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The Frey Saga #2
Pieces of Eight
After revealing a dark past, Frey is forced to join with a group of strangers whose pasts seem to intertwine with her own. She struggles to regain her memories, her full power, only to find there is more danger on the other side. And now, there is no turning back.
ebook
First published July 26, 2011
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About the author
Melissa Wright
57 books1,526 followersMelissa is the author of more than a dozen YA and fantasy novels including The Frey Saga and Between Ink and Shadows. When not writing she can generally be found talking with an author friend about a book, painting something from a book, or tucked between headphones listening to a book. It’s kind of a theme. She loves reasonable heroines in unreasonable situations, noble--if brooding--heroes, slow burn and sweet kisses, a lot of havoc, and a little magic. Stay updated on works in progress at Instagram. Contact her through the web at www.melissa-wright.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
November 16, 2011
The sequel to Frey was an amazing read. The characters were brilliant! My particular favorite is chevelle, our male hero. He was perfect. Mysterious, hard to reach but who seemed willing to sacrifice everything, who was willing to stick with Frey no matter the pain to himself. His sacrifice was enough to make you forgive him for his surliness and his stand-offishness.
Spoiler alert:
The only issue I had with the sequel was the aggrivation you feel for Frey because she is continually kept in the dark, mainly because when something big is revealed to her she "shuts down" and blacks out for periods of time. But, even this begins to lend to the story. At first, I couldn't help but wonder if Frey is weak and even asked myself why anyone would risk their life for a weak ruler.
But then you begin to see the brilliance in this strategy. In my opinion, Frey blacks out, not because she is weak but because she is bound. And the fact that she survives this binding without going insane (unlike her aunt) shows she is stronger than any of the other characters and no matter how frustrating it is to see her kept in the dark, it's important to the story. No one wants to overwhelm her and risk damaging the leader they know she is.
This also makes the love story incredibly strong. While reading, I kept yelling at chevelle, "why don't you tell her the truth about your past together!!!????" But then it hit me:
1. He is falling in love with this other side of Frey, the frail side.
And
2. Who wants to tell someone "hey, just so you know, you're in love with me." He wants her to discover that on her own.
In the end, this deepens their love beyond the extraordinary.
1. Because he stayed beside the new Frey and protected her
And
2. He was able to love the person she would become when she recovered her memories. How beautiful is that?
Everything she went through made her a more rounded person, eliminating prejudices and making her a better ruler, and it allowed her to fall in love twice with a man who ended up with a better woman.
I love this book. I hope this isn't the end of chevelle and frey's story. I am now invested in their lives.
Melissa Wright is an example of why Indie books, while some can be poorly written, can be an extraordinary work of art for the right kind of writer. What I especially love is that this book was great even without the luxury of an editor. Publishers, where are you? :)
Spoiler alert:
The only issue I had with the sequel was the aggrivation you feel for Frey because she is continually kept in the dark, mainly because when something big is revealed to her she "shuts down" and blacks out for periods of time. But, even this begins to lend to the story. At first, I couldn't help but wonder if Frey is weak and even asked myself why anyone would risk their life for a weak ruler.
But then you begin to see the brilliance in this strategy. In my opinion, Frey blacks out, not because she is weak but because she is bound. And the fact that she survives this binding without going insane (unlike her aunt) shows she is stronger than any of the other characters and no matter how frustrating it is to see her kept in the dark, it's important to the story. No one wants to overwhelm her and risk damaging the leader they know she is.
This also makes the love story incredibly strong. While reading, I kept yelling at chevelle, "why don't you tell her the truth about your past together!!!????" But then it hit me:
1. He is falling in love with this other side of Frey, the frail side.
And
2. Who wants to tell someone "hey, just so you know, you're in love with me." He wants her to discover that on her own.
In the end, this deepens their love beyond the extraordinary.
1. Because he stayed beside the new Frey and protected her
And
2. He was able to love the person she would become when she recovered her memories. How beautiful is that?
Everything she went through made her a more rounded person, eliminating prejudices and making her a better ruler, and it allowed her to fall in love twice with a man who ended up with a better woman.
I love this book. I hope this isn't the end of chevelle and frey's story. I am now invested in their lives.
Melissa Wright is an example of why Indie books, while some can be poorly written, can be an extraordinary work of art for the right kind of writer. What I especially love is that this book was great even without the luxury of an editor. Publishers, where are you? :)
March 27, 2013
This book was better than the first but not by far. I felt like the scenes were redundant, Fray and the others traveling by horse, camping, and Fray blacking out. It was so annoying to constantly be left in the dark about what was going on. At the very end your finally clued in to some of what is going on but your still left with lots of questions.
June 19, 2014
Again with the blackouts and coddling. Wanted to like this series but can't get past the whining about her weaknesses.
May 17, 2012
If you read Frey, you probably wondered (like the rest of us) what exactly was going on with Frey. Why was her magic bound? Who were these ragtag group of elves and half breeds willing to help her? I'm happy to say, with Pieces of Eight we get a lot of information as to how Frey ended up in the state she's in.
As Frey's memory continues to come back in pieces, she's still plagued with blackouts, which also tend to happen after a new revelation about the past is given to her. So as she deals with the blackouts, she also must deal with the fact that pertinent information about what is happening with the Council and her crazy Aunt is being withheld from her.
If dealing with all that weren't enough, Frey also discovers the history between herself and Chevelle. And while that discovery helps her understand the feelings she has for him, it also gives her some insight into the struggles he faces and he comes to grips with the fact that she doesn't remember anything about them.
While a shorter read that Frey, this was more enjoyable because we had more information about what was happening and why and exactly what that meant to Frey. While the ending closed out many of the questions I had from the first book, it does leave it open for the author close out the trilogy with how the Northern lands move forward after the fall out in Pieces of Eight.
As Frey's memory continues to come back in pieces, she's still plagued with blackouts, which also tend to happen after a new revelation about the past is given to her. So as she deals with the blackouts, she also must deal with the fact that pertinent information about what is happening with the Council and her crazy Aunt is being withheld from her.
If dealing with all that weren't enough, Frey also discovers the history between herself and Chevelle. And while that discovery helps her understand the feelings she has for him, it also gives her some insight into the struggles he faces and he comes to grips with the fact that she doesn't remember anything about them.
While a shorter read that Frey, this was more enjoyable because we had more information about what was happening and why and exactly what that meant to Frey. While the ending closed out many of the questions I had from the first book, it does leave it open for the author close out the trilogy with how the Northern lands move forward after the fall out in Pieces of Eight.
March 10, 2025
I enjoyed book 1 so much, I had to immediately read this one. And I was not disappointed! I'm onto book 3 now
June 20, 2012
I had a hard time following what was going on in this story.
It was not clear what the issue's where and characters appeared in the story without any explanation.
I like the first one so I'm hoping the 3rd one is better.
It was not clear what the issue's where and characters appeared in the story without any explanation.
I like the first one so I'm hoping the 3rd one is better.
October 21, 2017
This was ok. Probably better than the first but just as frustrating. There were just so many things that were so vague and a lot of useless traveling and camping and it all seemed like filler, although by the end finally more was revealed.
February 19, 2017
This was a terrible book. Literally half the book was spent wandering pointlessly in the woods before deciding to go back home.
November 19, 2012
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Frey is still an outcast. Struggling to regain memories and being assaulted with blackouts here and there, she can't hope to help in the fight against the council members that bound her.
It felt like nothing happened in this novel for the first 40% or so. They journeyed out, it got too dangerous, and they returned to the castle. Much of this novel's plot is in the character development, and the rediscovery of Frey's memories. The final moments, just as in the first book in this series (see yesterday's post for a review), are the most thrilling.
The quick plot point of Molly seems relevant because of the 'next' book in this series, simply titled 'Molly. It's one of those 2.5 instalments which I've never really had much to do with before. Hopefully it's a good one.
Something I would have liked to see a bit more of would be some foreshadowing. The reader finds things out at the same pace that Frey does, and I would have liked to have a bit more over Frey. The journal is a good thing, but I feel like including that just for the reader in the beginning, then letting Frey find out slowly would have provided more suspense.
The character development of Frey and even Fannie is good. I did like Frey, even if she didn't seem very bright at times. It was slightly frustrating that she didn't want to train. She needed to be able to protect herself! But then again, I'm not sure I would want to train with Ruby either.
The PDF form of this novel was so much better than the one previously. The print was large enough for me to read comfortably and I didn't squint.
I'd recommend this for teens, as I don't think it has enough depth for adults. A decent enough fantasy I suppose. Take it or leave it either way in my opinion.
Frey is still an outcast. Struggling to regain memories and being assaulted with blackouts here and there, she can't hope to help in the fight against the council members that bound her.
It felt like nothing happened in this novel for the first 40% or so. They journeyed out, it got too dangerous, and they returned to the castle. Much of this novel's plot is in the character development, and the rediscovery of Frey's memories. The final moments, just as in the first book in this series (see yesterday's post for a review), are the most thrilling.
The quick plot point of Molly seems relevant because of the 'next' book in this series, simply titled 'Molly. It's one of those 2.5 instalments which I've never really had much to do with before. Hopefully it's a good one.
Something I would have liked to see a bit more of would be some foreshadowing. The reader finds things out at the same pace that Frey does, and I would have liked to have a bit more over Frey. The journal is a good thing, but I feel like including that just for the reader in the beginning, then letting Frey find out slowly would have provided more suspense.
The character development of Frey and even Fannie is good. I did like Frey, even if she didn't seem very bright at times. It was slightly frustrating that she didn't want to train. She needed to be able to protect herself! But then again, I'm not sure I would want to train with Ruby either.
The PDF form of this novel was so much better than the one previously. The print was large enough for me to read comfortably and I didn't squint.
I'd recommend this for teens, as I don't think it has enough depth for adults. A decent enough fantasy I suppose. Take it or leave it either way in my opinion.
July 24, 2013
After reading the second book of this series, I still feel as though the characters are a bit flat. I was hoping they would be fleshed out a bit. I still like the concept of the book. I like that she gradually remembers things through dreams but it's still really frustrating to have so many questions about what is going on, what their goal is, why they are protecting Frey. A got some answers at the very very end of the book but it seemed like too little too late. It's frustrating that any time someone starts to try to explain anything important to Frey, she blacks out.
Also, the climax was a bit anticlimactic.
I am a bit interested to see how everything works out; I'm a bit interested to see what happens next. But not enough to buy the next book.
Also, the climax was a bit anticlimactic.
I am a bit interested to see how everything works out; I'm a bit interested to see what happens next. But not enough to buy the next book.
October 22, 2012
Take all the crazy awesomeness of book 1, toss in lots of answers to all the mystery of book 1, throw in a million more questions, mysteries and unclear motives and you'd begin to understand what you have in Pieces of Eight.
Holy cow, people! I didn't think Melissa Wright could possibly add anymore wonderful intrigue and complexity to Frey's life, and I was so freakin' wrong. Yay for being wrong!!!
To be succinct (yes, a rarity I know), Pieces of Eight is just more: more action, more mystery, more suspicion, and definitely more heated chemistry!
See more of my reviews on my blog, Known to Read.
Holy cow, people! I didn't think Melissa Wright could possibly add anymore wonderful intrigue and complexity to Frey's life, and I was so freakin' wrong. Yay for being wrong!!!
To be succinct (yes, a rarity I know), Pieces of Eight is just more: more action, more mystery, more suspicion, and definitely more heated chemistry!
See more of my reviews on my blog, Known to Read.
October 15, 2015
Pieces of eight, book two
I enjoyed the story line but only gave the book three stars because parts of the story get confusing and seem inconsistent. The main character, Elfreda, is fairly whiny and childish which grows a bit annoying. Despite this, I still enjoyed the story and want to finish the series. Elfreda is undergoing a frustrating and painful experience that will completely change her outlooks. By the end she has learned some hard truths that make everything come more into focus. Overall I am still interested and look forward to reading the next book in the set.
I enjoyed the story line but only gave the book three stars because parts of the story get confusing and seem inconsistent. The main character, Elfreda, is fairly whiny and childish which grows a bit annoying. Despite this, I still enjoyed the story and want to finish the series. Elfreda is undergoing a frustrating and painful experience that will completely change her outlooks. By the end she has learned some hard truths that make everything come more into focus. Overall I am still interested and look forward to reading the next book in the set.
June 4, 2012
This was disappointing. Freya was kept in ignorance through most of the story but when she was told something then she would pass out... Which was probably twice a chapter. I felt that Freya was made a weak character. Aside from passing out and having childish fits she really didn't do anything until the very end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2017
Aweful writing. Flat characters. No real description of setting to visualize. One of those t"sagas" that should have been one book, but was stretched into three. Interesting ideas, but not developed well at all. Wish I could give partial stars. This one reads like the outline/first sketch of a book. Needs a lot more work.
April 15, 2014
Sleepy
The heroine did nothing but sleep in the entire book. The first of this series I enjoyed but this book left me cold. I sure hope the third book is much better.
The heroine did nothing but sleep in the entire book. The first of this series I enjoyed but this book left me cold. I sure hope the third book is much better.
October 8, 2016
Could have been a lot better.
January 7, 2015
Needs to bring the focus back to the action - which was good, where I saw it - and stop the swooning and sulking!
Read
April 22, 2015marginally better than the first book in the series, which was a mess.
March 22, 2023
Pieces of Eight was a slow burner. If you've only made it through the first few chapters and decided it's not worth the read, I recommend picking it back up and finishing the story.
I had really hoped that the first book was almost an opening chapter to Frey's story, which could only get better... believing that questions would be answered, and the bound magic and memories unleashed, and a great story would begin.
However, as with the first novel, the group's continued lack of honesty about Frey's past (which they are obviously all knowledgeable and involved in) frustrated me, as did Frey's childish, spoilt-brat manner.
However, as I said at the start of this review, it turns out that Pieces of Eight was a slow burner. A third of the way through the book, I began to lose hope. It was almost a carbon copy of Frey (Book #1) - a journey, training, reading the diary, and recovering a memory or slice of magic here and there. *Yawn*
Then, Ruby finally started telling a bit of the truth (even if not about the past but about the present), and I felt jubilant. It was short lived, and took a while - and some more memories returning - for more stories and thruths to be told.
As I reached the last few chapters, I finally felt more invested as the action picked up a bit, and puzzle pieces started slotting into place. Then it ended, as if everything that could have been wonderfully explored was stuffed into the last few pages.
Ultimately, I have mixed feelings about this one. Some of it annoyed me, but some of it I really enjoyed, I just wish the excitement I felt as the book drew to a close had captured me from the start as I had expected.
I will be reading Rise of the Seven (Book #3). Maybe I'm a sucker for punishment, but it's free on my library app - so no harm, no foul. I sincerely hope it grips me from the start; or else I may not make it to the end.
I had really hoped that the first book was almost an opening chapter to Frey's story, which could only get better... believing that questions would be answered, and the bound magic and memories unleashed, and a great story would begin.
However, as with the first novel, the group's continued lack of honesty about Frey's past (which they are obviously all knowledgeable and involved in) frustrated me, as did Frey's childish, spoilt-brat manner.
However, as I said at the start of this review, it turns out that Pieces of Eight was a slow burner. A third of the way through the book, I began to lose hope. It was almost a carbon copy of Frey (Book #1) - a journey, training, reading the diary, and recovering a memory or slice of magic here and there. *Yawn*
Then, Ruby finally started telling a bit of the truth (even if not about the past but about the present), and I felt jubilant. It was short lived, and took a while - and some more memories returning - for more stories and thruths to be told.
As I reached the last few chapters, I finally felt more invested as the action picked up a bit, and puzzle pieces started slotting into place. Then it ended, as if everything that could have been wonderfully explored was stuffed into the last few pages.
Ultimately, I have mixed feelings about this one. Some of it annoyed me, but some of it I really enjoyed, I just wish the excitement I felt as the book drew to a close had captured me from the start as I had expected.
I will be reading Rise of the Seven (Book #3). Maybe I'm a sucker for punishment, but it's free on my library app - so no harm, no foul. I sincerely hope it grips me from the start; or else I may not make it to the end.
August 2, 2025
Pieces of Eight
The Frey Saga #2
Fantasy
Melissa Wright
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ • ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ • ꜰɪɢʜᴛꜱ •
I found this book quite frustrating. As Frey struggled to get her memories and her magic back, she ignored everyone's advice/training and kept acting rashly without thinking of the consequences, even when it affected other people. She was also quite weak with not much of a backbone.
The rest of the characters were frustrating too. They constantly hid information from Frey "just in case" but it just seemed to prolong the confusion and mistrust.
The pacing was slow, too. The plot was quite repetitive: Everyone would keep secrets from Frey, they travelled (and then returned to the castle without doing anything), and made Frey train her magic. I just wanted something, anything, to happen that was different to what had already taken place.
The ending was probably the best part of the book but it felt odd that Frey could suddenly overthrow the most powerful person in the kingdom despite struggling with her magic for 2 books.
The Frey Saga #2
Fantasy
Melissa Wright
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ • ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ • ꜰɪɢʜᴛꜱ •
I found this book quite frustrating. As Frey struggled to get her memories and her magic back, she ignored everyone's advice/training and kept acting rashly without thinking of the consequences, even when it affected other people. She was also quite weak with not much of a backbone.
The rest of the characters were frustrating too. They constantly hid information from Frey "just in case" but it just seemed to prolong the confusion and mistrust.
The pacing was slow, too. The plot was quite repetitive: Everyone would keep secrets from Frey, they travelled (and then returned to the castle without doing anything), and made Frey train her magic. I just wanted something, anything, to happen that was different to what had already taken place.
The ending was probably the best part of the book but it felt odd that Frey could suddenly overthrow the most powerful person in the kingdom despite struggling with her magic for 2 books.
January 20, 2019
Not as riveting as Book #1 but short enough to struggle through anyway. Frey is always unconscious, otherwise blacked out or sleeping. The continuous non-answers from her companions get predictable & boring. Even with her memories slowly returning, nothing is really explained until a good two thirds of the way through. Everything she does - or tries to do - is frowned upon by at least one other character. The encounter with the human girl, Molly, is almost glossed over with the exception of Frey's seemingly conflicted reactions to her; saving her one moment, moving into straight hatred the next. I know there is a follow-up short story about this human and can only hope more will be explained.
The climax of this book was not really surprising; after all, something had to give so that the saga can continue. I guess we'll see what she does with her newly restored powers & memories.
The climax of this book was not really surprising; after all, something had to give so that the saga can continue. I guess we'll see what she does with her newly restored powers & memories.
February 27, 2023
Trying to like this book, but what is going on. Seems like overkill with all the vague stuff. And the main chic is a demon. Why even help her, why not just kill her off. She's evil, spiteful, jealous, selfish, without empathy, void of kindness and generosity, is she Satan's daughter or something? First book, she kills a small innocent song bird, then goes downhill from there. Who doesn't like puppies? Seriously? What normal person could turn back on a small cute little playful puppy? I'm bored of all this memory loss same old shite. It's like a snooze fest and she's a beotch. I mean just kill her off and be done already. I'm forwarding and skipping to 3rd book soon. And probably forward thru that too. Memory, memory memory, ugh played out now
December 24, 2023
I didn't know it was possible to write a novel of a few hundred pages entirely filled with panic attacks, emotional collapses, falling unconscious because somebody brings up past memories, falling unconscious because you like or dislike someone, or collapsing at the thought that someone might tell you something about yourself. The characters are so emotion driven that it is nearly impossible to find a coherent stream of logic anywhere in the novel. The men and women all seem like streams of feelings rather than real or even imaginary people. I found it quite a struggle to get thru the first two novels. I will not be reading any of the rest of the series.
December 13, 2018
Don't know where to begin with this book. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book, however my curiosity got the best of me. You really need to pay attention to what the other characters are saying and doing to understand what is going on. Frey or Elfreda whichever you want to go with is completely lost. Not just by her surroundings but mentally as well. It was hard to follow at first but it all fell into place in the last chapter. Even though I had my reserves about this book, it was pretty good.
May 14, 2017
I wish she'd stop... (Contains spoilers)
These are good stories, well told, with very good character development, Freya's blacking out every single time she starts getting a piece of her life's puzzle or her love interest holds her, gets old, particularly after two books of it. Yes, I will read Books 3 and 4, as long as she is allowed to become the strong character she's supposed to have been all along.
These are good stories, well told, with very good character development, Freya's blacking out every single time she starts getting a piece of her life's puzzle or her love interest holds her, gets old, particularly after two books of it. Yes, I will read Books 3 and 4, as long as she is allowed to become the strong character she's supposed to have been all along.
August 7, 2017
Mixed emotions
I enjoyed the first book but the one was a snooze fest. Not in the boring sense but because all she did was pass out and faint. I was so tired of Frey fainting, sleeping and blacking out I almost put the book down. I'm not sure how they didn't just leave her. I'm sad to say I won't be reading the next book. I'm glad she got her memories back and realized who Chavelle was and appreciated all her other friends.
I enjoyed the first book but the one was a snooze fest. Not in the boring sense but because all she did was pass out and faint. I was so tired of Frey fainting, sleeping and blacking out I almost put the book down. I'm not sure how they didn't just leave her. I'm sad to say I won't be reading the next book. I'm glad she got her memories back and realized who Chavelle was and appreciated all her other friends.
May 20, 2021
I enjoyed this more than the first book, though I had some of the same frustrations with the story. I think there could have been a way to make Frey seem less like a moron while still trying to grasp onto her bound memories. The second half of this book is what kept me reading. Finally people were having the important conversations they should have been having all along. I am enjoying this serious, though. The overall story is interesting and I feel like Wright's writing improves with each book.
April 8, 2022
Like the second act of a play, there's a lot of traveling and not much going on. OK, they have to fight now and then, but they're not accomplishing much. I found this book annoying because Frey swoons at the drop of a hat. Seriously? It got old pretty fast. Supposedly there was a good reason for this, her puny little brain couldn't handle the stress, every time she learns a tidbit of info, out she goes.
February 21, 2017
Finally!
I did not particularly like the first book. Everything was shrouded in mystery and questions that even after reading the last part of the first book, I still felt clueless! It was frustrating but it made me curious enough to read the 2nd book. And wow what a revelation! I now want to know more about Freya and who she was as Elfreya.
I did not particularly like the first book. Everything was shrouded in mystery and questions that even after reading the last part of the first book, I still felt clueless! It was frustrating but it made me curious enough to read the 2nd book. And wow what a revelation! I now want to know more about Freya and who she was as Elfreya.
July 4, 2017
Confusing but good
There were several places in this book where the history or backstory were being explained that I had to read several times and still didn't quite get it. It was confusing.
There were grammatical and spelling errors and I found the book slightly disappointing with Elfreda's constant passing out.
Overall, it's a good premise and story.
There were several places in this book where the history or backstory were being explained that I had to read several times and still didn't quite get it. It was confusing.
There were grammatical and spelling errors and I found the book slightly disappointing with Elfreda's constant passing out.
Overall, it's a good premise and story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews