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The Hidden Mage #2
Crown of Danger
Verene has survived first year. But discovering she possesses a new and dangerous ability has only complicated her tenuous position at the Kallorwegian Academy. Not yet ready to share her new powers with anyone, Verene finds herself with even fewer friends than before.
Darius has returned to the cold and distant prince she first met. And the more she tries to convince him of the danger still lurking in their midst, the further he pushes her away.
Determined to master her new abilities, Verene discovers they far exceed anything she imagined. But as she wrestles with the nature of her new power, she must fight a different battle with the obstinate prince. Because it won't matter how powerful she becomes if she can't convince Darius that he's misplaced his trust.
If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the Spoken Mage world now!
The Hidden Mage reading order:
Crown of Secrets
Crown of Danger
Crown of Strength (coming December 2020)
Crown of Power (coming February 2021)
Verene lives in a world of written power--a world turned upside down by the first ever Spoken Mage. If you missed the adventures of her mother, Elena, then check out the completed Spoken Mage series, starting with Voice of Power.
Darius has returned to the cold and distant prince she first met. And the more she tries to convince him of the danger still lurking in their midst, the further he pushes her away.
Determined to master her new abilities, Verene discovers they far exceed anything she imagined. But as she wrestles with the nature of her new power, she must fight a different battle with the obstinate prince. Because it won't matter how powerful she becomes if she can't convince Darius that he's misplaced his trust.
If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the Spoken Mage world now!
The Hidden Mage reading order:
Crown of Secrets
Crown of Danger
Crown of Strength (coming December 2020)
Crown of Power (coming February 2021)
Verene lives in a world of written power--a world turned upside down by the first ever Spoken Mage. If you missed the adventures of her mother, Elena, then check out the completed Spoken Mage series, starting with Voice of Power.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2020
752 people are currently reading
3475 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Cellier
126 books2,749 followersMelanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
September 6, 2024
3 stars, personally. (Clean, no faith content, no language, and no sexual innuendoes.)
Love how I said in my review of the first book that I didn't need to read the next book right away because it didn't end on a cliffhanger, but I still started the second book right away. 😅
I was sad when I started this book and realized it totally skipped the summer months of her being with her family (where the first book ended), I was actually really looking forward to seeing more of her family. But it went right into going back to the Academy.
I was afraid this book would be a little bit more of a filler, being the middle of a series. Giving some answers but bringing more questions and not fully solving much of anything. As that’s typical when it’s not the first or last book of the series. There was some important events in this book that it’s definitely necessary to read obviously, but it didn’t engaged me like the first book.
I really liked Verene in the first book because she’s not the typical YA female lead that is different than all of those around her. In this book, she felt a little bit like those kind of girls. Which was unfortunate and also because she was a little too hung up on the crown prince, but I can’t blame her because at times he was being a turkey—or a jerk, both words work. Things are revealed and events happen that make sense and make me wanting to read the next book soon, though.
Main Content-
(Basically the same as the first book)
Same fantasy/magic elements as the first book. The word "Magic" is never used as it’s an inherited gift to be a mage. Some use it for good and others use it for bad or harming others, we see both in this book. There’s more about energy mages in this book and how some will steal the energy of others—including permanently that can even cause the death of the person they are stealing from.
Verene struggles with her new powers, the responsibilities, the guilt, and also the temptation of using it for her own means even at the cost of others.
Someone is stabbed & is near death (up to semi-detailed); Fighting & Self-dense (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of past assassination attempts; Mentions of deaths & wars; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written).
A semi-detailed kiss (lasting a few sentences); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Nearness, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Being in love & some of the emotions.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4)
Love how I said in my review of the first book that I didn't need to read the next book right away because it didn't end on a cliffhanger, but I still started the second book right away. 😅
I was sad when I started this book and realized it totally skipped the summer months of her being with her family (where the first book ended), I was actually really looking forward to seeing more of her family. But it went right into going back to the Academy.
I was afraid this book would be a little bit more of a filler, being the middle of a series. Giving some answers but bringing more questions and not fully solving much of anything. As that’s typical when it’s not the first or last book of the series. There was some important events in this book that it’s definitely necessary to read obviously, but it didn’t engaged me like the first book.
I really liked Verene in the first book because she’s not the typical YA female lead that is different than all of those around her. In this book, she felt a little bit like those kind of girls. Which was unfortunate and also because she was a little too hung up on the crown prince, but I can’t blame her because at times he was being a turkey—or a jerk, both words work. Things are revealed and events happen that make sense and make me wanting to read the next book soon, though.
Main Content-
(Basically the same as the first book)
Same fantasy/magic elements as the first book. The word "Magic" is never used as it’s an inherited gift to be a mage. Some use it for good and others use it for bad or harming others, we see both in this book. There’s more about energy mages in this book and how some will steal the energy of others—including permanently that can even cause the death of the person they are stealing from.
Verene struggles with her new powers, the responsibilities, the guilt, and also the temptation of using it for her own means even at the cost of others.
Someone is stabbed & is near death (up to semi-detailed); Fighting & Self-dense (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of past assassination attempts; Mentions of deaths & wars; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written).
A semi-detailed kiss (lasting a few sentences); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Nearness, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Being in love & some of the emotions.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4)
August 2, 2025
» [Cinnamon Girl by Lana Del Ray] «
0:58 ─〇───── 3:16
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
➳ ꒰ Rating: ✰✰✰✰/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Spice:🌶/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Language: 0/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Violence: 0.5🩸/5 ꒱
Tropes/ what to expect
-grumpy x sunshine
- only for you
- many politics
- plot twists
- academia setting
- mage magic
- Hogwarts vibes
- broken sidekick
Characters
Verene She was so good in this story. I loved we got to see her more with her new powers, and new experiences, I also really loved that we got more moments with her and her family, friends, and especially with the hidden politics in this story. I find her character also very easy to love. There are those parts where you are on her side 100% or your on 50% but either way you still love her. Same goes for Briony I love the girl so much she's such a spitfire personality and is always there for the challenges up ahead. She's the best fmc's best friend character I have ever seen. And I love her supportiveness and loyalty to her friends.
Darius was so much better in this book I would say. I would have wished he didn't let emotin cloud his judgment sometimes or worry so much about people's safety, especially with those who are way more capable to take care of themselves. He gives of the Mother hen of the group. But I also get why, he was place in a life where he needed to literally run from death and his father while still living in the same palace as him so yeah. Jareth no, no, no, no, no, no I do not like this prince in this book. He was so weird and sketchy, i'm sorry but if I thought he was a murder you bet i'd have better have everybody on my side cause his actions were odd. But it was needed for the book so....
Overall thoughts
I really really loved this book, we got to have the easy flow, the easy plot twist. And it made you think onto the next book, with a large cliffhanger at the end. I really want this series to get so much hype because honestly it deserves all the amazing love it should get. I love the writing, the characters, plots, and descriptions. I also have read this on audio book and highly, reccomend the narrator voice Shiromi Arserio is such a good narrator for this book !!
The Hidden Mage series reviews
Crown of Secrets 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown Of Danger 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown of Strength 𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown of Power 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
0:58 ─〇───── 3:16
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
➳ ꒰ Rating: ✰✰✰✰/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Spice:🌶/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Language: 0/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Violence: 0.5🩸/5 ꒱
Tropes/ what to expect
-grumpy x sunshine
- only for you
- many politics
- plot twists
- academia setting
- mage magic
- Hogwarts vibes
- broken sidekick
Characters
Verene She was so good in this story. I loved we got to see her more with her new powers, and new experiences, I also really loved that we got more moments with her and her family, friends, and especially with the hidden politics in this story. I find her character also very easy to love. There are those parts where you are on her side 100% or your on 50% but either way you still love her. Same goes for Briony I love the girl so much she's such a spitfire personality and is always there for the challenges up ahead. She's the best fmc's best friend character I have ever seen. And I love her supportiveness and loyalty to her friends.
Darius was so much better in this book I would say. I would have wished he didn't let emotin cloud his judgment sometimes or worry so much about people's safety, especially with those who are way more capable to take care of themselves. He gives of the Mother hen of the group. But I also get why, he was place in a life where he needed to literally run from death and his father while still living in the same palace as him so yeah. Jareth no, no, no, no, no, no I do not like this prince in this book. He was so weird and sketchy, i'm sorry but if I thought he was a murder you bet i'd have better have everybody on my side cause his actions were odd. But it was needed for the book so....
Overall thoughts
I really really loved this book, we got to have the easy flow, the easy plot twist. And it made you think onto the next book, with a large cliffhanger at the end. I really want this series to get so much hype because honestly it deserves all the amazing love it should get. I love the writing, the characters, plots, and descriptions. I also have read this on audio book and highly, reccomend the narrator voice Shiromi Arserio is such a good narrator for this book !!
The Hidden Mage series reviews
Crown of Secrets 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown Of Danger 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown of Strength 𖤐𖤐𖤐
Crown of Power 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
November 6, 2020
6th november 2020
This book is amaziiiiing!!!!!
I was hooked and finished the book in one sitting. Exceeded my expectations.
Verene's story is quite reminiscent of her parent's. The plot remains interesting and unpredictable but there is a nostalgic feel to it in someways......like I've experienced something similar before....not same but....similar. The way how Darius is suspicious of her in the beginning of the first book, how he has that poker public face but in truth is far from indifferent, how he tries to stay away and keep his distance, the impossibility of their union, and of course, there is Verene unique ability that keeps growing more and more complicated .... And the ending that just complicates the situation further by threading new plots, setting the scene for the next book ....Leaving us readers begging for more and growling in frustration "The next book can't come soon enough"
Very highly recommended.
24th october 2020
Now after finally having read the 1st book my excitement knows no bound and it has become even harder to wait for the next book. My only solace being the soon arriving release date.
9th september 2020
Thank goodness the publication dates have been set back to back and not too spaced, otherwise there's no way I would have survived the anticipation.
This book is amaziiiiing!!!!!
I was hooked and finished the book in one sitting. Exceeded my expectations.
Verene's story is quite reminiscent of her parent's. The plot remains interesting and unpredictable but there is a nostalgic feel to it in someways......like I've experienced something similar before....not same but....similar. The way how Darius is suspicious of her in the beginning of the first book, how he has that poker public face but in truth is far from indifferent, how he tries to stay away and keep his distance, the impossibility of their union, and of course, there is Verene unique ability that keeps growing more and more complicated .... And the ending that just complicates the situation further by threading new plots, setting the scene for the next book ....Leaving us readers begging for more and growling in frustration "The next book can't come soon enough"
Very highly recommended.
24th october 2020
Now after finally having read the 1st book my excitement knows no bound and it has become even harder to wait for the next book. My only solace being the soon arriving release date.
9th september 2020
Thank goodness the publication dates have been set back to back and not too spaced, otherwise there's no way I would have survived the anticipation.
February 23, 2022
This book and this series is SO good! It is magical academy meets political intrigue, and I'm so here for it. I love Verene and Darius and the whole crew!
Re-read update: Even better the second time around! I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator does an amazing job, as always!
Re-read update: Even better the second time around! I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator does an amazing job, as always!
May 3, 2021
I really hate it when the ending of a book makes you so damn curious. Review to come.
October 26, 2021
i love these ppl 😍
July 4, 2021
4 Stars!!
While I really enjoyed Book 1, this one was even better. Now that Verene has figured out some things about herself, she is really starting to develop as a character. This book also had way more of an arc than book one and a lot less info dumping this go round. This series is sort of a Magic Academy mixed with Kingdom Politics. I love the way the author clearly spent so much time planning for this book because it is so well written. To me the writing is beautifully laid out. Im looking forward to the next two books and hope they only continue to get better each time.
While I really enjoyed Book 1, this one was even better. Now that Verene has figured out some things about herself, she is really starting to develop as a character. This book also had way more of an arc than book one and a lot less info dumping this go round. This series is sort of a Magic Academy mixed with Kingdom Politics. I love the way the author clearly spent so much time planning for this book because it is so well written. To me the writing is beautifully laid out. Im looking forward to the next two books and hope they only continue to get better each time.
November 21, 2023
Yep, now all the backstory and world building is once again in place, the REAL story begins and it looks to be a great ride!
March 19, 2024
2.5 stars??
April 1, 2022
I just love the magic system so much!! I love trying to figure out how far her powers can go.
Political intrigue, magic, romance, fantasy, friendship, powers.
AHHHHH!! The ending!?!? I don’t know what to believe 😭
So so good! If Darius does something stupid in the next book to “protect” her I’m gonna scream 🤬
Political intrigue, magic, romance, fantasy, friendship, powers.
AHHHHH!! The ending!?!? I don’t know what to believe 😭
So so good! If Darius does something stupid in the next book to “protect” her I’m gonna scream 🤬
November 4, 2020
AHHSPLIRHAJJEHJEJSBJAURKQJJEHR. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. THIS WHOLE BOOK IS ILLEGAL!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ...AND.....
Hmm....I am not very stable to leave a review, now, am I? I will say nothing lighter than a kiss, some violence but nothing too gruesome, and yes....romance leads need to learn and grow more but I'm STILL STUCK ON THAT ENDING.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ...AND.....
Hmm....I am not very stable to leave a review, now, am I? I will say nothing lighter than a kiss, some violence but nothing too gruesome, and yes....romance leads need to learn and grow more but I'm STILL STUCK ON THAT ENDING.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2020
I couldn't put this book down! I liked book 1, but I adored this book. The politics, the characters, the world, all of it meshes so well in this story and I couldn't get enough of it! Verene and her story continue in this book in such a great fashion. I love reading her journey from being naive, and feeling sorry for herself, to seeing her grow in this new environment into a confident, fierce young woman. Her powers also grow with her, and I love the power set the author has given her. All of it makes sense with the lore of the world, and the magic system - which has always been my favorite part of the book - continues to develop and blossom into something amazing.
The romance in this is so good! You see Verene and Darius both growing together, as individuals and as a couple and it's going to make when they get together super satisfying. I really liked a particular plot twist in here I wasn't expecting at all, and the fleshing out of some supporting characters, and the world of Kallorway. Jareth's plot is developing nicely, and I really like how the author punched us with such a hard hitting cliffhanger at books end and leaves an overall mystery to try and puzzle out over the next two books. The characters have won the battle, but not the war and that's super apparent by books end. Great pacing, great characters and character arcs, great magic. Read this series, it's so good! It's hard to decide whether or not I like this more than the Spoken Mage series, but it's getting there as one of my new favorite series!
The romance in this is so good! You see Verene and Darius both growing together, as individuals and as a couple and it's going to make when they get together super satisfying. I really liked a particular plot twist in here I wasn't expecting at all, and the fleshing out of some supporting characters, and the world of Kallorway. Jareth's plot is developing nicely, and I really like how the author punched us with such a hard hitting cliffhanger at books end and leaves an overall mystery to try and puzzle out over the next two books. The characters have won the battle, but not the war and that's super apparent by books end. Great pacing, great characters and character arcs, great magic. Read this series, it's so good! It's hard to decide whether or not I like this more than the Spoken Mage series, but it's getting there as one of my new favorite series!
August 6, 2024
Agh! I'm already burrowing through book 3!
There was a bit more graphic violence in this book than in book 1, but it wasn't more than I was comfortable with (probably due to the relative ease of accessing healing compositions). The tension between Darius and Verene, though! Ugh, you two, just work it out!! I'm hoping things between them will be better later in the series. They love each other so intensely, and it's so sweet, but there's so much strife and struggle!
Darius still has my heart. That boy has way too much going on and way too much on his poor shoulders. He has such good, noble intentions, and I love every moment he's on the pages. Bryony is still her energetic, wonderful self, and I couldn't ask for a better best friend character.
Cellier has truly drawn me into this fantasy world, and she did a fantastic job with the magic system, the boarding school, and the politics. I can't wait to see the developments through the remainder of the series!
There was a bit more graphic violence in this book than in book 1, but it wasn't more than I was comfortable with (probably due to the relative ease of accessing healing compositions). The tension between Darius and Verene, though! Ugh, you two, just work it out!! I'm hoping things between them will be better later in the series. They love each other so intensely, and it's so sweet, but there's so much strife and struggle!
Darius still has my heart. That boy has way too much going on and way too much on his poor shoulders. He has such good, noble intentions, and I love every moment he's on the pages. Bryony is still her energetic, wonderful self, and I couldn't ask for a better best friend character.
Cellier has truly drawn me into this fantasy world, and she did a fantastic job with the magic system, the boarding school, and the politics. I can't wait to see the developments through the remainder of the series!
February 20, 2023
This book was awesome, and still has me reeling. I went through it in a little over a day, and it was such a fun book. Verene's struggles were so hard, but the way she overcame them meant so much. And Darius- I feel so bad for him in this book! I loved seeing the way Verene's powers unfolded, and the extended worldbuilding in Kallorway. I also loved the brief moments where we got to see Verene's parents, which was so cool after having read The Spoken Mage series. And then there was the plot. It was full of so many twists and turns, and brought so much from the first book back to the front. I loved it. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger, but it was suspenseful and left me really, really ready for the third book.(as soon as my hold gets in, lol) Overall, a great read continuing the world of Melanie Cellier's other series, The Spoken Mage and the first book in this series, which I highly recommend for ages 11+.
November 25, 2021
I still like the relationship between Verene and Darius. Both of them can't ignore their responsibilities, their emotions are important but so are their kingdoms. Also, how Verene is acting with her new ability is normal. I didn't expect her to just accept it and master it, and the struggle she's going through is just how things should be.
What I'm trying to say is that I liked how the author portrayed her two main leads, and that she didn't rush things just to rush things. I'm enjoying the slow pacing of the story and I can't wait to read the third book.
Ps. Bryony is best girl. I wish I see friendship between female characters more portrayed in books.
Ps. Ps. I looove the book cover. In fact, it's the first reason why I started reading this series.
What I'm trying to say is that I liked how the author portrayed her two main leads, and that she didn't rush things just to rush things. I'm enjoying the slow pacing of the story and I can't wait to read the third book.
Ps. Bryony is best girl. I wish I see friendship between female characters more portrayed in books.
Ps. Ps. I looove the book cover. In fact, it's the first reason why I started reading this series.
February 7, 2025
Ir pagājuši aptuveni 20 miera pilni gadi kopš iepriekšējās The Spoken Mage sērijas noslēguma. Lai arī izteikti cieša sadarbība starp Ardenas un Kalovejas karalistēm nav izveidojusies, tad arī šķiet drauds par jauna un varbūt tikpat ilgstoša kara atjaunošanos arīdzan nav. Lai censtos jo vairāk tuvināt un varbūt beidzot sākt jēgpilnāk sadarboties, uz Kalovejas maģijas akadēmiju tiek sūtīta The Spoken Mage galveno tēlu Elenas un Lūkasa meita Verīna.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/02/07/me...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/02/07/me...
July 10, 2021
“Sólo creo que el poder es peligroso. Y creo que es especialmente peligroso para alguien que nunca lo tuvo y pasó tanto tiempo deseándolo.”
January 2, 2021
Well, this book certainly had more of an arc than the first one, barely.
A lot less infodumps which I appreciated. The book has also given up the fake pretense of Verene being some great ambassador; while I greatly enjoy the parts where she actually does some real politics they're few and far between. This time the story is honest about Darius and her own special powers being all she thinks about and is consumed by.
The writing itself hasn't exactly improved, though. All the important character moments are still stowed away in recountings instead of experienced and there's little dialogue. We literally went to the Kallowegian court AND a conspiratorial gathering of commonborns and all we got about that was one line of dialogue! Cellier is sucking the air out of her own story by refusing to actually write the interesting scenes she's creating.
The twist, if you can call it that, is quite lackluster. It's literally "yes the creepy guy really was behind everything but what if ~~he had no choice~~" like, tf are you saying to me right now, Cellier? You might as well just have one of those greeting card music chips play Scary Spooky Skeletons when you flip the last page, same effect.
That said, I had a lot more fun reading this than the first book owing entirely to the lack of infodumps. The romance still isn't very inspired; I have no idea why Verene even likes Darius. I know three things about Darius: he's hot, his dad's abusive, he's in love with Verene. I guess the fourth is "he wants to save his kingdom" but that's such a surface level observation to make about a crown prince that is meant to be portrayed in a positive light that I'm not sure it merits mention.
These books aren't very long and it only takes me about three hours to read them. Maybe I'll take a break since apparently there's gonna be a fifth (?) one released soon.
A lot less infodumps which I appreciated. The book has also given up the fake pretense of Verene being some great ambassador; while I greatly enjoy the parts where she actually does some real politics they're few and far between. This time the story is honest about Darius and her own special powers being all she thinks about and is consumed by.
The writing itself hasn't exactly improved, though. All the important character moments are still stowed away in recountings instead of experienced and there's little dialogue. We literally went to the Kallowegian court AND a conspiratorial gathering of commonborns and all we got about that was one line of dialogue! Cellier is sucking the air out of her own story by refusing to actually write the interesting scenes she's creating.
The twist, if you can call it that, is quite lackluster. It's literally "yes the creepy guy really was behind everything but what if ~~he had no choice~~" like, tf are you saying to me right now, Cellier? You might as well just have one of those greeting card music chips play Scary Spooky Skeletons when you flip the last page, same effect.
That said, I had a lot more fun reading this than the first book owing entirely to the lack of infodumps. The romance still isn't very inspired; I have no idea why Verene even likes Darius. I know three things about Darius: he's hot, his dad's abusive, he's in love with Verene. I guess the fourth is "he wants to save his kingdom" but that's such a surface level observation to make about a crown prince that is meant to be portrayed in a positive light that I'm not sure it merits mention.
These books aren't very long and it only takes me about three hours to read them. Maybe I'll take a break since apparently there's gonna be a fifth (?) one released soon.
February 16, 2021
Still struggling with thenseries
While the plot moved along nicely in this installment, the romance still feels like its based on only a few encounters and the MC mooning after him like a love sick fool. I get she is a teenager, but one would think a princess would have a bit more self control and purpose in life than to spend most of her time staring longingly after Darius. Throwing around the L-word at the end if the novel made me roll my eyes. They basically have no relationship except a few heated glances and kisses. It was so tweeny to have them supposedly so emotionally invested in someone they barely know.
Still not loving the MC. She is incredibly careless with her safety and others'. You'd think after being attacked multiple times while buried in thought she'd gain some awareness of her surroundings. At least she spends some time being the rescuer instead of the rescuee I this time around.
While the plot moved along nicely in this installment, the romance still feels like its based on only a few encounters and the MC mooning after him like a love sick fool. I get she is a teenager, but one would think a princess would have a bit more self control and purpose in life than to spend most of her time staring longingly after Darius. Throwing around the L-word at the end if the novel made me roll my eyes. They basically have no relationship except a few heated glances and kisses. It was so tweeny to have them supposedly so emotionally invested in someone they barely know.
Still not loving the MC. She is incredibly careless with her safety and others'. You'd think after being attacked multiple times while buried in thought she'd gain some awareness of her surroundings. At least she spends some time being the rescuer instead of the rescuee I this time around.
July 18, 2024
How this book, this series, and this author doesn't get more hype is honestly beyond me. I, once again adored this one.
The book starts with Verene in summer holiday, back in Ardann, and it was so nice to read about Elena and Lucas again, but as parents, this time. Verene is quite close with her family, which is nicde, but she still doesn't tell them about her newly-found powers. I suppose it is because she herself isn't knowlegable enough them yet. She talk to her aunt the queen about Darius's plans to takeover the Kallorwegian throne and leaves for her second year at the Academy once the queen's support is ensured.
The book actually had two parts, in my opinion. In the first part, Verene was training to understand her energy and composed working stealing powers, but she is doing it all on her own, because she hasn't told anyone about them yet. The only one who knows about Verene's powers is her bestie, Bryony, and when Verene pushes herself too thin, and is on the verge of losing herself, it is Bryony who warns Verene regarding the wrong in her ways.
The second half focuses on Kallowegian politics. There is again a mid-winter ball, and I absolutely love that Cellier writes a mid-winter ball in each book and they are always eventful. This time, Darius is planning to talk to the Mage Consil, to ask them to support his claim. It is important for him, because his father, the current king Cassius made laws that seperate sealed and non-sealed mages, as well as nobles and the commonborns, and Darius wants to unit his kingdom.
Cassius obviously can't allow that to happen, though, so he does his best to prevvent a meeting between Darius and the Mage Counsil.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Verene comes into play right then. Since she represents the queen of Ardann, she thinks she should do her best to help Darius. She talks to the Academy Head, who is a count with a commonborn wife, and tells him what Dairus wants to do, asking him to call for an emergency Counsil meeting. Darius is elected "King Elect," at the end of said meeting.
However, the biggest event happens at the very end.
Similar to the first book, Verene was attacked in this book, too, and she was suspicious of the younger prince Jareth, claiming there was something not right with him. She thought he was going to arrange her assasination, but with her new powers, she was prepared for it. After the counsil meeting, there is an assasination, but it isn't Verene's, but Darius's.
Verene saves Darius's life, but it is revealed that Darius's would be assasin is none other than his own brother. Jareth is immediately captured, until Darius decides what to do with him, even though he still cannot believe his brother would ever want to hurt him.
At the very end of the school year, Verena received a note, just as she is getting ready to leave for Ardann. Surprise of all surprises, the note is from Jareth, warning Verene to be careful because someone could try to hurt her or Darius.
Confusing, right? Best confusion I have felt, hands down. I am so excited about the next book already.
The book starts with Verene in summer holiday, back in Ardann, and it was so nice to read about Elena and Lucas again, but as parents, this time. Verene is quite close with her family, which is nicde, but she still doesn't tell them about her newly-found powers. I suppose it is because she herself isn't knowlegable enough them yet. She talk to her aunt the queen about Darius's plans to takeover the Kallorwegian throne and leaves for her second year at the Academy once the queen's support is ensured.
The book actually had two parts, in my opinion. In the first part, Verene was training to understand her energy and composed working stealing powers, but she is doing it all on her own, because she hasn't told anyone about them yet. The only one who knows about Verene's powers is her bestie, Bryony, and when Verene pushes herself too thin, and is on the verge of losing herself, it is Bryony who warns Verene regarding the wrong in her ways.
The second half focuses on Kallowegian politics. There is again a mid-winter ball, and I absolutely love that Cellier writes a mid-winter ball in each book and they are always eventful. This time, Darius is planning to talk to the Mage Consil, to ask them to support his claim. It is important for him, because his father, the current king Cassius made laws that seperate sealed and non-sealed mages, as well as nobles and the commonborns, and Darius wants to unit his kingdom.
Cassius obviously can't allow that to happen, though, so he does his best to prevvent a meeting between Darius and the Mage Counsil.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Verene comes into play right then. Since she represents the queen of Ardann, she thinks she should do her best to help Darius. She talks to the Academy Head, who is a count with a commonborn wife, and tells him what Dairus wants to do, asking him to call for an emergency Counsil meeting. Darius is elected "King Elect," at the end of said meeting.
However, the biggest event happens at the very end.
Similar to the first book, Verene was attacked in this book, too, and she was suspicious of the younger prince Jareth, claiming there was something not right with him. She thought he was going to arrange her assasination, but with her new powers, she was prepared for it. After the counsil meeting, there is an assasination, but it isn't Verene's, but Darius's.
Verene saves Darius's life, but it is revealed that Darius's would be assasin is none other than his own brother. Jareth is immediately captured, until Darius decides what to do with him, even though he still cannot believe his brother would ever want to hurt him.
At the very end of the school year, Verena received a note, just as she is getting ready to leave for Ardann. Surprise of all surprises, the note is from Jareth, warning Verene to be careful because someone could try to hurt her or Darius.
Confusing, right? Best confusion I have felt, hands down. I am so excited about the next book already.
December 23, 2021
I read this one very fast...
Spoilers have been marked, so beware!
Characters:
Better, this time around. Not as stiff. I feel like I understand Verene a bit better. Still room for improvement, as always, though! She's clever, persevering, and a bit self-centered at times.
Darius I found to be (still) interesting. A bit more predictable as far as why he was feeling such-and-such, but that's just me.
Jareth
I still think Bryony is a too-good friend to be true, and I can't shake the feeling that she's going to betray Verene somehow. I dunno.
Oh the whole thing with the Duke and Zora
Plot:
Fast moving-no time to take a breath type plot.
Writing:
Not as many long, technical descriptions of the magic stuff, so that was better.
The chapters flowed well. Again, a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. Ugh. That kind of annoys me, but I think in this case it suits the series well. Versus something like Edgar Rice Burroughs (don't get me started...)
All in all, this was a good book! Can't wait to read the next one. :)
4 stars
Spoilers have been marked, so beware!
Characters:
Better, this time around. Not as stiff. I feel like I understand Verene a bit better. Still room for improvement, as always, though! She's clever, persevering, and a bit self-centered at times.
Darius I found to be (still) interesting. A bit more predictable as far as why he was feeling such-and-such, but that's just me.
Jareth
I still think Bryony is a too-good friend to be true, and I can't shake the feeling that she's going to betray Verene somehow. I dunno.
Oh the whole thing with the Duke and Zora
Plot:
Fast moving-no time to take a breath type plot.
Writing:
Not as many long, technical descriptions of the magic stuff, so that was better.
The chapters flowed well. Again, a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. Ugh. That kind of annoys me, but I think in this case it suits the series well. Versus something like Edgar Rice Burroughs (don't get me started...)
All in all, this was a good book! Can't wait to read the next one. :)
4 stars
February 12, 2023
I loved the start of the series, but I felt this book had the same main plot points as the first book. (As I described the book to my son, he asked, "Is this another Harry Potter knockoff?" My response was, "This is a classic adventure storyline with a quest against an evil force." You know the direction of the story, but the new setting, unique characters, and twists of the plot make it new again. I just wish this book had a few different plot twists from the first.)
However, I do like the magic-infused fantasy with a clean, slow-burn romance. Listening to it as an audio book while I clean is enjoyable, and I will definitely finish the series.
However, I do like the magic-infused fantasy with a clean, slow-burn romance. Listening to it as an audio book while I clean is enjoyable, and I will definitely finish the series.
August 5, 2023
A better written sequel, with more dialogue making it a more engaging read. I liked the main character development
July 26, 2024
So funny but so complex, I loved it!!!
Read
May 25, 2025Wow... that took a twist I was not expecting.
This book was a bit more kissy and romance focused than the first book but not overly so. I love getting into the politics in this world. This was a fast paced book and held my attention all the way through.
This book was a bit more kissy and romance focused than the first book but not overly so. I love getting into the politics in this world. This was a fast paced book and held my attention all the way through.
December 26, 2025
Really good!
October 11, 2022
The excitement and intensity of the story is building as the series continues and I am looking forward to the next book.
May 6, 2022
I enjoyed this story. The characters are consistent, and this book answers many questions that had been left unanswered in book 1. It's a clean teen read with one kissing scene. It's a great teen read.
July 25, 2025
Best one so far!!! And these coverssss😍😍😍
4.5 ⭐️
4.5 ⭐️
October 9, 2021
Surprisingly, as the first book in the series was a 4-star read for me, this book fell waaaay short of my expectations.
I had one feeling throughout the book and TBH I was just bored.
We keep continuing with the "forbidden romance" which was just the "Prince" whining and hiding behind his "icy wall". Honestly, it just tired me out and I even skipped on probably 1/3 of the book just because the boredom this Prince made me feel. I like a strong male character (and female but in this book I found the male more lacking) and Darius, despite the efforts of the author to be portrayed as this strong, mysterious, closed off but secretly open to his love interest, was just meh. He keeps relying on Verene to fix his issues and find solutions whilst he is off doing we don't know what. But he's gone off somewhere half the time..with no explanation.
I feel like this was Verene most of the time. She wasn't satisfied with being powerless and now she's not satisfied being powerful .. what do you want, girl?
I just kept waiting for the Princess to say something, force his hand, put an ultimatum or stop dealing with his bs but no. She just kept saying "I understand" and feeling shitty after every time he ignores her or makes her feel like a bother.
The plot was just as bad. The whole book they kept trying to find out who was the person attacking and plotting against the Princess and will you look at that
Honestly, I loved the first book. I loved the dynamic between the main characters and them acting like Royals with capital R. This book ... not so much.
I had one feeling throughout the book and TBH I was just bored.
We keep continuing with the "forbidden romance" which was just the "Prince" whining and hiding behind his "icy wall". Honestly, it just tired me out and I even skipped on probably 1/3 of the book just because the boredom this Prince made me feel. I like a strong male character (and female but in this book I found the male more lacking) and Darius, despite the efforts of the author to be portrayed as this strong, mysterious, closed off but secretly open to his love interest, was just meh. He keeps relying on Verene to fix his issues and find solutions whilst he is off doing we don't know what. But he's gone off somewhere half the time..with no explanation.
I feel like this was Verene most of the time. She wasn't satisfied with being powerless and now she's not satisfied being powerful .. what do you want, girl?
I just kept waiting for the Princess to say something, force his hand, put an ultimatum or stop dealing with his bs but no. She just kept saying "I understand" and feeling shitty after every time he ignores her or makes her feel like a bother.
The plot was just as bad. The whole book they kept trying to find out who was the person attacking and plotting against the Princess and will you look at that
Honestly, I loved the first book. I loved the dynamic between the main characters and them acting like Royals with capital R. This book ... not so much.
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