Deception's Pawn

Deception's Princess #2

by Esther M. Friesner

Fortune favors the bold in this adventurous tale of broken friendships, forbidden love, and a fiery heroine's journey to escape the role into which she was born. Perfect for YA fantasy fans of Shannon Hale, Malinda Lo, and Tamora Pierce.

Maeve, princess of Connacht, seems to have won her freedom. Her father, the High King, is finally allowing her to explore the world beyond his castle. But Maeve soon discovers that being the High King's daughter doesn't protect her from bullying or the attention of unwelcome suitors.

Struggling to navigate a new court, she must discourage the advances of her father's rival, who is vying with her host's son for her hand in marriage. Maeve is a pawn trapped between these two boys. Her bold defiance will bring her to the brink of disaster, but her clever gamble may also lead to her independence. Though she faces danger and intrigue, Maeve will also discover what kind of person-and queen-she's destined to become.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Mythology, Teen

323 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Esther M. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A's in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University; within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far; her most recent titles include Temping Fate from Penguin-Puffin and Nobody's Princess from Random House.

Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.

Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.

"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.

Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bulk of this book takes place during Maeve's fosterage, and it's got a fair amount of bullying/mean girls going on, which I actually liked. I thought it was well done. Overall, I enjoyed it, although I do kind of wish every man didn't seem to fall in love with her. All of the one-sided relationships got a bit old. It would have been nice if her relationship with Kian had been strictly a friendship on both their parts, not just hers, or if she reciprocate his feelings. Then throwing Conchobar into the mix and bringing back Odran...got old.

[mels · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rather disappointed by this book, to be honest. All of Esther Friesner's books have drawn me in, made me fall in love with the characters, the setting, the story. I enjoyed the first book of the series, Deception's Princess, but as for this one...
The characters bored me. Even Maeve grew incredibly boring this book, doing next to nothing. She bore the abuses she received with next to no complaint, though the Maeve I knew first book would have taken them kicking and screaming.
I liked Kian as a side character, and I wish Esther had thought to use his potential to be something other than a romantic interest. Him and Conchobar both had potential to grow extremely, but they remained stagnant throughout the book, only there because they were a romantic interest for Maeve. Kian wasn't even involved with Ea, near the end, he was only there when the plot suited for him to be jealous, over-protective, or to do something with Bryd.
Conchobar was even worse. Maeve's absolute hatred morphed him into her greatest friend the moment he gave her news about her sister. It was clumsy, and I hated him as a love interest. There was no reason for either of them to like the other, and he was only there to add to the love triangle, it seemed as if he had no other purpose.
And when they brought Odran back, it was almost too much. Now there's three boys completely head over heels for Maeve, completely filled with jealousy over her. Wonderful.
In fact, there was hardly a male in the novel who wasn't simply used as a love interest for Maeve, other than Kian's friend who served as a romantic interest for someone else.
The girls' behaviour towards Maeve was also extremely disappointing. Maeve didn't get a single good relationship with a female throughout either novel. I would have liked to see at least one.
The girls were also completely two dimensional. They had certain points that were told over and over again, and they didn't grow throughout the novel, except for the arrival of Bryg.
It was also rather repetitive. Girls are mean to Maeve, Maeve gets upset, girls laugh and claim it was all a joke, Maeve forgives them. It got rather tiring after about the seventh time.
The only actual plot twist was that Kiran was the brother of Bryg. But honestly, that undermined a character I really enjoyed in the first book. And I doubt that Maeve's father, fearful as he was of bards, would allow the son of a bard be killed just to teach his daughter a lesson. And I doubt that Kiran and Bryg's father would have been completely alright with it.
Another thing that bothered was me was how after the first while, the girls and everyone else seemed to completely forget that Maeve was the High King's daughter and that they weren't supposed to offend her. Especially after tiptoeing around her for the first bit, they transitioned rather quickly.
I found the climax to be rather sloppy as well, with Maeve emerging from the cave with her father's sword. And how everyone accepted this without question. There was no asking about the "other world" or anything of that sort, everyone just went on with their lives despite being awed and slightly afraid of Maeve. And why would Maeve have even had her father's sword with her? It made a lovely picture, but you'd think at least someone would have thought that it seemed odd that she hadn't had it at the time of her disappearance but she had it now. And I doubt that Maeve would be so sacrilegious as to do something like that.
Didn't her father have enemies? Didn't one f them see their plan failing and try to stop it from doing so? No, they all simply sat there and watched in silence. It's not as if any of them really wanted the crown anyway, after all. It was all just a joke. What a silly Maeve, taking a simple joke so seriously!

[Rea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last year I read Deception's Princess because the concept of it made me think of Warrior Daughter by Janet Paisley, one of my favourite books. It turned out these two books are vastly different, but I enjoyed Deception's Princess well enough to want to see how Maeve's story would conclude in the second book of her duology.

Unfortunately, I find myself vastly disappointed.

Maeve's story was always going to be about Maeve freeing herself of the prejudices against females that are present in her society, and ultimately that's what this book is about, but when Maeve gets that far I didn't really feel like she'd done anything to deserve it.


Instead of the book being about Maeve's struggle to be seen as a leader in her own right, the vast majority of the book is essentially Mean Girls set in Iron Age Ireland. And it got old really fast.

Beyond that, I felt like unimportant aspects of the story were given a lot of attention, whereas those where I wanted to know more about events taking placed tended to be glossed over.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't really enjoy this one. I expected so much more from the mighty Queen Medb of mythology.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maeve spends the whole of this book (and its prequel) trying to prove herself, and trying to make people take her seriously despite being female. But in the end she really only gains it through lies. (I know, I know, it does have "deception" in the title...)

And it was ridiculous how every male seemed to go on and on about how beautiful/charming/etc Maeve was. Having a few suitors, I could understand. She is the High King's daughter, so naturally a match with her is appealing. But everyone seems to be in love with her. Even strangers who don't know she's royal keep going on (and on) about how pretty she is, despite the fact that she's traveling, unbathed, covered in mud from a bog, etc.

Everyone who's not in love with her is absolutely awful to her. Or both at once. (You’re so beautiful, you must be one of the Fair Folk. Here, let me try to rape you real quick.)

I endured it because at least there'd be a happy ending worth waiting for, right?

The romance plotline ended anticlimactically. The whole book, she reminds herself Oh I can't think of this person as more than a friend, he's not Odran. Oh I miss Odran. Oh I'll never see Odran again, but I miss him so much. Then suddenly: She finally goes to see him in chapter 18. They fight by the end of the chapter, don't interact in chapter 19, and have a one-page conversation in chapter 20. She leaves, comes back in chapter 22, and (on the third-to-last page) surprise, he's gone and they won't be together. The end. For real?

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esther M. Friesner, in my opinion, just keeps improving her writing style. This new legendary princess story by Friesner is as bold, interesting, and inspiring as the heroine herself: Maeve. The plot is rich, the historical context fascinating, and the characters dynamic. I recommend this mini-series, and any of Friesner's other ones, for a reader looking for adventurous and legendary stories of the royal past.

[Crystal ✬ Lost in Storyland · Rating 2 out of 5]

For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads

Warning: contains some spoilers from the first novel in the duology.

I loved Deception's Princess because it stepped out of the constraints of the brave, independent, kickass girl trope that is all too common in YA lit today. While Maeve is a courageous young woman who isn't afraid to fight for herself, she has proven to be clever and relational-oriented. She uses a daughter's wits to fight when she cannot use a son's weapons, and she has been shown to be close to her friends and family. In Deception's Pawn, however, the character that has been built for her in Deception's Princess falls apart, and Maeve becomes another foolhardy girl who charges recklessly into situations and somehow gets through tough situations that could have easily gone bad.

Determined not to be her father's pawn, Maeve has entered fosterage to gain greater freedom. Whereas I found Maeve a mature character in the first novel, Maeve feels youthful and headstrong in the sequel. She often acts based on her emotions instead of relying on the wits that she espoused in the first novel. For example, despite the gossip floating around, she continues to hang out with a young man alone outside of the walls because of her personal desires (to learn how to fight and to hang out with Ea, the kestrel she loves). She is also hopelessly naive in her interactions with the foster girls and continues to consider them her friends for much of the novel in spite of their contradictory behavior.

The characters and their relationships lose depth. The foster girls are extremely shallow and focused on (1) self-preservation and (2) getting a guy. If they take an interest in the other girls, it's because they have their self-interests in mind. Considering how the novel is told from Maeve's perspective, I would understand if Maeve taking a superficial interest in the other girls led her to portray them shallowly, but she actually takes an interest in them. Furthermore, Maeve doesn't interact consistently with any one character; as a result, the other characters tend to come and go at random. There isn't a consistent plotline that involves any one character. I find it problematic that the guy who forces a kiss on Maeve ends up being the most reliable character at the end. Other guys (and girls) that ought to have been reliable end up being shallow, cowardly, and inattentive. I'm especially disappointed in Odran. I understand that his love with Maeve in the first novel was youthful and naive, but his reaction to the changing dynamics of their relationship was poor. This was very, very disappointing.

The ending was very cheesy and unrealistic. First, Maeve resolves conflicts with different people rather quickly and unsatisfactorily. I know things won't always wrap up cleanly in reality, but the way things stand at the end of the novel, the characters remain superficial. Second, given his actions thus far, I highly doubt that Maeve's father would go and give her what she wants especially without her having to bring it up. What it is I won't say because I don't want to spoil the ending. He's a guy who does things because he has an agenda, not because he wants to do someone a favor. (Third:) What I did like is that Maeve stands up for herself and gains the freedom and independence that she desires. Furthermore, she is shown to be a strong woman who does not need a man but rather stands equal to men in a traditionally patriarchal society.

While Maeve's pursuit of freedom is admirable, her character is too youthful and naive to make her "success" realistic. While she wants to be independent, she does not exhibit the wisdom and skill set necessary to be a leader among her people. That said, she is a young woman in the process of learning more about the world, and I do believe that she has the charisma to be a strong leader. I just wish that she showed more growth in this novel, for she showed a lot of potential in the first novel. As it is, Deception's Pawn is a disappointing follow up to the first novel.


Content (contains potential spoilers):
- Maeve runs away from fosterage to live with Odran. They make out with fiery passion, and it is implied that they have sex. Some of the other foster girls have lovers; it is implied at least one of them has sex with her lovers.
- The foster girls can be very mean. The bullying among the foster girls gets pretty bad. For example, some of the girls sit on top of Maeve so that it is hard for her to breathe, and they stay there until she cries. In the past, the bullying got so bad that a girl ran away never to be seen again (it's highly likely that she died out there).
- Two guys get into a (physical) fight over Maeve.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in a duo of books about the Celtic princess Maeve, Deception's Pawn doesn't waste any time getting back into the story (theoretically) left off at the end of the first book; even though I haven't read that one, Deception's Princess, enough information is provided throughout this story that I had a clear picture of the circumstances that had shaped these events. The plot moves quickly and the story is compelling and even over the top; everything is a bit extreme and at times hard to believe. However, it is exciting and engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down.

Maeve is utterly charismatic; loyal, compassionate, quick-witted and strong-willed, clever, fierce, and apparently gorgeous, she quickly wins over the adoration of nearly everyone in the compound, and, assuredly, the reader. Unfortunately for her, her candor and exuberance inspire the lord and lady's young son, Kian, to helpless infatuation, thus igniting jealousy in the girls with whom she has to live. Friesner renders the behavior of the young ladies dramatically and effectively; by the end of the chapters detailing their cruelties, I was simply seething. How can it be possible for women to be so vicious, so shameless and brutal in their abuses of one another? Fortunately, Maeve has friends in Kian and one of her hostess's attendants, and elderly woman who teaches her embroidery; without these two bright spots of kindness, this novel would have been merely a recount of torture and nastiness with no hope until the end.
After the maltreatment from girls who are supposed to view her has a sister, when Kian and a young king from a neighboring realm who has taken to visiting Maeve and delivering messages from her sister (side-plot), get into a fistfight over her affections - though she has encouraged neither one in their pursuit of her! - it comes as no surprise that Maeve throws together a traveling pack, liberates a-first-hers-but-now-Kian's kestrel Ea, and makes a run for it, straight to the boy with whom she's already in love, a lad from her father's realm who has been sent to learn the druids' ways on the healing isle of Avallach.
Amazingly, she makes it there mostly unscathed, kestrel in tow. She (literally) shacks up with Odren, the friend from home, hiding from the healers and druids for several weeks, making furtive forays into the forest to fly the bird, eating what Odren brings to his hut, and deciding what to do next.
Eventually she makes her way back to her father, saves the day for Kian and his father, and is rewarded with her own realm to rule, right next to her father's kingdom.

This is a fun, quick-paced adventure read for 13-15-year-olds. It is romantic but not a romance; there is no riding into the sunset with a prince on a happily ever after. Maeve's story is really about her struggle for independence; she refuses to be offered as a prize, commanded, dismissed, or bullied.
I didn't love that Maeve has a cunning, dishonest streak running through the core of her character, or that she solved her biggest problem with blatant manipulation (in a daring and show-stopping ruse which I won't spoil). I don't think the best message to send to young readers is that you can solve anything, if you're clever enough, by withholding or bending the truth. I wish Maeve had found it in her to confront her father, whether alone or with her kingly friend's help, and to be honest about absolutely everything. Maeve's father clearly and extravagantly adores her, and she loves him as well, yet there are huge stains in their relationship that can never be removed unless they are addressed.
I will admit, begrudgingly, that the plan Maeve pulls off makes for a much more dramatic end to the story than a heart-to-heart would have, and I was delighted with her when she managed it.
Overall, this is another great novel by Esther Friesner; I've read some of her other adventuring-princess works, and I always enjoy them. She writes admirable heroines with exciting stories, she knows when to end a tale (no dragging on and on for six books for this one), and things tie up neatly, if not traditionally.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deception’s Pawn picks up shortly after Deception’s Princess leaves off, with Princess Maeve entering into fosterage at Lord Artegal’s home in hopes of finding Ea again and of preventing her father in using her as a pawn piece.

Maeve is still that fiery girl who would willingly chase down a bull to prove a point, but she’s faced with new challenges during her fosterage and they are unlike anything she’s faced before. She makes new friends in her foster sisters, but learns that not all friends are so easily tendered and kept as she had hoped. I loved seeing her weather through cruelties and jests, and it was nice to see that held her own in her own way. She’s incredibly diplomatic and has a good head on her shoulders, and despite making mistakes she always seeks to correct them when she is able. Plus Maeve is capable, intelligent, and willing to go that extra length to make sure her people are happy. She task risks, some of them a bit brash, but she always tries to do what she thinks is right. My one complaint about this situation with her foster sisters is that I would have loved to see them form a stronger bond, because there are too few books out there with strong female friendships that are not tainted with underhanded insults and catty-ness.

Maeve also has to deal with the hearts of two young men, which is deftly tries to fend off at every available opportunity and finds herself unsure of her resolve. Kian and Conchobar are both rather full of themselves, and like to mark territory, but Maeve has them stumped. Every loaded compliment is met with humor and a change of subject, and in the end I think I warmed up to the two of them. Despite their rather brash nature at times both are incredibly caring in their own ways, though they could probably work on it a bit more. That being said there is no true love triangle in this, and I appreciate the inclusion of these boys and the way Maeve handled each moment of self doubt, confusion, and attraction with poise and dignity.And that ending! It’s so fitting for Maeve and everything she works to stand for!

I am so glad I recieved both of these books for review because I’ve found a new author. Esther Friesner has such rich and detailed writing that the story simply draws you in and before you know it you’re done and looking for more! I would say that Deception’s Pawn is an excellent finish to the duology, and though I’m said to see Maeve’s story end I’m really happy I got the chance to read it.

[SBC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially felt a bit more light-hearted than the first novel, but the mood darkened as the story advanced. I found the love quadrangle (?) a little confusing but ultimately I think the author did an interesting thing with Maeve's love for Obran (if a little hard to understand - this could have used more development/explanation, I think). Presumably Kian was a red herring for the length of the novel and the final scene with Conchobar's arm around her shoulder is foreshadowing that she will end up with him (he does seem to suit her wild ways!). I appreciated the exploration of female agency and independence in this setting. Although Maeve's ability to achieve all she wants for herself owes more to her father's position and indulgence of her rather than her 'unique' wild/independent spirit (as I think the books try to imply), a saving grace is that although no other females can achieve this (although we do see one character - a healer with the druids - who is trying), Maeve is actually a really nice character that does care and look out for others (e.g. slaves).

I was glad that the nastiness of the girls she fosters with, especially Bryn, was taken seriously, but I found the solution a bit unconvincing - I found it unconvincing that everyone (including her father) believed that she had been kidnapped by the fey and escaped and wasn't satisfied that the girls' new fear of her would improve their behaviour, esp Bryn's. Also, the twist that Bryn was Kelan's sister wasn't convincing either - I don't remember any mention that his father was a bard or his sister a 'fosterling'. He seemed too much of an underling to have a sister in fosterage. I also was surprised that Kian would have told Bryn all of Maeve's secrets yet there was no rumination on this, eg turning her off his character.

However, overall I enjoyed the duology, which was a rich exploration of this historical era.

[Maddie Jaques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright so, these books.

First of all FINALLY a strong women who does not rely on boys or men to make her way in the world! I'm so sick of love triangles and indecisive silly girls and ridiculousness. Maeve makes up her mind and sticks to it. She's strong, but soft in ways, and I love everything about her.

Second, the setting. I love the old world words and the way the story is spun. I love the connections to the first book, how it all weaves together. I love that she doesn't give up on things and I love love love the ending. Maeve is so smart. It's the best.

Good book, I highly recommend it.

[Elzbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was oddly satisfying, yet unsatisfying. It's a good book all around, but probably my least favourite of Ms. Friesner's books because I feel like there should have been more. Maybe there was that she's not going to tell us. Any other author, I would have assumed that there would be a third book in the series, but of course, in the Princesses of Myth books, there won't be. But it was good. I love these books so much.

[Kelly Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I am having bad luck with second books in series this year. This was not that great. If anything I started to dislike Maeve. She couldn't make up her mind about what kind of freedoms and liberties she wanted, or what kind of life she wanted. I know that we all have our prerogative to change our minds, but on her it looked more wishy-washy.

2 out of 5 stars. Thanks Edelweiss.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this sequel. The choices the main character mad me mad and I did not enjoy that she made the choice to do something that shouldn't have happened before marriage. It really disappointed me because I have always loved this author. Don't know if I will read any new books by her.

[Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't that good but I really appreciated the way that she didn't have to end up with any specific guy. She learns, she grows and she gets to be a ruler in the end. I would have preferred more of her being an actual ruler by recognizing situations and turning them in her favor. It was frustrating that there had to be girl against girl.

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this was missing something that the first book had... It felt pretty slow, and the "climax" was very rushed (and if I'm being honest I didn't like it very much) Oh well. It could have been a lot worse, and I still finished but it wasn't my favorite.

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope nope nope. I adore Maeve and Kelan and Kian and Odran but I pretty much cannot stand anyone else at all. Bryg makes me so angry I can't even fathom it, and I didn't like how it ended. Nope nope nope. I'm sorry I couldn't stick with you Maeve. It wasn't worth it.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed some of her earlier books so picked this up expecting a good read. Was very disappointed
It was disjointed and didn't flow well; I kept reading, hoping it'd get better but it didn't
I will check out her next book with expectations of a good read

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maeve welcomes a change of setting, but my feelings about the book stay the same, slightly more intense than Deception's Princess, and stays true to the core values in Maeve's heart, and in the reader's.

[Heidi Pack · Rating 4 out of 5]

empowering novel for young women, about developing talents and strengths and realizing your dreams. not a huge fan that the teen heroine lives with her boyfriend temporally.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like the non decisive ending.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.5 Stars***

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sequel to Deception's Princess, the adventurous Irish Princess Maeve has left her home in Connacht. She feels being away from her father, King Eochu, will allow her the independence she craves.

Maeve is the fourth of three longtime fosterlings in the home of a highborn family, headed by Lord Artegal and Lady Lussaire. As is the custom, the fosterlings will be educated as ladies. Although the first morning brings playful pranks, Mauve soon finds some of the other maidens-in-training can be cruel and underhanded.

Although her heart belongs to Ordon, the druid-in-training readers met in the first novel, Maeve's attentions are being sought by Kian, her host's son, and by Concobar, the son of her father's rival. She bonds with Kian who teaches her to sword fight and use a slingshot, not exactly training for a maiden, but Maeve finds it more satisfying.

In this series set in first century Ireland, Maeve is a strong heroine who makes her own life decisions, no matter where they lead. Although Deception's Pawn stands alone, loose ends from Deception's Princess are still being cleared up so I'd advise reading these books in order. The two volumes are part of Esther Friesner's Princesses of Myth stories, which include tales from other parts of the world.

Review first appeared on www.bookloons.com

[Olivia Majors · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the first book was amazing, the second book was awesome!

It took me at least 30 pages into the story to get occupied into the new shift of the plot-line but I enjoyed every minute afterwards. The passion, the fire, the anger, the resentment, the struggle was heart-rending to read about as the fiery Irish princess struggles to make her way in a world that has been shattered by her father. I also enjoyed the tiny hint of romance thrown in between her and the young Celtic king-to-be. It was kind of funny to see the brash young woman faced with an equally brash young man.

I would recommend this book to any young-adult looking for a light-hearted read sporting a strong female character with a hint of Celtic myth, legend, and history.

[Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars for one reason it only, the ending was a flop. The whole book you’re just waiting for her and Odran to meet each other because it’s obvious they’re perfect together. Then at the end he just leaves her and she gets part of a kingdom, this would have been ok if she had been hoping for that but it was just so random. However, the rest of the book was great, with just the right amount of suspense and drama.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read through most of Esther Friesner's Princesses of Myth series (Except for Sphynx Queen, Spirit's Princess and Spirit's Chosen) and Deception's Princess and Deception's Pawn have to be my favorite. I really enjoyed the story with these two books and love the Ireland backdrop. I also enjoyed the main character Maeve. It was definitely worth the read.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending kind of ruined the book for me.

[Kelsey Ketch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Rose Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn’t as interesting

[iris and her library]

DNF at 32%

It just felt like an unnecessary sequel and literally nothing happened in the first third of the book.

[Alice Bailey]

Partway through, skipped to the end because lost interest