Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy Series: Forgotten Empires #2
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 26, 2020
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Pages: 398
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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WILL THEIR LOVE STAND THE TEST OF TIME
Queen Euthalia has reigned over her island kingdom of Calanthe with determination, grace, and her magical, undying orchid ring. After she defied an empire to wed Conrí, the former Crown Prince of Oriel—a man of disgraced origins with vengeance in his heart—Lia expected the wizard’s prophecy to come true: Claim the hand that wears the ring and the empire falls. But Lia’s dangerous bid to save her realm doesn’t lead to immediate victory. Instead, destiny hurls her and Conrí towards a future neither could predict…OR TEAR THEIR WHOLE WORLD APART?
Con has never healed after the death of his family and destruction of his kingdom—he’s been carefully plotting his revenge against his greatest enemy, Emperor Anure, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Lia’s spies gather intelligence suggesting that Anure is planning an attack against Calanthe, Con faces an agonizing choice: Can he sacrifice Lia and all she holds dear to destroy the empire? Or does his true loyalty exist in the arms of his beguiling, passionate wife—’til death do they part?
As I continue in the Forgotten Empires series, I appreciate the unique magics and the depth of the world-building. Lia and Conri are very new to each other, so there is a lot of their interaction and getting to know each other, all with the background threat of Anure. I struggled a little with all the rich detail of the world and the depth of character development with wanting the action I knew was to follow. The slow burn of their time together does help form knowledge and trust they both need.
I really felt for Lia because she knew her horrid nightmares were visions of the terror ahead. She beautifully remained calm, reassuring her people, and working with Conri as much as she could. They both learn more about their past and their blind spots from each other and because of their different knowledge and perspectives. Their personal styles balance each other.
I loved the strategy, with the action so exciting and suspenseful. Their battle plans have some success and some stupendous failures. I had really hoped that Lia, Conri and Ambrose would all learn to better use and control their magic but that was not this story at all. The Fiery Crown was more a focus on learning truths, facing realities, and grasping true priorities.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more in 2021. With our team of rebels working better together, it should be interesting to see what they can manage.
About Jeffe Kennedy
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include novels, non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award.
Her award-winning fantasy romance trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms hit the shelves starting in May 2014. Book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review and was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose received a Top Pick Gold and was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014. The third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books followed in this world, beginning the spin-off series The Uncharted Realms. Book one in that series, The Pages of the Mind, has also been nominated for the RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2016 and won RWA’s 2017 RITA® Award. The second book, The Edge of the Blade, released December 27, 2016, and is a PRISM finalist, along with The Pages of the Mind. The next in the series, The Shift of the Tide, will be out in August, 2017. A high fantasy trilogy taking place in The Twelve Kingdoms world is forthcoming from Rebel Base books in 2018.
She also introduced a new fantasy romance series, Sorcerous Moons, which includes Lonen’s War, Oria’s Gambit, The Tides of Bàra, and The Forests of Dru. She’s begun releasing a new contemporary erotic romance series, Missed Connections, which started with Last Dance and continues in With a Prince.
In 2019, St. Martins Press will release the first book, The Orchid Throne, in a new fantasy romance series, The Forgotten Empires.
Her other works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion; an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera; and the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, which includes Going Under, Under His Touch and Under Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER-20
I have never read Jeffe Kennedy but I see her books everywhere. One of these days I need to try her?
I think you might like it. It is fantasy; there is romance but it is not the primary focus.
Your review about this world and it’s characters has me very curious. Well done, Anne!
Thank you. It’s a great story and not the same old thing. It will take the whole trilogy to tell the story. This wasn’t a cliffhanger but there is much left to learn.
Very nice review, Anne!
Thank you.
I have both of the books in this series and need to get down and read them. Love the sound of this one and all the world building that is involved. And I find it so refreshing when characters get their priorities straight.
Lovely review.
Thank you! Both books are very good with so many intricate details. It isn’t boring but in this one I was tense for the action to happen. But once I settled in, it was excellent to see their relationship developing further.
I’ve not tried this author, but the world intrigues me. Great review!
Oh this is an author you should try sometime. She writes great fantasy, fantasy romance.
I really need to start reading Jeffe Kennedy’s work! This sounds like such a good series and I hope to get to it someday. I am so glad you enjoyed this one!
She really has many good series. I haven’t read them all but I am pretty sure Melanie has read everything.
Never heard of this series, but it sounds like an exciting one! I’ll have to check it out. 🙂
She is kind of an indie author with more of a scifi fantasy feel well not scifi, but it’s not really historical fantasy, it’s a different world. Magic, and more the weapons of historical fantasy. There is a romantic element but it’s not the sole focus which I like.
Excellent review, Anne? Glad you’ve found another series you love.
Thank you! This author writes some great fantasy which has some romance.
So glad you are enjoying this one. I struggled with the first, so I haven’t started this one yet. Glad to hear it’s good.
I struggle starting EVERY book or audio right now. I hate that. Once I get going I’m fine but I’m finding it all hard to get started. I really liked the way she developed the relationship in this one. It wasn’t too easy; it was more realistic with some mistakes and success.