With her powers growing every day, fourteen-year-old Haylwen Rightad thinks she’s safe in the magical forest. And now that she finally has the friends she always wanted, what is there to be afraid of?
But she’s not out of the woods yet. Old enemies rip through her beloved forest, threatening to haul Haylwen and her newfound friends away. Their safety shattered, Haylwen and her friends are suddenly at each other’s throats. Is the friendship she worked so hard for already ruined, or is there another, unseen enemy at work?
Haylwen and her brother must unmask this mysterious enemy before they can fight it off. But even if all their enemies are destroyed, the King of the magic users will stop at nothing to ensure he’s still in power when the dragons take over the world. And he’s hidden an enemy where Haylwen would never think to look.
If no one is what they seem, who can she trust?
With a mysterious prophecy, magical secrets and dragons, Two Empty Thrones is the second book following siblings Haylwen and Cadarn as they face their fears and come to discover they have powers they never dreamt of — and a destiny only they can fulfill.
Two Empty Thrones is book 2 in the Five in Circle Series. This book carries on from book 1 “One is Come” and doesn’t waste time rehashing events in the previous book. You must read One is Come to appreciate the characters and plot.
The Prologue takes the reader back in time to when Faustas was King and the Kingdom was in turmoil. Many of the King’s men have been killed by a large blast of magic. Faustas’ enemies, masquerading as friends, set this up to look like Faustas killed his own men. Faustas has now gone down in history as being a traitor. His crown was taken away and he was never to be trusted again.
Cadarn and Haylwen continue their separate lessons so as not to break their parent’s oath. Haylwen is in conflict between the magic her father is teaching her and her own instincts. She is feeling her magic flowing and expanding through her body. She can now connect to those that are there to guide her. She spends time in the forest listening to Barandaros, the speaker for the grove. The forces trying to capture Haylwen and Cadarn are still hard at work with new plans. They have released a pricklescrinch infestation into the forest. These evil little lizards cling to humans and feed them negative emotions so that everyone is feeling hopelessness and despair and fighting with each other. Haylwen, Cadarn and their new friends, Nacia, Oakren and Doakren, must band together to fight this evil. Friends will soon become enemies and enemies will become friends. Who can they trust? Even their own mother comes under suspicion.
Another spellbinding edition of the Five in Circle series. The characters of Haylwen and Cadarn have developed well, bringing their new friends into their confidence. CJ, Cadarn’s online friend, makes an appearance and I loved the way he was included in the friendship which really made him open up and think about his actions. The magic continues as we visit new realms and fight new enemies, making a few new friends along the way. I fell in love with both Vora and Izzy and hoping they will feature again in the next book. Lots of unexpected twists and turns and an explosive magic battle had me on the edge of my seat right to the end.
The author wrote a fun and exciting story that has characters that bring some reality to the story along with a lot off magic. The first book in the series if ONE IS COME and I found this book, TWO EMPTY THRONES as good if not better. I hope another one is on the way. Halywen Rightad, at the young age of 14 is seeking friendship. She now finds it, as her magical powers grow. She feels safe in the magical forest. The author wrote this book that can be related to by a lot of young adults, wanting friends and feeling safe. The author then wrote in the fear. Why should she be afraid? She's safe in the magical forest with her friends. Everybody, even adults, occasionally need a little magic and the author delivers just that. Then some enemies of the past show up and threaten to take Hawlyen and her friends away from their magical forest. The author wrote another reality into the story. Once their safety was threatened, the friends were at odds with each other. Was this the end of their friendship? Another enemy is written into the story. Can Halywen and her brother discover who this enemy is? What will the King do? This book was well written, with reality that the reader can relate to. I don't want to give away anything so pick up a copy, maybe Book One first, and find out what happened to Halywen and her friends? The author brings out a good lesson. Who can you really trust? Or is there anyone?
I received a complimentary copy of TWO EMPTY THRONES from the author, C.H. MacLean and PumpUpYourBook for my view of the book. No other compensation took place.
This book picks up where book one " One is Come" left off. Although you really need to read the first book to appreciate the 2nd one fully, it is not required. Book 1 is hashed out pretty quickly in the opening chapters of book 2 so you can feel caught up.
Amazing sums this books up. It was a incredible read from beginning to end that captivated you and threw you into this wonderful and intriguing world. The story was fun, exciting and intriguing. If you love magic and fantasy you will adore this book. I will say straight off the bat, that this is not my preferred genre, but this book might change my mind or at least make me pick up a few more in the genre. This book really did have it all: suspension, twists and turns throughout keeping the plot interesting, magic, spells, evil. enjoyable characters. What i really enjoyed the most where the friendships in this book and the feeling of safety they had with each other. I think that is a message that all young adults need to hear and want from life.
Overall I gave this book 4 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review, which I have given.
The novel is volume two of a series (Five in Circle). It is about 14 year old Haylwen who discovers her father talking to her uncle. She has escaped from a prison cell and trying to leave when she discovers that she has more magical power than she realizes. Her brother comes to the rescue of her father and her. She realizes that her uncle is an enemy.
The novel is full of magic and well written. You can't help liking Haylwen and her family. There is suspicions, twists and turns, magic fights and more. You will discover some answers that you may not expect. All in all, this is an excellent volume.
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I would give this book a 2 1/2 stars overall if that were feasible. I received this as a win from Goodreads.(thanks) The first 180 pages were a bit tedious. The story did not flow or come together well, there were too many characters who contributed little to the narrative (the dragon for one, Rivenwake for another), and the pricklescrinch section was neverending. Some extra editing and revision to the writing would be beneficial. However after the first 180 pages, the story finally got on track, the characters were fewer, and many sections were very good -including the final magical battles. The last part of the book I would give 3 stars since it was well done. I think this story has some potential but it needs some work.
I had a very hard time with this book personally. I picked it up and put it down on a number of occasions before I put a dent into it. It is not written badly but it is not for me. There are some great reviews for the book so I have no doubt it's great for some people. As a side note, I did not read the first book and I am wondering if it is impacting my reading of this one. I will have to claim neutral in this rating. I do not wish to discourage anyone from giving it a try. We all have different tastes.
Two Empty Thrones by C.H. MacLean is the second book in the series of Five in Circle; the first being One is Come. I found this to be a fun storyline bringing reality with a lot of magic. It relates to young people who want friends and also want to feel safe. This is a great read for middle school children. They enjoy reading about magic and fantasy. Once you begin reading it you will find it hard to put down. I recommend it to all. I look forward to reading more from C.H. MacLean.
**A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
This is a good book for young adult readers, the middle school group. They can relate to the need for friends and wanting to feel safe. This age group enjoys magic and fantasy and this book delivers. The characters are developed and the book is well written. I enjoyed book one and two, and look forward to reading more in this series. I will be recommending it to a few middle school librarians that I know.
Wish I could give this 5 more stars! I am in love with this series! [C.H. MacLean] is a masterful weaver of tales! I will again be recommending this to my school media specialist. The magic continues.