A dark, unrelenting force...a magical world unlocked...a forbidden love...and a secret yearning for power.
The dark forces that followed Lyra and Terrin on their journey haven't disappeared. In fact, they've made it very clear that won’t be stopping until they get what they want--Lyra.
Not one to give up easily, Lyra has teamed up with a strong, testy Fae woman named Freydis. Together, along with Terrin, they must return to Eclipsa to recruit the Fae and other magical folk if they want any chance of defeating the Dark Master and his army. There, Lyra will be awakened to a wild part of her identity that lay dormant for years.
The deeper she goes in her journey, she feels herself changing, strengthening, something dark and volatile unfurling within her. Perhaps her new power is the secret to defeating the Dark Master; perhaps it’s the yearning to join him.
Kate Kelley is a writer of Fantasy--all kinds. She spends her days gingerly avoiding plot holes and writer's blocks while four beautiful children and one hunky husband annoy her. And she says that with love.
**I received a free PDF copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are all mine as well as 100% honest**
After enjoying Birth Stone as much as I did, I had high hopes set for Diadem, and I have to say, that I was definitely NOT let down by any means.
The transition from the first book to this book was very smooth as the events in this book pick up and take off from the last scene of the previous book. In addition, the plot was very well planned on Kelley's part. Diadem was a fast-paced page-turner filled with twists and turns as well as some much-needed humor here and there sprinkled in throughout to help lighten it all up a little. From the action and adventure to the romantic scenes, Kelley did a good job at balancing all the elements in Diadem. Also, Kelley's use of suspense and clues also helped develop a mystery part of the book that I very much enjoyed.
The two main characters, Lyra and Terrin, are two characters that I am fond of and that I enjoyed reading in the first book along with this book, but I have to say, I liked them in this book better. Lyra is a very mature character who always puts others before herself while Terrin seemed a bit more loose and relaxed.
I was impressed by this book, more than I was impressed with Birth Stone, not going to lie. I would love to read the third book in the Gem Kingdom series by Kate Kelley!
I have been enjoying all the action, romance, adventures, and developing story intrigues! This is great! This series has really kept me alert even as sick as I am waiting for a surgery soon( ugh). I can enjoy this series between appts etc. The author did a great job with small and big secrets and exposing hints here and there. Or am I getting good at the clues? Lol. I am getting the next book asap!
Absolutely Magical! Would love to see the books on the big screen! Cannot wait to read book 3 in the Gem series. The Paragon! I know it won’t disappoint me! Love the way Kate Kelly describes everything. Never boring always exciting!
Fast-paced, colorful fantasy. I really enjoyed this story. Like book 1, Diadem is a fast-paced fantasy with many characters and a colorful world. It picks up where Birth Stone leaves off, with Lyra waking up finding herself bound to Oriel. This all becomes very complicated as she wants to be with Terrin. There is a ritual she can undergo to break their bond, but also a change she could die in the process. I liked how Diadem is a continuation of the plot in the first book but there are new elements and secrets being gradually revealed. Great characters and lots of suspense.
Similar to the first book, this has kept me on the edge of my seat. The events of the book pick up from the last scene of the first book.
Upon waking up, Lyra learns that she is bound to Oriel and it's partial. The binding attracts them sexually and it makes Terrin jealous. While Lyra tries her best to fight the bond, she learns that Poppy is interested in Oriel.
To make things complicated, Oriel begins grow close to Lyra. The only way to stop the growing attraction is by breaking the bond. Lyra decides to break the bond. The catch - she only had minor chance of survival.
In the mean time, Ganemeed attacks Terra and guilt eats Lyra from the inside. Their plans to overthrow Ursa backfires and the only way to stop the death and chaos is to surrender Lyra to Ganemeed.
Plot - Well planned and laid out plot. It's a page turner and fast paced with interesting twists and turns. The world of elves was interesting and I enjoyed the humor.
Lyra - We see maturity in her character and it's shown in everything she does. She puts the goodness of others before her and makes a selfless decision.
Terrin - Gruff and sexy. He has loosen up a bit. The other characters were also given equal importance. So we don't get to see him and Lyra together as much as we have loved to. 😉 But no worries, the 3rd part is coming up.
The action scenes were well written and the emotions kept me hooked until I finished the story. It's an entertaining read and I highly recommend this.
The first book, Birth Stone, hooked me enough that I had to get the rest of the books in the series. And just like the first book, the second one did not disappoint! Diadem picks up where the first book left off. Lyra wakes, finding herself bound to Oriel, which complicates things for her and Terrin, as well as her close friend, Poppy as Poppy admits to Lyra that she is interested in Oriel. Though Lyra tries to fight the bond because she’s attracted to Terrin, Oriel feels the opposite and is sexually attracted to Lyra, which complicates things even further. Lyra asks Terrin’s help in breaking the bond she has with Oriel, but there is a chance that she may not survive the ceremony to break the bond. Before she agrees to go through with the ceremony, Ganameed begins his attacks on the city of Terra which draws everyone’s attention back to the real reason why they are all brought together. Diadem is full adventure, action, romance, and mystery. It’s fast paced and quite the page turner. This has easily become a new favorite series of mine. If you like the Court Series by Sarah J Maas, you will definitely like this series!
This is quite an adventurous one with so many twists, turns, suspense and surprises. From the starting of the novel the author captures the attention of the reader with bonding between Lyra and Oriel, power of spectrolite, attempts to kidnap Lyra, allying with Fae and finally the revelation of the dark master's intention for wanting Lyra.
Yes, so many running, fighting, discovering oneself,.... This novel will catch your attention until you complete the end page. And will leave you to wait for the third.