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The Chronicles of Dasnaria #2
Exile of the Seas
Around the shifting borders of the Twelve Kingdoms, trade and conflict, danger and adventure put every traveler on guard . . . but some have everything to lose.
ESCAPED
Once she was known as Jenna, Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, schooled in graceful dance and comely submission. Until the man her parents married her off to almost killed her with his brutality.
Now, all she knows is that the ship she’s boarded is bound away from her vicious homeland. The warrior woman aboard says Jenna’s skill in dancing might translate into a more lethal ability. Danu’s fighter priestesses will take her in, disguise her as one of their own—and allow her to keep her silence.
But it’s only a matter of time until Jenna’s monster of a husband hunts her down. Her best chance to stay hidden is to hire out as bodyguard to a caravan traveling to a far-off land, home to beasts and people so unfamiliar they seem like part of a fairy tale. But her supposed prowess in combat is a fraud. And sooner or later, Jenna’s flight will end in battle—or betrayal . . .
ESCAPED
Once she was known as Jenna, Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, schooled in graceful dance and comely submission. Until the man her parents married her off to almost killed her with his brutality.
Now, all she knows is that the ship she’s boarded is bound away from her vicious homeland. The warrior woman aboard says Jenna’s skill in dancing might translate into a more lethal ability. Danu’s fighter priestesses will take her in, disguise her as one of their own—and allow her to keep her silence.
But it’s only a matter of time until Jenna’s monster of a husband hunts her down. Her best chance to stay hidden is to hire out as bodyguard to a caravan traveling to a far-off land, home to beasts and people so unfamiliar they seem like part of a fairy tale. But her supposed prowess in combat is a fraud. And sooner or later, Jenna’s flight will end in battle—or betrayal . . .
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
44 people are currently reading
779 people want to read
About the author
Jeffe Kennedy
101 books1,345 followers💙She/her💙 Award-winning Bestselling Author of epic fantasy romance. Taoist. Swiftie. Santa Fean. Cat lady @sfwa_inc Past-President. Rep by @seyitsme
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 26, 2018
When we left Jenna, Imperial Princess of Dasnaria at the end of Prisoner of the Crown she had made her escape and had no idea of the future since she pretty much did not know anything about anything (women being purposely left ignorant of most things not concerned with marriage in Dasnaria).
In my review of Prisoner of the Crown I said "we seriously need Mr. Miyagi to help her" and guess what , we got one who teaches her the basics of how to fight and be someone more than herself and sets her on a path to achieve more.
Things are not all rainbows and unicorns, she is constantly on guard for her sadistic "husband" and can never be totally at ease. I loved the way she kept improving using things she DID know about to make her into more of the warrior princess she wished to be.
This is a story of slow redemption and growth (which usually means boring but not in this case) and I can't impart too much without giving away a superb ending that lets the reader and our princess get a bit of a breather (and thankfully NOT a cliffhanger) before the action picks back up in the next book Warrior of the World a title which already has me wanting to grab a copy as soon as possible.
5 Stars and maybe it is because her story was so horribly brutal in Prisoner of the Crown that this story was so uplifting in comparison that I overcompensate but I really don't have much to complain about so 5 Stars it is and can't wait until the next book.
In my review of Prisoner of the Crown I said "we seriously need Mr. Miyagi to help her" and guess what , we got one who teaches her the basics of how to fight and be someone more than herself and sets her on a path to achieve more.
Things are not all rainbows and unicorns, she is constantly on guard for her sadistic "husband" and can never be totally at ease. I loved the way she kept improving using things she DID know about to make her into more of the warrior princess she wished to be.
This is a story of slow redemption and growth (which usually means boring but not in this case) and I can't impart too much without giving away a superb ending that lets the reader and our princess get a bit of a breather (and thankfully NOT a cliffhanger) before the action picks back up in the next book Warrior of the World a title which already has me wanting to grab a copy as soon as possible.
5 Stars and maybe it is because her story was so horribly brutal in Prisoner of the Crown that this story was so uplifting in comparison that I overcompensate but I really don't have much to complain about so 5 Stars it is and can't wait until the next book.
December 6, 2018
When I tackled the first installment of this trilogy, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it. All of the other books I’d read from Jeffe Kennedy were fantasy romance and Prisoner of the Crown was… not. It chronicled the Princess Jenna’s early life and descent into an hellacious marriage to a sadist who reveled in abusing her. Then it followed her as she made her escape and sailed away from the only life she ever knew. It was the first act of her story and it was very difficult to read.
This second act is something different altogether. It is Jenna’s journey as she reinvents herself and becomes stronger. It was extremely well-done and perhaps the best thing I have ever read by this author.
The book picks up right where the last one stopped, with Jenna on the ship, a bundle of fear and ignorance. Women in Dasnaria are purposely uneducated about the world, forced to stay in the little boxes where they’re kept. But then Jenna meets Kaja, a priestess of Danu, who changes everything. She teaches Jenna the most basic skills… how to understand the Common Tongue, how to count, and how to hold a knife. And she helps her adopt a new identity, a priestess with a new name –Iveriel— with vows of both silence and celibacy.
Fans of the 12 Kingdoms will recognize Kaja’s name and the name of her daughter… and the character is a pivotal one, even if she doesn’t stay through the entire book. She does, though, set Jenna’s course to find a new home, a new family, and a new hope.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that this book uplifted me every bit as much as its predecessor disturbed me. Though she definitely has help, Jenna changes her life with her own determination and grit. It’s a hard path, but she puts her faith in the possibilities and that is just lovely.
I’m also happy to report that there is a man who gently and thoroughly falls in love with her. Ochieng is everything her husband was not and hats off to Kennedy for making me believe in their connection, even as Jenna never said a word. –Oh and when she finally speaks…. My heart was in my throat.
Thankfully, this romance is whatever you consider slower than a slow burn. And that is so necessary after what Jenna’s been through, but as this installment draws to a close, I’m left believing Jenna has every chance for a full and happy future, despite the horrors of her past.
Worth the trials of book one to get the good feels here. Can’t want to see Jenna get her happy ending.
Rating: A
*ARC provided by publisher
This second act is something different altogether. It is Jenna’s journey as she reinvents herself and becomes stronger. It was extremely well-done and perhaps the best thing I have ever read by this author.
The book picks up right where the last one stopped, with Jenna on the ship, a bundle of fear and ignorance. Women in Dasnaria are purposely uneducated about the world, forced to stay in the little boxes where they’re kept. But then Jenna meets Kaja, a priestess of Danu, who changes everything. She teaches Jenna the most basic skills… how to understand the Common Tongue, how to count, and how to hold a knife. And she helps her adopt a new identity, a priestess with a new name –Iveriel— with vows of both silence and celibacy.
Fans of the 12 Kingdoms will recognize Kaja’s name and the name of her daughter… and the character is a pivotal one, even if she doesn’t stay through the entire book. She does, though, set Jenna’s course to find a new home, a new family, and a new hope.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that this book uplifted me every bit as much as its predecessor disturbed me. Though she definitely has help, Jenna changes her life with her own determination and grit. It’s a hard path, but she puts her faith in the possibilities and that is just lovely.
I’m also happy to report that there is a man who gently and thoroughly falls in love with her. Ochieng is everything her husband was not and hats off to Kennedy for making me believe in their connection, even as Jenna never said a word. –Oh and when she finally speaks…. My heart was in my throat.
Thankfully, this romance is whatever you consider slower than a slow burn. And that is so necessary after what Jenna’s been through, but as this installment draws to a close, I’m left believing Jenna has every chance for a full and happy future, despite the horrors of her past.
Worth the trials of book one to get the good feels here. Can’t want to see Jenna get her happy ending.
Rating: A
*ARC provided by publisher
July 11, 2018
The second book in Jenna’s journey sees her learning to leave behind the naive, trusting girl she was and learning to embrace her own power. A chance meeting with Kaja, a warrior priestess sees Jenna realising just how little she really knows about the world outside barred walls and indeed just how she will struggle to ever fit in. If honest at times she is pitiful but that’s essential to the story as Jenna has to discover her own strengths and how to harness all that she can be.
Jenna’s travels see her making more than one friend although Kaja is perhaps the one whose influence sets Jenna on her new path and changing her name to Ivariel devoted priestess of Danu is just the start. I loved that we know Ivariels thoughts and fears. It made her such a real person as she struggled with memories and finally learnt the value of hope. This is not a romance exactly although there is a character who accepts Ivariel exactly as she is but unfortunately for this reader he just didn’t have what I’d hoped for in a love interest. No this book shows Ivariel embracing everything she has learnt, showing others that change is possible and using the disciplines of her past life to rise up and become reborn in whatever guise she chooses.
Not as dark as the first book but still a sweeping piece of fantasy that captured my imagination and I’m blown away by this authors talent
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Jenna’s travels see her making more than one friend although Kaja is perhaps the one whose influence sets Jenna on her new path and changing her name to Ivariel devoted priestess of Danu is just the start. I loved that we know Ivariels thoughts and fears. It made her such a real person as she struggled with memories and finally learnt the value of hope. This is not a romance exactly although there is a character who accepts Ivariel exactly as she is but unfortunately for this reader he just didn’t have what I’d hoped for in a love interest. No this book shows Ivariel embracing everything she has learnt, showing others that change is possible and using the disciplines of her past life to rise up and become reborn in whatever guise she chooses.
Not as dark as the first book but still a sweeping piece of fantasy that captured my imagination and I’m blown away by this authors talent
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
August 30, 2018
To be honest, from this titles I expected more sea time and maybe pirates, I mean sea is in the title too.
Anyway, Jenna is fleeing her evil husband and she knows she needs to learn tot take care of herself. Not easy for a woman who do not know what money is, or anything else.
She meets a friend (ohh name dropping, nice!).
And moves further and further away. She learns to fight, and I am certain she will learn to love again too. Gosh, I sure hope so!
But, it is a novella, and I do feel like book 1 and 2 could have been one book. I haaaaaaate waiting, and now i have to wait again!! Luckily the blurb for book 3 was up so I could get an inkling to what was happening. Of course I always want to move forward in time to where the other books take place and see how it all turned out. Aarghh, I haaaate waiting!
Truly a book of finding yourself and raising above everything you were taught.
Anyway, Jenna is fleeing her evil husband and she knows she needs to learn tot take care of herself. Not easy for a woman who do not know what money is, or anything else.
She meets a friend (ohh name dropping, nice!).
And moves further and further away. She learns to fight, and I am certain she will learn to love again too. Gosh, I sure hope so!
But, it is a novella, and I do feel like book 1 and 2 could have been one book. I haaaaaaate waiting, and now i have to wait again!! Luckily the blurb for book 3 was up so I could get an inkling to what was happening. Of course I always want to move forward in time to where the other books take place and see how it all turned out. Aarghh, I haaaate waiting!
Truly a book of finding yourself and raising above everything you were taught.
September 20, 2022
Obrovské překvapení už jenom protože druhé díly dost často umí být vycpávkové, nudné a o ničem. Tento se k tomu rozhodně neblíží.
Ani chvilku mě to nenudilo, naopak jsem se nemohla vůbec odtrhnout.
Část knížky nám hlavní hrdinka cestuje, a to cestování tam je naštěstí přesně akorát, ani příliš krátké, ani extrémně zdlouhavé.
Co je tam naprosto fantasticky popsané, je vývoj hlavní hrdinky. Boží, jak sledujeme, jak pomalu objevuje věci, které nezná, a hlavně jak si to po krůčcích srovnává v hlavě! Naprosto geniální.
Chvíli jsem větřila LGBT linku, bohužel to byl planý poplach, ale na druhou stranu, další bod za to, že se nám naše hrdinka neúplná hloupě na prvního člověka, kterého viděla.
Překvapilo mě, kolik se toho dá vměstnat do relativně malého prostoru, aby to bylo dostatečné fantasy s dostatečně vybudovaným světem i charaktery postav.
Tohle je po hooodně dlouhé době série, kterou chci mít delší než třídílnou!
Ani chvilku mě to nenudilo, naopak jsem se nemohla vůbec odtrhnout.
Část knížky nám hlavní hrdinka cestuje, a to cestování tam je naštěstí přesně akorát, ani příliš krátké, ani extrémně zdlouhavé.
Co je tam naprosto fantasticky popsané, je vývoj hlavní hrdinky. Boží, jak sledujeme, jak pomalu objevuje věci, které nezná, a hlavně jak si to po krůčcích srovnává v hlavě! Naprosto geniální.
Chvíli jsem větřila LGBT linku, bohužel to byl planý poplach, ale na druhou stranu, další bod za to, že se nám naše hrdinka neúplná hloupě na prvního člověka, kterého viděla.
Překvapilo mě, kolik se toho dá vměstnat do relativně malého prostoru, aby to bylo dostatečné fantasy s dostatečně vybudovaným světem i charaktery postav.
Tohle je po hooodně dlouhé době série, kterou chci mít delší než třídílnou!
October 5, 2018
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
4.5 stars
In this second book in the The Chronicles of Dasnaria series by Jeffe Kennedy, we continue on the journey of Princess Jenna who is hiding from her abusive husband, which takes her out of the only land she’s ever know, Dasnaria.
This book picks up right where the first book, Prisoner of the Crown, ends. Jenna is aboard Valeria. This is the first time she’s really alone. So far, on her trip, she’s at least had her brother, Harlan. But he stayed back to buy her time to get away. All she knows, is that she needs to get out of Dasnaria before she is found and returned to her husband.
While on the Valeria, Jenna meets up with Kaja. Kaja is a priestess of Danu, one of the three goddesses that are worshipped in the Twelve Kingdoms (again there are a few Easter Eggs hidden for readers of the Twelve Kingdoms series). Kaja helps Jenna hide and starts to teach her. Jenna quickly learns that she really doesn’t know much of anything. She can’t read or write. She can only speak Dasnarian.
Kaja also helps to teach Jenna to fight. Kaja takes the dance that Jenna spent most of her life learning, mostly so she could impress her betrothed, and turns it into a forms with weapons.
The plan becomes that Jenna will become a priestess of Danu, too. She will take a vow of silence, so as not to giveaway how little she knows of the area, and a vow of chastity, which she does because the idea of being with a man after the abuse of her husband scares her. She also changes her name. She eventually chooses, Ivariel, which is an anagram for Valeria, which changed her life.
When she boards her next ship, Robin, she meets Ochieng. He is a very nice and talkative person. He isn’t at all cowed by the fact that Priestess Ivariel is silent. He talks to her all the time anyway and is very good at reading her face to get responses. Once they land in his homeland, Chiyajua, Ochieng invites Priestess Ivariel to accompany him back to his family’s place.
A lot happens to Priestess Ivariel in this book. She learns quite a bit (she has a lot to learn, still). I don’t want to go into any more detail, so as to avoid spoilers. I will say, it was great to see more of the Twelve Kingdoms. I also liked seeing the world through both Princess Jenna’s and Priestess Ivariel’s eyes. They are two different people, as Princess Jenna was a sheltered girl and Priestess Ivariel is a much less sheltered, but still learning woman and warrior.
I feel like this quote here, sums up this story really well. I can’t wait to see where Priestess Ivariel goes from here.
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
4.5 stars
In this second book in the The Chronicles of Dasnaria series by Jeffe Kennedy, we continue on the journey of Princess Jenna who is hiding from her abusive husband, which takes her out of the only land she’s ever know, Dasnaria.
This book picks up right where the first book, Prisoner of the Crown, ends. Jenna is aboard Valeria. This is the first time she’s really alone. So far, on her trip, she’s at least had her brother, Harlan. But he stayed back to buy her time to get away. All she knows, is that she needs to get out of Dasnaria before she is found and returned to her husband.
While on the Valeria, Jenna meets up with Kaja. Kaja is a priestess of Danu, one of the three goddesses that are worshipped in the Twelve Kingdoms (again there are a few Easter Eggs hidden for readers of the Twelve Kingdoms series). Kaja helps Jenna hide and starts to teach her. Jenna quickly learns that she really doesn’t know much of anything. She can’t read or write. She can only speak Dasnarian.
Kaja also helps to teach Jenna to fight. Kaja takes the dance that Jenna spent most of her life learning, mostly so she could impress her betrothed, and turns it into a forms with weapons.
All those years I practiced the traditional dances, particularly the ducerse, which required utmost skill to keep the many bells from making sound until the precisely timed moment. I’d thought I was preparing to dazzle my husband and make my emperor proud. Not teaching myself stealth.
But stealth had turned out to be far more useful.
The plan becomes that Jenna will become a priestess of Danu, too. She will take a vow of silence, so as not to giveaway how little she knows of the area, and a vow of chastity, which she does because the idea of being with a man after the abuse of her husband scares her. She also changes her name. She eventually chooses, Ivariel, which is an anagram for Valeria, which changed her life.
When she boards her next ship, Robin, she meets Ochieng. He is a very nice and talkative person. He isn’t at all cowed by the fact that Priestess Ivariel is silent. He talks to her all the time anyway and is very good at reading her face to get responses. Once they land in his homeland, Chiyajua, Ochieng invites Priestess Ivariel to accompany him back to his family’s place.
A lot happens to Priestess Ivariel in this book. She learns quite a bit (she has a lot to learn, still). I don’t want to go into any more detail, so as to avoid spoilers. I will say, it was great to see more of the Twelve Kingdoms. I also liked seeing the world through both Princess Jenna’s and Priestess Ivariel’s eyes. They are two different people, as Princess Jenna was a sheltered girl and Priestess Ivariel is a much less sheltered, but still learning woman and warrior.
I feel like this quote here, sums up this story really well. I can’t wait to see where Priestess Ivariel goes from here.
“I’d like to tell you about a young girl who grew up in paradise,” I said. “She had everything she wanted and nothing demanded of her—until everything was taken.”
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
July 31, 2018
I adored the first in this series, and may have even loved this one more. The storytelling is lush and vivid, some parts, particularly the peeks into Jenna's psyche, so beautiful and raw, they make your heart hurt. I love the world building, the introduction of new characters and new locations that do so much to help Jenna find and channel the strength within herself. I can't wait for book 3!!
September 5, 2018
Three and a half stars.
I haven't read the first book in this new series which may be the reason I didn't feel connected to this story. Okay, I have no looked up the first book and it was clearly all about Jenna and her husband - I would recommend reading that one first because I definitely felt that I was missing a lot of the story.
We first meet Princess Jenna of Dasnaria on board a ship, she has run away from her abusive husband and is fleeing her homeland. Having been brought up in a seraglio she has no concept of money, reading, writing or living in the real world. She doesn't even know how to open the portholes or light the lanterns until one of the other passengers shows her.
We travel with Jenna as she learns about life outside the backwards, misogynistic society of Dasnaria where women have no voice, no power and no rights. Outside Dasnaria women can be warriors, priestesses, they can buy things, they can walk around alone, they can walk with young men. They have freedom. But always in the back of her mind Jenna knows her husband will not stop searching for her. She changes her name and becomes a Priestess of Danu but still she waits for him to find her.
As always, Jeffe Kennedy's writing is seductive, it draws you into a fantasy world so completely you feel disorientated when you look up and find you are sitting at home instead of living in a foreign land. Nyambura reminded me of Sri Lanka, maybe it's because I saw elephants washing in the river there at the Pinnewella Elephant sanctuary and the way that Jeffe Kennedy describes their skin and the bristles which are so rough and such a shock just transported me back there.
Overall, I feel that not having read the first book in the series left me at a disadvantage because I was curious about Jenn's previous life, how she escaped her husband etc. Had I read that book I expect my rating would have been much higher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
I haven't read the first book in this new series which may be the reason I didn't feel connected to this story. Okay, I have no looked up the first book and it was clearly all about Jenna and her husband - I would recommend reading that one first because I definitely felt that I was missing a lot of the story.
We first meet Princess Jenna of Dasnaria on board a ship, she has run away from her abusive husband and is fleeing her homeland. Having been brought up in a seraglio she has no concept of money, reading, writing or living in the real world. She doesn't even know how to open the portholes or light the lanterns until one of the other passengers shows her.
We travel with Jenna as she learns about life outside the backwards, misogynistic society of Dasnaria where women have no voice, no power and no rights. Outside Dasnaria women can be warriors, priestesses, they can buy things, they can walk around alone, they can walk with young men. They have freedom. But always in the back of her mind Jenna knows her husband will not stop searching for her. She changes her name and becomes a Priestess of Danu but still she waits for him to find her.
As always, Jeffe Kennedy's writing is seductive, it draws you into a fantasy world so completely you feel disorientated when you look up and find you are sitting at home instead of living in a foreign land. Nyambura reminded me of Sri Lanka, maybe it's because I saw elephants washing in the river there at the Pinnewella Elephant sanctuary and the way that Jeffe Kennedy describes their skin and the bristles which are so rough and such a shock just transported me back there.
Overall, I feel that not having read the first book in the series left me at a disadvantage because I was curious about Jenn's previous life, how she escaped her husband etc. Had I read that book I expect my rating would have been much higher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
July 5, 2020
Yay! Now I could take a deep breath and feel optimistic and hopeful for Former Imperial Princess Jenna. Her first book broke my heart into pieces. Now she was in exile, leaving her former submissive self behind. No longer existing to obey, to dance to please, to be just an ignorant ornament, to be abused, used, debased, chained, and gagged. She was learning to be someone, who understood freedom. To leave her past behind, to look ahead to the future .
I loved how magical this story was. To survive, the Former Imperial Princess had to change, so she could travel incognito . She met Kaja, who became her savior, sister, and a mentor, someone she had never had in her life. Jenna owed her new self, Ivariel, to Kaja, who taught her to fight, to hide in plain sight, and how to win.
The relentless hunt by the monster of a husband against Ivariel's determination to fight back or die rather than being captured and caged, was exquisitely played out! I was kept on the edge of my seat literally while reading! I knew she would win, but couldn't imagine how!
Ochieng D'Tiembo, his family, and the elephants were the final pieces that Ivariel needed to help push her to end her fight. It was my pleasure to invite you to read and experience "the how" in person! This story was absolutely amazing beyond words! Ivariel's heart-lifting triumph totally blew me away!
I loved how magical this story was. To survive, the Former Imperial Princess had to change, so she could travel incognito . She met Kaja, who became her savior, sister, and a mentor, someone she had never had in her life. Jenna owed her new self, Ivariel, to Kaja, who taught her to fight, to hide in plain sight, and how to win.
The relentless hunt by the monster of a husband against Ivariel's determination to fight back or die rather than being captured and caged, was exquisitely played out! I was kept on the edge of my seat literally while reading! I knew she would win, but couldn't imagine how!
Ochieng D'Tiembo, his family, and the elephants were the final pieces that Ivariel needed to help push her to end her fight. It was my pleasure to invite you to read and experience "the how" in person! This story was absolutely amazing beyond words! Ivariel's heart-lifting triumph totally blew me away!
May 9, 2022
Na starý kolen asi měknu, nebo co, protože tohle se mi fakt líbilo...
Autorka pokračuje v dalším líčení osudů Jenny – nyní si říkající Ivariel – se stejnou detailností jako v předchozím dílu. Člověk se tak vlastně přistihne při tom, že je na konci knihy a nemá pocit, že by se v ní stalo kdovíco. A přitom se stala spousta věcí, ale většina z nich se odehrává na emocionální úrovni. Vyhnankyně moří nehýří akcí ani zběsilým tempem. Je to poklidný příběh o tom, jak Ivariel hledá sama sebe, objevuje svět a jeho krásy, plní si sny a snaží se zahojit rány, jenž jí osud uštědřil. Místy je vyprávění melancholické a Jeffe Kennedy zabíhá do spousty niterních úvah hlavní hrdinky. A i když je v knize dostatek patosu a našlo by se i nějaké to klišé, pořád jde o příjemně plynoucí text, který tak nějak pohladí, ale zároveň nesklouzává k nekonečné ukňučenosti.
Po předchozím dílu plném utrpení je Vyhnankyně moří jako hojivý balzám, plný míru a klidu. A člověk to nebohé Ivariel přeje, i když je mu jasné, že to nemůže trvat věčně. Tam, kde se ve Vězeňkyni koruny čtenářům mohl svírat žaludek nad neutěšenou situací dasnarijských žen, tam v pokračování zaplesá srdce romantických duší. Ale není třeba se bát, Jeffe Kennedy to nepřehání a nedělá ze svého příběhu červenou knihovnu (koneckonců na to je Ivariel až příliš zraněná, po fyzické i duševní stránce). Je ale příjemné sledovat její proces uzdravování.
Stejně jako předchozí díl, i Vyhnankyně moří nejde do hloubky natolik, aby z jednotlivých úvah a nadnesených témat, byly filozofické traktáty, přesto je v tomto směru znát posun a psychologie už neklouže tolik po povrchu. I tak by se dala knize vytknout řada dílčích nedostatků – občas nějaká ta přílišná náhoda, zkratkovité řešení, velmi vágní popis v místě, kde by si situace zasloužila trochu explicitnosti, nebo nehodící se výraz (což je možná vina překladu, nikoliv autorky). Ve výsledku je ale druhý díl Kronik Dasnarie velmi slušnou záležitostí do slunného odpoledne, když se člověk chce potěšit něčím docela milým (ačkoliv i to je místy nutno brát s rezervou).
Jen se stále nemůžu zbavit dojmu, že kdyby celá trilogie vyšla vzhledem k délce jednotlivých dílů jen jako jedna trochu tlustší kniha, příběhu by to udělalo větší službu.
A teda, jestli autorka v závěru, tak si to s ní vyřídím!
Autorka pokračuje v dalším líčení osudů Jenny – nyní si říkající Ivariel – se stejnou detailností jako v předchozím dílu. Člověk se tak vlastně přistihne při tom, že je na konci knihy a nemá pocit, že by se v ní stalo kdovíco. A přitom se stala spousta věcí, ale většina z nich se odehrává na emocionální úrovni. Vyhnankyně moří nehýří akcí ani zběsilým tempem. Je to poklidný příběh o tom, jak Ivariel hledá sama sebe, objevuje svět a jeho krásy, plní si sny a snaží se zahojit rány, jenž jí osud uštědřil. Místy je vyprávění melancholické a Jeffe Kennedy zabíhá do spousty niterních úvah hlavní hrdinky. A i když je v knize dostatek patosu a našlo by se i nějaké to klišé, pořád jde o příjemně plynoucí text, který tak nějak pohladí, ale zároveň nesklouzává k nekonečné ukňučenosti.
Po předchozím dílu plném utrpení je Vyhnankyně moří jako hojivý balzám, plný míru a klidu. A člověk to nebohé Ivariel přeje, i když je mu jasné, že to nemůže trvat věčně. Tam, kde se ve Vězeňkyni koruny čtenářům mohl svírat žaludek nad neutěšenou situací dasnarijských žen, tam v pokračování zaplesá srdce romantických duší. Ale není třeba se bát, Jeffe Kennedy to nepřehání a nedělá ze svého příběhu červenou knihovnu (koneckonců na to je Ivariel až příliš zraněná, po fyzické i duševní stránce). Je ale příjemné sledovat její proces uzdravování.
Stejně jako předchozí díl, i Vyhnankyně moří nejde do hloubky natolik, aby z jednotlivých úvah a nadnesených témat, byly filozofické traktáty, přesto je v tomto směru znát posun a psychologie už neklouže tolik po povrchu. I tak by se dala knize vytknout řada dílčích nedostatků – občas nějaká ta přílišná náhoda, zkratkovité řešení, velmi vágní popis v místě, kde by si situace zasloužila trochu explicitnosti, nebo nehodící se výraz (což je možná vina překladu, nikoliv autorky). Ve výsledku je ale druhý díl Kronik Dasnarie velmi slušnou záležitostí do slunného odpoledne, když se člověk chce potěšit něčím docela milým (ačkoliv i to je místy nutno brát s rezervou).
Jen se stále nemůžu zbavit dojmu, že kdyby celá trilogie vyšla vzhledem k délce jednotlivých dílů jen jako jedna trochu tlustší kniha, příběhu by to udělalo větší službu.
A teda, jestli autorka v závěru, tak si to s ní vyřídím!
August 22, 2018
Jenna, former Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, has escaped her cold homeland and abusive husband. She encounters a warrior woman on board her ship, who offers to teach her how to fight and survive. Jenna sheds her old identity and adopts a new one. She travels to a far off land under the guise of Danu’s fighter-priestesses. Eventually, Jenna’s past catches up with her. What sacrifices will Jenna make to maintain her hard-won freedom?
Jenna has come a long way since the first book. Of course, she feels set adrift after fleeing her homeland and family, yet she never once regrets her decision to leave. I admire the inner strength and fortitude it took Jenna to leave behind everything she knew for the uncertainty of the future. Jenna knows, to survive, she must adapt to her new circumstances. To survive, Jenna knows she must adapt to her new circumstances. I admire how she dissuades her warrior friend from seeking vengeance in her stead. She rather keep her new friend safe from her people and their bigoted views.I also like how Jenna’s new life shows her facets of herself that she never knew about.
EXILE OF THE SEAS is book two in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy series, THE CHRONICLES OF DASNARIA. This story picks up right on the heels of the first book, PRISONER OF THE CROWN. I adore Jenna’s link to Jesperanda, the heroine from THE EDGE OF THE BLADE, book two in THE UNCHARTED REALMS series.
There is a “promise” of romance. Jenna is still healing mentally, along with discovering her true self. But, I like how Ochieng and his people are helping Jenna move past that part of her former life.
EXILE OF THE SEA lives up to my expectation. I cannot wait to read the next chapter in Jenna’s story.
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley.
Jenna has come a long way since the first book. Of course, she feels set adrift after fleeing her homeland and family, yet she never once regrets her decision to leave. I admire the inner strength and fortitude it took Jenna to leave behind everything she knew for the uncertainty of the future. Jenna knows, to survive, she must adapt to her new circumstances. To survive, Jenna knows she must adapt to her new circumstances. I admire how she dissuades her warrior friend from seeking vengeance in her stead. She rather keep her new friend safe from her people and their bigoted views.I also like how Jenna’s new life shows her facets of herself that she never knew about.
EXILE OF THE SEAS is book two in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy series, THE CHRONICLES OF DASNARIA. This story picks up right on the heels of the first book, PRISONER OF THE CROWN. I adore Jenna’s link to Jesperanda, the heroine from THE EDGE OF THE BLADE, book two in THE UNCHARTED REALMS series.
There is a “promise” of romance. Jenna is still healing mentally, along with discovering her true self. But, I like how Ochieng and his people are helping Jenna move past that part of her former life.
EXILE OF THE SEA lives up to my expectation. I cannot wait to read the next chapter in Jenna’s story.
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley.
August 14, 2018
Exile Of The Seas pretty much picked up where the first book ended and it's a mix of things I'd hoped would happen and others that I didn't see coming. I loved that Jenna came into her own more or less in this book, shedding her naive skin and growing a fiercer, warrior-like covering. I cannot wait to see what book three brings, there are a few things I hope happen one of them is that Jenna becomes more confident in herself and her abilities. I definitely recommend this series.
ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley
ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley
October 24, 2020
A hint of greatness to come from Prisoner of the Crown is delivered here in full and then some. I LOVED this book. It had everything.
❤ Self-growth
❤ Cute pets
❤ Interesting cultures
❤ Well developed characters
❤ Great descriptions
❤ A lot of action
I can not find anything wrong here. Now I wish Jeffe Kennedy always wrote books that do not center their plot on the romance between two main characters. 🙈
❤ Self-growth
❤ Cute pets
❤ Interesting cultures
❤ Well developed characters
❤ Great descriptions
❤ A lot of action
I can not find anything wrong here. Now I wish Jeffe Kennedy always wrote books that do not center their plot on the romance between two main characters. 🙈
September 29, 2018
Picking up where we left off in Prisoner of the Crown, Jenna faces a new set of challenge after her escape. Planning her future and learning how to live it.
She slowly begins learning to become a warrior. While constantly watching her back, in fear her husband will find her, she learns just what she actually has in side.
I liked this book slightly more than the first, because there is more character growth and redemption. It felt less heavy, and more uplifting. I’m looking forward to the next novel for sure.
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
She slowly begins learning to become a warrior. While constantly watching her back, in fear her husband will find her, she learns just what she actually has in side.
I liked this book slightly more than the first, because there is more character growth and redemption. It felt less heavy, and more uplifting. I’m looking forward to the next novel for sure.
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
July 8, 2019
Review to come...
October 18, 2018
Excellent Series Continues
The second in this series continues the exploits of Princess Jenna as she transforms from naive princess to warrior of Danu. Good storyline, appealing characters (of both human and pachyderm variety) and a HEA that is not exactly a HEA since book #3 arrives in January. Can’t wait.
The second in this series continues the exploits of Princess Jenna as she transforms from naive princess to warrior of Danu. Good storyline, appealing characters (of both human and pachyderm variety) and a HEA that is not exactly a HEA since book #3 arrives in January. Can’t wait.
May 29, 2022
Pokračovanie ma nesklamalo. Princezná, ktorá utiekla zo zlatej klietky mala neskutočné šťastie, keď sa jej neskôr na lodi ujala bojovníčka a pomohla jej. Jennino tanečné umenie sa ukáže ako veľmi užitočné, bude to základ, z ktorého bude vychádzať aj jej ďalší výcvik - bojový. Čo sa týka jaziev na duši a na tele, proces hojenia pokračuje. Rozjímanie pri východe a západe slnka, voľnosť a vďačnosť za maličkosti a dobrotu priateľov (nech už išlo o čas strávený na mori, alebo na súši), bolo to príjemné a k príbehu to pasovalo. A slony, nesmiem zabudnúť na slony! Čo sa týka ľúbostnej línie, za mňa asi ani nemusela byť, ale bolo to nenásilné. Páčilo sa mi, ako sa menilo prostredie, ktorým putovala, napr. poháňanie ťažných zvierat pomocou piesne, alebo komunikácia so slonmi... Jediné, čomu neverím, je to ľahké farbenie vlasov, že sa poslepiačky, bez zrkadla nezapatlala (hovorí zo mňa vlastná skúsenosť).
September 4, 2018
Exile of the Seas is the second installment of the Chronicles of Dasnaria series, featuring our lost princess, Jenna, the Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, and runaway wife of Rodolf, the vile and sadistic lord with eyes to the throne. The first book, Prisoner of the Crown, was a good, but heartwrenching read. But Jeffe really hit it out of the park with this second installment, I was totally captivated by Jenna's journey. So much so, that I found myself stretching this read out because I didn't want it to end!
I have to admit that, based on the blurb, I thought Jenna was going to end up somewhere else in her journey. Somewhere more familiar to those of us who have read the Twelve Kingdoms series. But I couldn't have been happier to be wrong. All of the stops along Jenna's journey added a special part to the story, but Chiyajua was just something special. The Endiviunts! I loved them! I loved their majesty, personalities, and fierceness. And I loved Jenna's response to them, and their special meaning to her life.
I thought Jenna's disguise as a warrior priestess of Danu was inspired, and liked that the disguise becomes more reality than Jenna realizes. The practicing and prayers helps to center and focus Jenna, and even when she isn't speaking, we see Jenna becoming her own person away from the seraglio and cruelty of the Dasnarian court. While she has had help along the way, it is really impressive that Jenna has ventured out into the wide world by herself. This isn't a coming-of-age story, but it's similar in that Jenna's naivete has been falling away bit by bit as she has learned the ways of the world, men, and politics... then beyond as her eyes have been opened to the outside world. I can't wait to see what her story holds next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the author.
I have to admit that, based on the blurb, I thought Jenna was going to end up somewhere else in her journey. Somewhere more familiar to those of us who have read the Twelve Kingdoms series. But I couldn't have been happier to be wrong. All of the stops along Jenna's journey added a special part to the story, but Chiyajua was just something special. The Endiviunts! I loved them! I loved their majesty, personalities, and fierceness. And I loved Jenna's response to them, and their special meaning to her life.
I thought Jenna's disguise as a warrior priestess of Danu was inspired, and liked that the disguise becomes more reality than Jenna realizes. The practicing and prayers helps to center and focus Jenna, and even when she isn't speaking, we see Jenna becoming her own person away from the seraglio and cruelty of the Dasnarian court. While she has had help along the way, it is really impressive that Jenna has ventured out into the wide world by herself. This isn't a coming-of-age story, but it's similar in that Jenna's naivete has been falling away bit by bit as she has learned the ways of the world, men, and politics... then beyond as her eyes have been opened to the outside world. I can't wait to see what her story holds next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the author.
September 11, 2018
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I really enjoyed the first volume and I was curious to discover what happened to Jenna after so many events! But now, even if she managed to escape, the problems do not stop there and even far from it.
Discovering a culture that is not hers, Jenna will befriend a priestess who will help her escape her husband. This is how she will discover new lands, things she did not think she would see one day, and the animals she craved to discover one. So many new things for her during this trip. But now, this journey will not be so easy, and her husband did not wait long before looking for her. And this time Jenna will have to choose between running away again or confronting him.
It was a nice second volume even if I have to admit that I have a preference for the first one but also because the action was more present too. It was however very interesting to see the evolution of the young woman, to see her become more assertive and above all more determined in her choices even if her past is still there to pursue her.
New possibilities and a different future are proposed to Jenna who now lives under another identity and I can not wait to discover what the author has in store for the future!
My English review
I really enjoyed the first volume and I was curious to discover what happened to Jenna after so many events! But now, even if she managed to escape, the problems do not stop there and even far from it.
Discovering a culture that is not hers, Jenna will befriend a priestess who will help her escape her husband. This is how she will discover new lands, things she did not think she would see one day, and the animals she craved to discover one. So many new things for her during this trip. But now, this journey will not be so easy, and her husband did not wait long before looking for her. And this time Jenna will have to choose between running away again or confronting him.
It was a nice second volume even if I have to admit that I have a preference for the first one but also because the action was more present too. It was however very interesting to see the evolution of the young woman, to see her become more assertive and above all more determined in her choices even if her past is still there to pursue her.
New possibilities and a different future are proposed to Jenna who now lives under another identity and I can not wait to discover what the author has in store for the future!
September 22, 2020
Reading this book was like immersing myself into a bubble bath of beautiful prose, roiling emotions, and immaculate world-building. It is a slow tale of self-discovery and growth, no overnight character transformations or special snowflakes here. Just a young woman who has pretty much been stripped of any identity she once might have had and thrown into a world utterly foreign and baffling to her. With freedom. And choices. And decisions. And basic rights.
She hasn't got a clue what to make of it all in the beginning.
Then she makes a friend - or more precisely, a stranger decides to become her friend. And it all kicks off from there.
If you are looking for tight, action-packed book - back away now. The main story is about Jenna/Ivariel's struggle to recognize herself as a valid person with any strengths or attractions at all.
Yet I couldn't stop devouring it.
She hasn't got a clue what to make of it all in the beginning.
Then she makes a friend - or more precisely, a stranger decides to become her friend. And it all kicks off from there.
If you are looking for tight, action-packed book - back away now. The main story is about Jenna/Ivariel's struggle to recognize herself as a valid person with any strengths or attractions at all.
Yet I couldn't stop devouring it.
September 16, 2018
Originally published at Reading Reality
Exile of the Seas is a middle book that absolutely does not have even a trace of middle-book syndrome. And that’s marvelous.
The Chronicles of Dasnaria are a prequel/sidequel to the author’s absolutely awesomesauce Twelve Kingdoms series. As a prequel it is not required to have read the Twelve Kingdoms before beginning this series As the Chronicles of Dasnaria have continued we have met some of the characters who will be major players in the Twelve Kingdoms, but it hasn’t happened yet, as they are all still children, or at least teenagers, at this point in their stories.
However, it is crucial – albeit heartrending, that one read the first book in the Chronicles of Dasnaria, Prisoner of the Crown, before essaying into Exile of the Seas. The Chronicles of Dasnaria, are the story of former Crown Princess Jenna of Dasnaria. In order to appreciate where she finds herself at the beginning of Exile of the Seas, and why she begins her transformation from Princess Jenna to Priestess Ivariel, it is necessary to see where she came from and why she fled. And definitely what she is fleeing from.
Her courage often feels of the one step forward, two steps back variety, but considering the events of Prisoner of the Crown, one is constantly amazed that she found that courage AT ALL, let alone enough of it to not merely leave but to defy every expectation that her society has of women in general or herself in particular.
Like Prisoner of the Crown, this feels like a story about becoming. In the first book, Jenna was mostly a victim, over and over and over. What saved the whole book from being merely a litany of despair and disaster was the ending, where Jenna escapes with the help of her brother Harlan.
But escape is not enough. The women of the seraglio are hothouse flowers, pets and playthings, with no tools or experience to allow them to live outside its walls. Jenna may be physically out, but mentally she has not yet begun to escape its confines. A free woman anywhere else in her world has many more options than she ever believed were possible. This is the story of her learning to grasp for at least some of those options.
The story begins with a fortuitous meeting. Or possibly a goddess-ordained one. Aboard the ship Robin, bound for anywhere away from Dasnaria, the frightened and ignorant Jenna crosses paths with Kaja, a priestess of Danu. In a bit of foreshadowing, Kaja is on her way to the court of the Twelve Kingdoms to guard the Queen and train her daughter Ursula in the way of the warrior. But Kaja feels that her goddess has led her to Jenna, to provide Jenna with aid in her quest to escape Dasnaria – or to at least be ready for it to return and attempt to reclaim her.
Under Kaja’s brief but extremely effective tutelage, Jenna becomes Ivariel, and takes the first steps on the road to becoming a warrior priestess of Danu. She takes vows of both silence and chastity – to cover both her accent and her complete unwillingness – or inability – to cope with anyone’s sexuality, including her own.
As Kaja makes her way to her destiny, Jenna, now Ivariel, lets the goddess guide her steps. Steps that take her far, far, away from Dasnaria, to a place where “seeing the elephant” is not just a metaphor.
But in keeping with that metaphor, Ivariel gains experience of her world at significant cost – but not only to herself.
Escape Rating A-: I didn’t pick up on that resonance, between seeing the elephants and “seeing the elephant” until just now. Jenna has always had a dream of seeing elephants – its a dream she was even punished for in the seraglio. Women in Dasnaria don’t get to see much of anything, and certainly not the elephants that live in far away places.
“Seeing the elephant” is a 19th century Americanism that refers to gaining experience at great cost, and was often used in conjunction with serving in the Mexican-American War or the Civil War, or heading west on one of the great stagecoach drives, or of participating in the Gold Rush.
All times and places where a lot of people got a whole lot of experience through a whole lot of hardship, peril and pain. As does Jenna/Ivariel in her own way.
For followers of the Twelve Kingdoms series, it is fascinating to see a completely different part of this world. But it IS a completely different place, so new readers get to see it for the first time along with the rest of us.
This is Jenna’s story as she transforms into Ivariel. We see her grow and stretch and reach out – and sometimes pull back. This is a story of her healing and becoming – even though some of that process is painful, bloody and violent. It feels necessary for her to get past what she lived, and the way that she accomplishes that feels right for her – if not for the faint of heart.
Because the arc of this book is on a constant rise, it does not have any of the feel of a middle book. This is overall a positive story, something that middle-books seldom are. She grows, she changes, she gets better, she takes a step backward and then she reaches forward again. She stumbles, she falls, she doubts, she gets up and tries again.
And after the pain she experienced in the first book, it is not merely good but downright cathartic to see her begin to come into her own.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, Warrior of the World, coming this winter. A trip to hot Nyambura should warm at least one chilly January night.
Exile of the Seas is a middle book that absolutely does not have even a trace of middle-book syndrome. And that’s marvelous.
The Chronicles of Dasnaria are a prequel/sidequel to the author’s absolutely awesomesauce Twelve Kingdoms series. As a prequel it is not required to have read the Twelve Kingdoms before beginning this series As the Chronicles of Dasnaria have continued we have met some of the characters who will be major players in the Twelve Kingdoms, but it hasn’t happened yet, as they are all still children, or at least teenagers, at this point in their stories.
However, it is crucial – albeit heartrending, that one read the first book in the Chronicles of Dasnaria, Prisoner of the Crown, before essaying into Exile of the Seas. The Chronicles of Dasnaria, are the story of former Crown Princess Jenna of Dasnaria. In order to appreciate where she finds herself at the beginning of Exile of the Seas, and why she begins her transformation from Princess Jenna to Priestess Ivariel, it is necessary to see where she came from and why she fled. And definitely what she is fleeing from.
Her courage often feels of the one step forward, two steps back variety, but considering the events of Prisoner of the Crown, one is constantly amazed that she found that courage AT ALL, let alone enough of it to not merely leave but to defy every expectation that her society has of women in general or herself in particular.
Like Prisoner of the Crown, this feels like a story about becoming. In the first book, Jenna was mostly a victim, over and over and over. What saved the whole book from being merely a litany of despair and disaster was the ending, where Jenna escapes with the help of her brother Harlan.
But escape is not enough. The women of the seraglio are hothouse flowers, pets and playthings, with no tools or experience to allow them to live outside its walls. Jenna may be physically out, but mentally she has not yet begun to escape its confines. A free woman anywhere else in her world has many more options than she ever believed were possible. This is the story of her learning to grasp for at least some of those options.
The story begins with a fortuitous meeting. Or possibly a goddess-ordained one. Aboard the ship Robin, bound for anywhere away from Dasnaria, the frightened and ignorant Jenna crosses paths with Kaja, a priestess of Danu. In a bit of foreshadowing, Kaja is on her way to the court of the Twelve Kingdoms to guard the Queen and train her daughter Ursula in the way of the warrior. But Kaja feels that her goddess has led her to Jenna, to provide Jenna with aid in her quest to escape Dasnaria – or to at least be ready for it to return and attempt to reclaim her.
Under Kaja’s brief but extremely effective tutelage, Jenna becomes Ivariel, and takes the first steps on the road to becoming a warrior priestess of Danu. She takes vows of both silence and chastity – to cover both her accent and her complete unwillingness – or inability – to cope with anyone’s sexuality, including her own.
As Kaja makes her way to her destiny, Jenna, now Ivariel, lets the goddess guide her steps. Steps that take her far, far, away from Dasnaria, to a place where “seeing the elephant” is not just a metaphor.
But in keeping with that metaphor, Ivariel gains experience of her world at significant cost – but not only to herself.
Escape Rating A-: I didn’t pick up on that resonance, between seeing the elephants and “seeing the elephant” until just now. Jenna has always had a dream of seeing elephants – its a dream she was even punished for in the seraglio. Women in Dasnaria don’t get to see much of anything, and certainly not the elephants that live in far away places.
“Seeing the elephant” is a 19th century Americanism that refers to gaining experience at great cost, and was often used in conjunction with serving in the Mexican-American War or the Civil War, or heading west on one of the great stagecoach drives, or of participating in the Gold Rush.
All times and places where a lot of people got a whole lot of experience through a whole lot of hardship, peril and pain. As does Jenna/Ivariel in her own way.
For followers of the Twelve Kingdoms series, it is fascinating to see a completely different part of this world. But it IS a completely different place, so new readers get to see it for the first time along with the rest of us.
This is Jenna’s story as she transforms into Ivariel. We see her grow and stretch and reach out – and sometimes pull back. This is a story of her healing and becoming – even though some of that process is painful, bloody and violent. It feels necessary for her to get past what she lived, and the way that she accomplishes that feels right for her – if not for the faint of heart.
Because the arc of this book is on a constant rise, it does not have any of the feel of a middle book. This is overall a positive story, something that middle-books seldom are. She grows, she changes, she gets better, she takes a step backward and then she reaches forward again. She stumbles, she falls, she doubts, she gets up and tries again.
And after the pain she experienced in the first book, it is not merely good but downright cathartic to see her begin to come into her own.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, Warrior of the World, coming this winter. A trip to hot Nyambura should warm at least one chilly January night.
July 29, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I have not read the first book in this series. The blurb of this book seemed very interesting and the contents lived up to it.
Jenna has escaped from her vile husband and is trying to discover herself while living under the shadow of his pursuit.
Despite the confusion at some parts due to not having read the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The worldbuilding was very well done and the references to the events and setting of the first book made me want to go back and read that first. The author focused on all the little things, accounting for all the consequences that living in a sheltered, abusive and oppressive environment could have on our protagonist. The language barrier, the naivety, the lack of counting ability, the culture shocks, everything was addressed.
Jenna's character is one of the best that I've read in terms of development. I may not have read the first book, but she grows so much during the course of this book that I didn't feel like I was seeing her for the first time. Her development was not illogical either, but well thought-out.
The other characters were also developed well, namely Ochieng and Kaja. Jenna's husband I was not as familiar with as he barely appeared in this, so I do wish his part had been a bit longer.
There were some bits that were very forcefully shoving some ideas down the reader's throat. Usually this was done for only one sentence and so I was able to look past it. Furthermore, the themes of oppression were explored thoroughly and treated with the right gravity.
Overall, this was an excellent read. I will definitely read the first book in the series and look forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an admirable female protagonist whose strength stems from her personal struggles and development.
Rating (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Short review on Litsy
Book not available in Litsy's catalogue
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I have not read the first book in this series. The blurb of this book seemed very interesting and the contents lived up to it.
Jenna has escaped from her vile husband and is trying to discover herself while living under the shadow of his pursuit.
Despite the confusion at some parts due to not having read the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The worldbuilding was very well done and the references to the events and setting of the first book made me want to go back and read that first. The author focused on all the little things, accounting for all the consequences that living in a sheltered, abusive and oppressive environment could have on our protagonist. The language barrier, the naivety, the lack of counting ability, the culture shocks, everything was addressed.
Jenna's character is one of the best that I've read in terms of development. I may not have read the first book, but she grows so much during the course of this book that I didn't feel like I was seeing her for the first time. Her development was not illogical either, but well thought-out.
The other characters were also developed well, namely Ochieng and Kaja. Jenna's husband I was not as familiar with as he barely appeared in this, so I do wish his part had been a bit longer.
There were some bits that were very forcefully shoving some ideas down the reader's throat. Usually this was done for only one sentence and so I was able to look past it. Furthermore, the themes of oppression were explored thoroughly and treated with the right gravity.
Overall, this was an excellent read. I will definitely read the first book in the series and look forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an admirable female protagonist whose strength stems from her personal struggles and development.
Rating (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Short review on Litsy
Book not available in Litsy's catalogue
January 1, 2019
I received an ecopy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway but didn’t read it for months due to life changes. I love Jeffe Kennedy’s books - they are a great mix of fantasy and romance, and the worldbuilding is lovely. This series is a bit different in that it is a woman’s journey to find her unique strength. The first book, Prisoner of the Crown, introduced us to Princess Jenna of Dasnaria who is raised in a luxurious but highly controlled environment. Every aspect of her life is crafted to fit her mother’s expectation, and Jenna thinks nothing of following that path until she is married to a cruel, sadistic man. She finds the courage to escape.
Exile of the Seas picks up at the beginning of her escape and chronicles Jenna’s transformation from obedient Princess of Dasnaria to her own person. I loved when Jenna started to realize how things were tightly controlled and decided for her in Prisoner. In this book, she is fortunate to find a helpful soul who helps her turn her skills into more effective fighting and defense mechanisms. I also like that Jenna/Ivariel was active in the decisions related to the creation of her new life, and in the end, made active choices to sacrifice herself and go out fighting if need be to protect a place she found peace and wonder in. I like that Ivariel grew in skill and knowledge and that even at the end of the book, questioned her choices and her adopted “faith.” She is a joy to read about and root for.
I’ve already preordered Warrior of the World and I can’t wait to see what happens. I hope she confronts Kral and her mother. Maybe she’ll become Empress of Dasnaria. I love the connection to Harlan and the Twelve Kingdoms series too.
Exile of the Seas picks up at the beginning of her escape and chronicles Jenna’s transformation from obedient Princess of Dasnaria to her own person. I loved when Jenna started to realize how things were tightly controlled and decided for her in Prisoner. In this book, she is fortunate to find a helpful soul who helps her turn her skills into more effective fighting and defense mechanisms. I also like that Jenna/Ivariel was active in the decisions related to the creation of her new life, and in the end, made active choices to sacrifice herself and go out fighting if need be to protect a place she found peace and wonder in. I like that Ivariel grew in skill and knowledge and that even at the end of the book, questioned her choices and her adopted “faith.” She is a joy to read about and root for.
I’ve already preordered Warrior of the World and I can’t wait to see what happens. I hope she confronts Kral and her mother. Maybe she’ll become Empress of Dasnaria. I love the connection to Harlan and the Twelve Kingdoms series too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2022
Příběh o uzdravení, nalezení vnitřní síly, odvaze, přátelství a splnění snů.
V druhém díle sledujeme strastiplnou cestu Jenny, kdy se z týrané císařské princezny pomalu stává odvážná bojovnice. Během svého putování se učí bojovat a postavit sama za sebe, aby už nikdy nepocítila bezmoc, týrání a strádání.
Poznává nové přátelé, nová místa a vydává se na cestu na které si splní snad i svůj sen.
Jenna během toho poznává i samu sebe a pomalu se uzdravuje jak po fyzické, tak především po psychické stránce a začíná věřit, že si zaslouží štěstí a vše krásné co ji život nabízí.
Líbilo se mi jak se z mladé ženy, která prožila jen kruté zacházení, stává díky pomalým krůčkům odvážná bojovnice, která je odhodlaná vzdorovat svému osudu a bojovat za svou svobodu i kdyby za ní měla zaplatit svým životem. Díky přátelství, které během cesty navázala, nachází nově nabytou sebedůvěru a poprvé ve svém životě poznává, že ne všichni lidé jsou špatní a krutí.
Tento díl je především zaměřený na uzdravení zlomené a týrané dívky, která se snaží najít v sobě vnitřní sílu, aby se postavila svým démonům, kteří ji pomalu dohánějí. Na své cestě objevuje krásy světa, ale i přátelství a nakonec možná i lásky.
Jenže jsem čekala od tohoto dílu trochu něco jiného. Nechápejte mě špatně, není to špatný příběh a své čtenáře si určitě najde, ale mně tam něco chybělo. Věci nebo i momenty, které si zasloužily v příběhu více prostoru byly pro mě ne tak úplně dotažené. Myslím, že kdyby byl první a druhý díl spojený v jednu knížku, bylo by to mnohem lepší čtení.
V druhém díle sledujeme strastiplnou cestu Jenny, kdy se z týrané císařské princezny pomalu stává odvážná bojovnice. Během svého putování se učí bojovat a postavit sama za sebe, aby už nikdy nepocítila bezmoc, týrání a strádání.
Poznává nové přátelé, nová místa a vydává se na cestu na které si splní snad i svůj sen.
Jenna během toho poznává i samu sebe a pomalu se uzdravuje jak po fyzické, tak především po psychické stránce a začíná věřit, že si zaslouží štěstí a vše krásné co ji život nabízí.
Líbilo se mi jak se z mladé ženy, která prožila jen kruté zacházení, stává díky pomalým krůčkům odvážná bojovnice, která je odhodlaná vzdorovat svému osudu a bojovat za svou svobodu i kdyby za ní měla zaplatit svým životem. Díky přátelství, které během cesty navázala, nachází nově nabytou sebedůvěru a poprvé ve svém životě poznává, že ne všichni lidé jsou špatní a krutí.
Tento díl je především zaměřený na uzdravení zlomené a týrané dívky, která se snaží najít v sobě vnitřní sílu, aby se postavila svým démonům, kteří ji pomalu dohánějí. Na své cestě objevuje krásy světa, ale i přátelství a nakonec možná i lásky.
Jenže jsem čekala od tohoto dílu trochu něco jiného. Nechápejte mě špatně, není to špatný příběh a své čtenáře si určitě najde, ale mně tam něco chybělo. Věci nebo i momenty, které si zasloužily v příběhu více prostoru byly pro mě ne tak úplně dotažené. Myslím, že kdyby byl první a druhý díl spojený v jednu knížku, bylo by to mnohem lepší čtení.
September 12, 2018
The Chronicles of Dasnaria series continues to be character driven with EXILE OF THE SEAS.
I loved the addition of a few new big characters in EXILE OF THE SEAS. Kaja was a big part of the story although she wasn't really present for a majority of it. Her influence and belief in Jenna set Jenna on a course that not only changed her future, but made her so much stronger than she was before and allowed her to really expand as a character. Ochieng kinda snuck up on my heart. I didn't think much of him when we met him, but he ended up having so much depth and character as a person that by the end of the story, I couldn't imagine the story without him in it. We also get a little bit of romance. It snuck up in the background, but it was still a nice addition to the story.
A lot of big things happens in book two, but surprisingly, the most powerful part of EXILE OF THE SEAS for me was when Ivariel met Violet the elephant. What a beautiful moment all around. Violet isn't the only elephant that steals hearts though. Their addition to the story was beautifully done.
I think the author could have ended the story with EXILE OF THE SEAS, but I admit I'm interested to see what will happen next for Ivariel and her new friends.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the addition of a few new big characters in EXILE OF THE SEAS. Kaja was a big part of the story although she wasn't really present for a majority of it. Her influence and belief in Jenna set Jenna on a course that not only changed her future, but made her so much stronger than she was before and allowed her to really expand as a character. Ochieng kinda snuck up on my heart. I didn't think much of him when we met him, but he ended up having so much depth and character as a person that by the end of the story, I couldn't imagine the story without him in it. We also get a little bit of romance. It snuck up in the background, but it was still a nice addition to the story.
A lot of big things happens in book two, but surprisingly, the most powerful part of EXILE OF THE SEAS for me was when Ivariel met Violet the elephant. What a beautiful moment all around. Violet isn't the only elephant that steals hearts though. Their addition to the story was beautifully done.
I think the author could have ended the story with EXILE OF THE SEAS, but I admit I'm interested to see what will happen next for Ivariel and her new friends.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2018
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. Thank you!
This novel was a good read. The story is told by Jenna, also known as Ivariel. Jenna was treated cruelly by her husband and she escaped. This is her tale of coming to terms with her escape, meeting of new people, and rediscovering herself. She meets a woman who helps her to use her dancing as a weapon. Jenna has many fears, but throughout the novel she begins to tackle them until she comes to the one who hurt her the most. Impersonating a priestess of Danu, she takes a vow of silence and chastity. This is to protect herself, for she needs to heal mentally and physically. She meets Ochieng, who is very kind and compassionate towards her, knowing she has suffered, but never forcing or imposing his will upon her which is very different from her own upbringing and culture. Jenna enjoys her time with Ochieng and his family, but the past always has a way of coming when one least expects it. The kindness Ochieng and his family have shown her makes her want to protect them from those who would take out their anger on them.Jenna needs to face her past in order for her to move forward, even if it means her death.
This novel was a good read. The story is told by Jenna, also known as Ivariel. Jenna was treated cruelly by her husband and she escaped. This is her tale of coming to terms with her escape, meeting of new people, and rediscovering herself. She meets a woman who helps her to use her dancing as a weapon. Jenna has many fears, but throughout the novel she begins to tackle them until she comes to the one who hurt her the most. Impersonating a priestess of Danu, she takes a vow of silence and chastity. This is to protect herself, for she needs to heal mentally and physically. She meets Ochieng, who is very kind and compassionate towards her, knowing she has suffered, but never forcing or imposing his will upon her which is very different from her own upbringing and culture. Jenna enjoys her time with Ochieng and his family, but the past always has a way of coming when one least expects it. The kindness Ochieng and his family have shown her makes her want to protect them from those who would take out their anger on them.Jenna needs to face her past in order for her to move forward, even if it means her death.
September 26, 2018
This was Jenna's journey to escape from her frankly terrible past. She is so ignorant in the beginning that it is kind of sweet? It was clear she was ignorant in the first book, but since she didn't actually get out of the seraglio that much, it wasn't as evident as it is when she gets on a boat and tries to escape.
It's Jeffe Kennedy though, so you know there's a woman on board who is ready to help her. (Spoiler: )
I'm glad it wasn't heavily romantic. I was nervous because of how traumatized Jenna has been by her husband, but I thought the growing relationship was done carefully and respectfully, while also acknowledging that victims of abuse aren't forever going to be disinterested in love and sex. I thought that was important and handled well.
There are a lot of elephants.
Overall, I enjoyed Jenna's journey and how she learned to walk on her own two feet, including learning to accept help and trust others.
It's Jeffe Kennedy though, so you know there's a woman on board who is ready to help her. (Spoiler: )
I'm glad it wasn't heavily romantic. I was nervous because of how traumatized Jenna has been by her husband, but I thought the growing relationship was done carefully and respectfully, while also acknowledging that victims of abuse aren't forever going to be disinterested in love and sex. I thought that was important and handled well.
There are a lot of elephants.
Overall, I enjoyed Jenna's journey and how she learned to walk on her own two feet, including learning to accept help and trust others.
September 20, 2018
Originally posted at ragdollreads.co.uk
Ragdoll Rating: 4/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Fans of fantasy romance
About the Book
Princess Jenna has escaped from the clutches of her abusive and evil husband and headed across the seas aboard the Valeria. On the journey she meets a warrior priestess called Kaja who helps her conceal her identity and make her own way in the world. But her husband and his goons are never far enough behind.
This book is equal parts fantasy adventure and romance novel.
Trigger Warning: This book contains references to serious sexual assault, abuse and bodily mutilation. It’s not particularly graphic, but it comes up a lot and might be distressing (I certainly found it upsetting).
What I thought
It took me a little while to get into this book, and it wasn’t until I had finished it that it was the second book in a series, which explained why I thought the author assumed a whole lot of knowledge on my part when starting the book. My bad. But once I got my head around the setting I found it a very enjoyable read.
The book focuses on Jenna, beginning with her passage on the Valeria (under the name Brian), and quickly see’s her becoming an acolyte of the Goddess Danu, under a new name, Ivariel. We see Ivariel go from her sheltered, submissive (and horribly abusive) past life in Dasnaria to becoming a warrior and making her own way in the scary new world.
I liked the fact that Ivariel wasn’t just dumped in the world and competent. In fact she was beyond useless in most regards and stayed that way for most of the book. Her strengths came from the skills she actually had experience of. She was given a knife to practice with and couldn’t even grip it – but she was athletic and able to learn because of the way she was raised. This meant that Ivariel was believable and very relatable.
This book contains constant reference to the horrors of Ivariel’s old life – which as I mentioned above, is horrific – and it’s upsetting. Upsetting to the point where I’m not sure if I could read the first book because I’m worried what it might contain. That said, this book also tries to focus on her path to healing the wounds of the past, which is considerably nicer. Ivariel goes from mentally scarred and disassociating when sex is referenced, to having romantic and sexual feelings for another character. Which I can understand to a point, although one element did stick out like a bit of a sore thumb – please skip the following box if you want to avoid spoilers:
Spoilers: Ivariel takes a vow of chastity (and silence) and the start of this book, which she chooses to end over the course. The bit that stuck out for me is that the very last thing that happens in this book is that she gives up her vow of chastity – something she took because of how psychologically (and physically) damaged she was in regards to sex – and it seemed like an incredibly big leap for her to take for no apparent reason. Yes she’d just had her life saved, but her only ‘sexual’ interaction in the books at that point had been a kiss, where she had punched the kisser in the face, and a forced stripping where she killed everyone. I just can’t imagine that she would give up that vow just to say thank you, or because someone mentioned in passing that the vows were a sort of shield. But perhaps that’s just me.
I also liked that the romance in this was not too heavy. It was there and building the whole way through but it didn’t take precedent over the plot of starting a new life, which I worried it would.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this book, although I could have done without quite so much horrible backstory. It’s a good read, but if you think for even a minute that the triggers I’ve highlighted might be an issue for you, then don’t risk it, otherwise it’s worth a look in.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
Ragdoll Rating: 4/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Fans of fantasy romance
About the Book
Princess Jenna has escaped from the clutches of her abusive and evil husband and headed across the seas aboard the Valeria. On the journey she meets a warrior priestess called Kaja who helps her conceal her identity and make her own way in the world. But her husband and his goons are never far enough behind.
This book is equal parts fantasy adventure and romance novel.
Trigger Warning: This book contains references to serious sexual assault, abuse and bodily mutilation. It’s not particularly graphic, but it comes up a lot and might be distressing (I certainly found it upsetting).
What I thought
It took me a little while to get into this book, and it wasn’t until I had finished it that it was the second book in a series, which explained why I thought the author assumed a whole lot of knowledge on my part when starting the book. My bad. But once I got my head around the setting I found it a very enjoyable read.
The book focuses on Jenna, beginning with her passage on the Valeria (under the name Brian), and quickly see’s her becoming an acolyte of the Goddess Danu, under a new name, Ivariel. We see Ivariel go from her sheltered, submissive (and horribly abusive) past life in Dasnaria to becoming a warrior and making her own way in the scary new world.
I liked the fact that Ivariel wasn’t just dumped in the world and competent. In fact she was beyond useless in most regards and stayed that way for most of the book. Her strengths came from the skills she actually had experience of. She was given a knife to practice with and couldn’t even grip it – but she was athletic and able to learn because of the way she was raised. This meant that Ivariel was believable and very relatable.
This book contains constant reference to the horrors of Ivariel’s old life – which as I mentioned above, is horrific – and it’s upsetting. Upsetting to the point where I’m not sure if I could read the first book because I’m worried what it might contain. That said, this book also tries to focus on her path to healing the wounds of the past, which is considerably nicer. Ivariel goes from mentally scarred and disassociating when sex is referenced, to having romantic and sexual feelings for another character. Which I can understand to a point, although one element did stick out like a bit of a sore thumb – please skip the following box if you want to avoid spoilers:
Spoilers: Ivariel takes a vow of chastity (and silence) and the start of this book, which she chooses to end over the course. The bit that stuck out for me is that the very last thing that happens in this book is that she gives up her vow of chastity – something she took because of how psychologically (and physically) damaged she was in regards to sex – and it seemed like an incredibly big leap for her to take for no apparent reason. Yes she’d just had her life saved, but her only ‘sexual’ interaction in the books at that point had been a kiss, where she had punched the kisser in the face, and a forced stripping where she killed everyone. I just can’t imagine that she would give up that vow just to say thank you, or because someone mentioned in passing that the vows were a sort of shield. But perhaps that’s just me.
I also liked that the romance in this was not too heavy. It was there and building the whole way through but it didn’t take precedent over the plot of starting a new life, which I worried it would.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this book, although I could have done without quite so much horrible backstory. It’s a good read, but if you think for even a minute that the triggers I’ve highlighted might be an issue for you, then don’t risk it, otherwise it’s worth a look in.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
September 23, 2018
I received a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway and it has not affected my review.
This was a fine fantasy adventure, but it had a completely different story arc than the other stories in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms (etc) and that really interfered with my expectations, so I was never able to get into it.
I've read a number of Twelve Kingdoms and other related books, and they were all fantasy books with a romantic arc. This book, however, is a finding-yourself, almost coming-of-age arc, with no romance - I was so busy trying to figure out when the romance would happen that the end of the book took me by surprise! (#ebookproblems)
I wasn't able to get into this book, but it was definitely a me problem. If you are looking for a fantasy adventure where a sheltered woman becomes empowered and comes into her own while seeing the world, and you don't mind not having a love story, check this out.
(Quick content notes: The heroine is escaping from an abusive marriage. Also, this book does have some violence.)
This was a fine fantasy adventure, but it had a completely different story arc than the other stories in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms (etc) and that really interfered with my expectations, so I was never able to get into it.
I've read a number of Twelve Kingdoms and other related books, and they were all fantasy books with a romantic arc. This book, however, is a finding-yourself, almost coming-of-age arc, with no romance - I was so busy trying to figure out when the romance would happen that the end of the book took me by surprise! (#ebookproblems)
I wasn't able to get into this book, but it was definitely a me problem. If you are looking for a fantasy adventure where a sheltered woman becomes empowered and comes into her own while seeing the world, and you don't mind not having a love story, check this out.
(Quick content notes: The heroine is escaping from an abusive marriage. Also, this book does have some violence.)
May 27, 2023
Exile Over Seas
Dasnaria2
Alone, with few survival skills but a strong will, Jenna has made her way onto a boat. The boat sailed out of port, just ahead of her brother’s attempt to force her back to all her mother’s machinations and plans.
But she can’t grow and learn more skills hiding in her cabin. So when a female passenger seeks to befriend Jenna, reluctantly she reaches out. Kaja is larger than life, in control of herself and largely, her life in a way Jenna could not even imagine. And, as they trade language, Jenna learns to handle weapons through her dancing. She also learns to count, how to light lanterns and how to open portholes; tasks that everyone around her takes for granted. And she learns the value of money.
Kaja also gives Jenna a refuge and a plan. And it all rests in the hands of the goddess, Danu. For Jenna is ignorant of many things, having been raised as a ‘Tabla Rosa’ for her husband to inscribe as he willed. But she knew enough to reject his inscription, and to learn to become more.
The journey is huge and yet small. Wonderful reading!
Dasnaria2
Alone, with few survival skills but a strong will, Jenna has made her way onto a boat. The boat sailed out of port, just ahead of her brother’s attempt to force her back to all her mother’s machinations and plans.
But she can’t grow and learn more skills hiding in her cabin. So when a female passenger seeks to befriend Jenna, reluctantly she reaches out. Kaja is larger than life, in control of herself and largely, her life in a way Jenna could not even imagine. And, as they trade language, Jenna learns to handle weapons through her dancing. She also learns to count, how to light lanterns and how to open portholes; tasks that everyone around her takes for granted. And she learns the value of money.
Kaja also gives Jenna a refuge and a plan. And it all rests in the hands of the goddess, Danu. For Jenna is ignorant of many things, having been raised as a ‘Tabla Rosa’ for her husband to inscribe as he willed. But she knew enough to reject his inscription, and to learn to become more.
The journey is huge and yet small. Wonderful reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews