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A Pyradisté Adventure #3
A Kingdom Lost
Princess Katya Nar Umbriel has little left to lose. Her uncle Roland took her home, scattered her family, and forced her to abandon Starbride, her dearest love. Slim hopes and righteous anger carry Katya into Starbride's homeland to raise an army and take back all that was stolen from her.
Starbride never dreamed she’d lead a pack of foreign rebels against a Fiendish usurper. She holds the capital city out of love, denying any rumor of Katya’s death. As the two strive toward each other, Roland dogs their every step, loosing Fiend-filled corpses on Katya’s army and hypnotizing the capital’s citizens into hunting Starbride down. If they ever meet again, it’ll be over his dead body.
Starbride never dreamed she’d lead a pack of foreign rebels against a Fiendish usurper. She holds the capital city out of love, denying any rumor of Katya’s death. As the two strive toward each other, Roland dogs their every step, loosing Fiend-filled corpses on Katya’s army and hypnotizing the capital’s citizens into hunting Starbride down. If they ever meet again, it’ll be over his dead body.
264 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2014
8 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Ann Wright
24 books195 followersBarbara Ann Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories when not adding to her enormous book collection or ranting on her blog. Her short fiction has appeared twice in Crossed Genres Magazine and once made Tangent Online's recommended reading list. Her first novel, The Pyramid Waltz, was one of Tor.com's Reviewer's Choice books of 2012 and was a 2012 Foreword Review Book of the Year Award Finalist as well as a Golden Crown Award finalist. It won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best Lesbian Fantasy and made BookRiot's 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels By Female Authors. She's won five Rainbow Awards total, and Coils was a finalist in the 2017 Lambda Awards.
Her writing career can be boiled down to two points: when her mother bought her a typewriter in the sixth grade and when she took second place in the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing in 2004. One gave her the means to write and the other gave her the confidence to keep going. Believing in oneself, in her opinion, is the most important thing a person can do.
Visit her Bold Strokes page for more information.
Her writing career can be boiled down to two points: when her mother bought her a typewriter in the sixth grade and when she took second place in the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing in 2004. One gave her the means to write and the other gave her the confidence to keep going. Believing in oneself, in her opinion, is the most important thing a person can do.
Visit her Bold Strokes page for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 23, 2017
It just keeps getting better...
Im glad the series is finished or else i would go nuts waiting for the next installment. There is a lot more in this book...more fighting, more trickery, more hearache, just plain more!
Im glad the series is finished or else i would go nuts waiting for the next installment. There is a lot more in this book...more fighting, more trickery, more hearache, just plain more!
December 2, 2014
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Fuck cliffhangers.
The fact that I'm angry means that the story is very good. I did not imagine when I finished The Pyramid Waltz that the story would go from a sweet fantasy romance with a villain thrown in would turn into a saga of bloodshed, death and near total war. Like For Want of a Fiend, this is quite the pageturner.
There's always a risk when the story becomes a bit disjointed. That was my only gripe with The Eternal Autumn as well.
I really liked the way morality slips into the story where magic is concerned, although it has a bit of "the force" vibe to it.
All in all, I liked it very much.
But fuck cliffhangers.
The fact that I'm angry means that the story is very good. I did not imagine when I finished The Pyramid Waltz that the story would go from a sweet fantasy romance with a villain thrown in would turn into a saga of bloodshed, death and near total war. Like For Want of a Fiend, this is quite the pageturner.
There's always a risk when the story becomes a bit disjointed. That was my only gripe with The Eternal Autumn as well.
I really liked the way morality slips into the story where magic is concerned, although it has a bit of "the force" vibe to it.
All in all, I liked it very much.
But fuck cliffhangers.
March 10, 2020
Action-packed and ends in a cliff-hanger. Plan to pick-up the next book in the series immediately.
November 6, 2014
With Starbride and Katya separated most of the book, we get to see some awesome character development, where Starbride learns to take a position of power, and expands on her skills while standing on her own, and Katya must continue her gruesome fights, while learning about the culture next door. I really enjoyed the introduction of more Allusian characters, some of which I enjoyed grumbling at under my voice *grumbleRedtruegrumble* And because the lovers were fighting their own separate battles for so long, the lovey-dovey, when it came, was like a sigh of relief.
So many of Wright's chapters end with that damn last page- you know the one- where you MUST go to bed and get at least 4 hours of sleep, but you just want to read ONE MORE CHAPTER. That is exactly how this book ends. It feels like you should be turning the page and continuing onto the huge end of book battle, only, IT'S GOING TO BE THE ENTIRE NEXT BOOK. Which, because of the MUST-READ-ONE-MORE-CHAPTER, is sure to be awesome. Can't wait to read on!
So many of Wright's chapters end with that damn last page- you know the one- where you MUST go to bed and get at least 4 hours of sleep, but you just want to read ONE MORE CHAPTER. That is exactly how this book ends. It feels like you should be turning the page and continuing onto the huge end of book battle, only, IT'S GOING TO BE THE ENTIRE NEXT BOOK. Which, because of the MUST-READ-ONE-MORE-CHAPTER, is sure to be awesome. Can't wait to read on!
May 21, 2014
Barbara Ann Wright has risen to the top three of my favorite author's list. She write genuinely *well*. Her world is interesting, her characters engaging and solid, but really what keeps me coming back for more is that she's actually a good author. She has me so hooked, I don't care what she writes next. I'll read it. I can't wait for book 4 of this series. I hope she has many books to come!
She gets to join Patrick Rothfuss on my list of "If that author wrote it, I'll read it!"
She gets to join Patrick Rothfuss on my list of "If that author wrote it, I'll read it!"
April 17, 2014
Loved the third installment in the series! Wright displays the same talent for writing fight scenes, describing characters, and developing the plot that we've come to expect from the other books in this series. I love/hate cliffhangers, but suffice it to say I can't wait for the next book!
May 27, 2014
Barbara Ann Wright is a wonderful and talented author. She makes you crave her next book. Her writing, plot, and characters are great. A Kingdom Lost is the third book in her lesbian fantasy series and I wish the next one was already out.
January 22, 2015
With every book, Wright's world gets bigger and more exciting. The impossible is happening and everything is crumbling around the characters' ears. Everything that could go wrong does so: far more than any book should allow! I raced to the end of this truly 5-star book and was left panting for the next, and final, installment: The Fiend Queen.
February 20, 2016
I very much like these books, I just don't like the very, very, abrupt, cliffhanger endings. It cheapens the writing somehow. I like them enough to pick up the next one, don't cut me off in the middle of the action.
January 26, 2015
Another clever and entertaining page-turner. Brilliant premise, engaging characters, inventive plot twists -- I can't wait for the next volume in the series.
November 23, 2020
I'm giving this 5 stars because it ends up being quite the ride and I am very glad I have the last book in the series bought already! There were a few spots where I felt the pace lagged a little, but I think that is mostly because Katya and Starbride were separated for the majority of the novel. Each chapter does go back and forth between them and they are able to communicate via a third party at some point, but the immediacy of their chemistry was dulled. Still, the action, adventure and intrigue drags the reader in and pulls them along. This is an excelled lesfic fantasy series with 3D characters and is packed full of world building, tension, and adventure. Highly recommend.
April 29, 2015
Tercer libro de la serie "Katya & Starbride" y no decepciona, para nada. Estando ambas protagonistas separadas, por los acontecimientos del libro anterior, conocemos un nuevo lado de Star (tercer libro y me siento cercana a ellas, así que puedo usar el nombre íntimo o.ó), pues se ve en la posición de tomar el liderazgo, a pesar de sentirse más cómoda siguiendo a alguien más.
En algunos momentos sentí que la trama avanzaba lentamente, pero se mantuvo siempre interesante, bien desarrollada y con suficiente acción tanto del lado de Katya, como del de Starbride. Lo que me ha gustado de esta serie es que me ha sorprendido, no resultó ser para nada lo que esperaba cuando empecé a leer el primer libro y me alegra mucho. El mundo es interesante, los personajes están muy bien desarrollados, tiene suficiente romance, comedia, acción y suspense y una historia que empieza a desarrollarse realmente a partir del segundo libro. Y el que las protagonistas y amantes sean ambas mujeres no es realmente relevante, sólo forma parte de ellas, otro aspecto que me encanta.
¡En fin! En cuanto a lo negativo, o lo que menos me gustó, sí debo reconocer que cierto elemento ("Dream Walk") me desesperó un poco y no pude disfrutar porque sentí que estaba fuera de lugar... Estoy a favor de momentos "ligeros" y románticos entre tanta sangre y desesperación, pero siempre que estén bien posicionados dentro de la trama y es que... . Pero afortunadamente para mí, esto que cuento dura muy poco.
Y... cliffhanger... ¡nuevamente! No es que me parezca mal, pero es que acaba de manera brusca. Sin embargo, no lo tomo tanto en cuenta porque ya a estas alturas se han publicado todos los libros, y es que no imagino verme forzada a esperar todo un año después de un final así.
Y... ¡Yay, Condesa Nadia! No sé por qué, pero es uno de mis personajes secundarios, y ella casi ni aparece, favoritos. :3 Otros son Pennynail y Castelle.
Citas:
“Words are water,” Redtrue said, “only as firm as the container that holds them.”
En algunos momentos sentí que la trama avanzaba lentamente, pero se mantuvo siempre interesante, bien desarrollada y con suficiente acción tanto del lado de Katya, como del de Starbride. Lo que me ha gustado de esta serie es que me ha sorprendido, no resultó ser para nada lo que esperaba cuando empecé a leer el primer libro y me alegra mucho. El mundo es interesante, los personajes están muy bien desarrollados, tiene suficiente romance, comedia, acción y suspense y una historia que empieza a desarrollarse realmente a partir del segundo libro. Y el que las protagonistas y amantes sean ambas mujeres no es realmente relevante, sólo forma parte de ellas, otro aspecto que me encanta.
¡En fin! En cuanto a lo negativo, o lo que menos me gustó, sí debo reconocer que cierto elemento ("Dream Walk") me desesperó un poco y no pude disfrutar porque sentí que estaba fuera de lugar... Estoy a favor de momentos "ligeros" y románticos entre tanta sangre y desesperación, pero siempre que estén bien posicionados dentro de la trama y es que... . Pero afortunadamente para mí, esto que cuento dura muy poco.
Y... cliffhanger... ¡nuevamente! No es que me parezca mal, pero es que acaba de manera brusca. Sin embargo, no lo tomo tanto en cuenta porque ya a estas alturas se han publicado todos los libros, y es que no imagino verme forzada a esperar todo un año después de un final así.
Y... ¡Yay, Condesa Nadia! No sé por qué, pero es uno de mis personajes secundarios, y ella casi ni aparece, favoritos. :3 Otros son Pennynail y Castelle.
Citas:
“Words are water,” Redtrue said, “only as firm as the container that holds them.”
June 10, 2014
Been waiting for this book to come out since last year when I read the first 2 instalments back-to-back. The first book (The Pyramid Waltz) completely blew me away, and I fell in love with the characters and a refreshing world where nobody cared if someone fancied a person of the same sex.
So as soon as I realised this book was available, I got it right away and dove straight in. Given the time lapse between the 2nd book and this one (~ 1 year!), I would have appreciated a bit more of a refresher on the rules of this world (my memory isn't what it used to be), and some of the backstory on the characters as well. This could be the author's way of encouraging us to reread the previous books before embarking on this one, but it made me feel a little alienated, and that affected my enjoyment of the book.
Would have given this 4 stars otherwise.
So as soon as I realised this book was available, I got it right away and dove straight in. Given the time lapse between the 2nd book and this one (~ 1 year!), I would have appreciated a bit more of a refresher on the rules of this world (my memory isn't what it used to be), and some of the backstory on the characters as well. This could be the author's way of encouraging us to reread the previous books before embarking on this one, but it made me feel a little alienated, and that affected my enjoyment of the book.
Would have given this 4 stars otherwise.
April 28, 2022
This series continues to be really good; the plot was engaging, the characters and their relationships entertaining, but also touching and getting to see Allusia and learn more about the adsnazi was fascinating. Starbride really grew in this book, becoming a leader when there was no one else fit for the job and she really impressed me with how determined and resourceful she could be. Katya's part of the story was a little more funny, especially the antics between Castelle and Redtrue. The ending was a cliffhanger, as all the others in this series have been so I'm really glad that I already bought the final book, which I'm going to read as soon as my TBR pile will allow me😂.
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March 22, 2020fucking cliffhanger
May 14, 2016
When it comes to the things I enjoyed in this book I can just repeat what I already said about the first two in the series: I love the characters, I love the dynamics between Katya and Starbride, and the dynamics between them and the side-characters in general. Also taking about character dynamics and relationships: I love how there are characters that are good guys but that don't (always) get along that well with the main characters. They're not arrogant jerks who have to be endured because they are very good at what they do. They just have very different ideas from the others and so they're sometimes difficult to be around. Though in the case of Redtrue and the other adsnazi I quickly got tired and exhausted of their views. Towards the end, I found it easier to see their point of view but I still would have wished for less stubbornness on their part. I'm not saying I expected any of them to agree completely with Katya but someone showing some doubts would have been nice. Instead, everybody held to their opinion without moving an inch.
Another thing I enjoyed: while the book can't be considered a 'clean read' it's not because of any extremely explicit sex scenes but because it's a society that's not ashamed of sex and talks openly about it (and loves dirty jokes so much, something they share with me). I'm not a big fan of explicit sex scenes. Even if I love the author's writing style there's a high chance I'll just skim over the sex scenes. But a good dirty joke? Give it to me! Lots of them? Even better!
Like in the second book, the plot took a lot of surprising turns and I went 'WHAT?' more than once. And while I found the 'mirroring' of storylines a bit odd (Katya and Starbride were apart and dealing with very different things but yet seemed to have success and misfortune always happening at the same time) I didn't have the problem with it being a bit too fast-paced, as with the last book.
So: perfect book, five stars? Alas, no. And the ending is to blame for that. I don't mind cliffhanger endings but there should at least be a momentary conclusion with the big questions still left open. There was no conclusion of anything. It just stopped. Literally mid-battle. There wasn't even a solution to anything in sight and that is rather frustrating.
(And now I have to read the next book soon...)
ARC received from NetGalley
Another thing I enjoyed: while the book can't be considered a 'clean read' it's not because of any extremely explicit sex scenes but because it's a society that's not ashamed of sex and talks openly about it (and loves dirty jokes so much, something they share with me). I'm not a big fan of explicit sex scenes. Even if I love the author's writing style there's a high chance I'll just skim over the sex scenes. But a good dirty joke? Give it to me! Lots of them? Even better!
Like in the second book, the plot took a lot of surprising turns and I went 'WHAT?' more than once. And while I found the 'mirroring' of storylines a bit odd (Katya and Starbride were apart and dealing with very different things but yet seemed to have success and misfortune always happening at the same time) I didn't have the problem with it being a bit too fast-paced, as with the last book.
So: perfect book, five stars? Alas, no. And the ending is to blame for that. I don't mind cliffhanger endings but there should at least be a momentary conclusion with the big questions still left open. There was no conclusion of anything. It just stopped. Literally mid-battle. There wasn't even a solution to anything in sight and that is rather frustrating.
(And now I have to read the next book soon...)
ARC received from NetGalley
May 22, 2014
FINALLY!!
Setelah dua seri pertama yang 'biasa' saja (sebenarnya, buku pertama bagus di paruh awal. tapi paruh akhirnya benar-benar bikin gubraks), akhirnya plot jadi mulai terasa bagus pacingnya!!!
Sooo long...
Well...
Intinya, ini adalah kisah fantas (lesyay), dimana seorang gadis negara asing yang kerap dianggap remeh karena terpencil, kemudian menjalin cinta dengan putri sebuah kerajaan besar (lesyay, oke?). Sialnya, persis setelah peresmian hubungan mereka, terjadi kekacauan yang ditimbulkan oleh paman dari Katya (sang putri) yang sudah lama tewas tapi bangkit kembali dengan kekuatan makhluk yang selama berabad-abad menjadi kekuatan rahasia kerajaan; Fiend.
Buku satu - terlepas kurang memuaskan endingnya, cukup memuaskan.
Buku kedua, penuh masalah dan karakter yang minta ditonjok. Salah satunya, kakak laki-laki Katya yang jadi amat sangat brengsek, dan bahkan bikin afair sama salah satu baron (hoyay di novel lesyay? oh yay!!). Dan ENDINGNYA!!!
Buku ketiga ini, walau berakhir di bagian yang sangat-sangat cliffhanger, setidaknya sudah ada bayangan lebih jelas tentang akan berakhir seperti apa nantinya kejutan di akhir itu.
Buku keempat, cepatlah rilis...!!!
Setelah dua seri pertama yang 'biasa' saja (sebenarnya, buku pertama bagus di paruh awal. tapi paruh akhirnya benar-benar bikin gubraks), akhirnya plot jadi mulai terasa bagus pacingnya!!!
Sooo long...
Well...
Intinya, ini adalah kisah fantas (lesyay), dimana seorang gadis negara asing yang kerap dianggap remeh karena terpencil, kemudian menjalin cinta dengan putri sebuah kerajaan besar (lesyay, oke?). Sialnya, persis setelah peresmian hubungan mereka, terjadi kekacauan yang ditimbulkan oleh paman dari Katya (sang putri) yang sudah lama tewas tapi bangkit kembali dengan kekuatan makhluk yang selama berabad-abad menjadi kekuatan rahasia kerajaan; Fiend.
Buku satu - terlepas kurang memuaskan endingnya, cukup memuaskan.
Buku kedua, penuh masalah dan karakter yang minta ditonjok. Salah satunya, kakak laki-laki Katya yang jadi amat sangat brengsek, dan bahkan bikin afair sama salah satu baron (hoyay di novel lesyay? oh yay!!). Dan ENDINGNYA!!!
Buku ketiga ini, walau berakhir di bagian yang sangat-sangat cliffhanger, setidaknya sudah ada bayangan lebih jelas tentang akan berakhir seperti apa nantinya kejutan di akhir itu.
Buku keempat, cepatlah rilis...!!!
December 18, 2015
I was going to give this five stars until the very end. I liked it as much as the first one! Watching Starbride lead a rebellion was a lot of fun, and I'm glad we finally got to see Allusia and the world outside Marienne. I'm also really happy that they appear to have rescued Maia (though after Averie's false hope I'll wait until the next book to be confidant about that!).
Honestly, the only thing I didn't like was that the book ends very abruptly. It's not even a cliffhanger; it just stops right in the middle of an action scene. That's not how you end a book! I know that there's one more book, which I'm assuming will pick up right where this one left off, but really now, the ending is very sloppy. Not enough to ruin the book; I still enjoyed it! But enough to make me drop its rating from five stars down to four.
Honestly, the only thing I didn't like was that the book ends very abruptly. It's not even a cliffhanger; it just stops right in the middle of an action scene. That's not how you end a book! I know that there's one more book, which I'm assuming will pick up right where this one left off, but really now, the ending is very sloppy. Not enough to ruin the book; I still enjoyed it! But enough to make me drop its rating from five stars down to four.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2025
Even into book three I'm still enjoying this series. Mostly. The romance aspect is pretty much over/settled, although angst has crept back in now that Katya and Starbride are separated by war. The political intrigue in the kingdom continues to be interesting! Now other characters are getting hooked up, sort of, but it's not central to the plot. The whole communicating through dreams things is a bit cheesy but, not too terribly so. I'm still in for book four!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2015
Revolutionary activities and distant love bring a fresh change to the story line. Some interesting characters/couples were introduced. I fell in love with Starbride along the book's course; she has shown much individuality, bravery and maturity during their time apart.
P/s: Mind sex is awesome!
P/s: Mind sex is awesome!
February 1, 2016
Yes, I read this one too, and I was FURIOUS when I realized that it wasn't a trilogy and there was another one! Come on, lady! So much buildup and drama, literal cliffhanger, and I had to go find the FOURTH just to finish the story. This one had long distance magic mind sex in it.
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April 18, 2016oh come on, now, this book didn't even have an ending! might has well have stopped mid-sentence on a ...
sloppy. though the magic equivalent of medium-enabled cybersex was kind of amusing to contemplate.
sloppy. though the magic equivalent of medium-enabled cybersex was kind of amusing to contemplate.
October 7, 2014
was a decent light read although the ending of the book was irritating as it ends in the middle of a scene, which strikes me as a cheapish way to end a book.
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews