The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy Narrator: Gabrielle Baker
Series: Forgotten Empires #2
Published by Tantor Audio on June 30, 2020
Genres: Fantasy
Length: 14 hours and 11 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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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 Conri, 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 Conri 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?
This is the second book in the Forgotten Empires series by Jeffe Kennedy. I had a really great time with the first book, The Orchid Throne, and this one picks up where that one leaves off. Lia and Conri are married and they are working together to meet their goals.
Euthalia, “Lia”, the Queen of Calanthe wants to keep her people safe, at all costs. She was raised to put her land and people above herself. Her only care is to keep them safe from the Emperor Anure, who is a “false emperor”. He has conquered the lands and tortured and killed people who didn’t follow them. Lia was betrothed to him, but saw a partner, at least in her goals, in Con.
Conri, the former Crown Prince of Oriel, and escaped prisoner of the Vurgmun, and also known as the Slave King. Con only wants vengeance. He wants Anure dead. He’s willing to do anything, including forfeit his own life to make this happen. The prophecy said he needs to “claim the hand that wears the ring and the empire falls” and Lia wears the ring, so he marries her to get to his goal.
While they have different agendas, they both need the same thing, Anure dead. But will they betray the other if it is needed to kill Anure. While they didn’t marry for love, there is an attraction to them and they are growing closer together. In this book, they come even closer.
We also learn a lot more about Lia’s nature, the nature of Calanthe and that there are a lot of secrets. We also find out there are some things that we thought we knew, but really didn’t. Lia also has to come to terms with some things she doesn’t want to believe (trying to avoid a book one spoiler here).
I had such a great time with this story. My earbuds were glued to my ears. I loved watching Con and Lia come closer together to truly become partners. I liked seeing the secondary characters really show their loyalty to their friends and common goal.
The ending of this story was truly remarkable. While it wasn’t a cliffhanger, it does leave you wanting more. I am eagerly waiting for the third, and what I expect to be, the final book in this trilogy. It can’t get here fast enough. *waits somewhat patiently*
Narration
Gabrielle Baker does a great job with the narration of this book. When I listened to the first book, I commented that I had difficulty telling when the narrator would go from Con’s POV to Lia’s. That was not an issue at all with this book. I really liked this narrator much better. It made for a much better listen. I continued to enjoy the voices of each character and she really brought out the feelings of each scene. I had a really great time listening to her bring this story to life.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Gabrielle Baker
Gabrielle Baker is a highly respected and experienced British voice actor with her own studio at her home in Kent, England. A trained actor, she has become a bestselling audiobook narrator for award-winning authors around the world.
Gabrielle has a natural RP British accent and is also experienced with accents such as Dublin, Cork, Scottish, Australian, and most regional British accents. More than anything Gabrielle describes herself as a “storyteller,” and her love and passion for audiobooks has seen her rise in the industry over the last few years. She has a strong following of listeners and authors who seek out her work, and she has been described as ” . . . an auditory joy!”
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.
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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I really enjoyed this one a lot too and look forward to the next one.
Same. 🙂
Wonderful review and now of course I want to listen to both books!
I really think you’ll enjoy this series.
I have the first and second books just debating whether to wait till the book are out but this sounds so tempting to pick up now. LOL
Great review.
It’s a great series, as long as you get to it, I don’t think you can go wrong. 🙂
Oh yea!! So glad you liked this one as much as (if not more than) the first! And also glad the narrator’s work seemed to improve for you. Yea!!!
I really love this series. I can’t wait until book three.
I loved The Fiery Crown too Melanie and like you, I’m really excited about how Jeffe will tie up all the threads in the next book – The Promised Queen.
She does such a great job. I really love her fantasy series. I’ve read several and never been disappointed.