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Kingdoms of Sky and Shadow #2
The Shadowed Crown
Growing up under a curse, I never thought I would be the queen of the dragons and the mate of kings. My fate was written in a prophecy.
From the shadows, the lost ruler appears. The princess will be healed, her pain eased, by the seed of a great man who is descended from King Orvenu. This union shall bring peace to all dragon and human kind, at the time it will be needed most and thus shall we see a great age.
...but prophecies are very tricky things. My late father thought I was destined for one man: the Dragon King...without guessing more than one man might fulfill the prophecy.
There is the man I married, King Aurekdel. Although blinded in childhood, his fighting skills are honed and his charm, even more so. He cares for his people, but also has a ruthless side stirred up by his war against the enemy mist dragons.
Lord Seron, Aurek's champion and closest companion, is a noble warrior who wants to lead the army and strive for peace, but when a family secret is revealed, he is forced into a reluctant destiny.
Ezeru was our natural foe: a rock dragon, a race of more bestial dragons. Sinister magic made him stronger and more intelligent, alienating him from his own kind. Now, he will turn against the mist dragon queen who created him...as he feels an unusual pull to me.
My head guard Oszin is the only fellow human to accompany me to the dragon kingdom. The son of farmers and the descendant of slaves, he has been devoted to me for years and been rewarded for it, but he has a rebellious streak and I fear he might risk his life for an ideal.
I am strong now, learning magic and the sword. And I am starting to understand: the union that will bring peace must begin with me, pulling together these four very different men and their different worlds. One of them will be the father of the next heir of the kingdom. My father's weakness as a ruler was his downfall. But what makes a strong queen? The path of war or the path of peace? A mistake could cost me dearly.
From the shadows, the lost ruler appears. The princess will be healed, her pain eased, by the seed of a great man who is descended from King Orvenu. This union shall bring peace to all dragon and human kind, at the time it will be needed most and thus shall we see a great age.
...but prophecies are very tricky things. My late father thought I was destined for one man: the Dragon King...without guessing more than one man might fulfill the prophecy.
There is the man I married, King Aurekdel. Although blinded in childhood, his fighting skills are honed and his charm, even more so. He cares for his people, but also has a ruthless side stirred up by his war against the enemy mist dragons.
Lord Seron, Aurek's champion and closest companion, is a noble warrior who wants to lead the army and strive for peace, but when a family secret is revealed, he is forced into a reluctant destiny.
Ezeru was our natural foe: a rock dragon, a race of more bestial dragons. Sinister magic made him stronger and more intelligent, alienating him from his own kind. Now, he will turn against the mist dragon queen who created him...as he feels an unusual pull to me.
My head guard Oszin is the only fellow human to accompany me to the dragon kingdom. The son of farmers and the descendant of slaves, he has been devoted to me for years and been rewarded for it, but he has a rebellious streak and I fear he might risk his life for an ideal.
I am strong now, learning magic and the sword. And I am starting to understand: the union that will bring peace must begin with me, pulling together these four very different men and their different worlds. One of them will be the father of the next heir of the kingdom. My father's weakness as a ruler was his downfall. But what makes a strong queen? The path of war or the path of peace? A mistake could cost me dearly.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2018
About the author
Lidiya Foxglove
61 books454 followersLidiya Foxglove grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, folklore and fantasy and also reads way too much manga. Fantasy romance is her favorite thing in the world, but she likes it steamy. She also loves cats and tea--it's cliche for a reason!
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 26, 2018
I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and The Shadowed Crown is a great sequel. There is a big event at the end of book 1 that changes everything and a big part of this book deals with the result of that event and what it means for all the characters. I enjoyed seeing how they all had to adjust and work with this new information. I can't say much about it for fear of spoiling things and that would be a shame as the twist is so awesome and the resulting changes feel realistic.
I actually enjoyed the overall plot and character changes maybe even more than the romance in this book. The plot is great, filled with politics and danger and seeing how everyone dealt with that. I liked seeing the dragons adjust to the changes that hit them in this book and also getting to know more about the situation with the mists dragon and rock dragons.
Really everyone of the five main characters has changes they got through in this book and I enjoyed seeing them fit in their new role. I also loved seeing Himika grown into a queen in this book, it was powerful to see her fit into her role like that, while in book 1 she was way more reluctant. And seeing Seron and Aurek deal with the change was both awesome and a bit sad at times too. I also liked getting to know Ezeru a bit more and while I don't really feel his romance with Himika yet I did like him and how he cared for the rock dragons. And Oszin also has some big changes he goes through as well and a decision he makes.
For a big part of the book not all the four men are around Himika and the fourth one is only being added in this book. So there isn't much time to really see the harem as a whole, but nevertheless we get to see a lot of how the men interact with Himika and each other. Seeing the dynamics shift throughout the book due to what happens and the fourth men being added. The romances were great and I liked seeing their relationships develop more in this book. Ad also seeing the men interact with each other and how that changed
There are also things being added in term of world building. The dragon world gets fleshed out even more and I liked seeing the other castle. And the whole situation with the war with the mist and rock dragons gets explored more in this book. I liked getting to see more of the rock dragons and also Ezeru's role in all that. I wasn't a fan of the whole mist thing and how overly powerful some of the mist seemed was a bit weird, especially how some removed free will basically.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this sequel. The end of book 1 had a big twist and another event that really influenced this book and it was great to see how things changed as a result of that twist. It also has some political parts and I enjoyed learning more about the conflict with the rock and mist dragons. I liked seeing the relationships develop and how the dynamics between the characters developed too and we haven't even seen the whole harem together due to what happens in this book. I liked seeing Himika change in this book and seeing her grow into her role as queen was awesome. I also liked getting to know Ezeru, he was an interesting character, although I didn't feel his romance with Himika fully yet. All in all this was a solid sequel and I am looking forward to book 3 especially as they will be returning to the sky world in that book!
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and The Shadowed Crown is a great sequel. There is a big event at the end of book 1 that changes everything and a big part of this book deals with the result of that event and what it means for all the characters. I enjoyed seeing how they all had to adjust and work with this new information. I can't say much about it for fear of spoiling things and that would be a shame as the twist is so awesome and the resulting changes feel realistic.
I actually enjoyed the overall plot and character changes maybe even more than the romance in this book. The plot is great, filled with politics and danger and seeing how everyone dealt with that. I liked seeing the dragons adjust to the changes that hit them in this book and also getting to know more about the situation with the mists dragon and rock dragons.
Really everyone of the five main characters has changes they got through in this book and I enjoyed seeing them fit in their new role. I also loved seeing Himika grown into a queen in this book, it was powerful to see her fit into her role like that, while in book 1 she was way more reluctant. And seeing Seron and Aurek deal with the change was both awesome and a bit sad at times too. I also liked getting to know Ezeru a bit more and while I don't really feel his romance with Himika yet I did like him and how he cared for the rock dragons. And Oszin also has some big changes he goes through as well and a decision he makes.
For a big part of the book not all the four men are around Himika and the fourth one is only being added in this book. So there isn't much time to really see the harem as a whole, but nevertheless we get to see a lot of how the men interact with Himika and each other. Seeing the dynamics shift throughout the book due to what happens and the fourth men being added. The romances were great and I liked seeing their relationships develop more in this book. Ad also seeing the men interact with each other and how that changed
There are also things being added in term of world building. The dragon world gets fleshed out even more and I liked seeing the other castle. And the whole situation with the war with the mist and rock dragons gets explored more in this book. I liked getting to see more of the rock dragons and also Ezeru's role in all that. I wasn't a fan of the whole mist thing and how overly powerful some of the mist seemed was a bit weird, especially how some removed free will basically.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this sequel. The end of book 1 had a big twist and another event that really influenced this book and it was great to see how things changed as a result of that twist. It also has some political parts and I enjoyed learning more about the conflict with the rock and mist dragons. I liked seeing the relationships develop and how the dynamics between the characters developed too and we haven't even seen the whole harem together due to what happens in this book. I liked seeing Himika change in this book and seeing her grow into her role as queen was awesome. I also liked getting to know Ezeru, he was an interesting character, although I didn't feel his romance with Himika fully yet. All in all this was a solid sequel and I am looking forward to book 3 especially as they will be returning to the sky world in that book!
December 18, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an review for.
Even better then book one!! We are full of secrets in this new installment to this fascinating series. Himika is trying to figure out her place in this new world as well as how things will work with her men. This is challenging as something new seems to be going on every second no matter that they happen to do. Lots of story development with surprises and twists galore leading to another ending that leaves you wanting more right now. It will be interesting to see how this all works out for this amazing group of characters. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Even better then book one!! We are full of secrets in this new installment to this fascinating series. Himika is trying to figure out her place in this new world as well as how things will work with her men. This is challenging as something new seems to be going on every second no matter that they happen to do. Lots of story development with surprises and twists galore leading to another ending that leaves you wanting more right now. It will be interesting to see how this all works out for this amazing group of characters. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
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August 17, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/17/2019)! 🎁
June 3, 2022
In comparison to The Glass Princess, this book is a bit of a letdown. I think it somewhat lacks in conflict--Himika's boys get along perfectly all the time, Ezeru is immediately accepted into the high dragon court, Aurekdel completely supports Seron being king, and so on and so forth. I'm sure the last book will have more conflict along the lines of intrigue and battle, but this one is just kind of lacking. (That and I just didn't feel Himika and Ezeru had chemistry. To be fair, it's a lot to ask her to have chemistry with everyone! I feel like I ship her most with Aurekdel and Oszin and then Seron and Ezeru are just kind of meh.)
Also, Aurekdel clearly wants to make out with a man (preferably Seron, I guess, but I don't get the sense that he's picky) and when is Lidiya Foxglove going to let him do that?? The fatal flaw of me reading reverse harem romances (or harem romances, I suppose, for that matter) is that I end up shipping the love interests! I also ship Ezeru/Oszin ;)
Also, Aurekdel clearly wants to make out with a man (preferably Seron, I guess, but I don't get the sense that he's picky) and when is Lidiya Foxglove going to let him do that?? The fatal flaw of me reading reverse harem romances (or harem romances, I suppose, for that matter) is that I end up shipping the love interests! I also ship Ezeru/Oszin ;)
November 25, 2018
OMG!!!! Where to start? This second book in Queen Himika’s story was so GOOD!!!! I am so loving her newfound confidence in both her strength & in her men! There’s a few parts that had me misty eyed and parts that had me seeing red. I need the next book ASAP!! I need to know that all will be well in the Dragon world! So much happened and it would hate to ruin it for anyone so this is all I will say!
September 8, 2025
Himika is a Sky realm princess who was forced to swallow a cristal named the dragon pearl with the result that it made her very sick at the time, and continues to gain terrain, to this day. The only known way to cure the illness is to court, marry and consumate the wedding where the sperm will act
as the permanent remedy to the illness.
At the death of her father, her brotherRin, the new king made the deal tohave her wed the dragon king, Aurekdel. When the delegation from the Dragon world arrived at court, Seron, the king' s personal representative, arranged everything fo her travel to the Dragon fortress and that included her personal Guard from her homeland with it's captain, Oszin.
Now queen of the dragons, she has taken three champions and has had an intimate relation with Seron and Oszin. The remarkable thing is that She is now cured contrary to her previous relation with Aurekdel that left her no different than before.
According to the prophecy, only a true king could cure her from the curse. What will happen with that ?
In addition, a new actor joins the cast Esuru, a former servant of the Traitor king is now rallying the Rock Dragons to form a fighting force for king Aurekdel, and Himika asxwell as himself are drawn to each other.
The author tells of a periode when dragons fought between themselves and pretty much every other species. She writes of the travels of a princess, now queen of the dragons, wth a predicted destiny. I enjoyed the book and rate it 4 Stars.
as the permanent remedy to the illness.
At the death of her father, her brotherRin, the new king made the deal tohave her wed the dragon king, Aurekdel. When the delegation from the Dragon world arrived at court, Seron, the king' s personal representative, arranged everything fo her travel to the Dragon fortress and that included her personal Guard from her homeland with it's captain, Oszin.
Now queen of the dragons, she has taken three champions and has had an intimate relation with Seron and Oszin. The remarkable thing is that She is now cured contrary to her previous relation with Aurekdel that left her no different than before.
According to the prophecy, only a true king could cure her from the curse. What will happen with that ?
In addition, a new actor joins the cast Esuru, a former servant of the Traitor king is now rallying the Rock Dragons to form a fighting force for king Aurekdel, and Himika asxwell as himself are drawn to each other.
The author tells of a periode when dragons fought between themselves and pretty much every other species. She writes of the travels of a princess, now queen of the dragons, wth a predicted destiny. I enjoyed the book and rate it 4 Stars.
October 12, 2021
Trades are made
Himika is now queen, she's been healed, the kingdom moved once and now it's getting ready to move again. But the Traitor King isn't done meddling. He has Niko's mom and isn't happy that Ezeru slipped the leash. Kings are ascending, swapping, and losing their way. And now her guard is feeling lost on top of it all.
Spoilers ahead.
For a middle book this isn't simply a bridge between the introduction and the finale. It has meat. Himika is finally coming into her own, emotionally, even while everything around her is upending. Soren is in a role he never wanted. Aurek is lost with the new change. Osz is feeling useless as the only other human among dragons, and the only human mate to an increasingly more powerful queen. Ezeru discovers that he isn't the "unwanted" he was named for and is uniting the rock dragons away from the mist traitors. And some genealogy has come to light amongst all that. And just when you think the book is ending on a solemn note, we revisit Phoebe and the guys who are expecting their first child.
Himika is now queen, she's been healed, the kingdom moved once and now it's getting ready to move again. But the Traitor King isn't done meddling. He has Niko's mom and isn't happy that Ezeru slipped the leash. Kings are ascending, swapping, and losing their way. And now her guard is feeling lost on top of it all.
Spoilers ahead.
For a middle book this isn't simply a bridge between the introduction and the finale. It has meat. Himika is finally coming into her own, emotionally, even while everything around her is upending. Soren is in a role he never wanted. Aurek is lost with the new change. Osz is feeling useless as the only other human among dragons, and the only human mate to an increasingly more powerful queen. Ezeru discovers that he isn't the "unwanted" he was named for and is uniting the rock dragons away from the mist traitors. And some genealogy has come to light amongst all that. And just when you think the book is ending on a solemn note, we revisit Phoebe and the guys who are expecting their first child.
September 27, 2019
3.5 stars
I really liked the first book, that was pretty fun, liked the heroine, and who I thought was the hero, king Aurek. I thought! First, the h Himika starts accumulating mates, the king, the champion Seron, the childhood friend an first love Ozsin. Then, with a unexpected twist at the end of the previous book, we find out that the real king was Seron and poor Aurek that is also blind looses the crown. This is where I started to lose interest: I just liked Aurek so much better than the others mates (she manages to acquire a 4th one) and it really bothered me to see him relegated to a secondary role and ended up DNFing the book and the series. Don't get me wrong, the series is enjoyable and the concept of a reverse harem intriguing. I just became too invested in one of the characters and didn't like the how the plot unfolded. I think that you, fellow readers, should really give the series a go and see if the story arch works for you
I really liked the first book, that was pretty fun, liked the heroine, and who I thought was the hero, king Aurek. I thought! First, the h Himika starts accumulating mates, the king, the champion Seron, the childhood friend an first love Ozsin. Then, with a unexpected twist at the end of the previous book, we find out that the real king was Seron and poor Aurek that is also blind looses the crown. This is where I started to lose interest: I just liked Aurek so much better than the others mates (she manages to acquire a 4th one) and it really bothered me to see him relegated to a secondary role and ended up DNFing the book and the series. Don't get me wrong, the series is enjoyable and the concept of a reverse harem intriguing. I just became too invested in one of the characters and didn't like the how the plot unfolded. I think that you, fellow readers, should really give the series a go and see if the story arch works for you
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2019
It was... okay. But it was, let's be real, a romance. Epic Fantasy it may be, epic it was not.
The plot and characters are good enough but... it all feels like an RH that just happens to be in a fantasy world and giver her the perfect opportunity to just fall in love. And, of course, discover who she really she and what is she capable of and blah, blah, blah...
It felt a little... youngish, like, how could Himiko be so great and respected after giving a speech or two? That's just fantasy and I mean the wishful thinking kind. But hey, I am totally not saying I went here for the genius craftsmanship and world-building.
It was not bad. It just wasn't a book for me.
P.S: I am still gonna skim the third book because: curiosity.
The plot and characters are good enough but... it all feels like an RH that just happens to be in a fantasy world and giver her the perfect opportunity to just fall in love. And, of course, discover who she really she and what is she capable of and blah, blah, blah...
It felt a little... youngish, like, how could Himiko be so great and respected after giving a speech or two? That's just fantasy and I mean the wishful thinking kind. But hey, I am totally not saying I went here for the genius craftsmanship and world-building.
It was not bad. It just wasn't a book for me.
P.S: I am still gonna skim the third book because: curiosity.
November 10, 2018
This book was even better than book one, this is an amazing series with magic, dragons, lots of love, and war with plenty of action, betrayals and more. This story has it all really, because it’s also humorous, romantic, sexy/steamy, and constantly kept me on the edge of my seat not knowing what was going to happen next. It just gets better and better as the series progresses and the characters evolve. The writing and detail is amazing and that ending! I look forward to reading what happens next for this mixed group of royals.
November 11, 2018
Love, love, love where this story is going, even though the ending left me a little sad. A lot of time passes in this book and so much happens. Can I just say how much I love Ezeru? I know he will steal my heart completely by the next one. I’m so glad about a certain death and the reuniting of other characters. But, I’m already a little empty at who isn’t there at the end. No death, not really a cliffhanger, just not there. I’m really looking forward to the next book. Love these characters.
February 28, 2019
And it keeps getting better!
Awesome series and I just love that they continue to incorporate characters and updates front the original series and how the priestess is getting on. The spin off was so seem less it almost feels like just one big series instead of 2. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together for both stories and hopefully we continue to get updates from the original as well as the ending for this series!
Awesome series and I just love that they continue to incorporate characters and updates front the original series and how the priestess is getting on. The spin off was so seem less it almost feels like just one big series instead of 2. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together for both stories and hopefully we continue to get updates from the original as well as the ending for this series!
November 21, 2018
I love how Lidiya Foxglove brings her characters to life! Man this series has the most gut wrenching cliff hangers!! I'm so loving having more Ezeru in this book, and honestly he's the only one I like anymore! This book really set up a lot of the plot for book 3, which should be very eventful! I can't wait!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
Amazing book 2
The continuation of this series was amazing. The dynamics of the kingdom become more and more complex and draw you. The plot twists and turns are magnificent and draw you in. You can’t put the book down, you just have to know if they can make it and what will happen next.
Can not wait for book 3!
The continuation of this series was amazing. The dynamics of the kingdom become more and more complex and draw you. The plot twists and turns are magnificent and draw you in. You can’t put the book down, you just have to know if they can make it and what will happen next.
Can not wait for book 3!
February 9, 2019
Oh my dragon babies
So in love with this series!!!! The magic, the dragon's and of course the Queen herself. This has to be one of the best RH I've ever read, because the world building and storyline are so unique, witty, intense, emotional and sexy, you can't help but fall in love with the amazing characters!
So in love with this series!!!! The magic, the dragon's and of course the Queen herself. This has to be one of the best RH I've ever read, because the world building and storyline are so unique, witty, intense, emotional and sexy, you can't help but fall in love with the amazing characters!
February 26, 2019
Lagging
I feel like the action was lagging compared to the previous book. At times neither character nor plot development was guiding the story, but rather just meandering until something occurred.
I feel like the action was lagging compared to the previous book. At times neither character nor plot development was guiding the story, but rather just meandering until something occurred.
November 23, 2018
Amazing as always from Lidiya Foxglove!
Always eager to read the next installment of Lidiyas' books ! Amazing author and love her characters and story lines!
Always eager to read the next installment of Lidiyas' books ! Amazing author and love her characters and story lines!
November 24, 2018
OMG!!!
What a marvelous world you paint with your words!! I am in love with this series! I cannot wait for the third book!
What a marvelous world you paint with your words!! I am in love with this series! I cannot wait for the third book!
November 29, 2018
Loved it
But damn it I don't want to wait for the third one 😂. But this series is awesome I love the twists and turns.
But damn it I don't want to wait for the third one 😂. But this series is awesome I love the twists and turns.
December 3, 2018
Always amazing!
Relationships progress and extend,a little ground is covered on the war.Niko makes an entrance.Ends on a mixed feeling ending. Can't wait for the next!
Relationships progress and extend,a little ground is covered on the war.Niko makes an entrance.Ends on a mixed feeling ending. Can't wait for the next!
December 13, 2018
Yay!
Himika's harem continues to grow. Trouble with the Rock and Mist dragons seems like it will never end! What a mean cliffhanger at the end too! I can't wait for the next one!
Himika's harem continues to grow. Trouble with the Rock and Mist dragons seems like it will never end! What a mean cliffhanger at the end too! I can't wait for the next one!
January 20, 2019
Oh my!! This was amazing. I was surprised, laughed, cried, cussed and fell in love.
February 19, 2019
This book started to lose me. The plot started to slow down and it was a drag to finish the book. I won't be getting the third book, not unless I have nothing else to read..
August 18, 2019
Great
Hard to put it down. Written extremely well with characters that feel like family. Love the enchantment of fantasy and beauty in exotic settings.
Hard to put it down. Written extremely well with characters that feel like family. Love the enchantment of fantasy and beauty in exotic settings.
August 24, 2019
I like the twist in the end. Not as excited about this book than the first one but I am looking forward to the third installment.
January 23, 2020
Great book 2
I really enjoyed the continuation of the story. There is more drama and romance. I loved the cliffhanger! I look forward to the final book.
I really enjoyed the continuation of the story. There is more drama and romance. I loved the cliffhanger! I look forward to the final book.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews