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Princess Vigilante #2
The Veil of Ashes
Blindsided by betrayal, Brynna has been licking her wounds away from the city she loves. But the call to duty soon becomes too much to bear, and Brynna embarks on a quest for friends and allies who'll help her reclaim what was once hers. But vengeance comes with a heavy toll, one Brynna isn't sure she's willing to pay.
The Veil of Ashes is the blockbuster sequel to The City of Veils, which Foreward Reviews calls, "entertaining from the first page to the last."
The Veil of Ashes is the blockbuster sequel to The City of Veils, which Foreward Reviews calls, "entertaining from the first page to the last."
407 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2019
54 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
S. Usher Evans
77 books517 followersS. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 23, 2022
Review copy provided by the author
The Veil of Ashes is the sequel to The City of Veils and the second book in S. Usher Evans’ Princess Vigilante series, kicking in right from the cliffhanger end of the first book. Compared to the fast-paced, action-packed pages of its predecessor, the pacing felt a lot slower, but instead of feeling the constant need to nap due to second book syndrome, the slow pacing also feels necessary for the third book.
While Evans continues to build up the story for the third book, The Veil of Trust, much of the story is focused on Brynna’s development—beginning to face the fears of her past while learning what it means to be a Queen. She’s learning to make hard decisions she didn’t have to be as concerned with when she was The Veil and not directly in line for the throne, while also trying to gather support and allies so she can take back the Forcadel throne that’s rightfully hers by blood.
The Veil of Ashes goes beyond Forcadel’s borders as Evans also continues to build the world started in the first novel, which I enjoyed because, aside from new places, new characters are introduced. But while some of them are new, the vast majority are those who have played a vital role in making Brynna who she is when we first meet her. Although it was exciting to see Brynna’s relationship with them (and more of her backstory), we also see them push and challenge her. She may have been The Veil, stopping crime in her kingdom without anyone knowing her identity, but they also want her to realize it’s time to buckle up and step up to the plate. (She would rather not be a Queen as much as I don’t want to Adult sometimes, but she’d rather be in the position heself than a backstabber and most of the cast feels the same.) And maybe as a bonus, it’ll be nice to be in the good graces of someone high up (or at least be able to call in a favor in the future). Considering the importance of their role both in Brynna’s past and throughout The Veil of Ashes, it’s safe to say they’ll likely be essential characters in future books, too.
Although much of the book is ultimately about Brynna recovering outside of Forcadel after Illara’s betrayal at the end of the first book (and working on getting that throne back), Felix gets some page time as well. His chapters give an inside look at what Illara is doing to the kingdom she’s taken by force. He remains behind at the castle as the captain of Forcadel’s guard, trying to make plans and gather allies of his own while taking up The Veil’s mantle at night to try and keep the people’s hopes and spirits up. But despite his efforts, there’s growing tension and divisiveness among the people (even more so among the royal guards), because as far as everyone is aware, Brynna’s dead, and there’s no one else who could claim the throne.
Felix is no longer sure who to fully trust outside of a select few, and he’s slowly losing the confidence of those who were reluctant to accept Illara as their new queen as the book progresses. Illara makes it no secret that she’ll happily remove anyone who could potentially stand in the way of keeping the throne, including Felix, who’s her greatest threat as someone in a position of authority (and as a friend of Brynna’s family). She’s as well-aware of this fact as he is and makes it known whenever possible, slowly stripping away his powers as the captain while also strategically keeping his closest and trusted guards as far away as possible. After all, how else can you plot against her if everyone you trust is far away and you can’t trust anyone else? I would’ve liked to see more from his perspective in this novel, as there seem to be two main characters (Brynna and Felix) with different storylines that eventually intersect into one. Still, there’s enough provided in the chapters he does have to give an idea of what’s happening within Forcadel under Illara’s reign.
Like the first book, Evans ends The Veil of Ashes with a massive cliffhanger, leaving readers invested in finding out what happens and wanting more from the series. It’ll be interesting to see if Felix will gain more page time and chapters in the third novel or if it’ll be as teasing as the second (or maybe even none), and if Brynna will succeed in forming her plans and finally put them into action. Despite the slowed pacing, the second book was just as solid as its predecessor, building upon the first with plenty of character backstory and continuing their development.
This review is originally posted on The Arts STL
The Veil of Ashes is the sequel to The City of Veils and the second book in S. Usher Evans’ Princess Vigilante series, kicking in right from the cliffhanger end of the first book. Compared to the fast-paced, action-packed pages of its predecessor, the pacing felt a lot slower, but instead of feeling the constant need to nap due to second book syndrome, the slow pacing also feels necessary for the third book.
While Evans continues to build up the story for the third book, The Veil of Trust, much of the story is focused on Brynna’s development—beginning to face the fears of her past while learning what it means to be a Queen. She’s learning to make hard decisions she didn’t have to be as concerned with when she was The Veil and not directly in line for the throne, while also trying to gather support and allies so she can take back the Forcadel throne that’s rightfully hers by blood.
The Veil of Ashes goes beyond Forcadel’s borders as Evans also continues to build the world started in the first novel, which I enjoyed because, aside from new places, new characters are introduced. But while some of them are new, the vast majority are those who have played a vital role in making Brynna who she is when we first meet her. Although it was exciting to see Brynna’s relationship with them (and more of her backstory), we also see them push and challenge her. She may have been The Veil, stopping crime in her kingdom without anyone knowing her identity, but they also want her to realize it’s time to buckle up and step up to the plate. (She would rather not be a Queen as much as I don’t want to Adult sometimes, but she’d rather be in the position heself than a backstabber and most of the cast feels the same.) And maybe as a bonus, it’ll be nice to be in the good graces of someone high up (or at least be able to call in a favor in the future). Considering the importance of their role both in Brynna’s past and throughout The Veil of Ashes, it’s safe to say they’ll likely be essential characters in future books, too.
Although much of the book is ultimately about Brynna recovering outside of Forcadel after Illara’s betrayal at the end of the first book (and working on getting that throne back), Felix gets some page time as well. His chapters give an inside look at what Illara is doing to the kingdom she’s taken by force. He remains behind at the castle as the captain of Forcadel’s guard, trying to make plans and gather allies of his own while taking up The Veil’s mantle at night to try and keep the people’s hopes and spirits up. But despite his efforts, there’s growing tension and divisiveness among the people (even more so among the royal guards), because as far as everyone is aware, Brynna’s dead, and there’s no one else who could claim the throne.
Felix is no longer sure who to fully trust outside of a select few, and he’s slowly losing the confidence of those who were reluctant to accept Illara as their new queen as the book progresses. Illara makes it no secret that she’ll happily remove anyone who could potentially stand in the way of keeping the throne, including Felix, who’s her greatest threat as someone in a position of authority (and as a friend of Brynna’s family). She’s as well-aware of this fact as he is and makes it known whenever possible, slowly stripping away his powers as the captain while also strategically keeping his closest and trusted guards as far away as possible. After all, how else can you plot against her if everyone you trust is far away and you can’t trust anyone else? I would’ve liked to see more from his perspective in this novel, as there seem to be two main characters (Brynna and Felix) with different storylines that eventually intersect into one. Still, there’s enough provided in the chapters he does have to give an idea of what’s happening within Forcadel under Illara’s reign.
Like the first book, Evans ends The Veil of Ashes with a massive cliffhanger, leaving readers invested in finding out what happens and wanting more from the series. It’ll be interesting to see if Felix will gain more page time and chapters in the third novel or if it’ll be as teasing as the second (or maybe even none), and if Brynna will succeed in forming her plans and finally put them into action. Despite the slowed pacing, the second book was just as solid as its predecessor, building upon the first with plenty of character backstory and continuing their development.
This review is originally posted on The Arts STL
May 24, 2019
The Veil of Ashes by S. Usher Evans is the brilliant second book in the Princess Vigilante Series.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how easy it was to get back into it after book one.
The flow and pace is fast and perfect and easing into it was a joy.
The Veil of Ashes begins months after the disastrous betrayal by Ilara. Brynna has been stashed in Celia's camp 'recuperating' but mostly blaming and hating herself for her past mistakes. Meanwhile, Ilara was ruling Forcadel with an iron fist and wrecking the kingdom even more.
Circumstances pushed Brynna out of her funk and back into her kingdom as The Veil once more.
Happy reunions are made and despite her misgivings, a plan to action is made. For the sake of the people, Brynna has to take back the throne.
To do so, Brynna must journey alone to Niemen and get the help and forces of the Niemenian Queen, Katarine's sister.
While leaving Felix and Katarine behind was hard, Brynna does what is best for her kingdom.
The journey is not an easy one, while aptly entertaining for the reader, it was perilous and fraught with many dangers.
Her quest takes her far as things get more complicated. It spans the Kulkan kingdom where alliances are made, the city of Skorsa and the Forcadellan city of Neveri where an impossible mission with not so great odds is left for Brynna.
I love this book so much, it's very fledged out as the author not only impressively build the world further, introduces many new elements that change things such as gunpowder (known to them as Ond) and a powerful hallucinogen.
Nestori mystery is also further broached upon and I loved those tidbits.
The POV of Felix is also no slouch, while a bit more depressing, his futile missions is still very much fun to read.
There might not be too much romance but the action more than makes up for it, the writing is superb and very entrancing.
I won't give away all the secrets but this book is not to be missed, Brynna's journey and character development in this book is so good. Seeing her mature and make the hard decisions is pretty endearing.
The end left me breathless for more because I can easily envision how great the next book in the series is going to be.
I happily recommend The Veil of Ashes, fans of this series will enjoy it a lot.
July 13, 2019
Synopsis :
After being killed, Bryanna recovers under Celia and stays away from her city out of guilt. But the good old friend Celia gives her the needed motivation, drops her right in front of the Forcadel City gates!! She crawls back to her city and realizes that things have turned worse than she expected! With the help of her allies she heads to Neimen. Neimen agrees to help under one condition. If Bryanna can get the Kulkans to help her, Neimen will send her the help she asked for. She goes to Kulka knowing that the king of Kulka hates her for breaking off her engagement with the Kulkan Prince. In Kulka she faces the expected hostility. The Kulkans price for their help was Neveri, the border city that lies between Forcadel and Kulka. She’d have found the task super easy if she never lied about the number of soldiers she had. Yet, with the help of Celia’s soldiers, few of her Foradelian supporters and Luard and his Neimen friends she achieves the impossible!! Here they go to win Forcadel!!
My Thoughts:
This book has a great amount of character developments. You see a different aspect of every single person you’ve already met in the book one. The new characters are very much interesting too. The author has done a great job shaping each character.
Starting with Bryanna, who was hiding, regretting her own past and mistakes will change into an independent, strong woman. Her journey to Nimen and Kulka brings so much change into her character. Learning to deal with her fears, learning the life style of ordinary people in Nimen and Kulka, working with Luard and his friends have added a great lot of positivity into Bryanna’s vision. The way she faced her fears and the way she started behaving like a queen was incredible!
Felix finally, finally accepts the fact that he loves Bryanna! Yess!!! I was waiting for this to happen and yes!! He finally did confess it! Felix being vulnerable and taking risks to save his friends is another major character development I saw in this book. Felix wasn’t a person who would look for loopholes in law. But he did it for Bryanna.
Celia’s character becomes more and more interesting. I’m still curious to know what this woman has kept in store to surprise us! Ilara, being an adorable villain!!! I love this character to some extent. Her boldness, strength and diplomacy is pretty impressive.
I almost forgot Luard!! He was such a gentleman. Who would risk so much for his sister and his sister’s friend? His generosity and kindness was one of the biggest strength Bryanna had.
The author had showcased the weak side of certain characters as well. Especially during moments like, Felix giving up his protection to save his love and friendship and Bryanna regretting her past.
Read the complete review in my blog at www.thebookwitchofhogwarts.wordpress.com
After being killed, Bryanna recovers under Celia and stays away from her city out of guilt. But the good old friend Celia gives her the needed motivation, drops her right in front of the Forcadel City gates!! She crawls back to her city and realizes that things have turned worse than she expected! With the help of her allies she heads to Neimen. Neimen agrees to help under one condition. If Bryanna can get the Kulkans to help her, Neimen will send her the help she asked for. She goes to Kulka knowing that the king of Kulka hates her for breaking off her engagement with the Kulkan Prince. In Kulka she faces the expected hostility. The Kulkans price for their help was Neveri, the border city that lies between Forcadel and Kulka. She’d have found the task super easy if she never lied about the number of soldiers she had. Yet, with the help of Celia’s soldiers, few of her Foradelian supporters and Luard and his Neimen friends she achieves the impossible!! Here they go to win Forcadel!!
My Thoughts:
This book has a great amount of character developments. You see a different aspect of every single person you’ve already met in the book one. The new characters are very much interesting too. The author has done a great job shaping each character.
Starting with Bryanna, who was hiding, regretting her own past and mistakes will change into an independent, strong woman. Her journey to Nimen and Kulka brings so much change into her character. Learning to deal with her fears, learning the life style of ordinary people in Nimen and Kulka, working with Luard and his friends have added a great lot of positivity into Bryanna’s vision. The way she faced her fears and the way she started behaving like a queen was incredible!
Felix finally, finally accepts the fact that he loves Bryanna! Yess!!! I was waiting for this to happen and yes!! He finally did confess it! Felix being vulnerable and taking risks to save his friends is another major character development I saw in this book. Felix wasn’t a person who would look for loopholes in law. But he did it for Bryanna.
Celia’s character becomes more and more interesting. I’m still curious to know what this woman has kept in store to surprise us! Ilara, being an adorable villain!!! I love this character to some extent. Her boldness, strength and diplomacy is pretty impressive.
I almost forgot Luard!! He was such a gentleman. Who would risk so much for his sister and his sister’s friend? His generosity and kindness was one of the biggest strength Bryanna had.
The author had showcased the weak side of certain characters as well. Especially during moments like, Felix giving up his protection to save his love and friendship and Bryanna regretting her past.
Read the complete review in my blog at www.thebookwitchofhogwarts.wordpress.com
July 19, 2019
This was an easy 5 star read , from the opening sentence to the last you will hate to put this down . S. Usher Evans has written a fantastic 2nd book that has shown the main characters grow and learn to deal with hard choices . The world building is superb and everything about this book continually draws you the reader in . If you've read this first book then you already know some of the main characters , and picking up this book is like you never put the first book down , the flow of this book is perfect . Can't wait for this story to continue . So if your looking for a fantastic series to start reading stop right here and go buy this series . You can thank me later .
May 28, 2019
( I received a digital copy of the book. Thanks to S. Usher Evans !!! )
This book shows character development of Brynna very well. The journey of how she faces her greatest fear and finds allies in foreign nations is fascinating. The author went all out on this one. The impulsively hopeful and self doubting actions of the characters have been very well portrayed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Highly recommended!!
This book shows character development of Brynna very well. The journey of how she faces her greatest fear and finds allies in foreign nations is fascinating. The author went all out on this one. The impulsively hopeful and self doubting actions of the characters have been very well portrayed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Highly recommended!!
July 14, 2019
After the cliffhanger ending of Veil of Ashes, Brynna is back, though not quite sure her way forward. Having fought so hard against taking her crown, only to have it ripped away from her, there are so many doubts and allies are not so easy to come by. She has a long road ahead of her and much growth in order to be the queen, and not just vigilante princess, that her people need.
Your other favorite characters will be back and some new ones to love or despise. However, it is war and not everyone makes it to the end of the novel.
Evans does a fabulous job again with drawing us into a world that we see as real as the one we live in and in being invested in a protagonist facing very realistic struggles. While the majority of us will never have to worry about the fates of kingdoms or leading soldiers into battle, we do face choices every day that effect people around us. The struggles we have overcome have made us into the person we are today, but it is how we use that experience that truly makes a person great. This is the lesson that Brynna is learning and when it all comes together, she will be formidable.
Your other favorite characters will be back and some new ones to love or despise. However, it is war and not everyone makes it to the end of the novel.
Evans does a fabulous job again with drawing us into a world that we see as real as the one we live in and in being invested in a protagonist facing very realistic struggles. While the majority of us will never have to worry about the fates of kingdoms or leading soldiers into battle, we do face choices every day that effect people around us. The struggles we have overcome have made us into the person we are today, but it is how we use that experience that truly makes a person great. This is the lesson that Brynna is learning and when it all comes together, she will be formidable.
January 2, 2020
All I can really ask myself is what happened?
The book was paced weirdly. In the first couple of chapters Brynna is moved from one location to the next and then spurred on to a mission that her friends keep telling her is important, which it is. Brynna just has cold feet. So from the point she is sent on this mission to the ending of the story, everything felt dragged. There are some chapters where nothing really happens...Brynna is just travelling through mountains and underground roads while trying to find herself again. And the point that Brynna is unsure of herself after what happened in the first book makes sense. I was expecting her to be more cautious. But it got to the point where her lack of decisiveness took away the parts of her character that I loved to read about in the first book. It was like reading from the perspective of a completely different person and that was disappointing to me.
The book was paced weirdly. In the first couple of chapters Brynna is moved from one location to the next and then spurred on to a mission that her friends keep telling her is important, which it is. Brynna just has cold feet. So from the point she is sent on this mission to the ending of the story, everything felt dragged. There are some chapters where nothing really happens...Brynna is just travelling through mountains and underground roads while trying to find herself again. And the point that Brynna is unsure of herself after what happened in the first book makes sense. I was expecting her to be more cautious. But it got to the point where her lack of decisiveness took away the parts of her character that I loved to read about in the first book. It was like reading from the perspective of a completely different person and that was disappointing to me.
June 5, 2019
Brynna is hiding out, letting the city and those that care about her think she's dead. But when she wanders back into the city, things are worse than she feared. She wants her city back and will fight to get it back. But she needs to do it without the current ruler knowing she's alive, which is tricky when there are spies everywhere. Can Brynna rise again as the Veil, or will it prove to be too much?
Ahh, Brynna, you shining beacon of hope, how I have missed you from book 1. I picked up book 2 easily and got right into the thick of things. The thing I love about Brynna is her strength and resilience, and she proves time and again just how much she will keep fighting for what's right. I was feeling on the fence with Felix in book 1, and I think Usher has done a great job of redeeming him. Because if anyone should know she's alive, it's those that cared for her most.
The magic that is involved in this series is so much fun, it's creative, and it's added as a good mix to the storyline. This is a fantastical world which Evans has created and we are always learning more about it with each new city or magic element. Evans is great at creating wonderful characters and an engaging storyline. Once you start reading, it's impossible to put down, and when you find yourself out of pages, you're desperate to read more. A fantastic addition to the series!
Ahh, Brynna, you shining beacon of hope, how I have missed you from book 1. I picked up book 2 easily and got right into the thick of things. The thing I love about Brynna is her strength and resilience, and she proves time and again just how much she will keep fighting for what's right. I was feeling on the fence with Felix in book 1, and I think Usher has done a great job of redeeming him. Because if anyone should know she's alive, it's those that cared for her most.
The magic that is involved in this series is so much fun, it's creative, and it's added as a good mix to the storyline. This is a fantastical world which Evans has created and we are always learning more about it with each new city or magic element. Evans is great at creating wonderful characters and an engaging storyline. Once you start reading, it's impossible to put down, and when you find yourself out of pages, you're desperate to read more. A fantastic addition to the series!
July 12, 2019
Evans knows how to write an excellent second-book-in-series. This volume resolves some questions left open in book 1 and raises a whole bunch of new ones! The main character's development is terrific as always; if Brynna's impetuosity was mildly irritating to you in book 1, you might be happy to know that it is still an asset sometimes, but she's definitely having to face up to how risky that way of doing things is, as well. *Now* I can really get behind her as a future ruler, while I couldn't quite see it in book 1. The world of the story expanded in this book as well with Brynna's travels. I can't wait for Brynna's return in the next book!
July 21, 2019
Through The Veil of Ashes, we follow Brynna as she travels from kingdom to kingdom, hoping to find powerful allies that can help a dead princess take her kingdom back from the hands of an unwanted usurper. After everything that happened in the first book thanks to those who betrayed her, we get to see Brynna questioning everyone's trust and help, and it's not until she realizes how loved she was and still is next to Ilara that things start getting into motion. Personally, I love everything that happened through this book. The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 beautiful stars was the pace. I didn't really get to feel like it was as strong as the first book, but it could've been me and my decreasing attention span, no worries.
But besides the slow pacing at some points, one of the many things I loved about this book was seeing Brynna finally accept not only that her actions (and her inaction) have consequences, but also that being a queen calls for making hard choices that aren't always pretty and stealthy. Sometimes things get ugly and they have to deal with them the hard way. It may have taken her quite too long for my liking to realize and accept this, but after she did there was no stopping her and 10/10 to my girl Brynna for that. Another thing I really enjoyed was how we're able to meet old and new characters alike as Brynna ventures from kingdom to kingdom. We get to meet again with Felix, Katarine, Luard, Celia, Keiran, Iara and Felix's men while also meeting new characters like Queen Ariadna, King Neshua, Elisha, Captain Maarit and many more. Most of them were trustworthy, enjoyable and great while others...not so much.
Now, talking about Brynna's adventure across the different kingdom's that surround Forcadel, I loved how we're finally able to visit new places and see the differences between Brynna's city and theirs. We get to visit Korska, Niemen, Kulka and Neveri and I can't deny that I got a little excited because we're finally able to actually visit and see these places instead of just listening to Katarine talk about them during her classes about royals and politics. One thing I really enjoyed about seeing these different places was how the people changed along with them. Up in Korska and Niemen they were pretty cold and rude, but in Kulka and Neveri they were mostly warm and nice, showing how the differences aren't just geographical and reminding Brynna of how much she misses her home, Forcadel. And talking about Forcadel, another thing I enjoyed was that we're able to see how Ilara's forced ruling is affecting not only Forcadel and its people but also every kingdom around them since they haven't recognized her role as Queen of Forcadel.
In the end, The Veil of Ashes was a fun yet serious and dramatic sequel to The City of Veils as Brynna struggles to prove herself worthy of allies. I really enjoyed it and I was definitely not expecting that ending! I'm not okay and now I'm scared of what might happen in the next installment aka The Veil of Trust . If you haven't checked out the Princess Vigilante series yet, I recommend that you do because things are only getting better and better!
But besides the slow pacing at some points, one of the many things I loved about this book was seeing Brynna finally accept not only that her actions (and her inaction) have consequences, but also that being a queen calls for making hard choices that aren't always pretty and stealthy. Sometimes things get ugly and they have to deal with them the hard way. It may have taken her quite too long for my liking to realize and accept this, but after she did there was no stopping her and 10/10 to my girl Brynna for that. Another thing I really enjoyed was how we're able to meet old and new characters alike as Brynna ventures from kingdom to kingdom. We get to meet again with Felix, Katarine, Luard, Celia, Keiran, Iara and Felix's men while also meeting new characters like Queen Ariadna, King Neshua, Elisha, Captain Maarit and many more. Most of them were trustworthy, enjoyable and great while others...not so much.
Now, talking about Brynna's adventure across the different kingdom's that surround Forcadel, I loved how we're finally able to visit new places and see the differences between Brynna's city and theirs. We get to visit Korska, Niemen, Kulka and Neveri and I can't deny that I got a little excited because we're finally able to actually visit and see these places instead of just listening to Katarine talk about them during her classes about royals and politics. One thing I really enjoyed about seeing these different places was how the people changed along with them. Up in Korska and Niemen they were pretty cold and rude, but in Kulka and Neveri they were mostly warm and nice, showing how the differences aren't just geographical and reminding Brynna of how much she misses her home, Forcadel. And talking about Forcadel, another thing I enjoyed was that we're able to see how Ilara's forced ruling is affecting not only Forcadel and its people but also every kingdom around them since they haven't recognized her role as Queen of Forcadel.
In the end, The Veil of Ashes was a fun yet serious and dramatic sequel to The City of Veils as Brynna struggles to prove herself worthy of allies. I really enjoyed it and I was definitely not expecting that ending! I'm not okay and now I'm scared of what might happen in the next installment aka The Veil of Trust . If you haven't checked out the Princess Vigilante series yet, I recommend that you do because things are only getting better and better!
July 5, 2019
After being nearly killed, Brynna coops up at Celia's camp and recovers... and then "recovers" some more. She is scared, downtrodden, reliving the mistakes of her past, and just can't ascertain how she could possibly rule Forcadel again. Celia gives her the swift kick that she needs, and with help from her friends in the castle she heads to Niemen to see what assistance they can lend so she can take back her kingdom.
Niemen is willing, but only if Kulka also is willing. She heads to Kulka to see what can be done, if anything, and is met with the resistance that expected. Kulka wants her to take the border city Neveri for them, which wouldn't be a problem if she hadn't lied about the amount of men she had to assist her. Yet with the help of Luard and his Niemenian crew, a handful of Celia's soldiers, and the few Forcadelian soldiers loyal to their real country, Brynna completes the impossible task.
Now, on to get the capitol city back.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book in the series. Evans alternates between Felix's point of view and Brynna's which helps the reader keep a pulse on what is happening in the capitol while Brynna is busy traversing 3 countries. It was enjoyable to see Brynna come to terms with the want to rule. She lacked so much confidence at the beginning of the book, it was very rewarding to see her decide that deaths caused by this fight would be worth it because she has her country's best interest at heart.
Niemen is willing, but only if Kulka also is willing. She heads to Kulka to see what can be done, if anything, and is met with the resistance that expected. Kulka wants her to take the border city Neveri for them, which wouldn't be a problem if she hadn't lied about the amount of men she had to assist her. Yet with the help of Luard and his Niemenian crew, a handful of Celia's soldiers, and the few Forcadelian soldiers loyal to their real country, Brynna completes the impossible task.
Now, on to get the capitol city back.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book in the series. Evans alternates between Felix's point of view and Brynna's which helps the reader keep a pulse on what is happening in the capitol while Brynna is busy traversing 3 countries. It was enjoyable to see Brynna come to terms with the want to rule. She lacked so much confidence at the beginning of the book, it was very rewarding to see her decide that deaths caused by this fight would be worth it because she has her country's best interest at heart.
July 31, 2019
I received a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. This is simply my opinion on the book and is not influenced by any external factor.
WOW! Just as heart-racing and exciting as the first!
We follow Brynna a couple of months after City of Veils ends, continuing her story to reclaim her kingdom from the clutches of Queen Ilara. It was an amazing read, one that I personally couldn’t put down. The story itself is so engaging and exciting.
And this time around, we get some chapters from Felix’s perspective as well. These are clearly marked and follow Felix and the rest of the castle staff under Ilara’s tyranny. Felix himself has a different character than Brynna, and I loved seeing his approach to solving certain problems and how he reacts to things. Felix isn’t the only character from the previous book we meet; Katarine, Beata, Celia, Ruby, and Jax to name a few. Oh, and Luard. The skirt-chasing prince is back and has a major role in the progress of this story. Expect to smile or chuckle at some of the things he says.
I also love that although there is a ‘kissing scene’, this story features little other romance anywhere else. It’s a nice change, as most stories nowadays usually contain a love triangle or a big romantic subplot. Not in this case. Well done!
Overall: 5/5 – Awesomely awesome! Eager to see how Brynna’s story continues. To the author, you’ve hit the bar set from the first one and exceeded it. Here’s to rest of Brynna’s adventure.
WOW! Just as heart-racing and exciting as the first!
We follow Brynna a couple of months after City of Veils ends, continuing her story to reclaim her kingdom from the clutches of Queen Ilara. It was an amazing read, one that I personally couldn’t put down. The story itself is so engaging and exciting.
And this time around, we get some chapters from Felix’s perspective as well. These are clearly marked and follow Felix and the rest of the castle staff under Ilara’s tyranny. Felix himself has a different character than Brynna, and I loved seeing his approach to solving certain problems and how he reacts to things. Felix isn’t the only character from the previous book we meet; Katarine, Beata, Celia, Ruby, and Jax to name a few. Oh, and Luard. The skirt-chasing prince is back and has a major role in the progress of this story. Expect to smile or chuckle at some of the things he says.
I also love that although there is a ‘kissing scene’, this story features little other romance anywhere else. It’s a nice change, as most stories nowadays usually contain a love triangle or a big romantic subplot. Not in this case. Well done!
Overall: 5/5 – Awesomely awesome! Eager to see how Brynna’s story continues. To the author, you’ve hit the bar set from the first one and exceeded it. Here’s to rest of Brynna’s adventure.
November 23, 2019
I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is simply my opinion on the book and is not included by any external factors.
I was quite nervous to start reading this, simply because of how much I enjoyed The City if Veils. It's rare to find a sequel that lives up to the first, however I was happy to find that this book was as enjoyable and well written as it's predecessor.
The story is set a couple of months after The City of Veils, and we follow Byrnna on her journey to reclaim her kingdom. One aspect of the story I really enjoyed was having some of the chapters told from Felix's point of view, from within Forcadel. Felix and Katherine were two characters who really intrigued me in the first book, and I was really happy to see more of them in this book.
I also really appreciated the growth that we could see in Brynna; as a ruler, it's part of the job to have to make some really difficult decisions, and I feel although her country is being occupied by Ilara, Brynna has developed into a fine ruler, one I would respect.
Overall, this was an amazing continuation to a spectacular series, I would definitely recommend this to anyone.
I was quite nervous to start reading this, simply because of how much I enjoyed The City if Veils. It's rare to find a sequel that lives up to the first, however I was happy to find that this book was as enjoyable and well written as it's predecessor.
The story is set a couple of months after The City of Veils, and we follow Byrnna on her journey to reclaim her kingdom. One aspect of the story I really enjoyed was having some of the chapters told from Felix's point of view, from within Forcadel. Felix and Katherine were two characters who really intrigued me in the first book, and I was really happy to see more of them in this book.
I also really appreciated the growth that we could see in Brynna; as a ruler, it's part of the job to have to make some really difficult decisions, and I feel although her country is being occupied by Ilara, Brynna has developed into a fine ruler, one I would respect.
Overall, this was an amazing continuation to a spectacular series, I would definitely recommend this to anyone.
March 13, 2022
90%, same as book one.
The book focuses on Brynna who, after the ending of the first book, was left for dead - though not without potential allies in the shady parts of the populace who would be more than pleased to see her back (to ask her a return of the favor, of course). However, getting the town back will be quite a venture for her, especially as potential allies who could truly help her are few, and they won't be persuaded lightly.
Another PoV in this book is Felix, who does his best to serve the country - as a royal guard under a usurper he despises. More so as the town's in upheaval - anyone dealing with the usurper queen finds an explosive awakening sooner or later and Felix has no lead to the culprit.
The strong point of this book is the inner conflict both Brynna and Felix face.
The book focuses on Brynna who, after the ending of the first book, was left for dead - though not without potential allies in the shady parts of the populace who would be more than pleased to see her back (to ask her a return of the favor, of course). However, getting the town back will be quite a venture for her, especially as potential allies who could truly help her are few, and they won't be persuaded lightly.
Another PoV in this book is Felix, who does his best to serve the country - as a royal guard under a usurper he despises. More so as the town's in upheaval - anyone dealing with the usurper queen finds an explosive awakening sooner or later and Felix has no lead to the culprit.
The strong point of this book is the inner conflict both Brynna and Felix face.
July 20, 2019
After reading City of Veils, I couldn’t wait for the sophomore book in S. Usher Evans’ fantastic Princess Vigilante. Well, now that book, The Veil of Ashes (Book 2), is here - and wow is it great. Brynna May be blindsided by betrayal, but she’s not one to ever count out - and this exciting, thrilling, wonderful (and wonderfully well written) book shows why. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
September 10, 2019
3.5/4 stars. This book picks up right where book 1 leaves off, and heads straight back into the action. I enjoyed seeing Brynna grow and mature, and I liked the political game she had to play. As with book 1, I think there’s still some back story missing and I’m hoping that will get filled in - who exactly is Celia? My other disappointment is that Ilara is very one dimensional in this book. For someone who was such a brilliant schemer in book 1, she has turned into a complete idiot with no sense of foreign policy. As someone who studied foreign policy, i want to smack her. And the other characters understand why what she’s done is so bad, so her singular stupidity is even more astounding. I blame absolutely no one for rebelling against her.
October 30, 2019
That was just as good as the first book, if not better.
In The Veil of Ashes the reader gets to watch Brynna grow, not just as a person, but as a monarch. She spent the majority of The City of Veils trying her hardest to wrestle the crown off her head. Now that it has been stolen from her, she wants it back. Not because she suddenly wants to rule, moreso because she wants to protect her people.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book is watching Brynna struggle with the concept of sacrificing some to gain more. In The City of Veils Brynna gets to keep to her strict moral code, but in The Veil of Ashes Brynna will have to make exceptions in order to win back the ultimate prize: her Kingdom.
I also love Luard and how he takes on a role of the bird on her shoulder, offering her what seems to be pretty sound advice, whether or not she asks for it.
This series just keeps getting better. I cannot wait to read the next book.
In The Veil of Ashes the reader gets to watch Brynna grow, not just as a person, but as a monarch. She spent the majority of The City of Veils trying her hardest to wrestle the crown off her head. Now that it has been stolen from her, she wants it back. Not because she suddenly wants to rule, moreso because she wants to protect her people.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book is watching Brynna struggle with the concept of sacrificing some to gain more. In The City of Veils Brynna gets to keep to her strict moral code, but in The Veil of Ashes Brynna will have to make exceptions in order to win back the ultimate prize: her Kingdom.
I also love Luard and how he takes on a role of the bird on her shoulder, offering her what seems to be pretty sound advice, whether or not she asks for it.
This series just keeps getting better. I cannot wait to read the next book.
November 1, 2022
I first The City of Veils back in 2019. I gave it 3 stars but put the sequel on TBR. It's only this now I've gotten around to reading the sequel and I definitely won't be finishing the series.
- I didn't really like Brianna in the first book because she was so reckless. Now, I really didn't like her because she was so indecisive. There is something about her that makes it really difficult to root for her.
- The cartoon style villain. Illara is written as this stubborn child who stomps her feet to get what she wants and is sad because no one like her. But she also happened to be able to pull a whole coup. The character is just not well written imo.
- The pacing was really off in this book. It took me 3 weeks to get through it.
- I didn't really like Brianna in the first book because she was so reckless. Now, I really didn't like her because she was so indecisive. There is something about her that makes it really difficult to root for her.
- The cartoon style villain. Illara is written as this stubborn child who stomps her feet to get what she wants and is sad because no one like her. But she also happened to be able to pull a whole coup. The character is just not well written imo.
- The pacing was really off in this book. It took me 3 weeks to get through it.
July 19, 2019
To free her kingdom of from the hands of the usurping tyrant Brynna needed to put her mind in order, take difficult decisions and face the consequences but, was she ready for it? Very interesting Brinna's internal struggle with her believes, her feelings and emotions. Liked that we had Brynna’s and Felix’s POV with all the intensity of their detailed descriptions and comments. Action, adventure, suspense, intrigue, betrayal, magic, loyalty, violence and a cliffhanger that left me eager for the next book. An interesting, exciting and entertaining book that I liked and caught my attention from the beginning.
July 8, 2019
This is a wonderful fantasy! Full of action and intrigue, Princess Brynna of Forcadel must work her way to find allies to help her take back her country. There’s lots of plotting and scheming and court intrigue throughout this story and there is never a dull moment. Brynna grows a lot as a character and becomes a woman that deserves to be a queen. I can’t wait to find out what will happen in the final book! I highly recommend this book!
I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
July 22, 2019
After the cliffhanger of the 1st book, the 2nd answers a number of questions and sets up a few more! Brynna makes huge leaps in her growth and maturity in this book and some of it is not fun for her. Her friends are there for her and the conditions of support she receives from all the people she contacts is pretty entertaining. I am waiting with bated breath for the 3rd book and can't wait to see where she goes next both physically and mentally!
August 3, 2019
A great sequel of a girl looking to take back her city
I think my favourite part of this book was how realistic it felt. Sure it set in a fantasy world but with all the strategy and alliances just making so much sense, it felt real. Nothing came easy for Brynna. Alliances wanted things in return for helping her. They backed out of things to make it harder for her. But she’s still going strong and that makes her a much better character.
I think my favourite part of this book was how realistic it felt. Sure it set in a fantasy world but with all the strategy and alliances just making so much sense, it felt real. Nothing came easy for Brynna. Alliances wanted things in return for helping her. They backed out of things to make it harder for her. But she’s still going strong and that makes her a much better character.
September 1, 2019
Part 2 of the Princess Vigilante series did NOT disappoint, friends! Brynna gets into even more trouble & has even bigger adventures this time around. Evans, once again, provides a plot with the perfect balance of moral indecision, adventure, romance, and fantasy. True to form, there isn’t a single moment of boredom and the element of mystery is sure to keep you on your toes. 5 stars for Veil of Ashes!
October 2, 2019
This book is a great addition to the series. Brynna is thought to be dead, but her old “mentor” Celia and her forest gang have nursed her back to health. Brynna is unsure whether or not she should go take back her kingdom, unsure of whether she’s actually the one for the job. But with her allies at her back, she travels to each country to gain more help and take back what’s hers. I can’t wait for the next installment.
October 9, 2019
HOLY COW!! This book was even better than the first!! I loved seeing more of the world and the world building was exceptional!! Brynna was up to her old tricks and I loved how fast moving this story was...I think I plowed through this book in less than a day!! I cannot recommend this series enough and I don't know what I'm going to do after I finish the next book and there are no more until March!!!
July 5, 2019
This is a fast past read that is action packed. And captured me from the first page to the last. Its a real page turner that I didn't put down until I was finish. The Author definitely did a great job at describing the scenes and brought the Characters out. And hit a home run. I highly recommend.
Shauna Joesten
Shauna Joesten
July 12, 2019
Take back the throne
Heart thumping, action packed second book. As Brynna tries to gather outside kingdoms to help her take the throne back, the rebels are creating havoc in Forcadel. The journey she takes is not without loss of life, and the usurper Queen is tightening the screws on the people. Great series!
Heart thumping, action packed second book. As Brynna tries to gather outside kingdoms to help her take the throne back, the rebels are creating havoc in Forcadel. The journey she takes is not without loss of life, and the usurper Queen is tightening the screws on the people. Great series!
May 27, 2020
Dang, I understand why people wait until a series is complete before they read it. I read Book 1 of this series a while back, adored it, but forgot to pick up the next ones. Picked it back up with Book 2 recently and, now that all of the books are out, happily binged until I was done!
September 5, 2020
I think this took me a while to jump into cause I was conflicted with the first book. But S. Usher Evans does an outstanding job fleshing out the characters more and giving us more of that look behind the mask.
July 10, 2019
Unbelievable story that had me fascinated from the beginning. This is one series that I wish would go on forever.
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