healthy dose of all of my favourite aspects of the first book along with some new characters and it just worked so, so well.
January 25, 2024
I really really like the story.
But I still really do not like the FMC. I've come around a bit on the MMC (he was a shithead in the beginning, but with more insight into him - gained in this book - I get it a bit more), but she is just OTT emo and melodramatic, to an exhausting degree. She's also really REALLY easy to manipulate - case in point, how easily Lorian's brother totally fucks with her head.
Speaking of Lorian's brother, I loathe that guy. He has cemented that every asswipe sitting on a throne in this series needs to be gutted and fed to wild animals. Preferably while they're still alive. In this book, she's trying to ally with them, but the author fails - utterly - to make a case as to why she would even want to. Her people were once allied with the fae... who backstabbed them and left them to be wiped out. The other human king is a puppet to the evil king, who has been happily murdering her people (the refugees who survived) as he finds them. Why is she bending over backwards to ally with people who will, quite frankly, never actually be useful? She certainly can't trust them - both Lorian's douchebag brother and the other human king have made it super clear they'll kill her at the first opportunity. So ... here's an idea. Overthrow those fuckers. Install Lorian on the fae throne, and someone who is a non-shitbag on the other human throne. And then ally with THEM.
She's a dumbass - as are her advisors - for even trying to ally with the shitty fae king. Tell him to go fuck himself, and let the evil king attack him while you sit back and eat popcorn, watching cosmic karma unfold. Same with the human king. And ESPECIALLY the same for the hybrid elders. Fuck them all.
But the biggest problem is Prisca, who is the worst combination of emo, martyr, and narcissist. Here's the thing that I wish authors would understand: having a hero character take all responsibility for everything everyone else does doesn't make them heroic...it makes them a narcissist. As if they're positive that the entire fucking world revolves around them, like all things are either done by them or because of them. It starts to feel like a whiny asshole going on and on because they want the attention, frankly. You want her to be a strong leader? Then have her recognize the injustice of other people's actions, and be determined to end their ability to affect people like that - kill them, dethrone them, whatever. Get pissed. But don't get emo, like wah fucking wah, all this is happening because of me! It's even stupider in this book because the core of the story is about a fuckhead who has been stealing power to stay in charge for literally a couple hundred years - killing his kids to pretend to be them once they're old enough to take the throne. Bitch, none of this is because of you. You're just a person who maybe has the ability to stop it. So quit fucking whining, put on your big girl panties, and DO SOMETHING. Instead, we got way, way, way too much emo narrative from her POV. Stuff like -
Agreed, Prisca. You are not good for anything else, because you are an exhausting whiner.
Also, she's an asshole in her relationship with Lorian, to be frank. If you don't want him because of everything that happened before, then make it clear. None of this wishy-washy stupid bullshit. I don't honestly even know why he likes her, because she is so fucking exhausting. Seriously.
The two of them - Lorian and Prisca - wallowing in their hurt rather than talking to each other like the grown-ass adults they supposedly are ... that was also exhausting. Though Lorian snapped out of it first, and tried and tried and tried to talk to her, while she just kept pretending it all meant nothing. Like I said, she was totally exhausting.
I am continuing on for the plot, despite deeply disliking the FMC. But I have to say, if she ends up allying with any of these people - shithead fae king, completely asinine hybrid elders, utter douchebag human king - I'm going to be really pissed. They are all the worst kind of rulers, and they all need to be struck down almost as badly as the villain. Seriously. If the villain is a 10 on the 1-10 scale of "Evil Ruler Must Be Stopped", Lorian's brother is an 8, the hybrid elders are probably a 7.5, and the human king is a 9. If she allies with with them and allows them to stay in power, she utterly fucking fails.
But I still really do not like the FMC. I've come around a bit on the MMC (he was a shithead in the beginning, but with more insight into him - gained in this book - I get it a bit more), but she is just OTT emo and melodramatic, to an exhausting degree. She's also really REALLY easy to manipulate - case in point, how easily Lorian's brother totally fucks with her head.
Speaking of Lorian's brother, I loathe that guy. He has cemented that every asswipe sitting on a throne in this series needs to be gutted and fed to wild animals. Preferably while they're still alive. In this book, she's trying to ally with them, but the author fails - utterly - to make a case as to why she would even want to. Her people were once allied with the fae... who backstabbed them and left them to be wiped out. The other human king is a puppet to the evil king, who has been happily murdering her people (the refugees who survived) as he finds them. Why is she bending over backwards to ally with people who will, quite frankly, never actually be useful? She certainly can't trust them - both Lorian's douchebag brother and the other human king have made it super clear they'll kill her at the first opportunity. So ... here's an idea. Overthrow those fuckers. Install Lorian on the fae throne, and someone who is a non-shitbag on the other human throne. And then ally with THEM.
She's a dumbass - as are her advisors - for even trying to ally with the shitty fae king. Tell him to go fuck himself, and let the evil king attack him while you sit back and eat popcorn, watching cosmic karma unfold. Same with the human king. And ESPECIALLY the same for the hybrid elders. Fuck them all.
But the biggest problem is Prisca, who is the worst combination of emo, martyr, and narcissist. Here's the thing that I wish authors would understand: having a hero character take all responsibility for everything everyone else does doesn't make them heroic...it makes them a narcissist. As if they're positive that the entire fucking world revolves around them, like all things are either done by them or because of them. It starts to feel like a whiny asshole going on and on because they want the attention, frankly. You want her to be a strong leader? Then have her recognize the injustice of other people's actions, and be determined to end their ability to affect people like that - kill them, dethrone them, whatever. Get pissed. But don't get emo, like wah fucking wah, all this is happening because of me! It's even stupider in this book because the core of the story is about a fuckhead who has been stealing power to stay in charge for literally a couple hundred years - killing his kids to pretend to be them once they're old enough to take the throne. Bitch, none of this is because of you. You're just a person who maybe has the ability to stop it. So quit fucking whining, put on your big girl panties, and DO SOMETHING. Instead, we got way, way, way too much emo narrative from her POV. Stuff like -
I couldn't rely on other people to carry the weight of my decisions. To prop me up because I was unable to deal with the reality of my life. That was what I'd been asking Demos to do. He was doing the best he could in this camp, but now my brother was asking me for something. Something he thought we needed. I had to put on a good show. Because I sure as fuck wasn't good for anything else.
Agreed, Prisca. You are not good for anything else, because you are an exhausting whiner.
Also, she's an asshole in her relationship with Lorian, to be frank. If you don't want him because of everything that happened before, then make it clear. None of this wishy-washy stupid bullshit. I don't honestly even know why he likes her, because she is so fucking exhausting. Seriously.
The two of them - Lorian and Prisca - wallowing in their hurt rather than talking to each other like the grown-ass adults they supposedly are ... that was also exhausting. Though Lorian snapped out of it first, and tried and tried and tried to talk to her, while she just kept pretending it all meant nothing. Like I said, she was totally exhausting.
I am continuing on for the plot, despite deeply disliking the FMC. But I have to say, if she ends up allying with any of these people - shithead fae king, completely asinine hybrid elders, utter douchebag human king - I'm going to be really pissed. They are all the worst kind of rulers, and they all need to be struck down almost as badly as the villain. Seriously. If the villain is a 10 on the 1-10 scale of "Evil Ruler Must Be Stopped", Lorian's brother is an 8, the hybrid elders are probably a 7.5, and the human king is a 9. If she allies with with them and allows them to stay in power, she utterly fucking fails.
June 27, 2024
Decent enough follow up.
November 25, 2024
No..
No, no, no, no, did I mention NO??
This is outrages.
Really, my only hope is that she isn’t tortured and beaten half to death, which I know will most certainly happen.
And Cavis?!
Fuck my life, this is too much to handle.
Putting that aside - for now - this book was a lot better than the first in my opinion.
Mostly because Prisca has found her backbone, and is committed to the hybrid kingdom.
She became stronger, and less naive, soaking up all the information she could.
And when she was scheming, the gifts didn’t miraculously come to her and make her a master at the game. She constantly contemplated her choices, and debated most aspects of her decisions. And when something went wrong she was aware of where she had erred, and learned from it.
I love the male characters Stacia writes, so it is no surprise I love Lorian so much.
He is what I am looking for, you know?
I usually hate it when there are forces such as monarchs and kingdoms standing in the way of the love interests being together, and it bothers me in this series as well (I simply prefer books where it doesn’t happen), but I loved how Lorian was all “fuck everything, I WILL go with her and protect her because she is mine�.
It totally did it for me.
I also love the inclusion of so many characters, and how we feel like we know all of them.
They are not just there to say a few words only to never be seen again.
They all have a purpose is what I am trying to say.
And Demos and Asinia were a bigger part of the book. I was afraid Asinia would be left behind at some point, but she was an active part of the plot, and was vital to the story. And can I just say that I know for certain she and Demos will have a love story. It’s clear as day really:))
I am vert fond of the friendship Prisca has sitt Lorian’s friends. My favourite is between her and Rythos probably. But I also love Galon and hers friendship even though it is a little different. I just feel like he gets her, maybe because he is such an old fae.
No, no, no, no, did I mention NO??
This is outrages.
Really, my only hope is that she isn’t tortured and beaten half to death, which I know will most certainly happen.
And Cavis?!
Fuck my life, this is too much to handle.
Putting that aside - for now - this book was a lot better than the first in my opinion.
Mostly because Prisca has found her backbone, and is committed to the hybrid kingdom.
She became stronger, and less naive, soaking up all the information she could.
And when she was scheming, the gifts didn’t miraculously come to her and make her a master at the game. She constantly contemplated her choices, and debated most aspects of her decisions. And when something went wrong she was aware of where she had erred, and learned from it.
I love the male characters Stacia writes, so it is no surprise I love Lorian so much.
He is what I am looking for, you know?
I usually hate it when there are forces such as monarchs and kingdoms standing in the way of the love interests being together, and it bothers me in this series as well (I simply prefer books where it doesn’t happen), but I loved how Lorian was all “fuck everything, I WILL go with her and protect her because she is mine�.
It totally did it for me.
I also love the inclusion of so many characters, and how we feel like we know all of them.
They are not just there to say a few words only to never be seen again.
They all have a purpose is what I am trying to say.
And Demos and Asinia were a bigger part of the book. I was afraid Asinia would be left behind at some point, but she was an active part of the plot, and was vital to the story. And can I just say that I know for certain she and Demos will have a love story. It’s clear as day really:))
I am vert fond of the friendship Prisca has sitt Lorian’s friends. My favourite is between her and Rythos probably. But I also love Galon and hers friendship even though it is a little different. I just feel like he gets her, maybe because he is such an old fae.
December 5, 2023
4.5 Audiobook, Fantastic duel narrators
I loved book 1, it was fun. This one was more fun, more danger, more conflict, more connections, more disasters, more of everything ! The ending sucked me right off a cliff, kicking and screaming, then it ended. Booooooooo !
This is not a YA in anyway, lots of sexy detailed moments.
I loved book 1, it was fun. This one was more fun, more danger, more conflict, more connections, more disasters, more of everything ! The ending sucked me right off a cliff, kicking and screaming, then it ended. Booooooooo !
This is not a YA in anyway, lots of sexy detailed moments.
August 7, 2023
Ok what the fuck kind of ending was THAT? Stacia is lucky the next book comes out in a few months 😂 this series is so so so good, I’m so surprised more people aren’t reading it?? Obsessed. Can’t wait. Will definitely do a reread in the future, Lorian is TOO good in the bedroom not to 😍
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