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A Dance of Dragons #2
The Spirit Heir
Drenched in darkness and surrounded by the echo of screams, Jinji waits deep in the dungeons of Rayfort, haunted by the memory of the knife stabbing Rhen, plagued by a foreign voice whispering through her mind. A few floors above, Rhen rests trapped in a coma, about to wake to a changed world—a world where his best friend is a woman, his nephew is the king, and an enemy army surrounds him on all sides.
But human wars are insignificant compared to the darkness gathering unseen. Memories of lives she never lived flash through Jinji's thoughts, hinting at a past that cannot be repeated. A mysterious phantom visits Rhen, carrying cryptic messages of the future. And somewhere out there, the shadow continues to lurk in silence.
Startled by their altered relationship and tempted by new feelings, Rhen and Jinji must find a way to work together. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders and the real battle has only just begun…
But human wars are insignificant compared to the darkness gathering unseen. Memories of lives she never lived flash through Jinji's thoughts, hinting at a past that cannot be repeated. A mysterious phantom visits Rhen, carrying cryptic messages of the future. And somewhere out there, the shadow continues to lurk in silence.
Startled by their altered relationship and tempted by new feelings, Rhen and Jinji must find a way to work together. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders and the real battle has only just begun…
Unknown Binding
First published October 30, 2014
130 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
Kaitlyn Davis
51 books1,714 followersBestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publishers Weekly has said, "Davis writes with confidence and poise," while USA Today has recommended her work as "must-read romance."
To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter
Like her on Facebook here: Facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
Follow her on Instagram here: Instagram.com/kaitlyndavisbooks/
To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter
Like her on Facebook here: Facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
Follow her on Instagram here: Instagram.com/kaitlyndavisbooks/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 19, 2016
2.5 stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
The Spirit Heir suffered from second book syndrome. It started off okay, with Jinji in prison and a general chaos, but soon it became rather predictable. My biggest problem was that it didn't feel like I was reading any thing new.
This was not to say that I didn't enjoy myself when I was reading it. I still didn't have a great idea of what the world was really looking like, and some of the rules where rather unclear as well.
Jinji was given an extra personal struggle and it will be nice to see how it develops in the last book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
The Spirit Heir suffered from second book syndrome. It started off okay, with Jinji in prison and a general chaos, but soon it became rather predictable. My biggest problem was that it didn't feel like I was reading any thing new.
This was not to say that I didn't enjoy myself when I was reading it. I still didn't have a great idea of what the world was really looking like, and some of the rules where rather unclear as well.
Jinji was given an extra personal struggle and it will be nice to see how it develops in the last book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
December 14, 2015
Jinji is imprisoned in the dungeons, unsure of what is going to happen to her and if Rhen is alive. Above her in the castle Rhen is in a coma, but when he wakes he finds his world has changed. His father and oldest brother are dead, leaving his new born nephew as king, and his best friend Jin is actually a woman. With enemies surrounding them, and Jin and Rhen growing closer, they must work together, as the fate of humanity is in their hands.
The Spirit Heir is a really good sequel to The Shadow Soul as it is fast paced and well written. I am really hooked to this story as it is addictive, it has more action and romance than the previous book.
Jin is stronger in this book and is more world wise, but she is still naïve and a nice person. Rhen has become more responsible but I do miss the more carefree person he was in the last book, he is also more comfortable with his powers but not with how people treat him now. I love the sweet romance between the two of them and I like that they still have the friendship from the previous novel but it has developed into something more.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book The Phoenix Born. I would recommend The Spirit Heir to fans of the rest of the A Dance of Dragons series, and this series to fans of really enjoyable YA fantasy novels.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
The Spirit Heir is a really good sequel to The Shadow Soul as it is fast paced and well written. I am really hooked to this story as it is addictive, it has more action and romance than the previous book.
Jin is stronger in this book and is more world wise, but she is still naïve and a nice person. Rhen has become more responsible but I do miss the more carefree person he was in the last book, he is also more comfortable with his powers but not with how people treat him now. I love the sweet romance between the two of them and I like that they still have the friendship from the previous novel but it has developed into something more.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book The Phoenix Born. I would recommend The Spirit Heir to fans of the rest of the A Dance of Dragons series, and this series to fans of really enjoyable YA fantasy novels.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
September 9, 2016
The date it set--October 30th! Can't wait to share The Spirit Heir with you all, I hope you love it!
February 6, 2017
Man this series gets better with each book (or novella!) I totally saw both of the twists coming but I didn't care at all! I still loved it! Moving on to me next novella now!
February 20, 2017
"And at least soldiers chose to fight, chose to risk their lives in combat"
Do you really want to go there? Are you really saying that in ye olde pseudo-medieval fantasy world everybody joined the army because they just loved fighting/their country/both so much. Nobody did it out of necessity, because they couldn't find another job but needed the money or just because it was a family tradition or simply anything but Duty. Honor. Courage.?
Nope. Our soldiers are the good ones, our enemies have the evil ones/the poor slaves that are forced to fight (delete as appropriate...the book can't make its mind up either).
There are good bits in this book. It still occasionally makes good points about sexism and racism. And it has a great scene when Jinji - who is in the palace and feels very uncomfortable among the nobility because they are all so racist - basically wins a staring contest with the queen and thinks that now nothing the other nobles do can bother her anymore. Only a few pages later it's again mentioned how uncomfortable she is and the scene with the queen is never mentioned again.
However, my favourite bit of the book is when Jinji gets captured and imprisoned again very shortly after she has been chained up in a dungeon for three weeks. Does that bother her? No, but immediately afterwards she throws a hissy fit of jealousy because Rhen talks to another woman. Because fuck PTSD and trauma, what's really important are you pants-feelings.
Talking about Jinji and her WTF-decisions/emotions: she's hearing a voice in her mind and the voice claims she wants to help Jinji fight the mysterious Shadow that's causing all the problems in the book (well...all the problems not caused by evil, sexist fantasy Arabs). Jinji is not convinced and worries that the voice in her head is actually the Shadow who is trying to trick her and refuses to listen. Until she hears that the Shadow has attacked people after she started hearing the voice. Clearly, a mysterious magical entity that has enough power to force people to attack their loved ones can't be inside Jinji's head and somewhere else. That would be illogical.
Despite all that I'm still less bothered by this than by the novellas about Leena inventing feminism, and we finally got dragons in this book. About bloody time. And I just didn't hate it enough for one star.
Reviews of the previous books in the series
Book 0.5
Book 1
Book 1.5
October 31, 2014
Where should I start? With the fully rounded out multi-dimensional characters? Or the ever-expanding yet utterly easy-to-follow layers upon layers of plot?
Unlike the prequel novella (The Golden Cage) and book 1 (The Shadow Soul), I didn’t have the luxury to read this in one sitting. But no matter – every time I picked it up, I was instantaneously sucked right back into the adventures, dilemmas, and emotions of this awesomely drawn tale.
The end of Book 1, ‘The Shadow Soul’, set up a totally new dynamic between the two viewpoint characters. Instead of believing Jin to be a boy, Rhen is now aware that she is a girl. Very aware. And this colours the whole of this segment of the story, as they grow from distrust to trust and beyond, despite all that transpires around them – war, the probability of the annihilation of Rhen’s family’s kingdom, and the encroaching presence of the spirit worlds heralding a future that appears destined for unavoidable ruin.
Personally, I can’t imagine this book being written any better. I’m guessing some readers might prefer a slightly more pared down version, but for me, it’s perfect. The rich descriptions, the utterly convincing dialogue, the plot twists and turns, yet always with that feeling of inevitability – this is story-telling at its absolute best. If you are looking for originality in a fully immersive experience, I can’t recommend this series highly enough.
I received a copy of this book in return for a review, which in no way affected my opinion.
Unlike the prequel novella (The Golden Cage) and book 1 (The Shadow Soul), I didn’t have the luxury to read this in one sitting. But no matter – every time I picked it up, I was instantaneously sucked right back into the adventures, dilemmas, and emotions of this awesomely drawn tale.
The end of Book 1, ‘The Shadow Soul’, set up a totally new dynamic between the two viewpoint characters. Instead of believing Jin to be a boy, Rhen is now aware that she is a girl. Very aware. And this colours the whole of this segment of the story, as they grow from distrust to trust and beyond, despite all that transpires around them – war, the probability of the annihilation of Rhen’s family’s kingdom, and the encroaching presence of the spirit worlds heralding a future that appears destined for unavoidable ruin.
Personally, I can’t imagine this book being written any better. I’m guessing some readers might prefer a slightly more pared down version, but for me, it’s perfect. The rich descriptions, the utterly convincing dialogue, the plot twists and turns, yet always with that feeling of inevitability – this is story-telling at its absolute best. If you are looking for originality in a fully immersive experience, I can’t recommend this series highly enough.
I received a copy of this book in return for a review, which in no way affected my opinion.
October 30, 2014
This series just keeps getting better. When this book came up for review I jumped at it. I loved the first book, and the second book was even better.
Rhen has been stabbed and lies in a coma. Jinji lies in the dungeons of Rhen's kingdom. The world has changed. Rhen wakes up to the knowledge that his best friend Jin is actually a woman. He cannot separate the friend from the woman. Rhen demands to know where she is and finds her in the dungeons. Letting his King know that he owes Jinji his life, and that he needs to put her under the protection of the crown.
Rhen realizes that there is more to Jinji. He trusts her with his life. There begins to be more between the two of them and it is FABULOUS. It is so fantastic to see a romance bud from friendship. He trust Jinji implicitly and Jinji trust Rhen in return. It was so much fun to watch their relationship. I hate insta love. This book brought two people together in the best way possible. It was awesome.
Rhen and Jinji are plagued by mists, and voices in their heads. Following this mist, and this voice may be what saves Rhens kingdom.
Rhen is finally at peace with the power he yields. Rhen and Jinji are finally at peace with their relationship. Rhen knows he cannot live without her and Jinji knows the same.
Searching for some peace and answers in the storms that are passing, they come to a castle that is hidden. Standing in the seas with answers that may help to save Rhens kingdom.
I love this story. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end. UGH, the end. Waiting for the next one in this book is going to drive me cray. I must know what happens now. So much happens at the very end of this book, that when it came to an end, I had that UGH scream release from my lips...hehe.
The author did such a great job putting me in this book. Sometimes I gloss over the world building and description because it gets too wordy for me. NOT in this one. I had to follow every single word to make sure I could soak up as much of this story as I could.
Jinji and Rhen are such fantastic characters. I cannot wait to see where their story takes me in book three! I cannot wait, but I must :(.
Source: I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
Rhen has been stabbed and lies in a coma. Jinji lies in the dungeons of Rhen's kingdom. The world has changed. Rhen wakes up to the knowledge that his best friend Jin is actually a woman. He cannot separate the friend from the woman. Rhen demands to know where she is and finds her in the dungeons. Letting his King know that he owes Jinji his life, and that he needs to put her under the protection of the crown.
Rhen realizes that there is more to Jinji. He trusts her with his life. There begins to be more between the two of them and it is FABULOUS. It is so fantastic to see a romance bud from friendship. He trust Jinji implicitly and Jinji trust Rhen in return. It was so much fun to watch their relationship. I hate insta love. This book brought two people together in the best way possible. It was awesome.
Rhen and Jinji are plagued by mists, and voices in their heads. Following this mist, and this voice may be what saves Rhens kingdom.
Rhen is finally at peace with the power he yields. Rhen and Jinji are finally at peace with their relationship. Rhen knows he cannot live without her and Jinji knows the same.
Searching for some peace and answers in the storms that are passing, they come to a castle that is hidden. Standing in the seas with answers that may help to save Rhens kingdom.
I love this story. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end. UGH, the end. Waiting for the next one in this book is going to drive me cray. I must know what happens now. So much happens at the very end of this book, that when it came to an end, I had that UGH scream release from my lips...hehe.
The author did such a great job putting me in this book. Sometimes I gloss over the world building and description because it gets too wordy for me. NOT in this one. I had to follow every single word to make sure I could soak up as much of this story as I could.
Jinji and Rhen are such fantastic characters. I cannot wait to see where their story takes me in book three! I cannot wait, but I must :(.
Source: I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
July 6, 2015
ARRRGHHHH!!!!!!
The end of the book really annoyed me. Throughout the book when it was mentioned the shadow had its own body I knew that it would be Janu, so that bit was really predictable, but to me Jinji isn't the sort of person who would risk the lives of EVERYBODY just to keep her brother alive.
Also, leading up to the end, Jinji and Rhen had finally shown each other their feelings and everything seemed to be going well (other than the fact that Rhen's family would probably die) and then Jinji just ditches him (THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED TOGETHER!!!!)
Lastly, I never understood why the hell it didn't cross the minds of Rhen and his family to find the other people with gifts like Rhen to create part of an army that had superpowers to beat the Ourthuri and the rebels.
The end of the book really annoyed me. Throughout the book when it was mentioned the shadow had its own body I knew that it would be Janu, so that bit was really predictable, but to me Jinji isn't the sort of person who would risk the lives of EVERYBODY just to keep her brother alive.
Also, leading up to the end, Jinji and Rhen had finally shown each other their feelings and everything seemed to be going well (other than the fact that Rhen's family would probably die) and then Jinji just ditches him (THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED TOGETHER!!!!)
Lastly, I never understood why the hell it didn't cross the minds of Rhen and his family to find the other people with gifts like Rhen to create part of an army that had superpowers to beat the Ourthuri and the rebels.
October 13, 2015
im sorry but no.. this is not a good second book.
the romance is just cringeworthy.
the alternating POV is starting to get old and I feel as though the writer i just using it as fodder when he explains a scene from both sides. Enough already!
The premise of this world, its magic and politics is quite interesting (even if the 'kingdoms' come across as warring villages, not nations) and showed promise in book 1 but just too much wrong with this one to forgive.
sorry..
the romance is just cringeworthy.
the alternating POV is starting to get old and I feel as though the writer i just using it as fodder when he explains a scene from both sides. Enough already!
The premise of this world, its magic and politics is quite interesting (even if the 'kingdoms' come across as warring villages, not nations) and showed promise in book 1 but just too much wrong with this one to forgive.
sorry..
January 4, 2015
Brilliant!
INITIAL THOUGHTS
So I finished reading The Silver Key and am now desperate to know what will happen next to the characters of Princess Leenaka, Prince Whylrhen, and Jinji which I am quite "invested in" now.
MY REVIEW
I had discussed doing a promotional post on my blog about this brilliant book series with the author, who also generously provided me with a copy of The Shadow Soul (though this title has been on offer "Free" for a period of time too) in exchange for my honest opinion in the form of a review. Again this cover has a wispy smokey threatening figure on the cover, only this time it is set against a purple and blue background so the "shadow" appears white, I'd liken it to a white mist or fog rather than the more sinister black smoggy figure on the cover of The Shadow soul. Does the fact the mysterious figure on this cover white suggest it is a perhaps kinder, non-threatening, maybe helpful force? The smokey figure seems to be holding an hourglass in her hand which perhaps relates to the impending war that the Ourthurian King Rafaaq is planning to have with the Whylkin royalty & their people, or could it be time is running out for Jin and Rhen to find and defeat the "shadow figure"? There are a few possibilities that this object could point to. I also think upon reading The Spirit Heir that the "shadow figure" is standing in a place well described in the book. It is a scene form the book where a rather impetuous Rhen takes Jinji to view the castle and the surrounding landscape. So would this cover make me pick this book up from a book store shelf? The beautiful blue, and purple shades on the cover along with the twinkling stars would draw my eye to it. The shadow figure would certainly pique my interest upon looking more closely at the cover. So I'd have to say yes.
So this book has lots of action packed into it. It begins with poor Jinji languishing in the palace dungeon. . . listening to the pitiful cries and screams of pain from other prisoners. then she hears footsteps making their way to her cell. Jinji is then taken to a sitting room which obviously compared to the cold damp dungeon is more opulent than she has ever seen or dreamt of. It feels like she is waiting forever and begins to feel anxious though the anxiety slides away somewhat when a door opens when Rhen walks in. Prior to this Jinji didn't even know if Rhen was alive. So does Rhen accept Jinji as a female and treat her as such? Yes, Does Rhen forgive and understand why Jinji hide her true gender from him? Well he possibly understands a little and more so when he see's how his family and other roayalty treat Jinji as an irritating lower class person. Can Rhen forgive her, well time will tell I suppose. Hey, I'm not being super cryptic I'm just trying not to give out too much information or spoilers!
There is also more about Rhen and his royal duties, as well as seeing how he is so ill at ease with his own family. It takes a lot for Rhen to recover to the tragic event where he had to use his fire elemental power in front of others as well as the physical injuries from him being stabbed. Rhen has been used to being known as the thrid "spare heir" "the womaniser" and now he has to take on a much more important and serious role. There's a lot of war tactics and discussions in this book too. The Ourthurians have a complex well thought out plan of war. they are determined to take over and be the rulers of every race and kingdom.
Then Princess Leenaka arrives and is not exactly welcomed by the people of Whykin. The Princess wishes to help to defeat her father, she knows better than anyone, how cruel and calculating he can be.
The acting Prince Regent who was also used looking forward to a life of his own as he was simply a "spare~" to the throne. After the tragedy of the death of the King and of little baby Prince Whyllean's father Tarin, it is left to the remaining brother's to protect the throne. The acting Prince regent takes the difficult decision to send Rhen away to protect the Whykin family blood line. He thinks that the Ourthuri will win the impending war. Rhen reluctantly agrees and gives in to his brothers wish/order. The Prince Regent has organised a small merchant style ship that should be able to sail away unchallenged to safety. Rhen naturally doesn't want to admit to himself that the war will be won by the Orthuri, that he has just been ordered to save himself so he finds Jin and says that it is time to go find the Shadow. It is kind of like old times like when they first met and travelled together. Another development is the voice inside Jin's head that knows all about the "Shadow that is ying to its yang, they are a pair, rather like Jinji & Janu once were. The voice in Jin's head can also "appear" as a white ethereal mist, at one point in the books Jinji call's it "pure spirit". This spirit leads Jinji & Rhen to where they can find information about the Shadow. Jinji ends up badly injured. . .and Rhen has to decide whether to follow the orders of the Prince Regent to escape at all costs and stay away from danger, and taking Jinji to get medical help. the nearest medical help is an apothecary on board of a ship ready to wage war with the approaching Ourthuri war ships. . . . .there is of course more . . . much, much more but I cannot possibly reveal everything! I feel like I could seriously talk about this book and in fact this whole series so far forever. So much happens in this book, it really is packed with action! We also learn more about the reasoning behind the series being called "A Dance Of Dragon's" too. . . . .yessss there is a dragon near the end. I had been wondering what the tone of the book was reminding me of and had come up with the Throne Of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas, but in this book the The Inheritance Cycle Series of book by Christopher Paolini. . . .my daughter has read those books and told me all about them, I have seen the 2006 dvd of Eragon starring english actor Edward Speleers. The descriptions that gave me the scenic views and imagery i my head made me think of this film quite a lot. I really loved this series. It is the first time for a long, long time that I have sat and read a whole series so far, it is not often I have the time or I allow myself the luxury to do this. That is why one of my main new years resolutions is to do this more often or at least not allow myself to be booked up too far in advance for review by date books. I want more freedom to be spontaneous in what I am choosing to read and when.
So did I enjoy this book? Wow, loved it. Would I recommend the book? Highly recommend this book and the whole series so far. There is so much potential for the whole series both the larger plot and the smaller individual characters and their more personal plots. The novella's have done their job well too, because as I was reading this novel I was wondering if there would be a novella 2.5 to tell us what has happened/been happening to Princess Leenaka whilst we were learning more about Jinji and Rhens journey. There's also potential for a 2.5 novella to be told what was happening back in Whylkin, perhaps from the point of view of the Prince Regent? This book answered a lot of questions but I ended up wanting to ask even more questions by the end of it! Would I read another novella/book in this series? Yes, please. As you will see from above I think there could/in my opinion should be another novella before the next novel. Maybe the novella could be from dual point of view of Princess Leenaka and the Prince Regent. I of course and super excited, for the next novel that is called "The Phoenix Born" . . . I'm hoping for such a lot. More elementals, more from Rhen, Princess Leenaka, Jinji, and the Prince Regent as well as more of the Shadow and the voice in Jinji's head/white mist. Then there should be more plot related to the series title too!!! So much to be covered, in how many books, and/or novella's? Would I read other titles by Kaitlyn Davis? Obviously I really want to read the rest of this series, it's right up at the top of my must reads of 2015! and I would like to make time to take a look at Kaitlyn's other series titled Midnight Fire.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
So I finished reading The Silver Key and am now desperate to know what will happen next to the characters of Princess Leenaka, Prince Whylrhen, and Jinji which I am quite "invested in" now.
MY REVIEW
I had discussed doing a promotional post on my blog about this brilliant book series with the author, who also generously provided me with a copy of The Shadow Soul (though this title has been on offer "Free" for a period of time too) in exchange for my honest opinion in the form of a review. Again this cover has a wispy smokey threatening figure on the cover, only this time it is set against a purple and blue background so the "shadow" appears white, I'd liken it to a white mist or fog rather than the more sinister black smoggy figure on the cover of The Shadow soul. Does the fact the mysterious figure on this cover white suggest it is a perhaps kinder, non-threatening, maybe helpful force? The smokey figure seems to be holding an hourglass in her hand which perhaps relates to the impending war that the Ourthurian King Rafaaq is planning to have with the Whylkin royalty & their people, or could it be time is running out for Jin and Rhen to find and defeat the "shadow figure"? There are a few possibilities that this object could point to. I also think upon reading The Spirit Heir that the "shadow figure" is standing in a place well described in the book. It is a scene form the book where a rather impetuous Rhen takes Jinji to view the castle and the surrounding landscape. So would this cover make me pick this book up from a book store shelf? The beautiful blue, and purple shades on the cover along with the twinkling stars would draw my eye to it. The shadow figure would certainly pique my interest upon looking more closely at the cover. So I'd have to say yes.
So this book has lots of action packed into it. It begins with poor Jinji languishing in the palace dungeon. . . listening to the pitiful cries and screams of pain from other prisoners. then she hears footsteps making their way to her cell. Jinji is then taken to a sitting room which obviously compared to the cold damp dungeon is more opulent than she has ever seen or dreamt of. It feels like she is waiting forever and begins to feel anxious though the anxiety slides away somewhat when a door opens when Rhen walks in. Prior to this Jinji didn't even know if Rhen was alive. So does Rhen accept Jinji as a female and treat her as such? Yes, Does Rhen forgive and understand why Jinji hide her true gender from him? Well he possibly understands a little and more so when he see's how his family and other roayalty treat Jinji as an irritating lower class person. Can Rhen forgive her, well time will tell I suppose. Hey, I'm not being super cryptic I'm just trying not to give out too much information or spoilers!
There is also more about Rhen and his royal duties, as well as seeing how he is so ill at ease with his own family. It takes a lot for Rhen to recover to the tragic event where he had to use his fire elemental power in front of others as well as the physical injuries from him being stabbed. Rhen has been used to being known as the thrid "spare heir" "the womaniser" and now he has to take on a much more important and serious role. There's a lot of war tactics and discussions in this book too. The Ourthurians have a complex well thought out plan of war. they are determined to take over and be the rulers of every race and kingdom.
Then Princess Leenaka arrives and is not exactly welcomed by the people of Whykin. The Princess wishes to help to defeat her father, she knows better than anyone, how cruel and calculating he can be.
The acting Prince Regent who was also used looking forward to a life of his own as he was simply a "spare~" to the throne. After the tragedy of the death of the King and of little baby Prince Whyllean's father Tarin, it is left to the remaining brother's to protect the throne. The acting Prince regent takes the difficult decision to send Rhen away to protect the Whykin family blood line. He thinks that the Ourthuri will win the impending war. Rhen reluctantly agrees and gives in to his brothers wish/order. The Prince Regent has organised a small merchant style ship that should be able to sail away unchallenged to safety. Rhen naturally doesn't want to admit to himself that the war will be won by the Orthuri, that he has just been ordered to save himself so he finds Jin and says that it is time to go find the Shadow. It is kind of like old times like when they first met and travelled together. Another development is the voice inside Jin's head that knows all about the "Shadow that is ying to its yang, they are a pair, rather like Jinji & Janu once were. The voice in Jin's head can also "appear" as a white ethereal mist, at one point in the books Jinji call's it "pure spirit". This spirit leads Jinji & Rhen to where they can find information about the Shadow. Jinji ends up badly injured. . .and Rhen has to decide whether to follow the orders of the Prince Regent to escape at all costs and stay away from danger, and taking Jinji to get medical help. the nearest medical help is an apothecary on board of a ship ready to wage war with the approaching Ourthuri war ships. . . . .there is of course more . . . much, much more but I cannot possibly reveal everything! I feel like I could seriously talk about this book and in fact this whole series so far forever. So much happens in this book, it really is packed with action! We also learn more about the reasoning behind the series being called "A Dance Of Dragon's" too. . . . .yessss there is a dragon near the end. I had been wondering what the tone of the book was reminding me of and had come up with the Throne Of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas, but in this book the The Inheritance Cycle Series of book by Christopher Paolini. . . .my daughter has read those books and told me all about them, I have seen the 2006 dvd of Eragon starring english actor Edward Speleers. The descriptions that gave me the scenic views and imagery i my head made me think of this film quite a lot. I really loved this series. It is the first time for a long, long time that I have sat and read a whole series so far, it is not often I have the time or I allow myself the luxury to do this. That is why one of my main new years resolutions is to do this more often or at least not allow myself to be booked up too far in advance for review by date books. I want more freedom to be spontaneous in what I am choosing to read and when.
So did I enjoy this book? Wow, loved it. Would I recommend the book? Highly recommend this book and the whole series so far. There is so much potential for the whole series both the larger plot and the smaller individual characters and their more personal plots. The novella's have done their job well too, because as I was reading this novel I was wondering if there would be a novella 2.5 to tell us what has happened/been happening to Princess Leenaka whilst we were learning more about Jinji and Rhens journey. There's also potential for a 2.5 novella to be told what was happening back in Whylkin, perhaps from the point of view of the Prince Regent? This book answered a lot of questions but I ended up wanting to ask even more questions by the end of it! Would I read another novella/book in this series? Yes, please. As you will see from above I think there could/in my opinion should be another novella before the next novel. Maybe the novella could be from dual point of view of Princess Leenaka and the Prince Regent. I of course and super excited, for the next novel that is called "The Phoenix Born" . . . I'm hoping for such a lot. More elementals, more from Rhen, Princess Leenaka, Jinji, and the Prince Regent as well as more of the Shadow and the voice in Jinji's head/white mist. Then there should be more plot related to the series title too!!! So much to be covered, in how many books, and/or novella's? Would I read other titles by Kaitlyn Davis? Obviously I really want to read the rest of this series, it's right up at the top of my must reads of 2015! and I would like to make time to take a look at Kaitlyn's other series titled Midnight Fire.
December 30, 2022
What is this behaviour Ms. Davis?
If you wanted to provide us with romance then please start with the first book (not talking about the novellas) and not make us fall in love with all these different POVs and stories going on and then bam hit us with a cringey romance where although war is breaking out, these two characters are kissing, holding hands like they have all the time in the world.
I preferred Jinji being independent hiding as a male due to the platonic relationship she had with Rhen before but now it's all them being love-sick and being touchy-touchy throughout.
One reason why I might have not liked this one is the revelation of the Shadow Self as though it is a great twist to the story, it made me realise how weak Jinji really is, she is just randomly chosen and how easily she could be stripped off of her power leaving nothing making her weak unable to provide any power to Rhen or her tribe.
I liked how you provided a bit of resistance and made Rhen lose the challenge with the wind-guy rather than being a 'Hero wins all' thing but now it has become too easy as the protagonists are having most of the things they try their way.
(getting the Ourthuri warships around the Admiral's ship was a needed wake-up call for Rhen and Jin)
And oh Janu, that was a twist I didn't expect which was great.
If you wanted to provide us with romance then please start with the first book (not talking about the novellas) and not make us fall in love with all these different POVs and stories going on and then bam hit us with a cringey romance where although war is breaking out, these two characters are kissing, holding hands like they have all the time in the world.
I preferred Jinji being independent hiding as a male due to the platonic relationship she had with Rhen before but now it's all them being love-sick and being touchy-touchy throughout.
One reason why I might have not liked this one is the revelation of the Shadow Self as though it is a great twist to the story, it made me realise how weak Jinji really is, she is just randomly chosen and how easily she could be stripped off of her power leaving nothing making her weak unable to provide any power to Rhen or her tribe.
I liked how you provided a bit of resistance and made Rhen lose the challenge with the wind-guy rather than being a 'Hero wins all' thing but now it has become too easy as the protagonists are having most of the things they try their way.
(getting the Ourthuri warships around the Admiral's ship was a needed wake-up call for Rhen and Jin)
And oh Janu, that was a twist I didn't expect which was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2017
Despite the insta-love and romance that seemingly came from out nowhere, the story felt like a continuation of the first book, and the story read smoothly too-it was easier to get into the story and actually quicker to finish.
One of the things that bothered me was that there was a lot of smirking: he smirked, she smirked, they smirked at each other, I swear it was like at least a dozen that I've read, but apparently the search tool on Kindle said it was only 5.
During the last half of the book, it felt like Jinji had too much power, she was just so conveniently good at her illusions and power, and it felt over the top. On the other hand, the information that was dumped about the spirit dragon and shadow all felt confusing and complicated. At least things are starting to make sense on the whole shadow/spirit part and why the shadow was killing spirit users. The ending chapter felt sort of flat and rushed, and makes me wonder how the next book will play out.
One of the things that bothered me was that there was a lot of smirking: he smirked, she smirked, they smirked at each other, I swear it was like at least a dozen that I've read, but apparently the search tool on Kindle said it was only 5.
During the last half of the book, it felt like Jinji had too much power, she was just so conveniently good at her illusions and power, and it felt over the top. On the other hand, the information that was dumped about the spirit dragon and shadow all felt confusing and complicated. At least things are starting to make sense on the whole shadow/spirit part and why the shadow was killing spirit users. The ending chapter felt sort of flat and rushed, and makes me wonder how the next book will play out.
May 17, 2023
They’ve made it back from Ourthuro, but nobody believes them about the coming attack until it’s too late. Fortunately, it’s only a partial disaster. But now Rayfort is under a siege and Rhen & Jinji are sneaked away in an effort to save the family, find help and discover what’s going on with the shadows.
Well, Rhen’s gotten better since the first book. Now he’s just a regular jerk. Lol. They both think too much about the wrong things. But I cried for him before he left when he realized what could happen. I love the relationship between Rhen and Ember. Ember is so smart. I hope all turns out well for him.
And finally, the dragons come into the story. Very cool.
Fave scenes: Jinji choosing her first dress, Jinji talking with the queen, Rhen & the campfires and Rhen on the elemental stairs.
Well, Rhen’s gotten better since the first book. Now he’s just a regular jerk. Lol. They both think too much about the wrong things. But I cried for him before he left when he realized what could happen. I love the relationship between Rhen and Ember. Ember is so smart. I hope all turns out well for him.
And finally, the dragons come into the story. Very cool.
Fave scenes: Jinji choosing her first dress, Jinji talking with the queen, Rhen & the campfires and Rhen on the elemental stairs.
November 30, 2018
While I actively purchased the entire series so that I could binge it. I found that after this book the story became predictable, disappointing, ill-conceived, and ultimately, dull. I noticed that the reasoning behind my binging wasn't that it was such a good story, it was that it had the immense potential to be an epic. I was right on the brink of climax... and then I was let down, abruptly and completely. So much character development was left entirely to mystery, (and not in a good) and the rest simply felt like your standard cookie cutter junior high story. If Game of Thrones and Kushiel's Legacy series' are the Sun then attempt at fantasy is Pluto.
July 2, 2020
This story starts with Rhen in a coma after being stabbed and Jinji locked away in the dungeon. As it progresses, the author shows us how much these characters have grown and matured. I have always felt it was the mark of a very good author to note how the characters have grown, deepened and matured, and this author depicts these things very well indeed. The relationship between them is also growing, deepening and maturing, and we get to participate in that as we read. We get to pursue new magics with the characters too. The ending of this book finds Rhen and Jinji once again apart and the ending is very powerful. I enjoyed this book very much.
May 3, 2023
So far, this series reminds me of Game of Thrones, but YA romantic fantasy-style. And only focused on two characters instead of many. Since I love Game of Thrones and YA romantic fantasy, I love this book and series! Still a little disappointed it took so long to get to dragons, though mostly that's because the series name had me thinking this was all dragons, all the time. But the romance between Rhen and Jinji is oh-so-cute, and there are lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages even when I was supposed to be doing other things! Moving on to Book Three right away. Gotta see what happens!
February 5, 2017
wow this series just keeps you guessing, i was worried this book would suffer from being the second book but nope with reading the novellas along with the regular books the action just keeps coming. The plot twists in this story are amazing and i did not totally see them coming i got a hint of what i thought would happen but did not totally guess it. I also liked that their are plenty of hot stopping moments when if you were watching it as a movie your heart would be in your throat and you be on the edge of your seat clinging to hope. Great series.
September 3, 2018
A fantastic fantasy
Book one in this series was an enjoyable book to read. It made me eager to read book two. It didn’t disappoint as the interesting characters developed and grew. The suspense has grown also. Now in book three the question will be. Will the evil anger sprit win and end the lives of humans? Or will humans with the help of their good sprits prevail?
Book one in this series was an enjoyable book to read. It made me eager to read book two. It didn’t disappoint as the interesting characters developed and grew. The suspense has grown also. Now in book three the question will be. Will the evil anger sprit win and end the lives of humans? Or will humans with the help of their good sprits prevail?
March 23, 2017
Really like it until the end, then the end made me doubt if I want to keep reading the upcoming drama and heartbreak that is predicted. If anyone can tell me if its worth it, that would be greatly appreciated!
August 28, 2017
I like this story. It has some really good elements to it, but it feels too short. It feels as though some major plot points were brushed over or not written entirely. It was just a little disappointing.
May 20, 2019
The traitors in the castle have been defeated, but their armies will soon surround the city. The Outhurri ships will soon command the harbor. Princess Lena has arrived with the enemy battle plans. Rhen is being sent away to preserve the bloodline. He will help Jinji search for the Shadow.
February 20, 2023
Lid
I found it hard to get through this book as it took for ever to reach the plot of the story and it was very boring to me I'm not sure that I will the other book in the series. I wish that it was more of an adult book instead of a young adult book.
I found it hard to get through this book as it took for ever to reach the plot of the story and it was very boring to me I'm not sure that I will the other book in the series. I wish that it was more of an adult book instead of a young adult book.
October 4, 2017
Keeping all of the players straight (spirits, dragons, humans, etc.) is a bit of a distraction, but the story's compelling enough to make it a fairly minor distraction.
January 5, 2018
It was ok. The best part was the end as pieces of the story started falling together. Liked the first book way more. Will read third book.
January 26, 2018
A tense & gripping read. I much preferred this book to the previous one 👍
Debbie, 1970, UK
Debbie, 1970, UK
February 14, 2018
2-2.5 stars
DNF 66%
I lost interest - reading this book became a chore.
DNF 66%
I lost interest - reading this book became a chore.
August 16, 2023
Continuing to enjoy the ongoing story. Thumbs up.
January 10, 2024
Really enjoyed this sequel!
February 26, 2017
Great read
Plenty to keep you turning the pages. Fully developed characters, you can feel the emotions with each decision made to sacrifice their own happiness.
Plenty to keep you turning the pages. Fully developed characters, you can feel the emotions with each decision made to sacrifice their own happiness.
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