Perfect for those of us who watched Shadow and Bone and wished Alina and the Darkling ended up together. The readers who want to have infinite power and a throne with a morally gray man who is tall, bronzed and emotionally chaotic. Step into the realms of The Kingdom of Smoke and Mirrors. A spicy enemies-to-lovers with he falls first in a dark fantasy setting with magic, dragons and violence.
Can Anahi save her people without condemning her own soul?
Anahi was just a normal girl with a touch of amnesia. Only she didn't know she was missing vital information about who and what she was until the tall, mysterious new boy, Ezra sneaks her away into the realm of Kvenland.
After her powers and status as Kerjara was restored, Anahi has a run in with the rival Prince of Vozar. Her sworn enemy since it was his fathers fault she lost her memories.
But as tension grows not only between the Prince and Anahi but across the realm, she reluctantly concedes that there's...something more to the gray eyed Prince. Something she yearns for.
Now on the brink of war, Princess Anahi has to decide what she's willing to risk in order to fulfill her oath to the land and the gods that granted her life and save her kingdom.
I was able to read this book as an ARC and I absolutely loved it! The pacing was amazing, the characters are so much fun and relatable. The friendship that’s are built in this book and the relationship with family is all just such a delight to read.
I really enjoyed the world that it takes place in and I truly wish that I could go there for real and experience the world. You truly have to read it to really understand just how enjoyable the world is written and how much the characters are to meet.
I won’t spoil anything but you will definitely be debating in your head over who’s the best male character! The princess is stronger willed and given the choice to either stay and fight for her new found kingdom and people or go into hiding for safely. What will see pick?
Spoiler section so you’ve been warned
The love I have for keillan and the way he loves is almost unrivaled amongst book boys! He is such a fun character to read and you can truly just feel his love for ana as you read, but is he the right one for her you have to read to find that out!
This book has me sitting on my hands in anticipation to find out what happens next. I love the beautiful artwork on the cover and inside the book as well that matched the fierceness of the story. I enjoyed the world building and the main character, Anahi who has lost her memories aids the world building as she asks questions about how this new magical land called Kvenland works and what it holds within.
Anahi returns to a fragile peace. One that has been disrupted and could easily be disrupted again. Finding out she is more than just a senior in high school should be a dream right? That is until she realizes the weight of what being a princess over a kingdom means. Anahi tries to navigate this high fantasy world, but finds herself tangled in a mess of who she can trust. Is it Prince Kiellan— the sarcastic man who’s parents betrayed Anahi’s? Or Ezra— a man that is her royal guard that lost his parents when they fought to protect Anahi?
Tropes/vibes: 💜 touch her and ☠️ 💜 betrayal 💜 who can you trust? 💜 paranormal creatures 💜 high fantasy 💜 Lost princess 💜 banter 💜 bada$$ FMC 💜 enemies to lovers
Favorite quotes: “If you want me to burn the world to ashes, I will do it.” “I thought I lost you before I even had you.” “The time has come to fight for our kingdom. We seek not the glory of men, but the glory of a warrior’s death.”
Also I’m rooting for the Kiellan ship. I know it’s just book one and knowing there’s a lot of things up in the air, but I just love him — go ahead call me toxic 🤣
I received a PR package and a ARC copy of The Crowned Daughter by Dakota Brimage and these are my honest opinions.
This book deserves more hype! I was hooked from the very first page. The author does as excellent job of holding your attention throughout the whole book. I met her at a fantasy book festival, she was so nice and welcoming. The book had beautiful sprayed edges, just ordered the second book and can’t wait for it to come in!
I am a huge fantasy lover so when I came across this series, I knew it was for me! Ana was really dealt a shitty hand with all the back to back chaos that occurs but, she is learning where her strength lies and I have faith in her! This story is just sooo good! Oh, and the love interest is DELICIOUS! I am so excited to read book 2 to find out what happens next!
This book had me at, "if you want me to burn the world to ashes, I will do it."!
This book follows a strong-willed princess (we love a bada$$ FMC) who has to get through politics and confront her own fears. The characters are likable, and there's good relationship-building (hello Killian!). There is a little bit of spice. "Sweetheart, we have a problem if you can't tell when a man wants to f*ck you by now."
I enjoyed this book. The storyline was good! Ana is a badass & I am looking forward to the next book and seeing her come into her power. I would have probably given 4 stars... But this book needs some serious editing. There were a lot of mistakes in wording....like a lot. It became distracting at times. The way the characters speak to one another is kind of jumbled and makes it hard to decipher who is saying the words.
3.5 Stars! I really liked the storyline of this book! The main female character is a badass who has to go through a lot of change very quickly. A lot of loss. We love Kiellan; “Sweetheart, we have a problem if you can’t tell when a man wants to fuck you by now.” There’s a little but of spice even!
The only problem I hand with this book, and the only reason it didn’t get four stars, is because it really needs some editing. I have a hard time reading books that have typos and grammar errors, and this one is in need of some corrections. Other than that, it was a great read, and once I was able to get past the errors, I really enjoyed the storyline. I’m looking forward to all of the potential that book two, has to offer!
All I can say is WOW!!! 🤩 From the beginning this book hooked me right in and I couldn’t put it down! There is never a “dry spell” there’s always action and something happening which I love in a book! And there’s just enough romance and spice to keep you wanting more! 10/10 would recommend to everyone!
I bought this book off her TikTok shop after she re-edited and everything. And omg it’s amazing! I fell in love with Prince Kiellan he’s sarcastic flirty comments send me spiraling! I can’t wait for the second book to come out and see more of the witty banter!
This was 3.5 stars for me. The storyline was good. I love the concept of it. But it needs major editing done. There are bits of repetition and other parts that needed more to it. I loved the characters though. And I do want to read the next one whenever the author releases it. I want to see what happens next. She had some really great parts in it to want me to keep reading it. It was still a pretty easy read even with the parts that needed more and the repetitive parts.
This was a really good book. I loved the storyline and its main characters. Kiellan is probably my favorite character in this book definitely hoping to find out more about him in the next book. And I hope to see Anahi grow even more. This book definitely leaves me with some questions. The ending has me wanting book two right away.
Absolutely flawless. I kept getting distracted when I initially started this, but once I sat down and actually worked on reading it, I was sucked in and couldn't put it down! There is so much tension and drama, and so many plot twists your head will be spinning the entire time. It's raw, emotional, sexy, and gut wrenching. Any fan of romantasy needs to add this to their TBR.
I was lucky enough to receive an Arc of this amazing book even though my email made me miss the first email lol. Im a fantasy girlie through and through and let me tell you this book did not disappoint. One thing im not usually a huge fan of is two potential love interests ( Ezra and Kiellan) , but Dakota wrote it in such a way that kept me on my toes and kept me reading. I know im getting ahead of myself but whew the last chapter had some spice and ugh it made me swoon. Im team Kiellan all the way. Now lets talk about our main girl, Anahi, she has be througggggh it. All I want after finishing this book is for my poor baby to be happy, preferably with kiellan lol. Another thing Dakota did stunningly is she really knows how to draw you in as a reader. The very first line is " It wasn't her intention to start a war" like who wouldn't want to read the book after that? Im now impaitently waiting to see how Anahi's story unfolds. A big trope in this book is enemies to lovers which again is a huge plus and lastly there was just the right amount of spice and I feel like overall the book was very plot driven so the spice only added to the story instead of taking away from it.
This was a really great introduction to the series! I listened to the audiobook for this book and the narrators absolutely crushed it! Their performances really brought the story to life in a way that made me enjoy it even more than if I had just read it myself. The world building was super solid too, and there’s dragons!! That talk!😏 I'm really excited to see where the story goes in the next book and how the characters continue to develop. Anahi’s personal growth throughout the book was probably my favorite part. There's just something so compelling about a headstrong FMC that doesn’t take no for an answer! And Killian's little sarcastic comments were an absolute delight to hear🤭 I'd definitely recommend checking out the audiobook version if you get the chance. The narrators really take the experience to the next level! Can't wait to dive into the second book, and fingers crossed it gets the same awesome audio treatment🤗
I was completely hooked from the get-go. Ana's complex character, filled with darkness yet grappling with her inner turmoil, made for a captivating read. Her journey through such tumultuous times left me both intrigued and sympathetic. I'm a bit scared for her, honestly.
As for Ezra, he started off charming but quickly became annoying. However, Kiellan? He stole the show with his intense, sarcastic demeanor. He's simply everything—a character that left me eager to uncover more about him.
Looking ahead to the second book, I can't help but wonder how both Kiellan and Ana will change. The anticipation of their evolution adds an extra layer of excitement to the story, leaving me eagerly anticipating what lies ahead.
Fave quote: "Next time I get my hands on you - I won't ever let you go".
Thank you, Dakota, for letting me read and review your books! This was a 3.5 for me, and I really enjoyed the plot of this book. Ana is a likable character, she is going through so much turmoil and having to adjust to her major new roles, but handles it with a sharp head on her shoulders. For me, there are a few events that seemed very important that were not delved into deeply, while some of the other conversations or thoughts could have been wrapped up quicker to make space in the story for the more dramatic lines happening. This is a great debut, and I will read book two to learn more of what happens to Ana!
I absolutely ADORED Jacci Prior and Brandon Francis' performances!!! They carried this story wonderfully, and I adored all the voices that they gave the characters, especially the voices given to the male characters! Very distinct, and it was fun to listen to the banter between two people!
As for the story... I think all of the bones are there! It just needed more fleshing out. Several big events happen that I think would require time to sit and think and the FMC just flounces along. It's like emotional moments aren't given the time and reflection necessary, which is a shame because this had an intriguing premise! It felt rushed, and I almost think that if things had been fleshed out a little bit more, that the way this book ended could've been moved to book two. It was relatively short, so for everything to have happened is a lot.
That being said, I will be eager to hear the story continue in the next audio!
I think this story has the potential to be really good. It really really needs to be edited. Some things just didn't make sense. Sometimes it felt like I was reading one version and then a revision in the same paragraph but they forgot to delete one of them. There were also things that really needed to be more fleshed out that were passing thoughts when they were a big deal.
(3.5 Star) The only problem I have with this book, and the only reason it didn’t get four stars, is because it needs some editing. I have a hard time reading books that have typos and grammar errors, and this one needs some corrections. Other than that, it was a great read, and once I could get past the errors, I enjoyed the storyline. I’m looking forward to all of the potential that the next book has to offer!
The Crowned Daughter had so much potential. The story line was absolutely great and has me wanting more. Unfortunately there was a lot to be desired as far as editing goes with this one. I'm not talking about grammar errors, more situations where I'm reading then all of a sudden I'm not 100% sure what I just read. So I'd go back and read it again and it still was difficult to see what was happening. I really think that with better editing this could have been a much higher rated book.
This book was a pleasant comfort read with some twists and turns. Killian is such a cheeky man and knows what he wants. Anahi is so prepared and motivated with whatever is thrown her way.
This was a quick read with some predictable plots, but all in all, was still a nice read and will most likely read book 2.
the world building, the plot, the romance! EVERYTHING!
The author rewrote and added brand new things to the book, and it is amazing. I read both versions-- the first version and second, I didn't think that it could get any better and it did!
I'm also super glad that I was chosen to be on the ARC team for the sequel, and It's amazing!
This book was such a great read and is perfect for anyone looking for an introduction to dark fantasy/romance. I really enjoyed how Ana was constantly growing as a character and how headstrong she is. I’m looking forward to reading book 2 and seeing what path Ana goes on. Also, really excited for more Prince Kiellan content 😍
This spicy fantasy has a lot of potential, but it desperately needs another editing pass. The characters definitely carry the story, though. The princess is spunky, not a timid wallflower, and she doesn't shirk from danger. I think I would have liked more from her and the dragon's relationship than her and the love interest!
This is very much young adult. So to the reviewers that stated this “was a spicy read!” Are completely lying and I wouldn’t trust any of their reviews. The Fc is in high school. Which is just gross for a book trying, but failing, to disguise itself as an adult book. It just screams emotional teenager.
Just read this... It's awesome. It's a shifter novel that doesn't focus on the shifter or magic, but integrates it so it feels like it's a natural part of the living world. The writer took her time and it shows. Anahi is special and I'm excited to finish the second book.
Really good book and kept interest. Anahi is a well thought out character. I do not like the time jumps with minimal explanation. Book one is over almost a year i think based on all the movement but it is not clear.