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Forbidden Queen #2

Court of Memories

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Magic comes with a price. If Cassia wants a happily ever after in the Fae realm, she’ll have to join a brutal fight for a crown she doesn’t even want.

Cassia is so close to the life she always wanted. A changeling who was always out of place in the human world, she is on her way to finding love, magic, and happiness with four Fae princes. The monster threat against her life has been contained. For now. But they are attracted to her power and her untrained magic, and it’s a race against time before they break through again.

And the monsters aren’t the only ones trying to kill Cassia. The Queen’s Trial is approaching, and her power makes her a target and a threat to the other noble houses vying to be queen.

With her enemies piling up and only Four Fae Princes on her side she’s running out of options. There's only one rule in Queen's Trial: Survive.

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 24, 2018

136 people are currently reading
210 people want to read

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Dyan Chick

30 books512 followers

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5 stars
142 (43%)
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96 (29%)
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70 (21%)
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11 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle .
2,128 reviews305 followers
December 31, 2018
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Court of Memories is the second book in the forbidden queen series by author Dyan Chick. The forbidden queen series is a fae based fantasy romance series, and it does pick up right where the first book ends off. So you do need to read this series in order. I read the first book just a few months ago, and it did take me a minute to gain my bearings back into this world again. (because 2018 has been the year of fae romances for me. I just can't get enough of them!) I will also say, that the forbidden queen series is a reverse harem romance, so there are multiple love interests in this book. If that is something that bugs you or is not up your alley, then this might not be  the series for you. But I also have to say, I have really been enjoying reverse harem books this year. The power of five series is one of my favorite series of all time, and they are not all about sex. (at least not the series I have been reading. There are some like that, I'm sure.) Court of Memories was way better than the first book in the series, Court of Secrets. I feel like we not only got to know the characters better, but we also had a lot of plot progression in this book. Things are getting really, really interesting in this series. 

In Court of Memories, we are still on a journey with Cassia and four fae princes- each from one of the different courts, Dane from Summer, Tristan from Winter, Cormac from Autumn and Ethan from Spring court. Cassia was a changeling that was left in the human realm, and now that she is back in the fae realm she is like a magnet to all kinds of beasties because of her untapped, untrained magic. I love getting to know each of the princes the best, and learning more and more about their secrets. There are also lots of cool fae court politics and secrets galore as they all progress on their journey to speak to the Queen. 

Court of Memories set us up for a fantastic book 3. I will say, that I did see some of the surprises coming, but the book was still so much fun. And there were a few things with the winter prince that surprised me, and some powers that I can't wait to learn more about. I'm not sure how many books there will be in this series, but I am guessing 3 or 4. Court of Memories left me totally ready for the next book. I think we are going to get more answers and there will certainly be a lot more action and intrigue in the books to come. I have a special spot in my heart for all of the princes, but Cormac and Tristan are currently my favorites. But who knows, as I get to know each of the princes more, my favorite may very well change. If you are a fan of fae romances, the Forbidden Queen series is a fun one. Each of the books are quick read that you can easily finish in one day. The first book was only ok in my opinion, but the second book was much better! Bring on book 3! I have a feeling I am going to like that one best of all!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Profile Image for Jessica Robbins.
2,598 reviews49 followers
January 7, 2019
Even better then book one!!! We are deep in the Fae world now as the Prince's try to get Cassia to the Queen so she can learn how to control her magic. The problem is that she has a giant target on her back thanks to that same exact magic. While traveling there is some great relationship building between them all that will leave you wanting more. I so cannot wait to see what happened during book three with the cliff hanger ending we get with this one after a few secrets were revealed. If you like Fae, fantasy, and RH then you should really try this book/series. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Profile Image for ⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆.
625 reviews210 followers
October 8, 2020
Although a short read, I had to drag myself through a number of areas. I almost considered abandoning it and the whole series, to be honest.

Cassia is just the typical RH heroine: her jealousy and lust and sudden deep, intimate connection with men she barely knows are beat for beat with a lot of the other RH's I've tried that didn't work out well.

She's already confessed her love for Ethan, the most bland of the four as the typical "nice and sweet" one without any other personality imbued, and had sex with him a few times, she's already had aggressive sex with Dane, who mostly exists as a means for Cassia to have flares of jealousy when Dane flirts with another woman or one of his past encounters is revealed. Cormac and Tristan, as expected, are being given more complexity as Cassia hasn't been physical with either, but, it's only a matter of time. I daresay she thinks of the two of them with far more lustful, yearing thoughts than Ethan and Dane. She keeps having visions of herself fucking Tristan and basically anytime she's around Cormac she makes some comment about wanting him.

A positive is that I appreciate how the author treats sex workers; they aren't belittled or discriminated against or made to be lesser. She even seems at ease with same-sex relations, though, I suppose it would have been more fun if the RH had had a mix of genders and wasn't the typical heterosexual set up. Missed opportunity, really.

So far I find Tiana a boring, obvious villain and I don't care much for Angela. I'm really only interested in seeing how things develop with Cassia and Tristan, as he's just about the only one with any degree of complexity to his character and the relationship he has with Cassia. The other three are really quite dull.

This installment was also a bit more forward with the sex scenes, not just an immediate fade-to-black, but they're kept rather short still and aren't imbued with much emotion or heat. Still, this installment definitely makes this a NA read for the explicit nature of the scenes.

Once more, just a middling 2.5.



Profile Image for Riniya.
334 reviews20 followers
May 6, 2023
Tropes/Key Points:
🍂Fantasy Romance
🍂Reverse Harem / Why Choose
🍂Slow Burn
🍂Political Intrigue
🍂Forbidden Existence
🍂Forbidden Magic
🍂Hidden Identity
🍂Magical Trials
🍂Fated Mates

SERIES BLURB:

It was my wedding day. What was meant to be the most special day of my life was nothing more than a bargaining chip. My father was marrying me off to another man for position and power within the kingdom. He chased wealth, and I was nothing more than a tool to get it. Something within me was uneasy, I could feel it churning in my stomach. This wedding… felt off. I was proven right when during the exchanging of vows, my wedding was attacked by a strange and horrifying creature. My betrothed abandoned me to face it alone. At least, until two men came rushing to my rescue. They were the most beautiful beings I have ever seen. Too bad I was going to die, attacked by the creature, and left with mortally fatal wounds.

But I’m not mortal. I learned that I am in fact immortal, a fae. I was hidden here in the human realm to be raised as a human until my 21st birthday, at which point all magic within me would vanish forever. I flee into the world of Fae and come across the same men who rescued me before, I feel connected to them in a way I can’t explain. I shouldn’t exist and they are here to help me figure out who I am and why I have so much magic within.

Things have not been easy since I entered this realm, and it’s about to get a whole lot worse as I am forced to participate in a series of magical trials to become Queen. If I do not… I will be murdered. Why can’t I just live out my life in peace with the four princes who I feel drawn to?

Review:


The stakes are ramped up in this book, and the author picks up right where book one leaves off. I absolutely love when authors do this, I don’t like it when our hands are held and the author does this huge recap of the previous story. Did not happen here. We just keep going, right where the first book ended.

We get more information about the world throughout the book. In fact, every single book gives you more insight into this world. Again praise to the author for dispersing it throughout instead of dumping it all right at the very beginning. The pacing throughout this book was very well balanced. You had some slower moments and some fast-paced action packed as well.

We get to experience more of the love, and the bonds between Cassia and her for princes. It was nice to have that be further elaborate it on and developed. The development for Cassia is really pristine. I think that it is very consistent. You see her on an upward slope throughout the story, especially when it comes to her magic. But that’s also a small complaint for me because one of the big parts of this book is, there’s going to be magical trials, and nobody teaches this girl any sort of magic. It was very frustrating to constantly read that you have to do this. You have all this power and yet nobody is helping her with it at all. We’re constantly being told there is no time for them to train her, but They could’ve done more than they did.

As mentioned in book, one review, the editing is still a problem in this book. You still have spelling, mistakes, grammar issues, and just sentence structuring flaws. This wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story, but it was enough to be present and noticed. Just pay attention while you’re reading because there are some moments where the sentence has written can throw you off because it was referencing a different character and if you aren’t paying attention, it could be confusing.
Profile Image for Michelle.
286 reviews43 followers
March 2, 2021
My bookstagram: emm_enchanted

Omg! This book is incredible!

Cassia and her Princes are on their way to meet the Queen. Surviving monsters, assassins and scheming nobles is hard enough, now she also has to master her raw power before it consumes her. With new revelations and confusing feelings, the peaceful existence she longs for seems like a faraway dream.

My mind was a chaotic mess after I finished this book. So many feelings, I couldn't decipher. It took me a while to compose myself and gather words to describe how I feel.
This was such an action packed book, with something happening every few minutes. The plot gets even better as the book progresses.
I love the character development, especially when it comes to Cassia.
There's so much sexual tension and complicated emotions, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wanted more of it.
I got some answers that I was looking for in the first book and even though I had already predicted a certain fact early on, it was still shocking the way it was revealed.
When it comes to smut, again I feel that it could have been so much better, but I'm willing to ignore that.
The last 30 pages were simply awesome and the book ended with a cliffhanger. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
I can't wait to read the next book and see how it goes. I'm so happy with the way things turned out.
Recommending this to all reverse harem fantasy lovers.
Profile Image for Amanda | escapetoerilea.
310 reviews25 followers
January 1, 2019
I read this book as a beta reader and had given myself a goal of reading it in a week- it took me one night. I could not put it down!
Court of Memories picks up right where Court of Secrets left off- with Cassia and the four princes ready to travel to see the Queen, who they all hope can help Cassia control her magic. Through the journey, Cassia gets closer to each of the sexy princes, even the Winter Prince, and feels tormented at the thought of not being able to have them all, even as she struggles with guilt over these feelings. She is anxious to get to the queen to control her magic so she can settle down and have a normal, happy life (hopefully with her princes). While on the way, however, danger comes from a new source. Rumors have spread about her powers and her favor with the princes, so now she is a target for those hoping to eliminate her from competing in the Queen's Trial. While ruling is the last thing Cassia wants, her choices are growing slimmer, and soon her only option may be to complete in the trial.
As always, Dyan Chick's books are always well paced without slow points. I loved getting to know the princes better and getting to see behind the icy façade of the Winter Prince.
136 reviews
May 17, 2019
This was dumb
- duh visiting the queen is a horrible idea. At best the queen is too busy to teach magic lessons, at worst she has you killed for being a rival to the power of the queen
- if they are immortal, why would they have a competition to replace the queen? Do they execute her to make way for a new ruler?
- if she’s showing magic from all courts, why wouldn’t each prince teach the magic of his court instead of going to the queen?
- obviously the queens sister would be bad news, why not at least try to reject being tested or leave without meeting her
- what is the status of women? It seemed like a woman would only being traveling if she’s a companion to a guy (as in having sex)
- I hate the “heroine shouldn’t exist because her magic, species or whatever is forbidden” trope. If I had known that was where the story was headed, I wouldn’t have read the first book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Margaux Espinosa.
1,301 reviews21 followers
December 6, 2018
Ahhh that cliffhanger, Dyan Chick how could you do that to me!?!? Haha this was even better than book one, if you can believe that! I’m loving these characters, I licked Tristan so he’s mine and you can’t have him. The plot thickens, tensions rise, more enemies emerge and friends/allies are made. Cassia is growing so much as a character and I’m loving how strong she is becoming. Dyan did a fantastic job with the world building, magic and just everything. Also, these book covers are freakin gorgeous! I’m going to be doing multiple re-reads until the next book comes out!!
1,016 reviews
December 31, 2018
Oh my gosh!! This book as so many twists and turns you will need to hold on for the ride, and its definitely a ride you want to be on. This book was so good. Once I started I absolutely couldn't stop reading. Everyone has secrets and there are alot revealed in this book. So many people are out for Cassia and all she wants his a quite life where she knows how to use her powers. The guys become closer to her and we learn more about Tristan. I almost died with the cliffhanger and anxiously await the next book.
Profile Image for This One Reader.
56 reviews
December 31, 2018
This book picked up right where the first book left off and I was so sad to see it end. I very much look forward to the next book. The author continues with such beautiful writing that draws me into her story's really well. I was glad to see the main character getting stronger and becoming more of a fighter. She tends to try to save and protect those around her rather than wanting to be the damsel in distress. This story continuation is compelling and exciting as they venture deeper info the Fae world and I am eager for book 3.
Profile Image for Lynn's books.
619 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2018
Fast paced and many secrets

Crazy twisted storyline of secrets and betrayal has my head spinning! I still love the four princes and I still think cassia is at times clueless (not just because she technically is about the far world). We finally get relief over Nani's whereabouts and confirmation on who Cassia is. Tristan is definitely the dark hero and my guess is he will play an even bigger role in book three. I'm looking forward to how this plays out.
262 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2019
The characters continue to grow and their relationships are becoming hotter and more intense. I am waiting (impatiently) for Cormac and Cassia and when Tristan joins the mix I'm pretty sure the bed will combust! Beautiful world building and an amazing plot line but the only sour note for me was the cliffhanger - I like stories that end within the book even if there are further adventures and this just left me unhappy.
197 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2019
Wonderful!

4 and 3/4 stars. It would’ve been five if it weren’t for the fact that this one wasn’t as well edited as the first book. I love that Cassia and her Princes became more together. I love that Cassia has developed clearer enemies. That may sound strange but at least now we know who was/is causing most of her problems and solving one or two of them.

I’m off to read the third book.
559 reviews32 followers
November 6, 2019
Reverse Harem Paranormal

In book 2 Cassia is still trying to get controll of her magic. Cormic, Dane Eastan are trying to get her to the queen.She is in winter court ,where Tristan is joining the party. Reading this book answers questions ,lesft unanswered from Book 1. We find out Casias parentage, and which court she holds magic from. The book ends in a cliffhanger. I recommend this book to anyone that loves anything fae
Profile Image for Hannah Brooker.
767 reviews2 followers
November 6, 2019
Wowzers

I'm absolutely loving this series. The characters are awesome. Twists and turns at every corner, definitely keeping me on my toes. The flow of the book is nice and easy and the characters aren't too complicated. Looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where the story goes.
Profile Image for Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog).
3,115 reviews92 followers
January 21, 2019
Court of Memories

Things heat up in this second installment! I absolutely loved learning more about the princes especially Tristian. There was danger lurking around every corner. I could put this down. Looking forward to seeing more from these characters.
Profile Image for Kayleigh Brooking.
116 reviews
January 23, 2019
Engaging and original

Really enjoyable read with great world building.
Loving the relationships are building among the characters and al the strange little twists here and there.
Well written and a real page turner
Profile Image for Theowlsnest.
133 reviews15 followers
February 3, 2019
This series just keeps getting better !!! I mean the guys I swear they make me drool just thinking about them !! But seriously this book was amazing I’m loving cassia she is an amazing mc and the princes are just perfect !!! Book number 3 here I come !!!
Profile Image for Booknerd00 .
194 reviews2 followers
February 10, 2019
Loving the growth

I really hate when it's all insta love. I am loving the growth in The bonds. All 4 princes are sexy and unique. I'm interested in the relationship with her mom. I'm hoping its explored a little more in the next book.
Profile Image for Jacquelyn Gutierrez.
101 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2019
Cassia and her 4 Princes travel to see the Queen. The whole book is about the journey and being stuck in a brothel.

She finally finds out where she comes from.
Book 2 ends on a cliffhanger.

Some word problems through out the book but easy to ignore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sarah D :).
254 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2023
i wanted to like this bc i enjoyed the first book but it was just bad. the concept of the plot is good but the execution of it was not... and the brownies?? idk feels like there’s a racist undertone with that one. and there was a lot of typos in this one which just make it hard to read.
Profile Image for Heather Lynn.
123 reviews
December 5, 2018
So I was correct, a lost princess. An illegal princess. I really enjoyed this story. I actually couldn't put it down. Can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Raj.
750 reviews64 followers
December 26, 2018
Tristan the prince of the Winter court in my mind is now leading this pack of hungry princes in a quest to become part of the harem favoured by the forbidden fae queen in the making.
13 reviews
January 21, 2019
Promising story.

Worth reading. Characters and relationships lack depth, magically in love not developed overtime. Hoping for more background and development in next book.
Profile Image for Traci Perkins.
199 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2019
Love it

So dang good. It's like your on this roller coaster and everything is flying by I love it. You never know what will happen next. I can't wait to see what happens next
Profile Image for Angelica Young.
292 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2019
Enjoyable!

I took a star off for editing purposes.

Gah! There was so much reveled in this book, yet still so many questions!

I’m off to continue the series ;)
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