Siege to the Throne

by Leah Mara

Revenge never gives—it only takes.
With broken hearts full of vengeance, Kiera and Aiden escape their burning city. But their war is just beginning.

Torn between saving her siblings and defeating the monster she helped unleash, Kiera is determined to right her wrongs. Even if it means becoming reluctant allies with the man she betrayed.

Together, Aiden and Kiera battle their feelings for each other as they fight for their kingdom. But their enemies have grown into an army that hunts them mercilessly.

And this time—there is no escape.

With epic battles, emotional damage, and a love worth fighting for, Siege to the Throne concludes Aiden and Kiera's harrowing journey. Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, Spark of the Everflame, and Blood & Steel.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy

572 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 13, 2025

Reviews

[KMart Vet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picks up right where the first book left off. There's chaos in the kingdom, danger on every side, and two leads who are dragging around as much heartbreak as they are determination. With a heaping amount of betrayal between them due to the secrets they kept. This sequel leans harder into the rebellion, the shifting alliances, and the fight to reclaim the kingdom. Aiden and Kiera try to navigate both a war and the wreckage of their relationship.

I’ve been dying to jump back into this world, and this book delivered exactly what I wanted. The found family dynamic is great and one of the strongest parts of the story. Every bond deepens as the stakes build and I adored seeing how this group pulls together even when everything is falling apart. I adore Maz in particular. He’s one of my favorite characters in the duology.

The rebellion arc hits all the right beats: tense confrontations, high-stakes battles, and that satisfying sense of momentum toward a finale that feels earned. It wraps up the duology in a way that feels complete without losing the emotional weight of what came before. And Aiden and Kiera’s slow, sometimes painful path back to each other hits beautifully.

This book holds its own alongside its comp titles, and if you enjoyed those series, this one absolutely belongs on your shelf too!

Thanks so much to the author and R&R Booktours for the complimentary review copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Morgan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect ending to this duology!! There was action and heartbreak and amazing chemistry! Aiden and Kiera slowly found their way back to each other and I loved their relationship so much! We lost some friends along the way which broke my heart but it felt necessary! I loved Kiera’s reunion with her brother and sister especially since she had no idea what she would find when she finally got back to them! I ending was the perfect HEA that I needed!!

[BookishVibesClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhh I didn’t think this series could get any better than book one… but it definitely did! This series deserves all the hype and more.

Big feels of found family, hate (but secretly love)
to love tension, and high stakes on the edge of your seat moments. I really enjoyed how the new political intrigue played out continuing from the book one twist.

The longing brought all the feels. Those moments of sweet understanding between enemy allies.

❤️‍🔥 enemies to lovers
❤️‍🔥 hate to love
❤️‍🔥 forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 found family
❤️‍🔥 political intrigue
❤️‍🔥 fighting a common enemy


🌶️🌶️ (low spice, descriptive open door)
Skip chapter:

[Sarah Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was… fine? it’s like it just wrapped up everything from book 1 over the course of 500 pages.

they don’t trust each other? now they do :) she feels guilty? now she doesn’t :) the new king is evil? now he’s gone :)

I think the author tried to fit everything into 2 books, but in doing so, they made the second one seem very plain. and it didn’t help that there was a lot of flowery, poetic dialogue that really clashed with the simplicity of the plot.

maybe I need to stop reading KU books and start on something with a little heft to it… welp.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes everything I loved about Keys to the Crown and takes it up a notch with higher stakes, immeasurable emotion, and fractured loyalties.

We pick back up where Keys to the Crown left off with the Kingdom on the verge of collapse. We follow Kiera who is now on the run and dealing with the consequences of the choices she made in book one while trying to save her loved ones and put a stop to the destruction she helped unleash.

The world building is especially rich, exploring more of Kingdom's different civilizations and digging deeper into the political intrigue.

Even with the rebellion, spy missions, and brutal battles the romance remains an essential focal point of the story serving to balance out the heavy moments. Their dynamic is far from easy - filled with distrust, undeclared feelings, and longing despite the messy history they share.

Siege to the Throne is a beautifully written finale to the Rellmira duology that is full of action, emotion, and morally grey choices. If you love romantasy packed with political chaos, secret missions, and found family vibes then The Rellmira duology will have your heart.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

struggled the characters and pacing in this conclusion

Siege to the Throne by Leah Mara
-Rellmira Duology, Book 2-

2.75/5⭐️
1/3🌶️ (1 scene)
1/3🦋

•My Thoughts•
I had such high hopes for this one after loving the first book in this duology. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the main character’s conflict cycle that repeated through out the book. Their thought lives were so repetitive that any moments of growth or swoon lost power with a quick backslide into their thought rut. Their relationship seemed to fall back on their physical connection and their refusal to talk about things became frustrating. There were still some great twisty moments of danger and stress that had me flipping pages and I did enjoy a few of the side character friendships. The book felt slow paced even with the second half packed full of battle scenes and war planning. I was pleased with the way things wrapped up but phew, I struggled with the journey.

[Camis.little.library · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect conclusion for this duology!!

-Enemies to lovers
-Emotional damage
-Fierce banter
-Epic battles
-Spy missions
-Perilous journeys
-Training
-Even more found family
-Feminine rage
-Touch her and 💀
-Dual POV
-Spice

This story, and duology has a whole was truly AMAZING!! For ANYBODY, who loves a romantasy- make this duology your next read!

Great world building, slow burn, angst and tension, epic battles, secrets & lies, this story was everything!

This book, book 2, picks up right at the conclusion of book 1- which was an AWFUL cliffhanger so trust me when I say you’re going to want book 2 ready!

With epic battles, emotional damage, and a love worth fighting for, Siege to the Throne concludes Aiden and Kiera's harrowing journey. Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, Spark of the Everflame, and Blood & Steel.

Highly recommend this for any and all romantasy lovers!

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siege to the Throne

Wow what a finale to this epic Duology!! This one was emotional, full of action, and impossible to put down.

I loved the high stakes and how the story and more specifically the characters pulled at my heartstrings the whole way through.

Speaking of the characters I really loved how Kiera and Aiden grew more into themselves and learned from each other and their friends around them.

I don’t want to give away anything, so I’ll only say if you read the first book you’re not going to want to miss this one!

Some tropes in here and the series are; enemies to lovers, secrets, lies, betrayals, found family, high stakes, action-packed, epic battles, feminine rage, touch him/her and xx vibes, always find my way to you, hurt/comfort, fight for freedom, and so much more!

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful way to end this story. This just reminded me all over again why i love reading. It was so so well done and for me personally left nothing to be desired, it was perfect the way it was and i would not change a thing. What an absolutely stunning ending to a beautiful start. I am so so glad i found out about this duology and was lucky enough to receive an arc for siege to the throne so thank you so much leah mara for writing such an amazing plot and characters and for giving me the chance to arc read this.

[Grace McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few series that will truly stay with me - it’s sad to part, but I’m so damned happy ✨✨✨✨✨✨

[1000_books_1000_lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! Such a gripping read- action, adventure and love. The perfect needing to one of my favourite reads last year. Absolutely recommend

[Shannon Mungo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great continuation, and conclusion to the duology!

I absolutely fell in love with these characters and world and didnt want to say goodbye.

This doulogy is definitely for fans of blood and steel and a court this cruel and lovely. This series gave me similar vibes.

I love how or fmc and mmc fell in love and the ending of book one was so cruel, but this story made up for the cruel ending of book one.

This series, both books made me stay up way to late because I could not put them down. The author writes a story that sucks you in and suddenly hours have gone by.

Such a captivating and emotional story.

[Karagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For transparency's sake, I completely fell in love with Aiden and Kiera in book one of this series so my opinion may have some well deserved bias attached to it. That said...
It was in this book that I fell for Mazkull. Not that he wasn't absolutely wonderful in Keys to the Crown, what with his coin throwing, but he took it to a whole other level in this sequel.

Siege to the Throne is a tale of horse riding, sailing, and battles galore, on the tail of Kiera's heart wrenching betrayal of Aiden and his rebel allies.

The hostility.

The guilt!

The torment.

Could somebody just give the failed assassin a hug? Maybe dole out a spanking to the successful spy? Can we just apologize and move on to happily ever after?

But no, the author does a marvelous job at catering to the realistic effort it takes to heal from betrayal and claw one's way back through the shards of shattered trust. More than once I had to put the book down to breathe through the heavy emotions stirred by both Aiden and Kiera. Other times, I was screaming at the entire clan to cast aside their pride and pick up the enemy's sunstone swords because it was just not the time, and they had not the luxury, to be dumping perfectly good weapons into the ocean.

The story unfolds at a leisurely pace. Into battle. Out. Then onto the next. The greater portion of the book revolves around traveling. So. Much. Travelling.

On separate horses no less.

But the second half, especially that last quarter, utterly vanquished whatever grumblings had spawned. I'm a goner for a good villain and Renwell did it for me.

And that ending? A true romantasy worthy ending!

"Keep your breath, Kiera. Keep it, so you can scream my name."

This is an ARC review.

[Theresse (Tess) Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥ “Lately, it seems I can’t run in any direction that does not lead me to you.” ♕

♕♥♕---ARC Review---♥♕♥

After the brutal cliffhanger in book one, I’d been anxiously waiting for this sequel, so getting an ARC felt like a gift. I really appreciated that the author opened with a brief recap; it had the same energy as starting a new season of a show after a long hiatus, instantly pulling me back into the world. From there, the plot seized my attention right where book one left us hanging and refused to let go.

♥ “You didn’t make me who I am today. I did. My choices. My will. My scars. Me.” ♕

Even though the first half of the book leaned heavily into world-building and strategy, it never felt boring. Slightly stretched at times, yes…but never dull. The second half hit like a freight train and had me glued to my Kindle until two in the morning. Mara kept all the tension, angst, and emotional punch that made book one thrive, and in many ways, she cranked those elements up to the max here.

♕ “I could say I would burn this world for you, but the truth is, I would burn for you. To keep that beautiful heart beating, I would burn until I was nothing but ash and a name on your lips.” ♥

While I was thrilled to see Aidan and Kiera get their HEA, I didn’t always love how their journey unfolded. The reset of their relationship after book one’s ending was frustrating, and the miscommunication trope, which is already not my favorite, played a big role in that frustration. Their individual mental spirals were even harder to sit with; their internal yo-yoing made the emotional pacing uneven, even if it served a purpose. Still, when looking at their development from beginning to end, their arcs were undeniably satisfying. I loved that Kiera held onto the fire and grit that made her so compelling in book one, and seeing Aidan find his light through his darkness gave his arc real weight.

♥ “There’s nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t find you.” ♕

♕ “There’s nowhere I wouldn’t want to be found by you.” ♥

I do wish Maz had gotten more time on the page. He was such a grounding force for both characters in the first book, and I would’ve loved more of his presence here. The same goes for Ruru; the found family dynamic is beautiful, but those two in particular are such key emotional anchors that I wanted more from them. On top of that, I wish the villain had played a more active, on-page role. He was written incredibly well, but the fact that the characters spent so much of the story fighting him without actually engaging with him left me craving more presence to solidify his menace. Overall, this was a gripping, emotionally intense continuation of the series, and even with the moments that frustrated me, I loved being back with these characters and seeing their story reach its conclusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spice: 0.5/5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tropes:
♥ Enemies to Lovers ♕
♕ Touch Her & ☠️ ♥
♥ Found Family ♕
♕ Quest for Vengeance ♥

♥ “If you were the sun, I would be the moon - to always remind you how brightly you shine.” ♕

♕ “And if I wanted to be the moon?” ♥

♥ “Then I would be the stars to ensure you’re never alone.” ♕

[Reveriesurfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars. It was like okayish as it wrapped up everything left from the first one yet I had to say it didn't live up to my expectations. This was rather...plain, predictable and repetitive.

*SPOILERS ALERT*

The first part was basically about how Kiera and Aiden were struggling with their distrust for each other as they both felt betrayed and hurt, yet they still deeply cared for each other. At the same time, they were constantly at war with Renwell's army that they got attacked from time to time and had to fight back to protect the people around. It became a pattern like, Kiera and Aiden fought, and then they rushed to battles, fought hard against the intruders and the battles usually ended up with the death of the side characters, and then Kiera and Aiden would talk or share some time together and resolve some grudges as they realised they might lose each other at any time...it got a bit boring that I would have given this up, though I kept pushing myself to see if it might get better eventually, just like the first one did.

It did for certain parts, like the build-up of the characters, such as Nikella, a great mentor for both Aiden and Kiera during wartime, who managed to choose her life growing up as a teacher, with a righteous goal to set things right, regardless of her traumatised childhood. I genuinely enjoyed the parts with her in it, so I was rather heartbroken to see her sacrifice herself during battles, as she truly deserved a happy life after hiding in the dark and dedicating all her life in raising Aiden. It was like, someone significant to any of the main characters, had to die in every battles that they engaged in, just to delay the enemies in their pursuit. I didn't think her death, along with many deaths, were necessary for the plot development, and the deaths felt forced as they only further traumatised the characters and did emotional damage to readers.

It didn't, for many parts, like the romance between Aiden and Kiera. The romance got a bit dull, and the whole thing felt simple in spite of the flowery and poetic dialogues they shared. Many of the interesting side characters, like Maz and Ruru, lost their charms as they weren't involved much in the plots. It was also a bit disappointing to see so little about Renwell, like I still couldn't figure what he really wanted and what he felt for Kiera. Power? Possession? I was expecting more depths to be delved into about this dark character but nope. The siblings of Kiera, were like names only that they didn't even appear in the book until the very end. The plots also kept getting lazier. The whole alliance with the soldier who was in love with Kiera's sister, was fickle and ridiculous, considering no one actually knew, or even talked to him before. One thing I appreciated about book 1, was that Aiden had never thought about being the king himself, but he would rather put someone fit in the position. So it was confusing to see that Aiden suddenly realised his abilities, accepted his fate and took up the position at last. It felt like the author ran out of ideas and kind of gave up on the finale.

Even I didn't really like this one, I might still give a try on future books from this author for the potential she showed in the first one and all the exclusive reads.

[Lacey Kintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screaming. Ugly crying. Sobbing.
It's over and I don't want it to be. Don't make me say goodbye to these characters. I love them all so much. (But Maz the most, obviously)

I cannot stress how much I loved Keys to the Crown and how much more I loved Siege to the Throne. Leah Mara knocked the end of this duology out of the park. It was filled with yearning, tension, heists, had dangerous stakes, and even more of a slow burn between Aiden and Kiera as they worked to overcome the twists the plot took at the end of book one.
I love these two levelheaded, stubborn, insightful main characters so much. But what I love most is my man Mazkull. I'm so glad that his boisterous (and tattooed) ass is right up there in the meat of almost every chapter with the main duo. He calls them out for their infuriating stubbornness, offers honesty and insight, and never gives up on being wingman for the swoon-worthy romance both main characters act like they want to free themselves of while overcoming guilt and trauma.
And the villain? Renwell didn't do it for me in Keys but there was something about him in the last part of Siege that made me want to know more about him. I wanted more of him written in there. Days passed by and I was just itching to know what he was doing, how he felt, and what he was planning. I'd die for more Renwell POV bonus chapters.
Aiden's slow acceptance of the crown and Kiera's struggles to forgive herself are so impactful and emotional. I loved the grand scale of the world of Lancora and the culture of the Dags. The stakes are perilously high and what transpires in Calimber had me gritting my teeth and profusely sweating from the stress!

"You think I hate you?" he breathed, his gloved fists clenched. "I don't even know you."
URGH. My heart hurts!!

I'm so grateful to have been a part of the ARC team for both books in this duology. I have loved every moment I spent with these books and these characters. If I could give it a thousand stars I certainly would.

[Jayme Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read book 1, Keys to the Crown yet, go do that now.
Princess turned spy falls for the criminal she's supposed to keep tabs on.
If you have read book 1, continue on with the review.

This duology's strongest piece for me is that it has a whole cast of characters that hit all of the feels. They are all some combination of stubborn, wise, fierce, loyal, forgiving, and determined to fight for what is right. They love with their whole hearts and stand by their friends. There is a good amount of playfulness and wit. You learn that in book 1, but in this book... you're fully immersed. I feel like they're all family at this point. Ruru and Maz... they're both the brightest stars in the sky to me.

After the betrayal (said to avoid book 1 spoilers), Kiera and Aiden find themselves with shattered trust. Shattered trust is incredibly difficult to repair and it will never be the same. Adding to the complexity of their relationship is the guilt and trauma that has not resolved mixed with the yearning they cannot seem to control.
BUT! That doesn't matter... Aiden and Kiera do have a common goal, a common enemy... so they form an uneasy alliance of sorts to continue to do what is necessary to free their kingdom and to fight for those that cannot.

This book is everything I want in a book. Action packed, emotional, character driven, and satisfying ending. The MC's have flaws but they have good hearts and lean into the strength, wisdom, and character of those around them. You have a villain that you want to throat punch...

I would like to thank the author for including a summary. I read the first book almost a year ago. So I hope that anytime she walks into a bookstore, she finds exactly what she wants and that every cookie that she ever bakes comes out exactly as she intended.

I did receive this book as an eARC and I would recommend this duology to people want to read a book that has a little bit of everything.

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siege to the Throne
4 ⭐
“If you were the sun, I would be the moon— to always remind you how brightly you shine.”
“And if I wanted to be the moon?”
“Then I would be the stars to ensure you’re never alone.”

She runs away from her Kingdom with the man whom she betrayed only to become allies with him in order get her Kingdom back...while they try hard to ignore the attraction simmering between them.

• I was invested-! This has a very nice plot and the writing was fun and flowed really well!
Since I always enjoy a good ol' rebellion with secrets from the past that start piling up, powerful antagonist (who has no redeeming qualities!! Yay), running away-being hunted and all...this was holyfkin delicious!!
• I love when the main character's worldview shatters, how they realise the veil that was on their eyes and how deliciously it all unravels and this book just provided me that!
• The found family in this book was so good!
• This went like thise historical movies/ dramas that I absolutely love, so I had a real fun time here!
• Aiden and Keira had an amazing chemistry and their character development was absolutely solid- I saw them grow, bend and win!
• Maz-my favourite character!!! You can't tell me otherwise! He was so supportive, loving and an absolute joy to read about!
• I enjoyed the backstory of each and every character, they created the much needed depth.
• I loved the journey- and the way they were hunted by [redacted], the fights were glorious! I loved every single moment of it!

This was the book that did justice to the very tropes it promised, and I love it for that!

It was done well,it could've been better...more depth, more betrayal, MORE thickk plot- that would've involved making the motives of the antagonist run deeper.
BUT I think this was very much well done and enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend!!

[Susan (Purplegalaxyreads94) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I’d like to thank Leah Mara for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review! I previously read keys to the crown earlier this year and I just knew that this would become my favorite duology and I just had to sign up for an arc of Siege To The Throne. (This will be a non-spoiler review!)

Siege to the throne picks up exactly where we left off in the first book. I was immediately teleported back into the world that I had missed so much. Kiera, Aiden, Maz, Ruru and so many other characters were back in this one and they welcomed me home like they were patiently waiting for me to see how their story would end. I loved how all the questions we had in the first book were answered in this second book. It truly is the epitome of not everything is as it seems and I felt that the flashbacks were placed so well and transitioned seamlessly among the present that it made this journey a smooth one.

There was so much character development in this one as well as the found family element which I loved! Love is a powerful feeling and love makes all of us do things we never thought we were capable of and this proves true during this book. There was so much yearning and tension between Kiera and Aiden that you can’t help but cheer for them. There were so many secrets and plots during this one that added so much depth to this story that you literally felt like you were part of the team. I also was on such an emotional rollercoaster with this one, even at the end as I honestly didn’t want to say goodbye to this world and these characters. One of the best duologies I’ve read this year and I know that all of these characters will hold a special place in my heart for a very long time!

[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

YALLLLL. I cannot stress this enough - this duology is one that you NEED. TO. READ. I gasped, I teared up, I swooned, I ignored my partner to keep reading lol, and I could not stop reading until I got to the last page in this amazing book.

Everything in this book felt bigger - the stakes were higher, the emotions were intense. All the feels of yearning, hope, forgiveness, and fully falling in love, were what made this one so great for me. And if you're a fan of found family, this one has that in droves. (also make sure you're reading this in order, you must read book 1 first!)

What I loved about this is that the world felt just so fully fleshed out. The author has created a vivid, complex fantasy world - one that I would love to keep reading about honestly lol - and a variety of characters to root for and hate. I can't believe this is her debut series/duology. From describing the different towns and land, to the food, to the tavern games, there is nothing that has been left out from placing you in this world.

And then we have to talk about the characters - I seriously love them all. Aiden and Kiera are our main OTP couple and I just arggggg, the yearning and the guilt, and the slow rebuilding of trust and learning about each other all over again - I just ate all of this up. Aiden Falcryn, oh the man that you are! Book boyfriend alert right here, trust me. I just adore them. And Ruru - the sweetest! And Maz - the best friend you could ever ask for!

No spoilers here, I just think you need to pick up the first book and just escape to this beautiful world from Leah. I cannot wait to see what will be next from this author!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.

[Sandra (millennial.reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, beautiful, and emotionally charged book 2 of a duology! Perfect conclusion of the story!
5⭐️ with a standing ovation!
Sometimes we just need a book (duology) like this to remind us why we read romantasy.

This book is even better than the first one.
With a brutal cliffhanger in the Keys to The Crown, I was actually very worried how things will play out as such situations have a danger to drag out and smother the story. We have all read such books that started being page fillers or were executed poorly. But NO!
This was perfectly executed and I am amazed again.

Character development was so organic, real, natural, right amount of pacing and situations that led to a conflict resolve when the time was right, not when we felt like it.

Don’t get me wrong - things didn’t always turn out well for our characters, but how they grew from those wreched situations was on spot.

You can expect:
- new scenery and world expansion
- more battles
- new side characters + found family
- expansion of side characters from book 1
- chances for redemption
- new scares and scars
- missions that can go wrong at every corner
- difficult conversations
- heart-stopping moments
- loss and grief
- happiness despite the adversities
Tropes:
• slow burn
• he again falls first
• one bed

I like how the FMC evolved to the very last page. Her story is amazing. One of the rare likable characters and also very relateable.

Out MMC is a true king material. He reminded me of Stryder from LOTR in many situations. Grounded but also explosive.

I truly and honestly hope that this duology would reach more readers, as this is what romantasy is about. I will not stop recommending it!

[Leigha Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siege to the Throne by Leah Mara brings Aiden and Kiera’s tumultuous story to a gripping, emotional close—one filled with vengeance, sacrifice, and a romance forged in fire. This sequel raises the stakes in every possible way, delivering a finale that is as intense as it is heartfelt.

The novel opens with Kiera and Aiden fleeing their burning city, both shattered by betrayal—hers and his. Their desperation is palpable, and Mara wastes no time plunging the reader back into the chaos. Kiera’s torn loyalties drive the emotional core of the story: she must choose between saving her siblings and undoing the devastation she helped unleash. Her guilt, determination, and slow reclamation of agency make her arc compelling and deeply human.

Aiden, meanwhile, remains one of the strongest anchors in the series. His complicated history with Kiera fuels both the tension and the tenderness woven through the story. Their dynamic is equal parts angst, longing, and resistance, and Mara balances this slow-burn turmoil beautifully against the backdrop of war. Watching them battle their feelings while fighting for their lives creates a delicious emotional push-pull that fans of The Bridge Kingdom and Blood & Steel will eat up.

The worldbuilding expands meaningfully, featuring ruthless enemies, desperate alliances, and battles that feel raw and cinematic. The army hunting them adds constant tension, and the sense of “there is no escape” permeates every chapter. Mara excels at capturing the brutality of war without losing sight of character emotion—and that blend is where the book truly shines.

[Kinjal Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m emotionally wrecked in the best way possible. This sequel took everything I loved about book one and cranked the intensity straight into the sun.

Kiera and Aiden… oh my GOD. The fallout between them is messy, painful, raw, and so achingly human. Leah Mara really said, “Let’s make them suffer,” and I ate it up. Every argument, every moment of silence, every flicker of hope, i felt all of it.

And Mazkull? I was already obsessed with him, but this book made him my entire personality. Loud, loyal, tattooed, calling everyone out on their nonsense, he’s the glue this entire chaotic group needed.

The pacing is very journey-heavy: traveling, regrouping, fighting, more traveling, more danger. But once the second half hits? It’s nonstop. The tension, the battles, the political stakes, the heartbreak, everything scales up until it feels like you’re sprinting toward the end.

And the villain? Renwell had me unexpectedly intrigued. I kept wanting more scenes, more motives, more glimpses into that dangerous, calculating mind. I would absolutely inhale bonus chapters from his POV.

Aiden stepping into the weight of the crown, Kiera fighting her own guilt and grief, the found-family vibes from the crew, it all just hit so perfectly. By the end I was sweating, crying, and yelling at my book like a lunatic.

This duology delivers everything:
✨ slow-burn tension
✨ betrayal and redemption
✨ emotional depth
✨ high-stakes battles
✨ characters you want to protect at all costs

[Amber aka Crystal Coast Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siege to the Throne is the emotional and action-packed conclusion to the Rellmira Duology. Leah Mara delivers a finale filled with found family, yearning and slow burn romance, epic battles, trauma, and healing as Keira and Aiden flee Aquinon and confront their pasts, their truths, and what they truly mean to each other—and to Rellmira itself.

I experienced every emotion with this book: I laughed, swooned, yelled, and even cried (and yes, I emailed the author afterward!). The story wraps up beautifully with a heartfelt HEA that feels both earned and satisfying.

One small critique—the miscommunication trope. While it fits the characters’ history, it’s just not a personal favorite of mine. Readers who enjoy that tension, though, will likely find this a solid 5-star read.

A special shoutout to Leah for including a recap of book one—a thoughtful touch that I absolutely loved. As someone who read Keys to The Crown a year ago, it made jumping back into the world so much easier. Honestly, I wish every author would do this!

Leah Mara continues to impress with her rich world-building, emotional depth, and authentic character work. She’s become one of my favorite indie fantasy authors, and I’ll happily read anything she writes.

[Johanna Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 in the series, so much angst, ahhh it was so good. I never wanted it to end. I loved book 1 but book 2? Perfection. Angst, suspense, twists, battles, heat, loss, victories…. This book had it all. Aiden is such a dreamy MMC and Kiera is a feisty FMC who is a force to be reckoned with. Their found family rounds this series out perfectly. I laughed and cried, I felt their losses and shared in their joys. The writing is so well done. I want to try a moonblood fruit! The world building continues from book one and is so good, there are gods, but they left, there’s not magic per se but there is in the few gifts the gods left like fire seeds and sunstone but the people don’t have magic. I appreciated that. The battle scenes are descriptive but so are the training scenes and the healing and traveling scenes, you’re really pulled in to their story. Of course there is miscommunication between Aiden and Kiera that has you yelling and shaking your head (I guess we all know how Maz and Nikella feel watching it). I was lucky enough to ARC for both book 1 and 2 in this series and I could stay in Rellmira for longer.

[Dainasaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this emotional and action-packed conclusion we pick up where book 1 ends (I really enjoyed that there was a book one recap, so helpful!). Kiera (and everyone for that matter) is in emotional upheaval after finding out who Aiden is and some of his dark history. The angst, the torment and miscommunication between those two. Thank god it was a dual POV. We really got to see them grow and move past their guilt and trauma and towards each other. We got a lot more world building and the siege/battle scenes were so well done. I loved that we got much more thorough back stories of everyone, including the villains. I did not see the third family connection but it makes so much sense. Renwell was a superb villain and he did not disappoint.

While I loved Kiera and Aiden, Maz absolutely stole the book for me. His not so subtle hints, honesty and comedic relief, glorious. That one scene on the boat wrecked me. I had to put the book down and take deep breaths. Actually the whole prison scene wrecked me.

Such a great conclusion to the duology. I'm hoping we get a Maz book :)

Thank you to the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Krista Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrapped up the duology perfectly and while overall I am happy with the ending, some of the devastating losses along the way still have me heartbroken and also I would love to explore more stories in the is world like Maz and Delysia and Henry’s!

This book picked up right where the last left off, following the FMC Kiera as she escapes her kingdom with the long lost prince Aiden she can’t decide if she loves or hates. They must overcome their animosity and work together to save the kingdom from the rule of another usurper and save their people from being prisoners. This book was filled with exciting adventures, spy style missions, lots of banter and of course plenty of tension between the two main characters.

I love a dual POV and getting to see inside the mind of both sides of a love story where the yearn for one another even if they are struggling with the crimes they and their families have done to one another. This book had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end and I thoroughly enjoyed this duology. Overall my rating 4.7/5!

Thanks to the author and R&R book tours for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!

[FloofyMooseReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siege to the Throne is the second book in the Rellmira duology, a romantasy about a princess turned spy turned rebel. I received a review copy and my thoughts are my own. Thank you to the author and R&R Book Tours for my eArc.

Tropes and themes include:
✨Who did this to you?
✨Found family
✨Forgiveness
✨Revenge
✨Political intrigue
✨Forced proximity
✨Forehead press
✨He would burn the world for her

Rating: 4/5 Stars 2/5 Flames
Nickname: Little Thief

The Lovely: I enjoyed the underlying plot around the political intrigue and how we got to really meet an outside group this time. I loved how the pieces fit together and the additional found family. I’d really like to get to know more of the Dags.

The Mundane: This book felt a bit too long and drawn out - particularly in the first half. This was true for plot tension as well as emotional tension.

Recommendation: After the reveals at the end of book one, I will tell you the “issues” are not resolved quickly. Almost like being edged. If you like a top tier found family and a FMC trying to learn who she is and what she wants, I think you’d like this duology.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars.

The vibes:
- book 2 in duology
- War and battles
- Political intrigue
- Open door (1 scene)

My thoughts:
I really loved book one in this duology and I was really excited to see where the relationship would move forward in this one. To avoid spoilers, I will keep it vague. This book was definitely more war heavy and filled with battles and training. Overall, it didn’t feel like a whole lot was happening, and the story felt very slow paced. This kind of threw me off a little bit because book one was extremely fast paced for me. I didn’t love the reconnection process after betrayal between our main characters. It felt very hot and cold and I just wanted them to communicate. I did love Maz, and I enjoyed Nikella. She was basically queen status.

While I didn’t love the overall character development here, I do think this author writes really well, and I would definitely read more from her in the future.

Note- open door; language

[HopesBookCollection · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a FABULOUS Follow up to book 1!

This was such a great story! I loved all the twists and turns, the secrets, the war, the challenges. I was so here for it! The growing love between the 2 main characters was so good!

I loved the found family and merged family, their past being more intertwined than they ever thought, the battles to get to where they needed to be, and loss thay kept them going in the right direction... so good.

I love the time era, the people, the use of land and sea, everything was meshed together, do beautifully. Leah did a great job painting this picture, In my mind, it was like watching a movie!

⚔️War
🗡Stabby FMC x Stabby MMC
❤️‍🔥Burning Love
🪢Challenges
🫂Found Family

There are just so many twist and turns, heartache, love, family, fighting.. just a great books all around.