The Rowan's Stone

Killian Blade #2

by Stella Brie

Arden's search for her destiny inadvertently revealed the true lineage of witches everywhere and a secret history hidden long ago.

Now, she needs to find the meaning and purpose of the Rowan. With questions piling up and a parchment stingy with answers, she must look to the past before she can embrace her future.

But Arden and the Imperium Cadre will find the road to the past riddled with battle, betrayal and millennium old secrets. To uncover the answers they seek, they must trust in the strength they find together, or all will be lost.

For when the fierce winds of change blow, hidden agendas and powerful enemies are unveiled.


*This is a why choose, reverse harem, paranormal, urban fantasy romance, with FMMMMM relationship. 18+ years of age due to mature content.*

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Vampires, Fae, Demons

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2021

About the author

Author of steamy contemporary and paranormal romance books, Stella Brie lives outside of Nashville, TN, with her husband and golden retriever, Bailey.
After her husband challenged her to write a paragraph, she wrote a book! Ideas are pestering her night and day now. She's currently in her writing cave, but when not writing, you can find her reading, boxing, traveling and all the other good things in life.

Reviews

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pages: 319
My rating: 3.5

I like the story and the characters. The problem her is that the characters are very old (age is listed in the List with Characters and other important stuff). And there is little development in the Characters. Sure the guys see that they need Arden and they are all very protective about her but the changes are small and I wonder if there will be more changes in the future. Also the guy work together for a long time and Arden fits in seamlessly. She either just does what they tell her or she is the one having a plan and going through with it. I wish they had more interaction.

But the story is good and the series held my interest and I am looking forward to book three.

The Characters and others: Names and descriptions of the persons

Arden: hybrid: witch and something, needs Allies, was raised by a Fae Princess (Solandis) and her Demon Mate (Vargas Karth) and belongs to the House of the Princess of the Light Fae and Vargas Karth who is Lucifers executioner, knows Lucifer, Callyx is her brother because of her adoption, is immortal, 328 years old,
Lord Theron: Fae lord, member of Imperium Cadre, 1833 years old, immortal,
Daire: First Vampire, Hybrid, Member of Imperium Cadre, Lucifer’s son, his mother was a witch, Prince of the Underworld, immortal, 1603 years old,
Prince Fallon: Hybrid, Elven Prince, Member of Imperium Cadre, 2006 years old, second oldest, immortal, Son of the Light Elven King and the sister of the Dark Elven Queen’s sister.
Astor: half Incubus and half Warlock Hybrid, Member of the Imperium Cadre, 1645 years old, immortal
Valerian: King of the Dragons, Member of Imperium Cadre, Arden’s mate, helps her with her fighting skills, legendary warrior, killed his father and is not liked by the dragons, 2778 years, immortal, loved Moira MacAllister, who was killed by his father
Merindah: Nickname Meri, Ardens trainer on the job, Fae, mimics the magic of others without stealing it, sees power, shares Arden’s destiny, becomes Ardens friend
Maya: married to a shifter, helps to manage the Abby, alpha of a lion pride
Solandis: Princess of the house of light, sister of the queen, is mated to Lord Vargas Karth, her political capital is limited because of her mate
Vargas Karth:
Callyx: Son of Solandis and Vargas Karth, brother to Arden, Lucifer’s enforcer, is protective of Arden
Gia Perrone: Arden’s mum, seer
Solange: Daire’s girlfriend of two years, her parents are Lucifer’s friends, Vampire
Henry: Butler of Witchwood, likes Arden
Caro Pennington and Adam Pennington: Caro, leading the Coven, likes the power, Head of the Coven, Nico head of House Perrone, their daughter is Cassandra, who is egoistical and Charlotte
Santiago and Reyna: Santiago head of house Martinez, can transform into different animals, Reyna is Santiago’s daughter, a weak witch, doesn’t like Cassandra, doesn’t like Caro
Bianca Perrone: witch, who tests Ardens abilities, also allies herself to Ardens group, Nico’s sister
Claire:
Amelie Von Dietrich: witch with fae blood

bloodlines: bloodline 1: witch & Elves, Nico Perrone, Seer,
bloodline 2, witch & Fae, Amelie Von Dietrich, mastery of illusion and glamour
bloodline 3, witch & Demon, Caro Pennington, mastery of spell casting and shielding
bloodline 4, witch & Elven, Adam Matery of healing and potions
bloodline 5, witch & Fae, Katarina Ivanov, Mastery of Elemental powers
bloodline 6, witch & Shifter, Santiago Martinez, transfiguration
bloodline 7, witch & Dragon, MacAllister, Moira affinity for blood magic and elements

infinity within a circle: Ancient Symbol means sanctuary for all supernaturals
The Abby: Sanctuary owned and managed by Imperium Cadre
cadres: groups of supernaturals from distinct races, of like power, who form a sacred bond, their bond and combined magic create helps enforce the rules of a sanctuary
Imperium Cadre: group of warriors including an Elven prince, a Fae lord, a warlock, the First Vampire and the King of Dragons



Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler

In this book the Imperial Cadre and Arden try to find out more about Ardens past. At the beginning of the Book Arden and Theron go to Witchwood to look into the Archives and hope they find information about the MacAllisters. She they arrive there, they meet Cassandra and Arden tells her that Cassandra still owns her and apology. But Cassandra tells her she will not apologise. But then Cassandra attack Arden, after she found out that Arden is a witch from seven bloodlines. Until then she thought that she is the strongest witch. Caro appears and makes Cassandra take the blame for the scheme Caro came up with and tells her to apologise. Cassandra obeys and leaves. And Arden tells Caro that forcing her daughter will cost her. After that they attend the witch councils meeting where Arden tries to start changes in the politics and acknowledge hybrids. But they postpone the decision.

Meri visits Arden. She tells Arden how she met Callyx, that he saved her from a dark Demon. But when Arden leaves to get supplies she sees that Meri is taking pictures from her mothers letter and the blank sheet of paper. Arden does not ask Meri why she did it just lets her go. But she feels that Meri is in trouble.

Arden asks Theron to make a plan for all the task they have to solve, like finding the MacAllister journals and her father. Theron gives everybody a fitting task and the guys have to leave The Abby for a few days. Daire has to go to the Underworld because his father needs his help to beat an upheaval. Valerian has to go to his kingdom and find any information regarding the MacAllisters. He is unhappy because he doesn’t have the best relationship with the Dragons and his council. Fallon wants to teach Arden Elven Magic and see if she has Elven heritage. While Arden is not very successful with Fallon feels that Arden has Elven Magic. He unravels her hidden magic and tell her that she has Elven magic.

When Arden and Astor go back to Witchwoold to look at the Archives (they forgot about this the last time they visited) she sees a devastated Caro. Cassandra is gone. Arden offers to help Caro and find Cassandra. Astor is very unhappy about this. But Arden does it anyway. They find Cassandra, who ran away but Caro does not tell them where Cassandra is but choose to lie about it.
When Arden asks about the archives she finds out that Caro already pulled all documents about the MacAllisters and she tells them that Henry will send them to The Abby.

Daire tells the others, that there is a rebellion in the Underworld. He also finds out that Alan’s servant meets with a person who has Shadows like Callinyx. He come to the conclusion that Alan is the traitor and that he can’t go through with the plan Lucifer made. He calls in help from his friends and everybody brings a small Army to the underworld. Vargas helps to create the needed portals and asks where his daughter Arden is. When the guys tell him that Arden agreed to stay behind he just smiles.

While each army takes a position at the back of the Rebel Army and the sides Lucifer is in the command tend with Alan and his allies and some loyal guards. Arden arrives there dressed in her mothers armour and Alan thinks it’s Solandis and diseases her. She greets Lucifer who knows who she is. She stays with him, to protect him, because she sees that Alan brought some Allies with him. She traces who is friend or foe. But then a mountain crashes on Fallon and his army and she has to leave to help there but before she warns Lucifer that his friend Alan is a traitor. Because she knows where Fallon is, she can locate him and they free most of his Army, only his second in command is missing. Arden encourages him to locate him and Fallon tries with Arden and his Army giving him power. They can free him alive but badly injured. So Fallon sends him back to his father to be healed.

Arden is on her way back to Lucifer with Daire. But suddenly a portal is opened and strange beings attack both armies. And suddenly all soldier, rebels or Lucifers allies fight the strange beings. Vargas tries to close the portal but he has trouble and Daire helps him, while his friends have their backs. Arden goes to Lucifer on her own. But while watching the portal and Vargas and Daire’s efforts Lucifer and Alan are missing. She finds loyal guard of Lucifer who tell her where they went and she takes the two guards and goes after them just in time to take down some of Alan’s men who try to sneak up on Lucifer. Lucifer is saved and when Alan tells him that he struck a deal with the Prime a hole opens and takes Alan.

Arden is attacked by Solange. But Daire finally whips out his wings and saves Arden from a bad fall. And Solange disappears like her father, when Lucifer interrogates her.

Next they go to the Dragons. They meet with an old Dragon lady who knew the MacAllister Matriarch. She got a chain with a pendant which helps her remember the MacAllisters and she was asked to wear it her whole life. She takes Arden to the Rowan and Arden finds many things which the MacAllisters saved. A Journal and a Grimoire which show that she is a MacAllister. They transport everything to The Abby for safekeeping. Then they visit the Chamber which Arden saw and thinks that it was a seers dream. There Valerien announces that Arden is his mate. But his people are unhappy and one stabs Arden. They don’t want that the King is mated to a witch. But Arden survives the stabbing because she is immortal. When she is healed she fights the Dragon who stabbed her. He thinks it will be a easy fight because Arden is a woman, but Arden teaches him better and she kills him. She tells them that they should have more honour and respect the king. And the King tells them that there will be changes: a new council, new guards and the laws will be reviewed and the people will decide which one should be kept and which ones have to go. The Kings stays there to start the changes.

Meanwhile the others find out that five MacAllister girls were sent away, four were a decoy one was there to survive. Two were killed near their home by dragons. One went to Fae and was killed after a year. She had met a fae and fell in love but she was found and killed. They think that the guy is working for the queen, so they ask Solandis to ask around. Next they visit the light Elves. But the girl made it there and was killed too. Fallon is disappointed that Arden is a Dark Elven. He hates them because he thinks that they killed his mother.

Before they go to the dark Elves Meri visits Arden. And again Arden catches Meri photographing here stuff and she is on the phone with somebody and tells the person about the box they found, which hold the Rowan’s Stone, a stone that was fed with the blood of the MacAllisters and which fuelled the magic of all witches. Arden confronts Meri and Meri tells her that Arden was sheltered and she know nothing about the real life and will not survive there. Arden lets her go and is very angry.

The last visit is to the dark Elves Kingdom. They first visit the village where the girl went. They find somebody who knew her and she tells them that she fell in love with the dark elven kings son. But the son went into hiding, when the old king was murdered by the new king. He took the name of the blacksmith and went away with the MacAllister girl. But they do not know where they went. They come up with the idea that they should take a look at the archives. Therefore they need to ask if they are allowed to see the archives. When they go to visit the archives they meet the Queen and they see a picture of a woman. Arden asks the Queen and she tells her that the woman is her sister and that she died. She tells the whole story. And Arden realises that she is talking about Fallon mum and that his mum was not murdered by the dark Elven but by his father. She tells the Queen, who is very upset and asks them to tell Fallon to visit her.

In the archives they find nothing but bank spaces with no names and the guy working in the archives is on vacation. So they have to return again, and this time they find the name of the blacksmith. They return home and go out for a celebratory dinner. When they leave the restaurant a portal opens and a woman and a man step out. The woman gives Arden a box and tells her that it will help her on her journey and that she can’t come into the land of the dark Elven because it is not save. And her father will contact her, when it is save again.

When Arden opens the box, she finds the journal of the MacAllister witch, who is her ancestor.

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review at book 1

[Cat H · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 stars.
I’m so freaking engrossed in this story I don’t even want to take the time to write a review before getting to the next book.
I just want answers.
The relationships are going a bit slower than I’d prefer, but everything else is really making up for it and keeping me occupied and interested.
I’m so excited to see how everything wraps up in the last book.
I wanna see their HEA sooooo bad.

[Des ❀ (Book Boys Do It Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

stella brie has done it again!
four starts for this fantastic continuation of The Rowan.

this series is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and i can’t help but recommend it to anyone who will listen. so if you’re reading this, melissa, it’s time to jump on the train. 😉

stella somehow manages to keep us learning as the fmc does, but it doesn’t feel the same way as other books. it feels like the world has been built behind the curtain and we’re just along for the ride as the characters pull it back- or, more like, slash through it.

you can tell that SO MUCH thought and effort has been put into this storyline, and it blows me away that this is one of the authors first books. can you say talent? like, the storyline for how vamps were created is just so... *chefs kiss*

not only that, but i am absolutely OBSESSED with the fmc. somehow she is this intriguing combination of sassy and bad ass, but she’s also amazingly compassionate and not afraid to own up to her mistakes. i love how she sticks up for herself, how CONSISTENTLY strong she is, (because some books make the fmc like *the most powerful person ever* and yet she’s easily defeated... like cmon guys 😩 somethings not adding up here. but i digress...) and how she actually takes advice from other characters. (!!! this is a big one)

as for the guys, i love them sooooo much. especially theron 🥵 he’s definitely jumped to the front of the line. ... and fallon has been shoved to the back. he is SO ANNOYING and i! don’t! like! him! anymore! he needs to be hit over the head with a boulder. 🤧 (can you tell i have strong feelings about this series yet?) but i truly enjoy how like in real life, the characters have relationship problems that they need to work through- BUT it doesn’t take over the book or have too much drama. it’s a nice balance of reality and still now overloading the internal conflicts along the external ones. it’s more like.. growing pains.

i could go on and on forever, but i’ll just leave this review with my last bit of appreciation for this book and the encouragement that you get to reading this series ASAP.

[Princess J. Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I wished!

Oh how I wish book three of this series was out and ready for me to read... I've so enjoyed this series so far and I have fallen in love with all five of the alpha heroes... And I especially like the heroine of this book because she beautiful, smart, and kick ass! Yes!

So now we wait....

Overall Rating:
4* ~ A Very Good Read

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Brie continues her well-written and flat-out enjoyable series with The Rowan's Stone. Arden continues to be an outstanding FMC who's confident and sure of herself, but not cocky; caring and kind, but doesn't allow herself to be taken advantage of; and capable, but understands when she needs help. The Imperium cadre, for most of the book, show themselves to be deserving of this awesome woman, with some bumps and bruises along the way. If it's been a bit since you read book 1, I would recommend possibly re-reading or skimming prior to diving in here. The Rowan's Stone starts where book 1 left off and there's no summary of what happened in the first book like some books do. Not a pro or a con in my mind, I just needed to catch my bearings on some characters/places and I imagine others might appreciate a refresher first.

I thought the relationship development in this second book was paced well and flowed naturally for each guy at their own pace. There's no rushing on anyone's part and we get more familiar with each of the guys. Each of these men has some form of painful past, yet they've devoted themselves at the point of this story, to helping others. They're certainly not perfect though and there are mistakes made here, some more easily solved than others. There's also more steam in this book to go along with the relationships deepening. The guys continue to support each other and work together in supporting Arden. They're such a fantastic unit.

While there are answers to some of the mysteries surrounding Arden, plenty of mystery remains, along with some new questions popping up. Kingdoms are visited and drama ensues. The side characters, both good and not so good, are interesting and developed too. I love her family, love them so much. As she continues to learn about her heritage and searches for her father, I'm hopeful any new family will be as incredible as her adopted family. This book ends much like the first, with more of a lead-in to the next one than a true cliffhanger. This series has been such a wonderful read when I've struggled to consistently find books that hit the sweet spot of what I want.

[Jeanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t as exciting as the last but it moved the plot forward considerably. I will continue the series.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now your talking!!!

Loved this book, much improved upon the first one ! This author is like fine vintage wine just needed a bit more time to settle and now I’m loving the story! Arden’s journey continues and the mystery of her heritage unravels at the same time as her relationships grow with her harem. Well worth a read !

[Angie Metzner · Rating 5 out of 5]

.

Omg!!! I cannot get enough of this story! I just finished this in less than a day. I have to start the next one....like, right now!!

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a fantastic second installment to this series! We learn much more about the world and the central characters, have plenty of action, and plenty of steam.

Arden and her men are diligently working to uncover the information they need to find out not only about her heritage, but to hopefully get better insight into her destiny. As clues are uncovered and leads followed, Arden strives to strengthen the relationships between herself and the cadre.

I loved seeing the evolution of the plot in this book. Arden claims her place in witch society, we learn more about the background of the cadre from formation to today, kingdoms are shaken up, betrayals discovered, and of course we have new questions to be answered.

I can hardly wait for Arden’s bonds to be solidified with her men, to find out the final pieces of the puzzle, and of course see the defeat of the hidden enemy. This book is incredible and I highly recommend it.

[Jennifer Helms · Rating 5 out of 5]

fell in love

I love this book, more steps to the truth and her feelings for each guy. I feel so part of this world so designed beautifully but enough detail where your own imagination fills in more detail.

[R.J. Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as the first. I thought it was actually too fast-paced, I feel like it would of benefited by slowing down and spending more time on the details. There wasn't enough depth to any of the scenes it was just go go go.

[Lucent · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.2 stars

I am super disappointed.
The first book was so good, I am beyond confused.
Dnf @ 26% and that's after me PUSHING myself to keep reading.
All passion is gone, nothing is entertaining me, everything is slow and the harem is split up.
Completely bored and let down.

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - quit at 16%
I really tried to force myself to keep reading, but it just wasn't in me to do it. I just couldn't get into this book like I did book 1. It wasn't holding my attention like book 1 did. The flow was incredibly slow, just seemed to drag, and that also didn't help my focus on the story. I also didn't feel the "relationships" with the RH. There was more chemistry in book 1 than this book.

At my age (approaching 60), life is way to short & my time is to important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously Engaging Urban Fantasy RH Romance

This is the second book in a continuing series and follows where the first book is left off. I loved the first book and have been waiting with bated breath for this book because the story is wonderful. I was not disappointed even after all the internal hype my brain was giving it.

I really love it when authors write meaty books you can really get your teeth into. Especially, when they don’t shy away from writing about the details that surround the characters and plot, which create fantastic worlds that captivate. This book has that in spades. Stella Brie has a wonderful imagination and I love how she has created the different races of the supernatural and the societies in which they dwell. We learn an awful lot more about the different races in this book and my interest just keeps getting more piqued.

In this book, we find out why the books are about ‘The Rowan’. We learn so much and find out we know so little. There is still an excess of information to uncover for Arden and the Cadre and with each step along the journey, you become more invested in the answers that they hunt down.

Stella Brie is a master at dangling little hints, foreshadowing and layering information. It’s so enjoyable to read books by an author who is competent as well as imaginative. Whilst a book with an intriguing plot can be entertaining and engaging, when you have a really competent author, such as this one, your mind gets engaged as well as your heart, and I love that.

During the course of this book, Arden gets to spend more time with the individual members of the Cadre and their relationships slowly evolve. As I said in my review of the first book, I love that these relationships are allowed room to breathe. These are ancient beings that have all the time in the world to relish new and interesting relationships. Despite the leisurely approach to romance, there is still plenty of time for a lot of passion and affection. I particularly liked how nurturing these terrifying ancient individuals are to a relatively (328 years old) young woman. They spend time training her and helping her to become the powerful witch she has the potential to become.

I really cannot speak highly enough of this series and I will once more spend my time waiting with bated breath for the next book. I’m certain it will be well worth the wait if this level of writing continues, as I’m sure it will. If you haven't read it already, go and read the first book, it’s just as good!

[Courtney Saba · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me forever to finish.

Everything I liked in the first book was thrown out the window. My predictions from the first book were correct. The flaws in the first book were exaggerated here. And the things I forgave the first book for in the assumption that the second book wouldn't have them were all here and very obvious.

Arden is the Mary Sue with a gold medal, i.e. she is the worst of the worst, winning all-time-winner for the Maryest of Sues of all time. She's developing powers left and right, and very easily. Her character is not developing. She throws a tantrum bc things didn't go her way. She's just very sheltered and I don't see her growing at all at this point. She's stagnant, and I'm not into her anymore. She just wins and gets everything she wants ALL THE TIME WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I'm tired of it.

The men. Still superficially great, but the infatuation and the random romantic paragraphs/sentences and the monologues about their lives were getting a little tedious and repetitive and cringey. I think they all fell for Arden too quickly.

The dates. Lackluster. It's almost to the point where I can't even see or feel the chemistry anymore (did I even see or feel it in the first book? Idk, maybe I wanted chemistry so badly that I saw it where there was none). The sex scenes were boring. Even the part I was looking forward to the most (Daire biting her - I love vampires 🤤) was boring. Other reviewers have said it: there's no emotion or emotional depth in this story. The writing feels like a step by step checklist with no heart or soul. There's skill, but zero indications as to WHY I should care about these characters.

I skimmed where I could, starting at the halfway mark. This also DRAGGED so slowly. I wanted to DNF, but I'm curious about who her dad is and who the Prime is (they started calling it the Primary instead and it got on my nerves).

I really don't want to read the 3rd book. But questions need to be answered. I'll skim every bit of it (maybe I'll slow down a bit for Fallon's scenes, but I'm keeping my expectations low).

Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really want to love this book more. You can tell the author really put forth the effort to build the world and plot the action. However, she’s also managed to write a Mary Sue who makes no mistakes and always knows the right thing to say. There’s very little antagonism here - there are bad guys but they never win, or even come close. The stakes are high but they feel low, because everything is just so…boring? That’s not quite the word I want, but maybe unrealistic. The first book had the men being wary of her, feeling desire but not trust. There’s just no internal friction and everything seems so easy. A character who has a lot of power needs to be offset by some other fault to balance them out, otherwise they’re not very interesting. Everything just goes so smoothly and according to plan. You keep waiting on something to go wrong, but it doesn’t. So you get all anxious and then…nothing.

As for the big reveal, it’s telegraphed fairly early in the book, so a smart reader would guess it right away. In fact, a lot of things are telegraphed in ways that spoil their reveals.

It also took forever for me to remember who the MMCs are in the universe. I had to go back and read parts of the last book to remember. Normally, I hate that sort of repetition, but it was hard to remember who was the elf, who was the fae, which of the remaining two was the vampire and what then did that make the last guy? Maybe a dramatis personae at the beginning would help us remember.

Also, I get the feeling that she’s either setting up a second series set in the same universe, this time with Meri and a variety of male characters who seem to serve no other purpose than to set up that series. I don’t like sacrificing main character time to set up secondary characters, but YMMV.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building Mystery

I don't know why I've waited so long to start this series but now I'm all in and will definitely be stalking the author for the next release.

Book two is my favorite of this series so far. More of the puzzle is starting to come together and the relationships between Arden and the Cadre are starting to deepen and expand. The mystery of who Arden is and what her purpose is gains a lot of momentum in this second installment. Excited for book three!

Ratings (out of possible 5)
Character building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

World building: 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 (really strong world building that will keep your mind and imagination fully engaged)

Relationship building: 💓 💓 💓 💓 💓

Romance: 💋 💋 💋 💋 (I would classify this as a slow/med build for the romance - which is my preference - the chemistry between the fmc and her guys is strong, but could be developed even further)

Heat/steam: 🔥 🔥 🔥 1/2 (some sweet steamy times ensue, on the relatively tame side - no group action)

Drama: 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Action: 🍿 🍿 🍿 (a really exciting and visually rich battle scene occurs, we get to see a bit more about what Arden is capable of)

Suspense: 💣 💣 💣

Dark: 💀 Nothing too terribly dark in this series so far.

Triggers: Some minor mentions and insinuation of child neglect and abuse.

Length: 300+ pages

POV: Multiple (largely from the fmc)

Ending: Mild cliffhanger

Recommend: YES 👍 👍

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a 5 star rating. How could it not be?! I am loving this series. I absolutely am invested in all of the characters. I love everyone's character and relationship development. I wish there was a little more emotional connection with everyone but it's not that it isn't there I just feel like my soul connection is missing a little bit. I cannot wait for book #3!! I am so excited to see where this series goes because I feel like there is so much that is going to happen and I can't wait.

Reread: 6/8/22

[Alyrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I Love

This series so far has everything I love. A strong heroine who is kind and intelligent, great character and relationship development, an intriguing plot and excellent pacing. Though I liked book 1 just a little bit more, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this installment and can't wait for book 3!

[Irene Kiew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great second installment that kept up the pace. I love how Arden had been able to somehow restore Daire's ability to heal in book 1, and in this book she encourages Valerian to take his rightful place as king of the dragons and throw off the shackles of the past. He was already king, but he wasn't really acting as one, because he was crippled by guilt over how he had taken the throne, and also weighed down by grief at what had happened to the woman he loved. The connection between the guys and Arden is very much two-way.

I really appreciated this because in too many RH books, the guys all sort of orbit around the FMC and protect and care for her, but they don't seem to have their own missions and goals. They're just there to support her and be her sidekicks. It happens both when the FMC is a badass and is destined to save the world, and also when she's broken and needs help and rescuing. Here, though, like I said in my review of book 1, each guy has his own thing to do and has roles and responsibilities outside of the Cadre, also outside of helping Arden.

And just like they spar and train with Arden and steadfastly stand by her side has she wrangles with Caro and the witches, she also stands by Daire's side as he helps his father Lucifer battle uprisings in the Underworld, and stands by Valerian's side as he starts to make changes among the dragon community.

I was exceedingly confused because there is a light Elven king and a dark Elven king, as well as a light Fae king and a dark Fae king. I still don't know the difference between the elves and the fae and the light and the dark. Also, HOW DOES TEXTING STILL WORK WHEN THEY ARE IN DIFFERENT REALMS?! There really should be some explanation for that. They're continually texting each other even when they are separated and one is in the Underworld, another is in the Elven or Fae lands, and one is back at their home. This unfortunately was a bit distracting to me.

Arden discovers more about her family history and the other half of her that came from her father. I like how things unveiled, not too quicky and easily, yet also not too slowly that it felt draggy. It feels like plots within plots and my mind got boggled when I realised that some of these events must have been planned more than a thousand years ago, because her ancestress, a powerful seer, had forseen certain events and later her mother had also forseen and prepared for them. So the powerful idea of destiny is intriguing, and Arden's courage never wavers.

I did, however, think she was a bit dumb cos Meri was acting oddly and she knew Meri was up to something. It was plain as the nose on my face that Meri was not trustworthy, but Arden continued to treat Meri like her best friend and share all sorts of secrets with her. This was annoying because I felt it was out of character. A girl who has faced 17 assassination attempts in over 300 years would instantly be wary and suspect Meri of having some nefarious plans, or at the very least an ulterior motive. She'd not continue blithely trusting Meri, cos that's a really fast way to get killed. Come on!

Arden solidifies her bond with Astor and Theron, leaving only Fallon remaining. I'm still not sure if just sex is sufficient to seal bonds, because that's all they seem to do, in which case, wouldn't you end up maybe accidentally bonding a one-night-stand? There's no blood exchange or matching marks / tattoos appearing on the skin or, as I said in my review of book 1, a mate mark bite. So I'm thinking, where's the sign of commitment? The metaphysical connection? This is so different from other paranormal romances and RH that I've read, where once the FMC and her mate(s) are bonded, sometimes they can speak to each other telepathically, or sense each other's emotions. At the very least, they have a sense of their mate's presence within them, like their mate's essence left an imprint or part of themselves there. But here, nada. There doesn't seem to be anything of the sort. It's confusing to me.

I don't think I have a favourite among her mates, which is unusual. I do feel like they are so different and the story gives each such an equal amount of time that it is impossible to choose. This is also rare in RH, that the author was able to accomplish this and fully flesh out each of the five men. I'm very impressed at that.

[AMG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supernaturals/Enemies to Lovers/Kick Ass FC

SYNOPSIS (of 4 Book series): The FC is a 300 year old witch who has been hiding with her foster family, a fae princess and Lucifer‘s executioner, in a „pocket realm“ waiting for a sign that it is time for her to fulfil her destiny. Her natural mother was a seer and left instructions as to when the FC should come out of hiding and what she should do when she did. When the FC comes to the real world she connects with the Imperium Cadre, a group consisting of an Elf, Fae Prince, Dragon King, Incubus and Vampire who are destined to help her and who run a Sanctuary for supernaturals that is also a nightclub. The story arc covers how she slowly learns about her heritage, her natural parents and her role as the Rowan to bring balance back to the world and defeat the Prime. The final book includes a climactic battle and HEA.

The books are well written and there is plenty happening to keep the reader engaged. The world building is good and the relationship building OK although a bit rushed for my liking. I very much liked the FC who was strong and could hold her own. I like an FC who can fight and stand up for herself. The MCs were all likeable and individual so you could see how different each of their relationships with the FC were. The one downside for me was that whilst there was plenty of sex I felt it lacked heat and was a bit on the clunky side. This author also took the approach that whilst the MCs were all friends and in a cadre the FC‘s relationship with each and the sex scenes were all separate and individual which was an interesting approach.

For me, whilst I enjoyed the story arc and the FC I just couldn‘t fully engage with the romantic story line. I could not connect with or feel the relationships between the FC and each of the MCs but that could just have been me not gelling with this author‘s style. They just seemed to feel superficial and cold, I‘m not sure why.

Finally, the story was quite basic and not unique in that the FC‘s destiny was to kill the evil Prime and the Prime had seen the future and tried to eradicate the FC and her family to prevent her from achieving her destiny. The FC herself was a super strong one of a kind witch hybrid. Surprise, surprise the Prime failed to stop the FC who had been hidden away. I felt that the unveiling of who the Prime was was anticlimactic as instead of there being a big reveal its kind of just stated in a conversation who it is and how they discover it is by reading some diary entries.

Still, a good, enjoyable series and well written.

[Bel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐

Book #2

✅ Fantasy: witches, vampires, shifters, Fae, dragons, warlocks,... Mixed race
✔️ RH
✅ Romance/romantic interests
✅ Plot
✅🆗 Pace
✅ Unknown past/powers
✅ Powerful FMC
✔️ Powerful, protective alpha males
✅🆗 Mates


Arden knows what she needs to finally unravel her heritage and discover who her father is. The problem is how.

She knows she needs to find some diaries and learn about her hidden powers, but it is not that easy when one doesn't know to which race one belongs.

With the help of her family and the five powerful members of the cadre - an Elven prince, a Fae lord, the First Vampire, a warlock incubus, and the King of Dragons - little by little she uncovers buried secrets that not only will shape her but also shake the supernatural world.


Notes:

I liked this book less than the first.

Sometimes it is a little confusing with all the combinations of races and which powers one has. Especially in cases of beings from mixed races and even more when they themselves are descendents of mixed beings as well.
This world and its beings are not quite clear.
These are the beings that have been mentioned:
- Elves
- Light Elves
- Dark Elves
- Fae
- Light Fae
- Dark Fae
- Witches: 7 bloodlines, each with their own unique power
- Warlocks
- Vampires
- Demons
- Dragons
- Shifters
- Trolls
- Sorceresses

(Not much difference between Elves and Fae, except Elves can animate inanimate objects. And I haven't discovered what is the difference between Light and Dark neither in the Elves nor the Fae)


I cringed with some scenes. They where over the top, they dealt with something a little too perfectly or exposed their feelings too much.

Arden doesn't really struggle much with her power.




And as always my respect to the author.
No hate nor hurt intended with this review.

[Colleen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love It and Need More!

The first book by this author in the series was awesome. The woman with so much mystery continues to be a mystery but with a lot more people in her life. The cover shows you a woman with magic. What you don’t see is the dragon, the first vampire who is also the son of Lucifer and a prince, a strong, icy Fae with ties to two courts he is a Lord but should truly be more, The warlock who is both light and dark, brilliant and smart and also an incubus and an Elvin Prince of the light Elves.The woman is a total bad as*, she’s a warrior who takes no crap from anyone and she’s amazing to read about. This second book has a lot more sex in it in many different ways. It isn’t overly graphic but the pictures build in your mind. Always searching for something each of these men want a piece of her whether it’s mates or lovers. It is wonderful to see her be able to give each of them their own part of her. She gives each of them exactly what they need in their heart and for their body and they in turn protect her, guide her, train with her, fight with her in battle and admire her. This book is about finding her destiny and she finds a lot of things and somethings remain a mystery waiting to carry-on for the next book which I really want right now! All is consensual for mature readers. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy who loves witches, demons, vampires, Fae, Elven and long lost secrets. This is not a wimpy woman! She is strong and brave; a true warrior who never backs down. She doesn’t need anyone to fight for her yet the cadre would do anything for her. She is the strongest female main character I have read in this genre and it is refreshing! Love it! Need more!

[g · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so wow. There were a lot of development on the storyline and I love it.

She turned the witches' world upside down with the changes she proposed. Caro has gone crazy and her daughter finally realizes there's a bigger and badder witch around.

There was a battle in the Underworld because of a rebellion and she proved herself useful instead of letting the guys (mainly, Daire and Astor) keep her in The Abbey for her safety. Love that Daire thought he was keeping her innocent about what happens in a battle and it turns out she's already had experience with it because of Vargas.

Her vision about the stabbing came to pass and as a result, Valerian's kingdom is on the mend.

Her relationship with the guys deepened and Fallon is the only hold out. She's spending time with them connecting and talking instead of just having sex unlike with other RH books. There weren't even much loving going on in this book (which we could use a lot more of lol).

Meri's betrayal was no surprise, she was already sus in the first book, and I kinda wish Arden killed her already instead of letting her go. I also hate Meri's connection with Cormal and Callyx. Ugh

The most memorable thing about this book though was the story of the MacAllisters that she's piecing together. Her mother's and Agnes' letters to her made me cry. To know what the future holds, and not be able to change anything about it or even be alive to see it... That's just a different level of heartbreaking. And having a whole lineage be wiped out and nearly forgotten, when they were actually the first witches and the source of the witches power, it makes me mad.

More actions, revelations, and connections to look forward to in the next book!

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure how to rate this one. It almost read like two separate books
I loved the first part, the full on, large scale battle -surprising and brilliant.
The second part is where it starts getting overly complicated and somewhat convoluted with her whole heritage thing, way too much. total overload. It's like she threw the kitchen sink at it. And finding out that this isn't her quest as such but she's simply following a trail laid thousands of years ago. Plus all the cryptic shit that comes with that. ugh.
Loved Glynnis (the elder dragon) though, she's a hoot.
During this said second part is also when it starts falling into familiar tropes, picking up stronger influences from other stories...

Still, on a whole I liked the urban fantasy aspect of it. The romance/reverse harem not so much. While I like them individually, they don't feel like a harem, much less a romance. It's all rather haphazard with random encounters thrown in here and there. Too many of them (I prefer harems with 3-4 guys) and no relationship to speak of with any of them. Not really any chemistry between them and her and every time her voice gets "husky" again I can't help but roll my eyes...

Then again this kinda speaks of the characters themselves. Sure, they're likeable enough for the most part, but at the same time rather flat and one dimensional. There's no character development, especially with Arden. She was plopped into the story fully formed.
And while I definitely prefer stories with a competent, confident fmc who knows who she is, you still want them to learn things, grow as a person, in a relationship that sort of thing.
A bit too much of a Mary Sue I guess.

[Kayla Pipkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad to be a part of this journey.
Absolutely loved this book.
And this series.

I did have to go back and give myself a minor refresher because I couldn't quite remember how book one had ended.
But after that I was jumping right into the story line and immersing myself within.

This series is one of the better ones I have read lately.
You get so much from the characters, the author, and the plot line.
You never know where things are going to go next.
Always on the edge of your seat.

Arden is a great FMC.
For one, how awesome of a name is that?!
Love it.
But she is so much more than that.
She is sassy without coming across as arrogant. Bad ass but yet knows when she needs help.
And has so much compassion.

The guys in the story are just as loveable, if not more so.
There are things that will have you either moving them further up the list or wanting to bash them over the head for the dumb things they do, but they are so believable.
You feel as though this could be everyday life if you were in this situation.
Relatable.
The relationships grow naturally and progress linearly without seeming to be forced.

There is so much I could say about this series, but I don't want to give too much away.
We have some of the mysteries from the first book solved, while more questions popping up for us just dying to know the answers to.
While it does end leading us to want me, it isn't too unbearable.
More like it leads us to the next one.

Definitely excited to see what the next book will bring us.
Highly recommend checking out this series.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 2 of Arden's quest to discover who and what she really is. 
Together with Theron, Daire, Valerian, and Fallon, she's in for a hell of a ride in this installment.

This book dives a lot deeper into the backstory of the men, and while handling situations in the Underworld, the Kingdom of Dragons, and so much more, we get to see what everyone is made of (spoiler: they do not disappoint ;) )
We meet family and friends; some we like to see, others we really could do without.

I personally love that Arden is immortal and that she's not just 28 years old. She's had centuries to mature and learn how to kick ass, and she does it with style :)
She's no damsel in distress, needing to be saved, but she's starting to learn when to call for help from one of the guys.
There is no 'insta-love' in the series... insane attraction, yes, but they're all weary and careful.
Each character, from Arden to the men, has unique strengths and flaws, which makes them all the more interesting.

All in all, good worldbuilding and excellent character development.

I read this part in one sitting. It was smooth sailing from start to finish, and honestly, I cannot wait to start on the next installment.
Ohhh… I just figured out that part three is the 'final' book for Arden and her men. The other books in the series are Meri's story.
Welll…. I think I might read this one somewhere in between, soonish :D

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy, romance (reverse harem), and strong female characters.

[Paige Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been itching to get my hands on book two since January. I was so excited, with admittedly high expectations, and I’m delighted to say that it did not disappoint.
It picks up where book one left off, which is nice. Nothing feels rushed in terms of character development or plot; it all feels as though it is unravelling at a nice steady pace- which I love. What I also appreciate is that with every new mystery/twist that pops up, we’re given answers or hints for the questions we all had from book one. (Her other half, the vision from the dragon kingdom, Meri and Callyx…) Don’t get me wrong, there are still a lot of things that I need answers for, and I can’t wait to discover them with the characters.
Possible Spoilers!
It was fun trying to guess where the plot was going though (for a split second I thought that Cormal was going to be her father). I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book!
Speaking of characters, as the journey continues for Arden, we get to see more characters, both ones that briefly appeared in book one and a couple of new ones. But they all bring something to the story, and I hope they keep appearing- especially Lucifer, Cormal and Glynnis… and the family of course; love Vargas.
And as an added bonus, the amount of Theron and Fallon POVs in this book just makes my heart sing with happiness.
Stella Brie has done a remarkable job and I cannot wait for book three! This series is definitely one of my favourites, one I cannot recommend enough.

[TheHobbyest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rowan's Stone is book 2 in The Killian Blade Series, and Stella Brie's third book published. It blows me away that this is only her third book. Stella Brie's writing style is so well done, and makes the characters come to life off the page. The story is intriguing, suspenseful and emotional in a way that draws you into the world. A page turner, for sure. I am hooked and left wanting more!

In book 2, Arden is trying to unravel the mystery of her heritage and find out who is trying to assassinate her. With the help of the Imperium Cadre, they work to understand the clues left for her. Additionally, the relationships continue to grow and evolve as she gets to know the men of the cadre.

"I want more. More mornings in bed, more bad jokes, more pain from your sweet little lies, more days spent riding the wind with you wrapped around me. Is it enough?"

Valerian is still my favorite, but the others just melt my heart. It is a sign of a great author to be able to have such a connection to the characters! So many mysteries left, this series definitely draws you in, giving you enough to have the page turning while building momentum and shows no sign of slowing down!

The battle scenes were great, and the action was definitely increased from book 1! I can't wait for the next in the series to see Arden and the guys find the answers!