Alli G

Two stars for this sequel to an excellent first novel. The first half of the novel is fine. A little rocky in terms of plot and storyline, but not a total disaster. But definitely a few holes there. Our heroine Summer is aggravating, and her suitor Dilys is clumsy but still far too perfect.

The second half was like Ms. Wilson copy-pastaed her story board outline into the novel and filled in the space in between with an overwhelming amount of exposition, yet no actual clear explanations.

It was painful finishing this book, and I forced down each page. I would honestly not recommend.

WARNINGS: Spoilers and a bit of whining ahead…

There are several times throughout the book that I couldn’t help but want to shake Summer and her sisters. In the first half, they comment several times about the care and concern for all, specifically the protectiveness of each other. But where the heck were they throughout Khamsin’s childhood while she was literally beaten and kept separate, neglected, and not claimed as a princess in the same palace? Fine ok, they’re hypocrites. Feels like a lot of rug sweeping.

In the second half, after what I assume were weeks, since the timeline was definitely not clearly communicated, of torture and intimate violations, Summer is sold and pulled off the slave ship where she knows her sisters were likely still on. She escapes her new owners, gets saved in the middle of the ocean in no time, and is reunited with Dilly Bear. Who talks her through her violations and she’s somehow immediately ok, then tells her they found her sisters remains, she grieves for maybe 5 mins, and then they have sex. And through the last 20% of the book, her now dead sisters are barely mentioned, and no one questions the weirdly specific salvage of both of their wrists with the rose marks alone? She does not return to see Khamsin who just gave birth to twins, and her personality just flips a full 180.

I just could not with the disregard of her sisters’ death. She didn’t ask for proof, and the scene itself was such a blur that even the reader was almost forced to disregard it. And despite this being a 2 book serious only, the sisters are, “surprise”, alive, and still slaves. I’m still annoyed.

Ignore the 90s bodice ripper cover, please. If you like a bit of fantasy romance with solid world building and magic, this was a fantastic read. I finished in a day and a half, and while it isn’t a perfect novel by far, it’s ability to capture your attention and pace well through the plot made it an excellent time.

I love the TV series, and I love what this book has to say. But lord do I hate how she said it. The writing style got in the way of the story for me; I found it overly simplistic, stilted, and allowed little room for further speculation. I lost interest in reading beyond the first book in the series.