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Battle for Leiria #2
An Edged Sword
The Battle for Leiria will be fought by the most unlikely individuals…
A gladiator in the bowels of the arena…
Aedon wishes he never came to the city. Lured with promises of wealth and glory, now he fights to distract the unwashed masses at the pleasure of a fickle king. And dangerous whispers fill the depths of the arena, where it’s impossible to trust anyone…
A failed assassin running for her life…
Reva doesn’t know whether she’s happy she was rescued--not when the man who did the rescuing can’t say one kind word to her. What she is certain of is the need to escape Chaikine before the King catches and executes her. But the road to safety never did run smooth…
A princess surrounded by enemies…
Part of Ari wishes she could go back to her blissful ignorance. She was happier and so much safer not knowing. The other part of her is filled with murderous rage. She’s determined to escape to the safety of her homeland in the north, but not before sabotaging her dearly beloved on the way out…
Rebellion grows in the darkest places, and true love can bloom in the harshest environments…
Join the fight for Leiria today!
A gladiator in the bowels of the arena…
Aedon wishes he never came to the city. Lured with promises of wealth and glory, now he fights to distract the unwashed masses at the pleasure of a fickle king. And dangerous whispers fill the depths of the arena, where it’s impossible to trust anyone…
A failed assassin running for her life…
Reva doesn’t know whether she’s happy she was rescued--not when the man who did the rescuing can’t say one kind word to her. What she is certain of is the need to escape Chaikine before the King catches and executes her. But the road to safety never did run smooth…
A princess surrounded by enemies…
Part of Ari wishes she could go back to her blissful ignorance. She was happier and so much safer not knowing. The other part of her is filled with murderous rage. She’s determined to escape to the safety of her homeland in the north, but not before sabotaging her dearly beloved on the way out…
Rebellion grows in the darkest places, and true love can bloom in the harshest environments…
Join the fight for Leiria today!
- GenresFantasy
566 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2025
45 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Jill M. Beene
15 books208 followersBe sure to follow me on Goodreads to get every update! I live in sunny California with my handsome husband and my slobbery English Mastiff, Rupert. I've always loved stories and wanted to write novels. When I'm not getting words on the page, I'm walking my dog or cooking something (hopefully) delicious. Feel free to ask me a question or connect with me here, but you can also find me on Instagram or my website, JillMBeene.com. I so appreciate my readers! Thank you!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 8, 2025
4.5 rounded up to 5.
Wow I did not want to put this down. The storytelling provokes such a strong compulsion to know what happens next. It was exercising my patience in the best way. The amount of detail the author walks the reader through adds a tangible layer of realism to these characters and the conflict. It felt like constant slow-paced passages followed by nail-biting development that literally made my breath hitch. One of the things that stood out to me in this sequel, without venturing into spoiler territory, is how the author evoked the emotion of fear. When the main characters were feeling fear the words felt extra captivating for some reason. I felt this way about the first book as well, but the author captures the psychology or headspace of these characters in their diverse predicaments so well. It’s also pretty gritty and captures the ugliness of the conflict they’re facing. It's written in third-person limited but feels equivalent to the impact of first-person somehow.
This sequel really tangled things even more and made me even more invested after the first book. I was especially happy and surprised with where the author took one of the three POVs. That tension....no words... Like that tension was breathtaking and wholly unexpected. You could cut that with a knife. I wish I could rave more about it here, but alas, it is kind of a spoiler prior to reading the first book.
My rating lost half a star because some moments/dialogue were a little more shocking/suggestive for my preferences and because there were quite a few chapter endings or page breaks that I personally kept wishing had given the reader a little bit more, they were over too soon kinda thing. Just would have been more satisfying to me in those instances, with characters that I actually wish had their own POVs too. Otherwise so close to five stars. I gave the first book 4.5 stars too but enjoyed this one more.
I'm so happy I put the third book on the same month's TBR with this one because I want to get to it soon. I have no idea how the author will get our cast of characters out of this, but I'm sure it'll be good. I don't want it to end.
In this book:
Here I would usually share some themes/tropes but there is so much going on in the sequel. Just know there are 3 very different POVs with 3 very different romantic subplots with overarching connected high stakes conflict.
Content Guide:
romance - clean/suggestive/compromising positions
language - a** (1), bastard (3), b*tch (1), damned (1) + crude/grotesque descriptions
violence - frequent & semi-graphic
fantasy - very low/non-magical; 2 or 3 references to a distant magical/fae kingdom in the same world but it's not a part of the immediate setting or on-page
Content Warnings:
-suicide
-depression/strong sense of hopelessness
-human captivity/slavery
-blood lust
-euphemisms for off-page or intended sexual violence
-euphemisms for lewd acts (pertaining to secondary characters)
-on-page death/murder
Wow I did not want to put this down. The storytelling provokes such a strong compulsion to know what happens next. It was exercising my patience in the best way. The amount of detail the author walks the reader through adds a tangible layer of realism to these characters and the conflict. It felt like constant slow-paced passages followed by nail-biting development that literally made my breath hitch. One of the things that stood out to me in this sequel, without venturing into spoiler territory, is how the author evoked the emotion of fear. When the main characters were feeling fear the words felt extra captivating for some reason. I felt this way about the first book as well, but the author captures the psychology or headspace of these characters in their diverse predicaments so well. It’s also pretty gritty and captures the ugliness of the conflict they’re facing. It's written in third-person limited but feels equivalent to the impact of first-person somehow.
This sequel really tangled things even more and made me even more invested after the first book. I was especially happy and surprised with where the author took one of the three POVs. That tension....no words... Like that tension was breathtaking and wholly unexpected. You could cut that with a knife. I wish I could rave more about it here, but alas, it is kind of a spoiler prior to reading the first book.
My rating lost half a star because some moments/dialogue were a little more shocking/suggestive for my preferences and because there were quite a few chapter endings or page breaks that I personally kept wishing had given the reader a little bit more, they were over too soon kinda thing. Just would have been more satisfying to me in those instances, with characters that I actually wish had their own POVs too. Otherwise so close to five stars. I gave the first book 4.5 stars too but enjoyed this one more.
I'm so happy I put the third book on the same month's TBR with this one because I want to get to it soon. I have no idea how the author will get our cast of characters out of this, but I'm sure it'll be good. I don't want it to end.
In this book:
Here I would usually share some themes/tropes but there is so much going on in the sequel. Just know there are 3 very different POVs with 3 very different romantic subplots with overarching connected high stakes conflict.
Content Guide:
romance - clean/suggestive/compromising positions
language - a** (1), bastard (3), b*tch (1), damned (1) + crude/grotesque descriptions
violence - frequent & semi-graphic
fantasy - very low/non-magical; 2 or 3 references to a distant magical/fae kingdom in the same world but it's not a part of the immediate setting or on-page
Content Warnings:
-suicide
-depression/strong sense of hopelessness
-human captivity/slavery
-blood lust
-euphemisms for off-page or intended sexual violence
-euphemisms for lewd acts (pertaining to secondary characters)
-on-page death/murder
May 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advanced copy of the book however all opinions are my own and presented with honesty.
Plot ✅
Writing ✅
Romance ✅
Characters ✅
World building ✅
If you have not read the first book, go read it now. This is the second instalment of a world of intrigue, politics, coup, forbidden romance and friendship.
The characters in the book are truly remarkably depicted. As the story evolves the reader is further drawn into the complexities of each persons views and whilst there’s still many characters I loathe (I’m meant to, not due to the writing but their role in the story), those I didn’t quite understand or warm too in book 1 I’m finally unravelling the onion to reach their core.
The romance and the twists of the new side stories (Aedon, Reva, Irick and even Miss V), they had me page turning all the way to the very end to see what happens next!
There are multiple POVs in this story each with an action packed arc and I wasn’t really sure it would come together when I started however came together it did, seamlessly, building multiple elements of tension and plot. It felt like a rollercoaster going through the book in just two sittings (why do we need to sleep?)!
Whilst light on the world building there’s still enough there for you to pain that picture in your mind and see the ongoing action unfurl page by page in your imagination.
Once again the writing is superb. Not simple, not difficult. The perfect blend to keep you enthralled during a fast paced book.
The plot itself is well done, a few twists thrown in throughout which always keeps a reader on their toes and I truly cannot wait for book 3!
I received an advanced copy of the book however all opinions are my own and presented with honesty.
Plot ✅
Writing ✅
Romance ✅
Characters ✅
World building ✅
If you have not read the first book, go read it now. This is the second instalment of a world of intrigue, politics, coup, forbidden romance and friendship.
The characters in the book are truly remarkably depicted. As the story evolves the reader is further drawn into the complexities of each persons views and whilst there’s still many characters I loathe (I’m meant to, not due to the writing but their role in the story), those I didn’t quite understand or warm too in book 1 I’m finally unravelling the onion to reach their core.
The romance and the twists of the new side stories (Aedon, Reva, Irick and even Miss V), they had me page turning all the way to the very end to see what happens next!
There are multiple POVs in this story each with an action packed arc and I wasn’t really sure it would come together when I started however came together it did, seamlessly, building multiple elements of tension and plot. It felt like a rollercoaster going through the book in just two sittings (why do we need to sleep?)!
Whilst light on the world building there’s still enough there for you to pain that picture in your mind and see the ongoing action unfurl page by page in your imagination.
Once again the writing is superb. Not simple, not difficult. The perfect blend to keep you enthralled during a fast paced book.
The plot itself is well done, a few twists thrown in throughout which always keeps a reader on their toes and I truly cannot wait for book 3!
April 6, 2025
This is my personal opinion after reading an advanced copy.
Oh. My. Goodness! The *tension*! I was so pleased to be able to get access to an advanced copy of this book, as I was invested after the first book, but I think I’m regretting that now, because I’ll just have to wait *even longer* to finally get some solutions. 😩 But yet again, this story and its diverse characters were so well written. This book feels like a tightening net- for all the characters attempts to find small or large ways to create change (or at the very least, find safety for themselves & those they care about), nothing sticks. Yet each day they strive anew.
I love that some characters are ones you don’t particularly like, & yet you can empathise with them, or recognise that they are just flawed people trying their best. I love that the plot is relatively straightforward in its underlying needs, and yet so complex & unexpected in the paths needed to achieve that goal.
I genuinely don’t know how this story will be wrapped up. For all that there have been potential hints of what might be involved, nothing feels like it can solve the tangled webbing they’re all caught up in. I’m desperate to see these characters attain a HEA. I’m desperate for the country to be set back on the path to healing.
If you’re anything like me, you might want to hold off until the whole series is released - the emotional investment I feel for this story is going to plague me now for months 😭. On the other hand, that in itself is a massive recommendation for this author and this series, so don’t hold off reading this book if you can deal with the short wait until the final book is released.
Oh. My. Goodness! The *tension*! I was so pleased to be able to get access to an advanced copy of this book, as I was invested after the first book, but I think I’m regretting that now, because I’ll just have to wait *even longer* to finally get some solutions. 😩 But yet again, this story and its diverse characters were so well written. This book feels like a tightening net- for all the characters attempts to find small or large ways to create change (or at the very least, find safety for themselves & those they care about), nothing sticks. Yet each day they strive anew.
I love that some characters are ones you don’t particularly like, & yet you can empathise with them, or recognise that they are just flawed people trying their best. I love that the plot is relatively straightforward in its underlying needs, and yet so complex & unexpected in the paths needed to achieve that goal.
I genuinely don’t know how this story will be wrapped up. For all that there have been potential hints of what might be involved, nothing feels like it can solve the tangled webbing they’re all caught up in. I’m desperate to see these characters attain a HEA. I’m desperate for the country to be set back on the path to healing.
If you’re anything like me, you might want to hold off until the whole series is released - the emotional investment I feel for this story is going to plague me now for months 😭. On the other hand, that in itself is a massive recommendation for this author and this series, so don’t hold off reading this book if you can deal with the short wait until the final book is released.
May 17, 2025
Nail-biting, One-more-page-turning, action packed second plunge into the perfect fantasy world!
there is now a chance to jump into Reva’s story, and Aedan’s story, and Ari has not said her last word, either. But be prepared for emotions, and tears (well, in my case), and anxiety because multiple PoVs and beautiful, comfortable prose make the story very compelling and engaging.
The plot is so well-developed, the characters are a joy to get to know (you’ll have to pick your favorite couple, if like me), and the wit of the dialogues as well as the banter are here to brighten your reading. But there is also growth and maturity and pain and hard decisions and difficult consequences, and you feel them all. Mrs. Beene doesn’t shy from hard issues, and though it’s a fantasy world, the struggles become real and injustice is acute. However, don’t expect HEA for everyone in this installment: though some things find their resolution, more ends will have to be tied, so a cliffhanger it is. And nail-biting continues.
Possible triggers: death, slavery, war (alluded), violence, prostitution (alluded), gladiator fight, orphans, rape and suicide (alluded),
Romance: clean with kisses (though passionate, absolutely not descriptive); does have a naked male torso scene.
I had a privilege to read an advanced copy and absolutely loved it! All opinions expressed are my own
June 2, 2025
My new obsession is this series! This world is brimming with courtly danger and a brewing rebellion. There is so much tension in this book. Every chapter builds with a smooth pacing and with multiple POV, I found it impossible to put down. Princess Ari’s growth from book 1 to book 2 just captured me. Her betrothed, the King, is a dangerous man and she is trapped in his court. I love how she plays the part but also stays true to herself.
Reva and Callan’s perilous journey and slow burn trust and attraction was the perfect addition for a middle book in a series. This book did not lull or get boring like some 2nd books do. Then there is Aedon, our strong yearning gladiator who is fighting for his freedom and love of his life. My goodness, I already want to reread this book! But I have the next one, A Heavy Hammer!
Jill is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend her books. Her books are spice free and the romance, twists and plot are 5 stars!
Reva and Callan’s perilous journey and slow burn trust and attraction was the perfect addition for a middle book in a series. This book did not lull or get boring like some 2nd books do. Then there is Aedon, our strong yearning gladiator who is fighting for his freedom and love of his life. My goodness, I already want to reread this book! But I have the next one, A Heavy Hammer!
Jill is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend her books. Her books are spice free and the romance, twists and plot are 5 stars!
December 31, 2025
Another amazing installment
I will admit I was put off at the beginning, having previously gotten so invested in what I felt was the main plot. That feeling fled to obscurity once I got further into the plot of some of these side characters. The way the various plot lines were interwoven made me crave each pov even while the current one was distracting me with its delicious tendrils of intrigue.
Another pg-13 rating, again only for the violence of the fights. The kisses involved in the book were sweet, and the lack of spice was not missed at all. The plot doesn't need that to carry it along.
The new relationships in this leg of the journey made me swoon, and I loved the advancements in both the plot as well as character development. Definitely no second book slump in these pages.
I will admit I was put off at the beginning, having previously gotten so invested in what I felt was the main plot. That feeling fled to obscurity once I got further into the plot of some of these side characters. The way the various plot lines were interwoven made me crave each pov even while the current one was distracting me with its delicious tendrils of intrigue.
Another pg-13 rating, again only for the violence of the fights. The kisses involved in the book were sweet, and the lack of spice was not missed at all. The plot doesn't need that to carry it along.
The new relationships in this leg of the journey made me swoon, and I loved the advancements in both the plot as well as character development. Definitely no second book slump in these pages.
June 5, 2025
Suffered a little bit from middle book syndrome for me, I fear. The writing was still great, but we added another POV and there were some points that dragged a little. Momentum felt lost/really slowed in this book. I still am anticipating the next installment in this trilogy, but I was prepared for a more breakneck speed than the first book, and while the beginning was entertaining, the more I read, the more I skimmed.
Overall, it’s a solid middle book, but I just felt it suffered a little!
Overall, it’s a solid middle book, but I just felt it suffered a little!
August 18, 2025
Really enjoying this series
I really don't like getting into a series, it means spending money I don't want to spend, but this is worth your time and money. The only problem I find is a wolf would know long before a stranger showed up and a guard who can't send a warning in time to prevent people getting caught kissing is a real loser as a guard. Other than those obvious things, it has been great.
I really don't like getting into a series, it means spending money I don't want to spend, but this is worth your time and money. The only problem I find is a wolf would know long before a stranger showed up and a guard who can't send a warning in time to prevent people getting caught kissing is a real loser as a guard. Other than those obvious things, it has been great.
August 11, 2025
This book was intense. So much is at stake and the tables could be turned (and did) in the blink of an eye. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and the writing style reminded me a little of Brandon Sanderson. It made it so that it seemed like something was happening the whole time. Overall, I liked this one more than the first and I loved the Monarch Court while it lasted.
August 13, 2025
Ahhhhhhh
This book is so good, I wished I could ignore all of my responsibilities to keep reading it. I've really enjoyed this series. The plot twists, the characters, the villain- all worthwhile. The characters keep getting knocked down, things don't come easily, but I had to keep reading regardless.
This book is so good, I wished I could ignore all of my responsibilities to keep reading it. I've really enjoyed this series. The plot twists, the characters, the villain- all worthwhile. The characters keep getting knocked down, things don't come easily, but I had to keep reading regardless.
June 1, 2025
Worth it!
I love enemy to more, so this second book in the series totally had me at hello. This whole series, like anything this author writes, will not let you down!
Clean, some swoony kissing.
I love enemy to more, so this second book in the series totally had me at hello. This whole series, like anything this author writes, will not let you down!
Clean, some swoony kissing.
June 25, 2025
Can’t wait for the next one!
I love all Jill Beene’s books that I have read. This was no exception. It is a great adventure with lots of twists. I am so looking forward to the conclusion!
I love all Jill Beene’s books that I have read. This was no exception. It is a great adventure with lots of twists. I am so looking forward to the conclusion!
July 16, 2025
So… I need to wait?
Gah! I have to wait for the next one? Glad the next installation is coming out soon. Definitely keeps you on your toes.
Gah! I have to wait for the next one? Glad the next installation is coming out soon. Definitely keeps you on your toes.
October 27, 2025
Also great. Onto the next one.
I love half term!
I love half term!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews