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Iskari #2
The Caged Queen
Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished-until the day a terrible accident took Essie's life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax-the heir to Firgaard's throne-was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa's people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she'd give him the army he needed if he made her queen.
Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax's promises go unfulfilled. Roa's people continue to suffer.
Then a chance to right every wrong arises-an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Reliquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2018
369 people are currently reading
13461 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Ciccarelli
10 books10.8k followersKristen Ciccarelli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Crimson Moth duology, A Dark Forgetting, and the Iskari series. Before writing stories for a living, she dropped out of college and worked as a baker, a potter, and a bookseller. She currently resides in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada with her husband and daughters.
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August 15, 2022
Her sister said it would take a year to raise an army, bring down a tyrant, and marry a king.
Roa had done it in just three months.
Ah yes, yes she did. In just three months she did just that. She married a king, who is her enemy. She brought down a tyrant, who was actually brought down by Asha because Asha hated her tyrant of a father. And of course, she raised an army even though...she...didn’t.
Let's take a step backwards. When Kristen Ciccarelli announced that The Caged Queen was going to be about Dax and Roa, but mostly about Roa, I was actually very excited. I wasn't the biggest fan of her in The Last Namsara, but I was able to understand my own reasonings. Like I said in my review of The Last Namsara, I wanted nothing bad to happen to Dax, and although nothing happened and Ciccarelli decided to be nice and not kill the good characters, I can actually continue saying I'm not a fan of Roa. Roa's story was just repetitive and boring. Although I was looking forward to her part of the story, I came to the point where I just didn't give a shit. I ended up skimming almost all of the 250-350 pages because all I wanted to know was how it ended. Roa, as a character, felt underdeveloped, frail, tedious, and was everything I wish she wasn't. She was uneventful. She seemed to not care about anything but literally herself, Theo, and if Dax loved her or not. Her backstory was not tragic to me, it just felt bland. Dry. Dull. Her actions felt unrealistic. She was not Asha, and although she never was, it felt like she never belonged in the same world as Asha in the first place.
The Caged Queen is the sequel to The Last Namsara, a fantasy debut that has become one of my favorites. When I finished it in March this year, I was so excited for this book because I couldn't wait to be back in the world of Firgaard and the dragons, along with Safire and Dax and see how much he grew (or didn't). Although that was not what the book offers, The Caged Queen focuses on Roa, the Queen of Firgaard and wife of Dax, brother of Asha, King of Firgaard. She had a sister who shared a strong bond with her. No one was able to understand one or the other like they did, for their connection was strong that when one was sad, mirrors shatter, and when one was happy, flowers bloomed. But Dax, heir to the throne of Firgaard, took that away from Roa and disappeared from her view, only to return 8 years later. Roa dispises him. She wants nothing more but to bring her sister back and wish that the dead one was him, but Roa can't help but feel bad for Dax when he returns, asking her for help. While she wants to help her people, he wants to kill his father and take the throne. But Roa also has her conditions: become Queen.
Now that Asha is on the run with Torwin, Kozu, and a golden dragon, Safire is the commandant of Dax, Dax is the rightful King of Firgaard and Roa is an outlander Queen who is married to her enemy. Dax makes promises he can't keep; Roa's people are still suffering; Roa still hates Dax. As she begins to find out more secrets, truths, and lies, an opportunity to bring back her sister relinquishes, but like everything else, there is a price: kill the King.
The king and queen watched each other for a stretched-out-moment as the sun sank lower in the sky. Like two opponents across a gods and monsters board, both awaiting the other’s move.
I’ll say what I’ve been wanting to say that was bothering me the most: Roa's arc was the most boring addition to the overall plot and storyline. I was not interested in anything whatsoever. I can't remember when, but it got the point where I couldn't help but wish something or someone I loved from the previous book returned. Roa was described as someone who would do anything to bring back her sister, even if it meant to kill the king and truthfully, I thought she would DO something. Roa was just stuck in herself, in her life, and didn't know what to do. She was stuck in two love interests, stuck in thinking Dax loved her or not, and she showed no sign of what being Queen is. She wasn't strong, instead, she depended on others. I feel like there was a huge character downgrade here. Asha was the embodiment of strong. She got what she wanted and she did not ask for help. Roa asked for help and was not able to make the choices on her own. There was never a time Roa was sure of something, and that was what bothered me the most. Roa was never sure, but she still applied her unexistent knowledge to her actions. She needed a whole developing part. She needed one whole part for her character to develop. In addition to that, Roa did not make the plot any better. Kristen said that there would be dragons but the whole story would focus on Roa, but I felt like that was what bothered me the most out of everything else: the disappearance of dragon talk. It made sense, since Asha is the dragon caller and Roa is only an outlander away from her house and married to the boy she thinks she loves who she also considers her enemy without actually knowing the facts of him and his reasons.
Kristen is a beautiful writer. She makes the lines of her stories uncomplex and easy to follow to the point where you lose track of time when reading. She creates flawed characters that you can't help but love because of how realistic their life is being lived in this fantasy world. The Last Namsara became one of the favorite books I read this year and I couldn't wait for its sequel, but it has truly let me down in the worst possible way. Second book syndrome isn't enough to explain this. It has occurred to me that having high expectations for one of your most anticipated releases is the word. Karma is a bitch and always gets back at you for loving its opponent, since sequels should always be better as time and writing progress. The storyline Kristen created in TLN was beautiful and I couldn't help but imagine the whole world of Firgaard in my mind, even with the people suffering and lies being thrown, victim after victim. Asha has become one of my favorite characters and the way she carries the insults on her back has reminded me that words are not what should stop you from finding out the truths and secrets your enemies thought they would hide from you forever. Roa, on the other hand, is the epitome of an actual complexed character who does not know how to hide her flaws entirely but instead shows them out of sign for pity.
The Caged Queen isn’t only about war and politics, it is also about the relationship between two sisters. Roa and her sister share a strong and beautiful bond, but I guess I got to the point where I didn’t care about her sister either. The synopsis of this can be deceiving, manipulating because it can bring one into thinking Roa will actually do whatever she can to bring back her sister, but she just couldn’t build herself up because of her sister and that constantly bothered me. Roa should have found strength through her sister. She should have found a reason through and because of her, but she couldn’t. She stayed true to her beliefs about Dax’s lies and betrayal. She stayed true to the opportunity of killing the king. She stayed true to her uncertainties.
The sky was a smear of orange and pink as she looked across to the king's quarters, where Dax sat on the flat marble surface of his balcony's semicircular balustrade, his shoulders pressed against the wall, facing her rooms. As Roa's gaze met his, he raised the goblet in his hand in greeting.
I mentioned second book syndrome and, believe it or not, that's the first time I'm using that. I've been on GR 2 years now and been writing reviews here and there, but I've never wanted to use that term. This book deserves to be the first. This book not only lacked in character development, but Kristen did not manage to wow me with the atmosphere she created, the world building she continued, the characters she made, and the plot she had driven. Everything just lacked. That's the word to describe this book. Lacking. Everything was just unimaginative. I was not able to imagine the poor world Roa is from. I was not able to imagine Roa as the queen she ought to be. I was not able to even imagine Dax as he was mentioned. The plot felt like it continued to downgrade and shorten down to the point where nothing in the book was even about the book, it was just me reading and skimming until the end to find out what happened, how and why.
I can't say the same I'm saying about Roa to the other characters. I love Dax. I loved him in The Last Namsara and I love Safire. I love the relationship Dax and Asha have and although Asha appears in the end, I love how she's still with Dax—in his heart and his mind. He cares for her and tries to protect the one and only thing he has that reminds him of her. I love how he will literally risk himself in order to keep the one memorable thing he has of her—her horse. Dax just needs improvements. He needs examples in front of him to see if that is what he needs to do or not. I can't say this enough, but Dax is not his father. I hated everytime the comparisons between him and his father were mentioned. Dax is not his father, not like him, and will not be like him. Dax chose to take the throne because he wanted to make a change in Firgaard and the world for the Dragons. I hate to spoil it, but he understands his sister and knows she's been named the former Iskari, now the Namsara. Dax cares. Dax is still a young man. Dax is just...Dax! He needs development and needs the time. He needs patience from the people and needs answers just as he asks the questions. Dax is trying, and I hate how he is being brought down by his own people, his own wife, because of what he has been doing. Kristen better not have him be brought down, dead, because I will literally take a whole start for that, depending on how the third book lives up to my "low and unexistent expectations." I mean, if Dax is gonna be compared to his father, why not compare Roa to Asha? They’re not the same people, so it wouldn’t make sense to, but I’m doing it anyway.
Two stars are not out of enjoyment, it’s out of likes. I liked some characters. I liked the writing. I liked the appearances of other characters, like Asha, Torwin, Safire, and the two dragons. But other than that, I didn’t like and enjoy reading about anything else. I didn’t enjoy the book, I liked some aspects of it. Truthfully, I miss Asha. I miss her hunting dragons, but I know she isn’t that person anymore. She’s still a warrior who seeks vengeance, but she’s still scared, lonely, and fragile in her own spots, and that’s what I love about her. I love how she knows she’s flawed and needs to improve on her own self, but she doesn’t let that get to her. I also miss Safire and her care and protection towards Asha. I can’t say enough on how their relationship is truly one of the most wonderful family dynamics out in fantasy YA books. I miss the trust they have through one another and the risk one would take for the other.
I was gonna give this 1 star, but I trust Kristen, and I know she's been improving. I love Kristen as a person too, not only as a writer. I really hope that in this third and upcoming book of the trilogy, she speeds it up a little and makes the story much better; makes it more true to the first and original story.
Anyways, look at my review for The Last Namsara cause I literally rated that beauty 5 stars and everything about it is so positive and genuine and delightful. Self-promo eh?
Once there was a girl who loved the sky almost as much as she loved her sister.
October 5, 2018
This one wasn't as good as the first book to me but it was still good. Some things got to me but that's the way it goes!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐺🐾
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐺🐾
June 15, 2025
It's official. I am absolute trash for this series!
The Caged Queen is the second installment of Kristen Ciccarelli's highly-underrated YA Fantasy trilogy, Iskari.
If you are unaware, the books within this series are all companion novels. Even though they follow a linear story, with the same overriding cast of characters, each installment features the perspectives of different main characters.
Picking up shortly after the conclusion of The Last Namsara, this volume focuses mainly on Roa, her sister Essie, and the new King of Firgaard, Dax.
Now married, Roa and Dax, are working on merging the interests of their two kingdoms. As the couple are still learning to trust one another, things don't always go smoothly.
Although Roa did appear in the first book, we didn't learn too much about her; she remained the mysterious beauty that Dax hoped to marry, in order to .
The Caged Queen gives her full story. Most interestingly to me, is that her sister, Essie, who died in a tragic childhood accident, has remained with Roa in the form a bird of prey.
The two sisters share a very special bond and are able to communicate with one another in spite of Essie's unconventional form.
Roa would love nothing more than to get her sister back to her old self and when she learns of a way to make that happen, she vows to try.
The only catch, she'll need to kill the King, her new husband, Dax, in order to do so. Who will she choose? The sister she mourned years ago, or the man she could learn to love.
I am obsessed with this story. Ciccarelli has fully drawn me into this world. There are so many fabulous elements, I could swoon for days.
I'd like to keep this review somewhat succinct, however, so I will list just a few of my favorite aspects.
The World. I really enjoyed how a good portion of this volume was set in the Scrublands and other outlying areas, as opposed to strictly in Firgaard.
Our main characters are traveling for a bit and I loved the desert atmosphere, with the stark, inhospitable terrain. It made the characters work that much harder for every gain.
The Legends and Back Stories. Interspersed amongst the core narrative are sections that tell of the lore and legends of this world, as well as some character's early life/back stories.
This is the same across all three volumes and is one of my very favorite aspects. I find it to be such a lush and creative way of building out the world.
The Characters. I enjoy all of the characters. Their thoughts, motivations, inner and outer turmoil, angst, love, longing, grief, agony; it's devastatingly-addictive.
I was intrigued by Roa in the first book. I wanted to know more about her and I got exactly what I wanted with this volume. I loved the focus on grief, forgiveness and sisterhood, in this one as well.
If that doesn't motivate you to give this series a shot, I'm not sure what will.
If you have had this one on your radar for a long time, like I did, take my advice and pick it up now. It's a perfect escape for your reading pleasure!! That is all.
The Caged Queen is the second installment of Kristen Ciccarelli's highly-underrated YA Fantasy trilogy, Iskari.
If you are unaware, the books within this series are all companion novels. Even though they follow a linear story, with the same overriding cast of characters, each installment features the perspectives of different main characters.
Picking up shortly after the conclusion of The Last Namsara, this volume focuses mainly on Roa, her sister Essie, and the new King of Firgaard, Dax.
Now married, Roa and Dax, are working on merging the interests of their two kingdoms. As the couple are still learning to trust one another, things don't always go smoothly.
Although Roa did appear in the first book, we didn't learn too much about her; she remained the mysterious beauty that Dax hoped to marry, in order to .
The Caged Queen gives her full story. Most interestingly to me, is that her sister, Essie, who died in a tragic childhood accident, has remained with Roa in the form a bird of prey.
The two sisters share a very special bond and are able to communicate with one another in spite of Essie's unconventional form.
Roa would love nothing more than to get her sister back to her old self and when she learns of a way to make that happen, she vows to try.
The only catch, she'll need to kill the King, her new husband, Dax, in order to do so. Who will she choose? The sister she mourned years ago, or the man she could learn to love.
I am obsessed with this story. Ciccarelli has fully drawn me into this world. There are so many fabulous elements, I could swoon for days.
I'd like to keep this review somewhat succinct, however, so I will list just a few of my favorite aspects.
The World. I really enjoyed how a good portion of this volume was set in the Scrublands and other outlying areas, as opposed to strictly in Firgaard.
Our main characters are traveling for a bit and I loved the desert atmosphere, with the stark, inhospitable terrain. It made the characters work that much harder for every gain.
The Legends and Back Stories. Interspersed amongst the core narrative are sections that tell of the lore and legends of this world, as well as some character's early life/back stories.
This is the same across all three volumes and is one of my very favorite aspects. I find it to be such a lush and creative way of building out the world.
The Characters. I enjoy all of the characters. Their thoughts, motivations, inner and outer turmoil, angst, love, longing, grief, agony; it's devastatingly-addictive.
I was intrigued by Roa in the first book. I wanted to know more about her and I got exactly what I wanted with this volume. I loved the focus on grief, forgiveness and sisterhood, in this one as well.
If that doesn't motivate you to give this series a shot, I'm not sure what will.
If you have had this one on your radar for a long time, like I did, take my advice and pick it up now. It's a perfect escape for your reading pleasure!! That is all.
February 13, 2019
ANGRY SPOILERS ALERT!!
Do you think I have tolerance for special snowflakes who cheat on their husbands and think of themselves as righteous?
Fuck, no!
Meet Roa, she the fucking martyr who would sacrifice anything to bring her dead sister back. It's okay to kill a person who actually was only indirectly guilty of your sister's death. He did not kill her. Your sister jumped to save his life and fell to her death.
IT WAS HER CHOICE TO SAVE HIM.
Am I interested in her self-righteous complains that she is oh-so-unhappy her husband is such a useless prick? Wait a minute, haven't you helped him to get the throne and swore to be his loyal queen? Why the fuck would you conspire with your enemies to kill your only ally?
Oh, and it's not the worst of it! Didn't you sleep with the bully who called you a slut in your face when you were a child? You martyred yourself to him because you felt guilty for leaving him behind? What the fuck do you owe that prick to feel guilty about? Why prostitute yourself to a man, you didn't even like having sex with?! Is this suppose to make you more independent? Surely more stupid!
And then you let your ex-bully-lover talk you into killing your husband and putting you on a throne instead because fucking asshole wants for YOU TO RULE ALONE. What the fuck!
Have you heard of a word communication? It's when you don't pour tons of shit of contempt on your husband but talk to him as a human being? No?
The Kingdom is doomed. The Queen is the first class bitch. And I am out of that shit!
December 16, 2018
I think the first book was better than this but it’s good regardless. Jumping into this book I kind of expected on not liking it but it exceeded my low expectation. I didn’t really want to start the book because of how I feel about Roa on the first book. Short to say I disliked her and I wanted to read more about Asha instead
✨ What I Liked ✨
1. The writing
As good as the first book. Not too detailed and just good enough to make me glued on to the pages
2. The short stories and flashbacks
Though the stories is much better on the first book, I still enjoyed the little stories in between pages
3.Dax
MARRY ME. PLEASE JUST MARRY ME
✨ What I Didn’t Like ✨
1.The world building
Where was it??? The reason why I loved the first book so much was because of the world building but it was virtually absent on this book which disappointed me to no end
2.Roa
Ugh. I still don’t like her
3.The pacing
It can get pretty boring but oh well
Overall it’s a three star read and I still like the first book better but I’ll be buying the next book. Thanks for coming to ted talk
Buddy read with my fav person ever
✨ What I Liked ✨
1. The writing
As good as the first book. Not too detailed and just good enough to make me glued on to the pages
2. The short stories and flashbacks
Though the stories is much better on the first book, I still enjoyed the little stories in between pages
3.Dax
MARRY ME. PLEASE JUST MARRY ME
✨ What I Didn’t Like ✨
1.The world building
Where was it??? The reason why I loved the first book so much was because of the world building but it was virtually absent on this book which disappointed me to no end
2.Roa
Ugh. I still don’t like her
3.The pacing
It can get pretty boring but oh well
Overall it’s a three star read and I still like the first book better but I’ll be buying the next book. Thanks for coming to ted talk
Buddy read with my fav person ever
January 28, 2020
4.5 stars
Whoa....my heart is full. I just love, love, love this series!
The Caged Queen in the Iskari series is a companion novel to Kristen Ciccarelli's first, The Last Namsara. There currently is one other published companion novel and from what I understand they can all be read separately. Having read them all, and I do suggest to follow it the order of the set Iskari series due to the character's backstories and relations to others.
Much like the first novel, this book contains lore, tales, and memories throughout the novel giving clues and parallels to what is happening and how it ties in with the plot. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Roa, who comes from the House of Sky, an area of the scrublands, divided into 5 houses of rule.
In order to keep my review of The Last Namsara spoiler-free, I did not mention, that Dax has become the new king of Firgaard and Roa his wife, therefore the Queen. As it was unclear to me by the end of that novel how to judge her character, I didn't mention their marriage deal but it is an important point in this novel to understand the development of their characters.
Dax in his childhood was a difficult child to teach, and his parents sent him to the House of Sky after an offer was extended to educate him there along with others. As it turns out, he is more of a thinker and strategist, vs a writer or mathematician. This is where he met Roa and her twin sister Essie for the first time. They were children.
Something happened back then, an accident and Roa lost her sister. Their intense connection, a mystery to others has endured a holding place for her soul present over the last 8 years in the form of a bird of prey that rests on Roa's shoulders.
In the present day, it has been 3 months since Dax and Roa have been married. Not a long time, but long enough for Roa to notice their differences. He beds other women, he is bored at official meetings, and in general, seems to disappoint her over and over by his cool avoidance.
Roa is furious and disappointed in Dax and wishes nothing more than to have her sister to still be there. On her journey through the Sand Sea, some strange things start happening with Essi as Roa keeps losing her connection with her.
Rebecca, counselor Silva's daughter, is a new antagonist that enters the picture. As Roa learns how to save her sister, she strikes a deal with Rebecca that would mean Dax's death. In a reverse psychology move, she begins to spend more time with her husband, and in an achingly slow three steps forward, two steps back progression, their relationship seems to slowly tilt. But now, Roa is trapped and threatened in her promise to deliver what is asked of her in exchange for Dax's death.
In the meantime, political sabotage is going on behind Dax's back and as much as he is enjoying the cat and mouse game with his wife, he has to cover his tracks and let Roa make up her mind about him and play out the ploy against him.
He may not have the most beautiful handwriting or yield a weapon well in combat, but Dax is a strategist. Along a path of hate and tender moments, these newlyweds will have to make the ultimate decision and sacrifice by the time the novel ends. A heart-racing crescendo that will fill your heart.
***
The Caged Queen has an all together different tempo then the first novel and reads more character driven to me. With a slower start as well, it seems the overall story relied more on strategy according to Dax's character vs. fighting dragons or an unjust king. Though, by the end it picked up the tempo quite a bit.
Roa was more of a mysterious side character to me in the last novel and I have read some reviews that expressed how boring she is in this book. Since I couldn't judge her true intent in the last book, I thought it interesting to see where she comes from and I felt for her enduring Dax's sidesteps and attitude. Perhaps she doesn't have a strong personality as Asha outward, but the loss of her sister has impacted her entire upbringing, especially since it should have been the boy Dax who should have died. I liked her growth of character but I ultimately liked Dax too.
Though I wished for more dragon action to go on, I was mesmerized by the setting and lore. So foreign and influenced by perhaps Eastern cultures, it adds the perfect elements for this story. Perhaps The Caged Queen wasn't at the same level as The Last Namsara, but this series remains to be one of my favorites and worth a reread.
I only regret not to be able to read them for the first time again.
Happy Reading!
I am an avid reader of different genres and value these different genres respectively. I am also a mood reader and switch genres up according to my reading needs/appetite and I respect and value other people’s individual opinions even if they differ from mine. This review reflects my honest and personal opinion about this novel.
I received this novel from WunderkindPR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.
More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance
Whoa....my heart is full. I just love, love, love this series!
The Caged Queen in the Iskari series is a companion novel to Kristen Ciccarelli's first, The Last Namsara. There currently is one other published companion novel and from what I understand they can all be read separately. Having read them all, and I do suggest to follow it the order of the set Iskari series due to the character's backstories and relations to others.
Much like the first novel, this book contains lore, tales, and memories throughout the novel giving clues and parallels to what is happening and how it ties in with the plot. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Roa, who comes from the House of Sky, an area of the scrublands, divided into 5 houses of rule.
In order to keep my review of The Last Namsara spoiler-free, I did not mention, that Dax has become the new king of Firgaard and Roa his wife, therefore the Queen. As it was unclear to me by the end of that novel how to judge her character, I didn't mention their marriage deal but it is an important point in this novel to understand the development of their characters.
Dax in his childhood was a difficult child to teach, and his parents sent him to the House of Sky after an offer was extended to educate him there along with others. As it turns out, he is more of a thinker and strategist, vs a writer or mathematician. This is where he met Roa and her twin sister Essie for the first time. They were children.
Something happened back then, an accident and Roa lost her sister. Their intense connection, a mystery to others has endured a holding place for her soul present over the last 8 years in the form of a bird of prey that rests on Roa's shoulders.
In the present day, it has been 3 months since Dax and Roa have been married. Not a long time, but long enough for Roa to notice their differences. He beds other women, he is bored at official meetings, and in general, seems to disappoint her over and over by his cool avoidance.
Roa is furious and disappointed in Dax and wishes nothing more than to have her sister to still be there. On her journey through the Sand Sea, some strange things start happening with Essi as Roa keeps losing her connection with her.
Rebecca, counselor Silva's daughter, is a new antagonist that enters the picture. As Roa learns how to save her sister, she strikes a deal with Rebecca that would mean Dax's death. In a reverse psychology move, she begins to spend more time with her husband, and in an achingly slow three steps forward, two steps back progression, their relationship seems to slowly tilt. But now, Roa is trapped and threatened in her promise to deliver what is asked of her in exchange for Dax's death.
In the meantime, political sabotage is going on behind Dax's back and as much as he is enjoying the cat and mouse game with his wife, he has to cover his tracks and let Roa make up her mind about him and play out the ploy against him.
He may not have the most beautiful handwriting or yield a weapon well in combat, but Dax is a strategist. Along a path of hate and tender moments, these newlyweds will have to make the ultimate decision and sacrifice by the time the novel ends. A heart-racing crescendo that will fill your heart.
***
The Caged Queen has an all together different tempo then the first novel and reads more character driven to me. With a slower start as well, it seems the overall story relied more on strategy according to Dax's character vs. fighting dragons or an unjust king. Though, by the end it picked up the tempo quite a bit.
Roa was more of a mysterious side character to me in the last novel and I have read some reviews that expressed how boring she is in this book. Since I couldn't judge her true intent in the last book, I thought it interesting to see where she comes from and I felt for her enduring Dax's sidesteps and attitude. Perhaps she doesn't have a strong personality as Asha outward, but the loss of her sister has impacted her entire upbringing, especially since it should have been the boy Dax who should have died. I liked her growth of character but I ultimately liked Dax too.
Though I wished for more dragon action to go on, I was mesmerized by the setting and lore. So foreign and influenced by perhaps Eastern cultures, it adds the perfect elements for this story. Perhaps The Caged Queen wasn't at the same level as The Last Namsara, but this series remains to be one of my favorites and worth a reread.
I only regret not to be able to read them for the first time again.
Happy Reading!
I am an avid reader of different genres and value these different genres respectively. I am also a mood reader and switch genres up according to my reading needs/appetite and I respect and value other people’s individual opinions even if they differ from mine. This review reflects my honest and personal opinion about this novel.
I received this novel from WunderkindPR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.
More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance
January 5, 2020
I know the sophomore slump is a thing but..
D A Y U M.
This was truly awful. Wow.
The one positive about this book was that there were still old stories woven throughout, expanding the world and deepening understanding, but even those were not nearly as good or magical as in the first book. Everything else was. Oof. Bad.
Roa was like a lamb, all cute and dumb and ready to be slaughtered. Except it was even worse because she thought she was the wolf even though it was CLEAR that she had no idea what she was doing. She spent the entire book bumbling around like an idiot and alienating herself from all the other characters, which was sad for me because then I was stuck with just her. Ugh. When she wasn't doing that she was just hating on Dax for something that happened when they were eight, and that he truly had no control over. AND WHEN SHE WASN'T DOING THAT, she was being all jealous and pissy that he was flirting with other people. And when that wasn't happening she was just thinking about how much she hated him. But the whole time, no matter what she was doing, she sucked. Her character was flat and her thought process made no sense to me, I didn't see any development and being in her head gave me some serious whiplash.
The romance was really none existent and by 80% it still hadn't been developed or really introduced. But don't worry, by 90% Roa was I N L O V E with Dax, or she realized she had loved him the whole time? Honestly, I really don't know. At this point I had sped it up to 2x and was barely paying attention because I was too busy praying for it to end.
The plot was all over the place which is unfortunate because it was a cool concept. The whole book was pretty much just listening to Roa go around and around in her head, and then attempting to complete some tasks but not. She was the most obvious traitor/spy to exist. Ever. Everything was so obvious to me and yet... She was an idiot. A whole lot of nothing happened throughout this and listening to it was exhausting.
This was overall just so bland and boring, and annoying which is sad because I really enjoyed the first one. Will definitely have to take a break before I start the last, which I'm assuming is another companion novel and I'm not very excited about that.
D A Y U M.
This was truly awful. Wow.
The one positive about this book was that there were still old stories woven throughout, expanding the world and deepening understanding, but even those were not nearly as good or magical as in the first book. Everything else was. Oof. Bad.
Roa was like a lamb, all cute and dumb and ready to be slaughtered. Except it was even worse because she thought she was the wolf even though it was CLEAR that she had no idea what she was doing. She spent the entire book bumbling around like an idiot and alienating herself from all the other characters, which was sad for me because then I was stuck with just her. Ugh. When she wasn't doing that she was just hating on Dax for something that happened when they were eight, and that he truly had no control over. AND WHEN SHE WASN'T DOING THAT, she was being all jealous and pissy that he was flirting with other people. And when that wasn't happening she was just thinking about how much she hated him. But the whole time, no matter what she was doing, she sucked. Her character was flat and her thought process made no sense to me, I didn't see any development and being in her head gave me some serious whiplash.
The romance was really none existent and by 80% it still hadn't been developed or really introduced. But don't worry, by 90% Roa was I N L O V E with Dax, or she realized she had loved him the whole time? Honestly, I really don't know. At this point I had sped it up to 2x and was barely paying attention because I was too busy praying for it to end.
The plot was all over the place which is unfortunate because it was a cool concept. The whole book was pretty much just listening to Roa go around and around in her head, and then attempting to complete some tasks but not. She was the most obvious traitor/spy to exist. Ever. Everything was so obvious to me and yet... She was an idiot. A whole lot of nothing happened throughout this and listening to it was exhausting.
This was overall just so bland and boring, and annoying which is sad because I really enjoyed the first one. Will definitely have to take a break before I start the last, which I'm assuming is another companion novel and I'm not very excited about that.
December 22, 2018
3.5/5 stars! I think the best thing I like about this series is how easy the writing style is to read and I can binge these books in no time. The story flows quite well from the ending of the first book and I found myself enjoying the romance between Dax and Roa alot. But saying that, I don't think I'd give it a 4 star rating because I wish there were more plot twists or conflict; I just wanted the story to be longer I guess? I'm really curious about the last book and hope it will win me over :)
October 21, 2018
The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli is the sequel/companion to The Last Namsara, which happened to be one of my favourite reads of 2017, so I was eagerly awaiting this one… so eagerly. I couldn’t wait to dive in, and this did not disappoint me one bit.
The synopsis of this book starts with “ What would you sacrifice for love? Death-defying, world-altering love?” But please, do not let this fool you into believing this is a cheesy love story, for the love they talk of is the love between sisters, a bond unbreakable, even in death.
Spoiler warning, if you haven’t read The Last Namsara, do not read on, it will spoil that book enormously (unless you don’t care, then be my guest!). I will, however, try not to spoil this one for you, as this is a review.
In this novel we follow Roa, who has recently become Dragon Queen, and King Dax’s wife in an attempt to support her homelands by sitting on the throne. She holds no love for her husband, and in fact wishes him dead for the accident he caused 8 years previous, killing her sister, Essie. But there might be a way to bring Essie back - killing the one who should have died in her place with the skyweavers knife. Roa must sacrifice the king, to bring back her true love, the one she could never let go, her beloved sister. In doing so, dooming herself.
I loved how this focussed so strongly on the sisterly bond between Essie and Roa, and so beautifully on the topic of grief. Our main character has lost so much and holds on so tight to that one thing keeping her afloat. I think the plot flowed beautifully, and kept me so thoroughly engrossed in this novel. At all times I was eager to read on and learn more, I wanted to gobble this story down. Not only did we have the emotional plot of Roa’s love and loss, but there was, of course, a lot of action, a few dragons, and a plot to overthrow the throne - all things I kinda dig in a fantasy novel! I loved each aspect of this story so thoroughly, and was completely hooked.
I know that a few people were worried about going into this with the switch of the main character, people would miss Asha. But as much as I thought I would miss Asha, I was excited to learn more about Roa, I loved what we saw of her in book 1, and was very excited to learn more about this incredibly strong and courageous woman. The more I learned about Roa, the more I enjoyed her. I mean sure, she makes some stupid choices, but we all do, and in those heart-tearing situations, can you blame a girl? She was enjoyable to read about, and a character I came to care for a lot. I would actually go as far as to say I preferred Roa to Asha, I feel she’s slightly less problematic, and a lot more likable.
Accompanying Roa in the limelight, we have Dax, Dragon King, cunning and courageous… if not a bit clumsy and foolish. He was a delight to read about too, I adored his character development, and the more we read about him the more I cared for him too (even though Roa’s planning to kill him, oops). Dax’s character has a lot of layers, and it took some digging to get to the core of him, but it was worth it. He was a quality character.
I found something about each of these characters compelling to be honest with you, I didn’t feel that any of the side characters were flat or underdeveloped, each one had their own narrative that we got a peek into, and I really liked that. The relationships were all nicely fleshed out and it all made sense to me, I loved it.
It is probably no secret that atmosphere is so wonderfully important to me in any novel, the atmosphere of a book really can make or break it for me. I was immersed in the atmosphere of this book, it sucked me in and wouldn’t let me out. There’s such a rich culture about this world that so beautifully made, along with the dangerous politics and fantasy air, I couldn’t ask for more (expect maybe more dragons?)
I absolutely adore Kristen’s writing style. I love the way she includes the ‘old stories’ in between chapters, this time mixed in with stories of Essie and Roa’s past. Although it separates the story, I don’t feel this breaks the pace at all, or removes me from the narrative. It adds another dimension for me, and I really like it. It adds to the ‘ancient’ and fantastical air of the novel, gives it a history, building on the culture of the world. Kristen’s word building was beautiful to me, along with the development of her characters, everything she’s constructed in these books just feels so deep to me, and I feel so connected. Is there a potential for me to be looking at her writing through rose tinted specs as I love the story so much? Maybe… but I care not. I feel the connection to these books.
I can’t sing my praises loud enough for this, ‘The Last Namsara’ was so strong, and in a way I did worry that ‘The Caged Queen’ wouldn’t live up to it, or my expectations... but it so completely did. I had an enormously fun time reading this, the wait, although painful, was worth it. Now I must endure that again for the third novel!
To conclude, I feel like all I’ve done just there is gush about how much I loved this, but it can’t be helped. I loved it, and I am not sorry about it. I love this world, and can’t wait for more (although it’s a very long wait!)
The synopsis of this book starts with “ What would you sacrifice for love? Death-defying, world-altering love?” But please, do not let this fool you into believing this is a cheesy love story, for the love they talk of is the love between sisters, a bond unbreakable, even in death.
Spoiler warning, if you haven’t read The Last Namsara, do not read on, it will spoil that book enormously (unless you don’t care, then be my guest!). I will, however, try not to spoil this one for you, as this is a review.
In this novel we follow Roa, who has recently become Dragon Queen, and King Dax’s wife in an attempt to support her homelands by sitting on the throne. She holds no love for her husband, and in fact wishes him dead for the accident he caused 8 years previous, killing her sister, Essie. But there might be a way to bring Essie back - killing the one who should have died in her place with the skyweavers knife. Roa must sacrifice the king, to bring back her true love, the one she could never let go, her beloved sister. In doing so, dooming herself.
I loved how this focussed so strongly on the sisterly bond between Essie and Roa, and so beautifully on the topic of grief. Our main character has lost so much and holds on so tight to that one thing keeping her afloat. I think the plot flowed beautifully, and kept me so thoroughly engrossed in this novel. At all times I was eager to read on and learn more, I wanted to gobble this story down. Not only did we have the emotional plot of Roa’s love and loss, but there was, of course, a lot of action, a few dragons, and a plot to overthrow the throne - all things I kinda dig in a fantasy novel! I loved each aspect of this story so thoroughly, and was completely hooked.
I know that a few people were worried about going into this with the switch of the main character, people would miss Asha. But as much as I thought I would miss Asha, I was excited to learn more about Roa, I loved what we saw of her in book 1, and was very excited to learn more about this incredibly strong and courageous woman. The more I learned about Roa, the more I enjoyed her. I mean sure, she makes some stupid choices, but we all do, and in those heart-tearing situations, can you blame a girl? She was enjoyable to read about, and a character I came to care for a lot. I would actually go as far as to say I preferred Roa to Asha, I feel she’s slightly less problematic, and a lot more likable.
Accompanying Roa in the limelight, we have Dax, Dragon King, cunning and courageous… if not a bit clumsy and foolish. He was a delight to read about too, I adored his character development, and the more we read about him the more I cared for him too (even though Roa’s planning to kill him, oops). Dax’s character has a lot of layers, and it took some digging to get to the core of him, but it was worth it. He was a quality character.
I found something about each of these characters compelling to be honest with you, I didn’t feel that any of the side characters were flat or underdeveloped, each one had their own narrative that we got a peek into, and I really liked that. The relationships were all nicely fleshed out and it all made sense to me, I loved it.
It is probably no secret that atmosphere is so wonderfully important to me in any novel, the atmosphere of a book really can make or break it for me. I was immersed in the atmosphere of this book, it sucked me in and wouldn’t let me out. There’s such a rich culture about this world that so beautifully made, along with the dangerous politics and fantasy air, I couldn’t ask for more (expect maybe more dragons?)
I absolutely adore Kristen’s writing style. I love the way she includes the ‘old stories’ in between chapters, this time mixed in with stories of Essie and Roa’s past. Although it separates the story, I don’t feel this breaks the pace at all, or removes me from the narrative. It adds another dimension for me, and I really like it. It adds to the ‘ancient’ and fantastical air of the novel, gives it a history, building on the culture of the world. Kristen’s word building was beautiful to me, along with the development of her characters, everything she’s constructed in these books just feels so deep to me, and I feel so connected. Is there a potential for me to be looking at her writing through rose tinted specs as I love the story so much? Maybe… but I care not. I feel the connection to these books.
I can’t sing my praises loud enough for this, ‘The Last Namsara’ was so strong, and in a way I did worry that ‘The Caged Queen’ wouldn’t live up to it, or my expectations... but it so completely did. I had an enormously fun time reading this, the wait, although painful, was worth it. Now I must endure that again for the third novel!
To conclude, I feel like all I’ve done just there is gush about how much I loved this, but it can’t be helped. I loved it, and I am not sorry about it. I love this world, and can’t wait for more (although it’s a very long wait!)
September 9, 2018
This is the second instalment in the high fantasy Iskari series and despite following the same set of characters as featured in the first, a different protagonist narrates this tale.
Roa is a daughter of the House of Song. Once there were two daughters but her sister Essie lost her life in a tragic accident, leaving Roa to walk the world alone. Companionship came in the unlikely form of Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne and her childhood playmate. She quickly realises that their alliance will be far from a simple one, with politics forming the bases for their relationship and tensions running high between their people. Roa knows, however, that appeasing the one who rules is the quickest way to deliver fair treatment to her people, but when an ancient story brings a possible solution to her predicament Roa must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for the one she loved the most.
I was initially not as engaged as with the first book in this series as I had a preference for the former female narrator. Soon, however, I found I was just as intrigued with the story-line featured here, which followed from the former but brought its own set of individual trials. Political intrigue forms the backstory for the entire series but book one's protagonist, Asha, had very different difficulties to present Roa.
I also found it interesting how differences soon appeared in the formation of side-characters, when viewed through different eyes. Roa's viewpoint meant the reader was introduced to other personality nuances that Asha had failed to notice or saw differently. Dax, in particular, was an intriguing character study. His sister, Asha, opened up one side of his personality, whilst the one he courted, Roa, saw a very different individual. This made the characters feel more authentic and brought reality to and reasons for the perspectives chosen.
My favourite aspect of this novel, however, was in how Ciccarelli interwove backstory and lore into the story-line. Many chapters ended with either a scene from the characters' childhoods or a legendary tale from the world. The narration for these segments differed and were delivered in a lyrical and charming style that likened it to classic fairy tales. These all had a reason for inclusion, as each had a bearing on the story-line and illuminated some previously unforeseen facet of the tale.
The pace built consistently during the novel but I found the beginning sequence to be a little drawn out. Once the characters reached the city I recognised, from the former series instalment, I was once again captivated and the ending delivered a bitter-sweetness that had me yearning for more, despite the tears it also delivered - both happy and sad.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Kristen Ciccarelli, and the publisher, Harper Teen, for this opportunity.
Roa is a daughter of the House of Song. Once there were two daughters but her sister Essie lost her life in a tragic accident, leaving Roa to walk the world alone. Companionship came in the unlikely form of Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne and her childhood playmate. She quickly realises that their alliance will be far from a simple one, with politics forming the bases for their relationship and tensions running high between their people. Roa knows, however, that appeasing the one who rules is the quickest way to deliver fair treatment to her people, but when an ancient story brings a possible solution to her predicament Roa must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for the one she loved the most.
I was initially not as engaged as with the first book in this series as I had a preference for the former female narrator. Soon, however, I found I was just as intrigued with the story-line featured here, which followed from the former but brought its own set of individual trials. Political intrigue forms the backstory for the entire series but book one's protagonist, Asha, had very different difficulties to present Roa.
I also found it interesting how differences soon appeared in the formation of side-characters, when viewed through different eyes. Roa's viewpoint meant the reader was introduced to other personality nuances that Asha had failed to notice or saw differently. Dax, in particular, was an intriguing character study. His sister, Asha, opened up one side of his personality, whilst the one he courted, Roa, saw a very different individual. This made the characters feel more authentic and brought reality to and reasons for the perspectives chosen.
My favourite aspect of this novel, however, was in how Ciccarelli interwove backstory and lore into the story-line. Many chapters ended with either a scene from the characters' childhoods or a legendary tale from the world. The narration for these segments differed and were delivered in a lyrical and charming style that likened it to classic fairy tales. These all had a reason for inclusion, as each had a bearing on the story-line and illuminated some previously unforeseen facet of the tale.
The pace built consistently during the novel but I found the beginning sequence to be a little drawn out. Once the characters reached the city I recognised, from the former series instalment, I was once again captivated and the ending delivered a bitter-sweetness that had me yearning for more, despite the tears it also delivered - both happy and sad.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Kristen Ciccarelli, and the publisher, Harper Teen, for this opportunity.
December 23, 2019
#1.) The Last Namsara ★★★★
#2.) The Caged Queen ★★★★★
"what are souls but stars waiting to be born?"
This is the second book in the Iskari series, and follows largely the same group of characters but has a different main protagonist.
That initially turned me off this book, as I loved Asha in the first instalment so much and wasn't too sure about Roa. However, I loved this even more than its predecessor. This style of story telling is very interesting to me, because we get to see the same world and people through another's eyes. This change of perspective allows us to see different sides of characters we didn't know before, and other ways of looking at things.
The political intrigue, romance and stakes were high, causing me to fly through it.
I read this is one day without even realising/planning it. It was THAT GOOD.
one of my favourite parts of The Last Namsara was the interspersion of folk tales and lore throughout the chapters. Like little snippets of fairytales from this world, they added nuances to the world. This continued in The Caged Queen and I loved it just as much.
Dax is one of my favourite characters ever. His character was so complex and intricate. He played off typical YA love interest tropes, but in such a nuanced and different way that added another layer to him. He wants people to underestimate him, and uses that to his advantage. He is as close to a pure Slytherin as you can get without being able to talk to snakes.
"have you been paying attention?"
I loved the romance so much! Enemies to lovers at its peak. The angst was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. The chemistry and tension was palpable.
Overall, I had such a fun time reading this, and flew through it. I loved the characters and relationships formed in the sequel and the extra information we learned about the world. I can't wait for The Sky Weaver's release because this series is just getting better and better!
#2.) The Caged Queen ★★★★★
"what are souls but stars waiting to be born?"
This is the second book in the Iskari series, and follows largely the same group of characters but has a different main protagonist.
That initially turned me off this book, as I loved Asha in the first instalment so much and wasn't too sure about Roa. However, I loved this even more than its predecessor. This style of story telling is very interesting to me, because we get to see the same world and people through another's eyes. This change of perspective allows us to see different sides of characters we didn't know before, and other ways of looking at things.
The political intrigue, romance and stakes were high, causing me to fly through it.
I read this is one day without even realising/planning it. It was THAT GOOD.
one of my favourite parts of The Last Namsara was the interspersion of folk tales and lore throughout the chapters. Like little snippets of fairytales from this world, they added nuances to the world. This continued in The Caged Queen and I loved it just as much.
Dax is one of my favourite characters ever. His character was so complex and intricate. He played off typical YA love interest tropes, but in such a nuanced and different way that added another layer to him. He wants people to underestimate him, and uses that to his advantage. He is as close to a pure Slytherin as you can get without being able to talk to snakes.
"have you been paying attention?"
I loved the romance so much! Enemies to lovers at its peak. The angst was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. The chemistry and tension was palpable.
Overall, I had such a fun time reading this, and flew through it. I loved the characters and relationships formed in the sequel and the extra information we learned about the world. I can't wait for The Sky Weaver's release because this series is just getting better and better!
December 13, 2018
This was so different from the first novel, but I loved it just as much! Ciccarelli really has a way with lush storytelling and sneaky plots!
October 13, 2018
THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING GOOD! EVEN THOUGH I CALLED A BUNCH OF SHIT HAPPENING BEFORE IT HAPPENED, I AM IN LOVE.
Okay, not going to lie.. there were some twists and turns in this book. Some of them made me super freaking angry... and some were just annoying the shit out of me because I HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS! I almost ended up planning Dax's death at one point. No regrets.
I am so in love with Roa and Dax's relationship. They are still learning to "trust" one another but they are also slowly falling for one another at the same time. I feel like at the end, they might've learned to trust each other a bit more than they did in the beginning. The sparks and chemistry is there and I can't wait to see where it takes them in the next book.
Back to my love of these two, Roa is a god damn bad ass whereas.. Dax is a secret bad ass. He wants people to underestimate him and I love him for that. As for everyone else in this book, let's just say I loved certain people and fucking hated Rebecca. Trust me, you will hate that cunning bitch too.
Besides all of that, I wish I got more dragons and more romance. I did like the whole political game and how everyone was underestimating someone at some point. The backstabbing was the icing on the cake too!
AFTER ALL OF THAT BEAUTIFUL-NESS, I really need the next book ASAP!
June 16, 2019
What are souls, but stars waiting to be born?
You know i didn't enjoy this one as much as i loved the first one but this story did hold its own and i still somewhat got some enjoyment out of it.
Plot: This plot wasn't as strong for me as the first one and i think it's the fact that it lacked in a couple of things that i really loved from the first book. I really enjoyed having Dax and Roa as the two main leads for this one but i was confused starting this book because i thought the story was going to continue Asha's story but i must have misread the blurb before reading it.
Following this totally different story was very confusing and hard to follow but once i got going and got deeper into the story i finally started to enjoy myself and power through this book pretty quickly. The plot of the actual story is very different to the first one because we are now following the new king and queen after the events of the first book and i actually did enjoy learning more about the royal system in this world.
Roa's journey in this book was really well done and i loved seeing her journey of becoming a new queen and going through the motions of royal life. She does go through it all from joining, to plotting and to even getting her heart broken this girl goes through the ringer and i honestly did feel sorry for her a fair bit and other points i feel like she got what she deserved.. so basically was a love, hate relationship with Roa.
Dax is one character i actually did enjoy and learning more about and he is actually a very complex and smart person that i wasn't expecting to be so i thank Kristen for writing such a different character that changed my perspective as i was reading.
This book had the good old hate to love romance and it was very funny watching Roa and Dax try connect through only newly being married and not really knowing each other at the same time. I think Kristen did a really good job and navigating this relationship and letting it just flow and come together over the course of this book and it was really well written.
Like a sailor who needs the heavens to find his way home, you were my own star, burning in the night. Helping me find my way
I will now await the finale of this series and i can't wait to see what happens and how this series ends, because i have really enjoyed this series!
You know i didn't enjoy this one as much as i loved the first one but this story did hold its own and i still somewhat got some enjoyment out of it.
Plot: This plot wasn't as strong for me as the first one and i think it's the fact that it lacked in a couple of things that i really loved from the first book. I really enjoyed having Dax and Roa as the two main leads for this one but i was confused starting this book because i thought the story was going to continue Asha's story but i must have misread the blurb before reading it.
Following this totally different story was very confusing and hard to follow but once i got going and got deeper into the story i finally started to enjoy myself and power through this book pretty quickly. The plot of the actual story is very different to the first one because we are now following the new king and queen after the events of the first book and i actually did enjoy learning more about the royal system in this world.
Roa's journey in this book was really well done and i loved seeing her journey of becoming a new queen and going through the motions of royal life. She does go through it all from joining, to plotting and to even getting her heart broken this girl goes through the ringer and i honestly did feel sorry for her a fair bit and other points i feel like she got what she deserved.. so basically was a love, hate relationship with Roa.
Dax is one character i actually did enjoy and learning more about and he is actually a very complex and smart person that i wasn't expecting to be so i thank Kristen for writing such a different character that changed my perspective as i was reading.
This book had the good old hate to love romance and it was very funny watching Roa and Dax try connect through only newly being married and not really knowing each other at the same time. I think Kristen did a really good job and navigating this relationship and letting it just flow and come together over the course of this book and it was really well written.
Like a sailor who needs the heavens to find his way home, you were my own star, burning in the night. Helping me find my way
I will now await the finale of this series and i can't wait to see what happens and how this series ends, because i have really enjoyed this series!
September 26, 2018
'The Caged Queen' is the second book in the Iskari seres, so if you haven't read the previous book then I would advise getting through that before embarking on this one. Most of what happens is continued from book one, so it's imperative to understanding the characters and the plot. We are transported back to the lush, immersive world we were introduced to in 'The Last Namsara', but this time we see things from Roa's perspective. A book that's full of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty, sibling relationships and rivalries, political intrigue, magic, mythology, loss and love. Oh, and look at that - I have a serious case of cover love!
As in all of her previous works, Ciccarelli's worldbuilding is simply magical, vivid, evocative, wonderful, and the writing flowed beautifully from page-to-page. The story is expertly crafted, with alluring language that made it difficult to put down even though I wanted to savour every moment of it! The characterisation is incredible with the characters being totally believable - I really cared about them. Although there are less dragons here, there is more than enough to keep a fantasy reader satisfied.
I was a little frustrated at times when Roa and husband Dax weren't communicating, and we all know you can come a cropper if you continue to stay silent despite having issues. This is a stunning companion novel to 'The Last Namsara', so if you appreciated that book, you'll likely fall hard for this one too. With lots of twisty surprises in store thoughout, lots of action and strong female characters, Ciccarelli has made her mark in the fantasy fiction genre! I'm already eager to read the third book' 'Deathdancer', out in October 2018.
Many thanks to Gollancz for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
As in all of her previous works, Ciccarelli's worldbuilding is simply magical, vivid, evocative, wonderful, and the writing flowed beautifully from page-to-page. The story is expertly crafted, with alluring language that made it difficult to put down even though I wanted to savour every moment of it! The characterisation is incredible with the characters being totally believable - I really cared about them. Although there are less dragons here, there is more than enough to keep a fantasy reader satisfied.
I was a little frustrated at times when Roa and husband Dax weren't communicating, and we all know you can come a cropper if you continue to stay silent despite having issues. This is a stunning companion novel to 'The Last Namsara', so if you appreciated that book, you'll likely fall hard for this one too. With lots of twisty surprises in store thoughout, lots of action and strong female characters, Ciccarelli has made her mark in the fantasy fiction genre! I'm already eager to read the third book' 'Deathdancer', out in October 2018.
Many thanks to Gollancz for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
February 1, 2019
This one was not as good as The Last Namsara but it was still a good book. There was a lot about this one I did not completely like and even bothered me but that happens sometimes and it does not take too much away from the book. I liked Roa’s story but I did find Asha’s story more gripping. Still a good story though.
My quick and simple overall: not as actioned past as the first but still a good story.
My quick and simple overall: not as actioned past as the first but still a good story.
November 2, 2018
You may also find a full review on my blog here.
FINAL RATING: 4.5 STARS
TRIGGER WARNINGS: blood; death; murder
THIS BOOK TOOK ME INTO A ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF EMOTIONS THAT I AM STILL REELING FROM. I literally had to put the book down multiple times to breathe, only to pick it back up again because I was dying to know what happened next. It was that good, and it's safe to say that I love The Caged Queen more than The Last Namsara.
"Pay attention."
The Caged Queen is a book that demands your time. It's a book that takes you by the hand and asks you to see more, to look deeper, and to be constantly alert as to how it was unfolding.
And I loved it. There were so many things I highlighted and rehashed, so many things I understood more when I read things backward. It was clever and well thought out, and I love how they all intertwined in the end.
"Never reveal yourself."
This is probably the most fitting line for the whole book. Every character hid behind a mask of their own making, all to play the game of politics larger than them. It was both infuriating and intriguing to figure them out, but it built the essence and tension of the story.
Roa and Dax are also one of the most complicated characters I know. I lived for Roa and her determination, her spirit, and her drive. I lived for Dax and his cunning, his wit, and his charm. I lived for their story and their angst, their longing, and their dynamics. Both of their motives, their thoughts, their words, and their actions were never as it seemed, and I love them all the more for it.
"Never underestimate a fool."
Ultimately, this is a book about loss, love, and how both can make anyone a fool of themselves. While there was certainly a romantic aspect, Roa's bond with her sister, Essie, was the best story of love there is here. Reading about the two sisters' past was painful, seeing their bond was extraordinary, and living through their love for each other was beautiful. Kristen Ciccarelli did an excellent job portraying their relationship, and it affected my whole experiencing of reading this altogether.
TL;DR: Where The Last Namsara is a book about fighting for truth and freedom, The Caged Queen is a book about fighting for strength and love. The stakes are definitely higher this time around, and the intricacy of every character's own arc enhanced the overall story.
The moment I realize what your favorite piece is, she becomes your weakness.
FINAL RATING: 4.5 STARS
TRIGGER WARNINGS: blood; death; murder
THIS BOOK TOOK ME INTO A ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF EMOTIONS THAT I AM STILL REELING FROM. I literally had to put the book down multiple times to breathe, only to pick it back up again because I was dying to know what happened next. It was that good, and it's safe to say that I love The Caged Queen more than The Last Namsara.
"Pay attention."
The Caged Queen is a book that demands your time. It's a book that takes you by the hand and asks you to see more, to look deeper, and to be constantly alert as to how it was unfolding.
And I loved it. There were so many things I highlighted and rehashed, so many things I understood more when I read things backward. It was clever and well thought out, and I love how they all intertwined in the end.
"Never reveal yourself."
This is probably the most fitting line for the whole book. Every character hid behind a mask of their own making, all to play the game of politics larger than them. It was both infuriating and intriguing to figure them out, but it built the essence and tension of the story.
Roa and Dax are also one of the most complicated characters I know. I lived for Roa and her determination, her spirit, and her drive. I lived for Dax and his cunning, his wit, and his charm. I lived for their story and their angst, their longing, and their dynamics. Both of their motives, their thoughts, their words, and their actions were never as it seemed, and I love them all the more for it.
"Never underestimate a fool."
Ultimately, this is a book about loss, love, and how both can make anyone a fool of themselves. While there was certainly a romantic aspect, Roa's bond with her sister, Essie, was the best story of love there is here. Reading about the two sisters' past was painful, seeing their bond was extraordinary, and living through their love for each other was beautiful. Kristen Ciccarelli did an excellent job portraying their relationship, and it affected my whole experiencing of reading this altogether.
TL;DR: Where The Last Namsara is a book about fighting for truth and freedom, The Caged Queen is a book about fighting for strength and love. The stakes are definitely higher this time around, and the intricacy of every character's own arc enhanced the overall story.
September 28, 2018
Surprisingly, I continue to enjoy this series immensely. While Ciccarelli brings little that is new to the fantasy genre--her debut reminded me of The Winner's Curse series in multiple instances and this novel I would liken to a mix of The Bird and the Sword, The Wrath and the Dawn, and The King of Attolia--I appreciate that this series is a set of companion novels that, though they can be read as stand-alones, build upon a larger political narrative of one kingdom. Where the first novel was all dragons and rebellion and war, this novel was all court politics and treachery and death. It also is, in my opinion, one of the best portrayals of a sibling relationship in YA Fantasy.
Where The Caged Queen excels is in its build-up of gentle flashbacks, painting a history of inseparable twin sisters and the friendship they built with a young prince. Juxtaposed with the present day reality of a king and a queen who hold little love for one another and a woman who misses her twin half, they are vividly effective and I wound up feeling so much emotion for this tale.
Again, I remain surprised that Ciccarelli's books work so well for me. I don't find her world-building gratifying enough since I am always left wanting more and, as I said, she uses tropes from other well-known and beloved fantasy novels, whether it be the "fool" king or shape-shifting metaphors or "monsters"-to-lovers, but I haven't seen them combined in this manner before and each chapter is absolutely gripping. I flew through this.
Although there are hints of a potential love triangle, namely because the main character broke off an engagement to a man she loved before marrying a king in order to save her people, I found the love triangle elements to be extremely limited and the main character is more indifferent to her romantic situation than torn between two men when this novel opens. It's clear when her attentions shift and it's obvious from the beginning (not to mention if you've read the first novel) who she's meant to end up with.
And so: go forth and pick up this fantasy gem from an author who is swiftly becoming a new favorite. I'm not sure who will feature in the final novel to this series, but you can bet I'll be picking up with the intention of being pleasantly surprised--yet again.
Where The Caged Queen excels is in its build-up of gentle flashbacks, painting a history of inseparable twin sisters and the friendship they built with a young prince. Juxtaposed with the present day reality of a king and a queen who hold little love for one another and a woman who misses her twin half, they are vividly effective and I wound up feeling so much emotion for this tale.
Again, I remain surprised that Ciccarelli's books work so well for me. I don't find her world-building gratifying enough since I am always left wanting more and, as I said, she uses tropes from other well-known and beloved fantasy novels, whether it be the "fool" king or shape-shifting metaphors or "monsters"-to-lovers, but I haven't seen them combined in this manner before and each chapter is absolutely gripping. I flew through this.
Although there are hints of a potential love triangle, namely because the main character broke off an engagement to a man she loved before marrying a king in order to save her people, I found the love triangle elements to be extremely limited and the main character is more indifferent to her romantic situation than torn between two men when this novel opens. It's clear when her attentions shift and it's obvious from the beginning (not to mention if you've read the first novel) who she's meant to end up with.
And so: go forth and pick up this fantasy gem from an author who is swiftly becoming a new favorite. I'm not sure who will feature in the final novel to this series, but you can bet I'll be picking up with the intention of being pleasantly surprised--yet again.
Want to read
April 10, 2018*Review of book 1 in series: The Last Namsara
Update 4/10/2018: BUT THERE'S A COVER!!!!!!!!!!
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I want this RIGHT NOW.
Update 4/10/2018: BUT THERE'S A COVER!!!!!!!!!!
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I want this RIGHT NOW.
July 29, 2024
Much like with The Last Namsara, The Caged Queen has many great elements, like the author’s writing style, the characterization, and the world’s mythos. However, I’ve come to realize that Kristen Ciccarelli’s older novels just don’t have the pacing or level of cohesion that her newer ones do. This book has a lot of points of misunderstanding and miscommunication. They’re all set up well, but because the pacing is so slow, this means that characters who we are supposed to root to see united spend almost the entire book disliking each other. And that makes it hard for me to like them. Particularly, Roa’s misunderstanding of Dax as a person and dislike of him got old after the 50% mark. And because the first 75% was so slow, tons of plot points and romantic development were rushed in the end of the novel. This story did have a lot of potential, and at their roots, I really liked the relationships between Roa, Essie and Dax. But I think this story needed to be edited a bit more. Also, I wanted more cameos of the characters from book one. That being said, I’m looking forward to the next book. I like this world and am really interested in the characters of The Sky Weaver. Plus it’s queer!
April 2, 2020
Caged Queen, the second book of the Iskari series, was not as good as the first one, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. The two main characters, Roa and Dax, were pretty great, with Dax being all charming and having a big twist about his character, though, there were signs that that might happen. Roa was likable too, however, I would have loved if she was more of a queen. At first, she did show some strength and dominance, but that faded away as soon as they set foot in the palace. She kind of became weak and let the rest of the council do as they pleased. Still, her character was one of the best. I also enjoyed the bond between her and her sister, and it was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. The love story, moreover, was good and the game of hide and seek was interesting, though there were some scenes, like the one where Roa was treating Dax's injuries, that were a bit overstretched. In addition, it would have been nice if we had actually experienced what happened between Asha and Roa to make their bond stronger, and not just mention it in some paragraph, though maybe I'm not recalling what happened in the first book properly. Asha's cameos were a bit awkward too, as she pretty much appeared for fanservice and nothing else. However, overall, the world this book presented was pretty intriguing and it was a nice alternative to the one of the dragons that the first one had. Finally, the writing was good, with a smooth pace and enough action to keep things fresh.
January 31, 2019
this book is more driven to characters' development compared to the first book, which is more on world building
but after all, I always love the beauty of writing in this series
so magic, so raw, and never failed to take my breath away
but after all, I always love the beauty of writing in this series
so magic, so raw, and never failed to take my breath away
April 19, 2019
"Was sind denn Seelen anderes", raunt sie, "als Sterne, die darauf warten, geboren zu werden.
Wer erwartet, dass es auch im zweiten Teil um Drachen und um Asha und Torwin geht, wird enttäuscht werden (Beweisstück A schreibt gerade diese Review). Ich denke, es ist kein allzu großer Spoiler, wenn ich sage, dass es um Roa geht.
Ich weiß nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewertet hätte, wenn ich mich nicht so sehr auf ein Wiedersehen mit Asha gefreut hätte. Roa mag ein mehr als annehmbarer Charakter sein, aber ich war immer ein wenig genervt und auch die Darstellung von Dax stellte meine Geduld arg auf die Probe. Ich habe das Gefühl, dass die beiden komplett anders waren als im ersten Teil. Gegen Ende ging es dann zumindest bei Dax wieder, aber insgesamt war ich von der Geschichte der beiden mehr genervt als alles anderes.
Warum dann doch drei Sterne und nicht weniger? Nunja, erstens ist das Buch wieder unglaublich toll geschrieben (auch wenn die "Geschichten" aus dem ersten Teil jetzt Rückblicke in Roas Leben sind, die teilweise zu nah an der eigentlichen Zeit spielen und daher für mich oft einiges durcheinanderwarfen), die Autorin hat ganz klar ein sehr großes Talent und kann einfach mit Worten umgehen. Und dazu kommt, dass ich genau weiß, dass ich hier ein wenig voreingenommen war durch meine Erwartungen und will das ein wenig ausgleichen.
August 13, 2019
⭐3 stars⭐
"Never reveal yourself. It's the second rule of gods and monsters." She looked up at him. "Do you remember the first?"
"Pay attention."
"Yes! Very good."
"No," said Dax. "I mean: pay attention, I'm about to win the game."
Roa frowned.
"Want to know the third rule of gods and monsters? Just made it up.
Never underestimate a fool."
"Never reveal yourself. It's the second rule of gods and monsters." She looked up at him. "Do you remember the first?"
"Pay attention."
"Yes! Very good."
"No," said Dax. "I mean: pay attention, I'm about to win the game."
Roa frowned.
"Want to know the third rule of gods and monsters? Just made it up.
Never underestimate a fool."
October 26, 2018
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After I finished this, all I felt was overwhelmingly conflicted. When I first heard that The Caged Queen was going to be a companion novel told from Roa’s POV, I was initially disappointed that I wouldn’t be following more of Asha and her story. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Roa in The Last Namsara, I found her backstory and relationship with Dax to be intrigued, and so I attempted to go into this book with an open mind. Unfortunately, it still didn’t stand up to my enjoyment of The Last Namsara.
I really love the world that Kristen Ciccarelli has created here, and she’s a talented author whose compelling writing can easily draw you into the story. And even though I appreciated being back in this world and with these characters, I spent a majority of this book extremely frustrated. Probably 99% of the issues and conflicts that happen could have been solved if Dax and Roa had simply talked. The lack of communication between them caused so many unnecessary understandings and after a while I began to get both annoyed at Roa and at the plot. There were so many of my favorite tropes employed here: enemies-to-lovers / childhood friends-to-lovers / arranged marriage but the fact that I found no enjoyment in them because of all the poorly done angst really speaks to my disappointment.
For the most part I enjoyed all the characters, even Roa began to grow on me at some point. Dax quickly became my favorite character in this series: he’s a sweet cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs and I, for one, would love nothing more than to reach into this book and pull him out of the pages and into my life. The other really disappointment aspect about The Caged Queen in comparison to the first book was there were NOT ENOUGH DRAGONS. Those wonderful creatures hardly make an appearance, so I really hope there are more in the next book.
I found The Caged Queen to be an enjoyable enough companion novel, but there was a lot of plot lines that frustrated me to the point that it really affected my liking of the book overall. Too much miscommunications between the characters leading to unnecessary conflicts and not enough dragons!
After I finished this, all I felt was overwhelmingly conflicted. When I first heard that The Caged Queen was going to be a companion novel told from Roa’s POV, I was initially disappointed that I wouldn’t be following more of Asha and her story. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Roa in The Last Namsara, I found her backstory and relationship with Dax to be intrigued, and so I attempted to go into this book with an open mind. Unfortunately, it still didn’t stand up to my enjoyment of The Last Namsara.
I really love the world that Kristen Ciccarelli has created here, and she’s a talented author whose compelling writing can easily draw you into the story. And even though I appreciated being back in this world and with these characters, I spent a majority of this book extremely frustrated. Probably 99% of the issues and conflicts that happen could have been solved if Dax and Roa had simply talked. The lack of communication between them caused so many unnecessary understandings and after a while I began to get both annoyed at Roa and at the plot. There were so many of my favorite tropes employed here: enemies-to-lovers / childhood friends-to-lovers / arranged marriage but the fact that I found no enjoyment in them because of all the poorly done angst really speaks to my disappointment.
For the most part I enjoyed all the characters, even Roa began to grow on me at some point. Dax quickly became my favorite character in this series: he’s a sweet cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs and I, for one, would love nothing more than to reach into this book and pull him out of the pages and into my life. The other really disappointment aspect about The Caged Queen in comparison to the first book was there were NOT ENOUGH DRAGONS. Those wonderful creatures hardly make an appearance, so I really hope there are more in the next book.
I found The Caged Queen to be an enjoyable enough companion novel, but there was a lot of plot lines that frustrated me to the point that it really affected my liking of the book overall. Too much miscommunications between the characters leading to unnecessary conflicts and not enough dragons!
November 14, 2019
SECOND READ 11/11/19 - 4 stars
FIRST READ 05/12/18 - 3.75 stars
(3.75)
There weren't as many dragons in this one :( Also it uses miscommunication/no communication to drive the plot which irks me, but I still did end up really loving this. I can't freaking wait for the third book!
FIRST READ 05/12/18 - 3.75 stars
(3.75)
There weren't as many dragons in this one :( Also it uses miscommunication/no communication to drive the plot which irks me, but I still did end up really loving this. I can't freaking wait for the third book!
March 22, 2022
[official character art]
May 28, 2019
I am totally heartbroken. How can I wait until November to read the third book in the series? I read both books in 3 days. I can't wait!!
I was surprised, because I didn't read the synopsis of the book before buying it (yeah that's me. Pretty cover? Check. Bloggers are loving it? Check!!). So I really thought the story would be about Asha, but NO! It's about Roa. I was a little disappointed at first, but I ended up loving it! I loved how, again, the stories were explaining past events so I could understand more what was happening.
I really, really can't wait for book 3!!
I was surprised, because I didn't read the synopsis of the book before buying it (yeah that's me. Pretty cover? Check. Bloggers are loving it? Check!!). So I really thought the story would be about Asha, but NO! It's about Roa. I was a little disappointed at first, but I ended up loving it! I loved how, again, the stories were explaining past events so I could understand more what was happening.
I really, really can't wait for book 3!!
October 7, 2018
The Caged Queen is the second book in Kristen Ciccarelli's Iskari series and picks up the story a few months after the end of The Last Namsara but this story is told from Roa's point of view rather than Asha's. You'll probably remember that Roa is the outlander who married Dax and it was her people who helped him and Asha overthrow their father so Dax could become the new king. Now Asha is living in exile while Roa tries to make sure Dax follows through on his promises to make life better for the outlanders. They have suffered under his father's reign and she wants him to make things right and give them all the chance to thrive instead of continuing to struggle just to survive.
Roa and Dax were unlikely allies from the start, especially when you realise that Dax was to blame for the death of Roa's twin sister Essie. Roa and Essie were inseparable as children and the bond between them was so strong that even after Essie's death her spirit remained in this world to stay by Roa's side. Now Roa is struggling to make the people of Firgaard accept an outlander queen, she's fighting with Dax because the promises he made to her still haven't been fulfilled and Essie's spirit seems to be fading away. When Roa is offered the opportunity to solve all her problems in one fell swoop, even rescuing her sister and giving her the future she deserved, Roa has to make some very difficult decisions.
I loved getting the chance to dive back into this world and really enjoyed the chance to get to know Roa a bit better. As with the previous book most chapters open with a story from this world or a glimpse into Roa, Essie and Dax's past, their relationship is a lot more complicated than I first realised because they all knew each other as children and I really enjoyed seeing their past unfold alongside events in the present. Roa chose to marry Dax because she believed it was the best thing for her people but now he's king he doesn't seem to be following through on his promises so she is really struggling to deal with the sense of betrayal. There is a lot of bad blood between them and a deep lack of trust so their relationship was rocky from the beginning and only gets worse as time goes on.
I felt really sorry for Roa because she was pretty alone most of the time, she didn't really have anyone to turn to and she desperately needed someone to be on her side. I was really annoyed at the way Dax was behaving too, I'd grown to like his character a lot in the first book so I was really surprised by how badly he was acting towards her but I could tell for a long time that everything wasn't what it seemed. I was totally caught up in the story and I did devour this book really quickly but I was a bit disappointed that the big misunderstanding between Roa and Dax went on for so long. I think for about 80% of the book we were led to believe something completely untrue and I was ridiculously relieved when they FINALLY had a proper conversation and started to let each other in on their secrets. The story could have been so much more satisfying if they'd done that a little sooner and then worked together to thwart their enemies!
I did love the way things were resolved though and I do find these books incredibly easy to get sucked into. I can't wait to see how the series ends in the next book and I'm really, really hoping that Dax and Asha's cousin Safire is going to be the narrator of the final story.
Roa and Dax were unlikely allies from the start, especially when you realise that Dax was to blame for the death of Roa's twin sister Essie. Roa and Essie were inseparable as children and the bond between them was so strong that even after Essie's death her spirit remained in this world to stay by Roa's side. Now Roa is struggling to make the people of Firgaard accept an outlander queen, she's fighting with Dax because the promises he made to her still haven't been fulfilled and Essie's spirit seems to be fading away. When Roa is offered the opportunity to solve all her problems in one fell swoop, even rescuing her sister and giving her the future she deserved, Roa has to make some very difficult decisions.
I loved getting the chance to dive back into this world and really enjoyed the chance to get to know Roa a bit better. As with the previous book most chapters open with a story from this world or a glimpse into Roa, Essie and Dax's past, their relationship is a lot more complicated than I first realised because they all knew each other as children and I really enjoyed seeing their past unfold alongside events in the present. Roa chose to marry Dax because she believed it was the best thing for her people but now he's king he doesn't seem to be following through on his promises so she is really struggling to deal with the sense of betrayal. There is a lot of bad blood between them and a deep lack of trust so their relationship was rocky from the beginning and only gets worse as time goes on.
I felt really sorry for Roa because she was pretty alone most of the time, she didn't really have anyone to turn to and she desperately needed someone to be on her side. I was really annoyed at the way Dax was behaving too, I'd grown to like his character a lot in the first book so I was really surprised by how badly he was acting towards her but I could tell for a long time that everything wasn't what it seemed. I was totally caught up in the story and I did devour this book really quickly but I was a bit disappointed that the big misunderstanding between Roa and Dax went on for so long. I think for about 80% of the book we were led to believe something completely untrue and I was ridiculously relieved when they FINALLY had a proper conversation and started to let each other in on their secrets. The story could have been so much more satisfying if they'd done that a little sooner and then worked together to thwart their enemies!
I did love the way things were resolved though and I do find these books incredibly easy to get sucked into. I can't wait to see how the series ends in the next book and I'm really, really hoping that Dax and Asha's cousin Safire is going to be the narrator of the final story.
November 22, 2019
The Caged Queen is a YA fantasy romance that is a companion novel to The Last Namsara- set in the same world but following different characters. This is a book about trust, letting go of the past, and fighting for what you believe in. This book features a political marriage of convenience, a well-executed love triangle, rich mythology, action, drama, intrigue, and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is clear that the author is improving her craft from her debut, with more seamless world-building and a cohesive story. While it isn't strictly necessary, if you have read the first book in the series, you will appreciate cameos of the main characters.
In this book, we follow Roa, recently married to Dax (the new king of Firgaard) in order to cement a political treaty that will benefit her people. In order to do this, she abandoned the young man she loved, and is married in name only to a man with a reputation for bringing women of the court to his bed. But Roa and Dax have a complicated past involving a childhood friendship and the death of her sister who now takes the form of a bird. Cue competing political forces, unseen intrigue, a still-grieving sister, hope of freedom, and the possibility of love.
This truly was a rich and enjoyable read. Note that there is some violence that takes place and there are discussions of grief and death. It is also ultimately sex-positive, although that is not on the page. I really liked Dax and would have enjoyed getting his perspective. I definitely recommend this one if the tropes appeal to you. I was sent a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
In this book, we follow Roa, recently married to Dax (the new king of Firgaard) in order to cement a political treaty that will benefit her people. In order to do this, she abandoned the young man she loved, and is married in name only to a man with a reputation for bringing women of the court to his bed. But Roa and Dax have a complicated past involving a childhood friendship and the death of her sister who now takes the form of a bird. Cue competing political forces, unseen intrigue, a still-grieving sister, hope of freedom, and the possibility of love.
This truly was a rich and enjoyable read. Note that there is some violence that takes place and there are discussions of grief and death. It is also ultimately sex-positive, although that is not on the page. I really liked Dax and would have enjoyed getting his perspective. I definitely recommend this one if the tropes appeal to you. I was sent a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
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