The Sorceress Queen and the Pirate Rogue by Jeffe Kennedy Series: Heirs of Magic #2
Published by Brightlynx Publishing on April 19, 2021
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Pages: 280
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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Book Two in the adult Fantasy Romance adventure series from award-winning, bestselling author Jeffe Kennedy. Follows the prequel novella,The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon, in the Under a Winter Sky romantic fantasy holiday anthology and Book One of Heirs of Magic,The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince.
A Lonely Road
Stella has always been one to count her blessings. Empath, sorceress, shapeshifter, and healer, she’s grateful for the gifts the goddess of shadows has bestowed upon her. Yes, she’s sensitive to emotions and can’t bear to be in large crowds for long. And yes, that means she’ll never be able to take a lover as she’s unable to withstand physical contact with anyone but her twin brother. Certainly now that he’s found his true love, she feels more alone than ever. None of it haunts her, however, like the vision of the lonely tower where her life path ends.An Unrequited Love
Jakral Konyngrr is a man of simple tastes: good whiskey, some coin in his pocket, and a fine blade in his hand. Though he’s no prince, not a shapeshifter, and not blessed with any magic, he’s happy in his skin. And yet he seems doomed to live the life of a hero from a tragic ballad, because the only woman he’s ever wanted barely knows he’s alive. As much as Jak longs for Stella, he’s resigned himself to being forever in the background. At least he can guard her back.A Quest to Stop a Monster
But now Jak and Stella have been thrown together—along with a mismatched group of shifters, warriors, and sorceress friends—chasing and attempting to avert magic rifts that release monsters into their world. Worse, the strange intelligence behind the bizarre and deadly attacks seems to have developed a fascination for Stella. Battling for their lives and the good of the realm, they must fight—and perhaps love—together to alter the course of the future before it’s too late.
I had a great time with this novel. The characters continue to grow (the first book starts off more YA than my liking, but moves away from that YA feel to a more adult style story as the characters grow with their experiences). This story picks up where the first one leaves off (you need to read this series in order).
Jakral “Jak” Konyngrr is a full human raised on a ship with his warrior mother and pirate-like father. He feels like he doesn’t live up to the shifters of the group. He is a bit self destructive with excessive drinking (though he holds his liquor well). He is also great with his knives and makes up for his inability to shift with his deadly accuracy with his blades.
Princess Stella is the twin sister of Astar (hero of the first book in the series, The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince). She is a very powerful sorceress, especially for her age. She is able to see into the future and has seen part of her future, but is only seeing so far into the future. She is convinced she is destined to die alone, so she distances herself from the others. She’s also an empath, so she avoids touching except when she’s healing someone. How could she ever have a relationship that involves touching.
The thing I love most about this series (and really all of Kennedy’s books) are the characters. I love all the different personalities that she creates. I love how all of these characters have pieces of the parents (who you meet if you read The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms series, though you don’t have to read them to follow along with this series), but are their own person. I have had such a great time with this world she has built. I look forward to the next book in this series.
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’m glad you are keeping up with this author. I managed the trilogy but I have a lot more to read of her work.
I do really love her work. She does write fast, so it can be hard to keep up. LOL
Each time I read one of your reviews for her books, I tell myself to get busy and start at the beginning with 12 Kingdoms. I like what you’re saying about the characters written as individuals with their own stories.
I love how these characters (children from The Twelve Kingdoms and Uncharted Realms series. Each character has personalities from each parent, but also for themselves. It is a great mix.
How did I not realize this was tied to the original series??? I was super overwhelmed when the first book released, so I didn’t pick it up. Now I’m kicking myself. Thanks for the review!
I didn’t know they were related either, until I started reading the first book. The first book follows Aster (son of Ami – Tears of the Rose) and Zeph (daughter of Zyr the gríobhth – Arrows of the Heart). This book is Stella (Aster’s twi, daughter of Ami. Jak is the son of Jepp and Kral (The Edge of the Blade).
Ah I also need to read this one but I was disappointed a bit by book 1 so I was anxious.
The first book started off very YA to me. It finished stronger than it started. This one was much better. It didn’t have that YA feel to it. I hope you get a chance to try it and like it better than the first one.
Oh that’s great to know! thank you!
Great review! I really like the sound of this series – thank you for sharing:).
Thanks. I really enjoy this author and the world she’s created here.
Wonderful review. I have book one on my wish list, probably thanks to you. I really need to try this author, the characters sound well developed.
Thanks, Kimberly. I do have so much fun with her characters.
Her books all sound so good! I really need to try to start reading her work soon.
I really enjoy her characters a lot. I do hope you get a chance to try her soon.
I had a very hard time getting into The Orchid Throne (and eventually DNF’d it), but this sounds like one I would enjoy more.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy The Orchid Throne series. This series is a romance, there is a new couple in every book. You can either start with this series. Or you could start with the series that originally builds this world, The Twelve Kingdoms (which is also a romance with a new couple in every book). Either would work without issue. I hope if you get a chance to try this world, that you like it better.
I had issues with the first, yes YA and just..yes! It did feel YA, you nailed it there, so I stopped :/
This one doesn’t feel as much YA as the first, but I understand why that first book would turn you off.