A Lost Princess

Belles & Bullets #2

by Caylen McQueen

To oppose her murderous mother, Princess Lyneah needs an ally. She needs Rory McCray. For weeks, the princess has been wandering the streets of Lundun, hoping to make contact with the infamous rabble-rouser. In one of Lundun's many pubs, Lyneah is “recognized” by a young man named Tobias. He thinks she's a barmaid named Kitt. Desperate for a companion, the princess assumes the role of Tobias' missing friend. But Lyneah can't stay in Lundun forever. Soon, she'll have to cross the desert and resume her search for Rory—who isn't the man she expects him to be. Meanwhile, Kitt's story continues... but where is Francis Doon? A Lost Princess is a fantasy romance set in an alternate Victorian universe. It is the 2nd book in the Belles & Bullets series.

Genres: Fantasy

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2017

Reviews

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that we finally get to read about Lyneah, the runaway princess, and that she is in Lundun and meets up with Tobias, Kitt's best friend. He obviously thinks Lyneah is Kitt upon first setting eyes on her, however once she explains who she is Tobey becomes besotted with her and is all out to protect her, even though he was not much of a guardian. He does travel with her and the mercenary called Kieran on their way across the desert to find Rory McCray and his army or revolutionaries in hiding in Dovyr, who Lyneah wanted to team up with to over through her mother the evil queen. Once they get there Lyneah promises to become Rory's wife, she is that desperate to rid herself of her mother she was ready to align with this monster who had captured Captain Doon and was torturing him relentlessly. This is when Kitt returns to the picture as she too travels to Dovyr in search of Doon who she too is madly in love with. This book is full of romance even if all parties are still so shy and unsure of themselves. The adventures in the sky are full on with Roderick and Miles traveling with Kitt, and the banter keeps the book light hearted even when poor Doon was so badly treated I feared the book was turning dark. I cannot wait to start reading Sky Pirate, the next book in this very exciting steampunk series full of such lovable characters and a great mixed up plot of the two look alikes.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. Torn between a 2 and a 3 here. I liked Kitt and Doon’s continuation, but I really. Any bring myself to like Lyneah.

So this book does continue with Lyneah’s side of things, but Kitt’s POV is also sprinkled into the mix. Some developments with Doon were a bit extreme to me, but it’s a nice way to show off his skills as a fighter (and ruthlessness). Despite all that, we also get to see a sweeter side to him as he and Kitt continue to interact.

Seriously, though, Lyneah’s actions and logic just reveal how selfish and inconsiderate she is. Yes, she’s trying to work against her mother, but really she’s just using her body to manipulate really bad people. I feel like it’s supposed to be presented as a moral dilemma and that she has no other choice, but Roderick has said he’s trained her in weaponry. She’s also supposed to care about her kingdom and be fairly smart, so I’m disappointed at how she decided to handle a “rebellion.” I’m glad Roderick called her out on her crap at the end. Honestly, he’s such a sweet honest fellow and I thought Lyneah would’ve been somewhat similar to him in his ideals.

Still curious to see how this trilogy ends, but safe to say Kitt is my favorite here.

[Michael Mcfarren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action

This series is not classics but it is a fun read that will keep you turning pages and really caring about the characters. Enjoy. Now to the third book.