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Archives of the Invisible Sword #3
The King of Koraha
Hard on the heels of trouble in Zirdai city, Shyla Sun-Kissed and Rendor are ordered to report to the King of Koraha - a summons that is deadly to ignore. The King holds the key to Koraha's existence, but a formidable new enemy threatens Koraha's very survival and the King desperately needs Shyla and Rendor's help.
Wielding a terrifying and unknown magical power that can convert opponents into devoted soldiers, the mysterious army is hellbent on usurping the crown. Shyla and Rendor are tasked with discovering who in the seven hells these insurgents are. And what their real endgame is.
Trekking through the punishing conditions across the searing surface of Koraha, and facing numerous unseen foes and untold danger, they must follow the clues to uncover the truth before it's too late. The fate of the King and all the citizens of Koraha rests in their hands...
Wielding a terrifying and unknown magical power that can convert opponents into devoted soldiers, the mysterious army is hellbent on usurping the crown. Shyla and Rendor are tasked with discovering who in the seven hells these insurgents are. And what their real endgame is.
Trekking through the punishing conditions across the searing surface of Koraha, and facing numerous unseen foes and untold danger, they must follow the clues to uncover the truth before it's too late. The fate of the King and all the citizens of Koraha rests in their hands...
522 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2021
51 people are currently reading
1113 people want to read
About the author
Maria V. Snyder
76 books17.4k followersWhen Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting...at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Over twenty four novels and two short story collections later, Maria’s learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a dozen awards, and has earned her Masters of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member.
Her favorite color is red. She loves dogs, but is allergic, instead she has a big black tom cat named…Kitty (apparently naming cats isn’t in her skill set either). Maria also has a husband and two children who are an inspiration for her writing when they aren't being a distraction. Note: She mentions her cat before her family.
When she's not writing she's either playing pickleball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
Her favorite color is red. She loves dogs, but is allergic, instead she has a big black tom cat named…Kitty (apparently naming cats isn’t in her skill set either). Maria also has a husband and two children who are an inspiration for her writing when they aren't being a distraction. Note: She mentions her cat before her family.
When she's not writing she's either playing pickleball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 26, 2021
The sizzling conclusion to the award winning Archives of the Invisible Sword series!! This one is almost too hot to touch! ;)
November 23, 2021
4.5/5.0
This trilogy, as with so many of Ms. Snyder’s books, if filled with every single thing a fan of fantasy could ever want. It is an action-packed, wildly creative, roller-coaster of a ride that is filled with engaging characters that have depth, along with a side of romance that is both sigh-worthy and strong. And, it all comes together in a tightly written, expertly executed style that is just lovely to endulge in!
This trilogy, as with so many of Ms. Snyder’s books, if filled with every single thing a fan of fantasy could ever want. It is an action-packed, wildly creative, roller-coaster of a ride that is filled with engaging characters that have depth, along with a side of romance that is both sigh-worthy and strong. And, it all comes together in a tightly written, expertly executed style that is just lovely to endulge in!
December 15, 2021
The King of Koraha is Maria V. Snyder's epic conclusion to the Archives of the Invisible Sword trilogy and it is a most exciting and riveting story indeed! This was an incredibly paced story filled with intrigue and conspiracies galore. It was truly unputdownable and I sadden that it's over.
Just when Shyla and Rendor think they might earn some sort of break after saving their beloved city of Zirdai, they are summoned by the the king himself. They find themselves traveling the harsh deserts of the above world battling enemies and trying to avoid the killing rays of the sun. When they finally arrive, Shyla and Rendor are approached by the king to help him find taxes that have been going missing. For at least two circuits now, taxes from the cities that should be coming straight to him have disappeared. The city is almost broke and the king fears an uprising if the citizens were to learn about this.
Shyla has to go deep undercover in order to fish out the betrayers within the neighboring cities. What she learns about their plans is something too terrifying and before she can do much about it and get back in touch with Rendor, things go awry in the worst possible of ways!
What I have loved so much about this series was how things are so perfectly well-paced. It's not overly fast, but it's not slow either. It's that practically perfect balance where things are drawn out just enough to make the story last longer, which what reader doesn't want a long story when you're utterly loving every word?
Maria has always created fantastical fantasy worlds! In this one citizens live in underground kingdoms have a Water Prince/Princess ruling over them and at their side is a Priest/Priestess. We learned from the incidences in Zirdai how corrupted these figures can be, but then we see how far some people are willing to go to protect their city. The way magic is woven into this story was perfectly done as well, it's the right amount to remind you that this is no ordinary fantasy world!
While Shyla and Rendor are separated once more, I can happily say it's not as long as it previously was in the last book. They have together moments and then separation, and then of course, they come back together again before the end. It was much nicer than last time too in that sense, though their romantic interludes are few and far between. However, that just makes the moments they do share together even more special.
The ending had a surprising reveal when it came to all the people involved in the missing taxes mess. There was a grander plot afoot naturally and how that ended was quite shocking! I liked that while things ended with a nice sense of completion there was still the knowledge of more stories and adventures to come, even if we're not there for all of it.
Maria's writing is pure magic itself! She knows how to create worlds and characters that will pull you into the story and feel as if you're right there with them. The King of Koraha was an exciting and enchanting story that I never wanted to put down for silly things like work or sleep, it was truly a mesmerizing story and I could not get enough of it! Shyla and Rendor were heroes worth rooting for and I loved how they came together throughout this series. My only question for Maria now is, what's next? Maria has fully cemented herself on my autobuy list and if you haven't read her books yet, I highly recommend them!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Just when Shyla and Rendor think they might earn some sort of break after saving their beloved city of Zirdai, they are summoned by the the king himself. They find themselves traveling the harsh deserts of the above world battling enemies and trying to avoid the killing rays of the sun. When they finally arrive, Shyla and Rendor are approached by the king to help him find taxes that have been going missing. For at least two circuits now, taxes from the cities that should be coming straight to him have disappeared. The city is almost broke and the king fears an uprising if the citizens were to learn about this.
Shyla has to go deep undercover in order to fish out the betrayers within the neighboring cities. What she learns about their plans is something too terrifying and before she can do much about it and get back in touch with Rendor, things go awry in the worst possible of ways!
What I have loved so much about this series was how things are so perfectly well-paced. It's not overly fast, but it's not slow either. It's that practically perfect balance where things are drawn out just enough to make the story last longer, which what reader doesn't want a long story when you're utterly loving every word?
Maria has always created fantastical fantasy worlds! In this one citizens live in underground kingdoms have a Water Prince/Princess ruling over them and at their side is a Priest/Priestess. We learned from the incidences in Zirdai how corrupted these figures can be, but then we see how far some people are willing to go to protect their city. The way magic is woven into this story was perfectly done as well, it's the right amount to remind you that this is no ordinary fantasy world!
While Shyla and Rendor are separated once more, I can happily say it's not as long as it previously was in the last book. They have together moments and then separation, and then of course, they come back together again before the end. It was much nicer than last time too in that sense, though their romantic interludes are few and far between. However, that just makes the moments they do share together even more special.
The ending had a surprising reveal when it came to all the people involved in the missing taxes mess. There was a grander plot afoot naturally and how that ended was quite shocking! I liked that while things ended with a nice sense of completion there was still the knowledge of more stories and adventures to come, even if we're not there for all of it.
Maria's writing is pure magic itself! She knows how to create worlds and characters that will pull you into the story and feel as if you're right there with them. The King of Koraha was an exciting and enchanting story that I never wanted to put down for silly things like work or sleep, it was truly a mesmerizing story and I could not get enough of it! Shyla and Rendor were heroes worth rooting for and I loved how they came together throughout this series. My only question for Maria now is, what's next? Maria has fully cemented herself on my autobuy list and if you haven't read her books yet, I highly recommend them!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
December 9, 2021
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I feel like it's been a while since the previous book in this series, but that's incorrect. The previous book, The City of Zirdai, had its release date pushed back by a year because of the pandemic, but this book was released only 6 months after Book #2, which is awesome for me.
I had real problems reading this ARC - it literally killed my Kindle twice (actually three times because I wanted to be sure!) and I had to eventually download the Netgalley app on my phone to read it that way, which I did not enjoy, but I got through it.
I feel like this book had a better plot and much less repetition than the previous two books. Shyla is offered an investigation job and she willingly takes it on, as opposed to in the first book where she is forced to work to save someone's life. The scenery changes often, which is really lovely to see as we travel between different underground cities and monasteries. It means we get to see how different cities have different cultures.
I feel like this also had some really good counters for what I was viewing in Book #2 as Shyla becoming all-powerful, which is a flaw of many of Snyder's lead characters. Although Shyla's magic seemed limitless and ever-growing, she did have limits on exactly what she could achieve. Unlike in Book #2, it wasn't expanding magical powers due to strange illogical leaps in logic, or 'thinking' herself stronger. I felt like it was a better progression. I really loved seeing a time when even the seemingly all-powerful mind-manipulator Shyla was outperformed, and I also loved that she put limits on herself due to her own morality.
I also loved Rendor so much. I have such a weakness for reformed bad guys, but he's such a good guy that I forget he used to be a bad guy! I also love big burly guys as well, so I'm especially weak for him. I love so much that he and Shyla have an incredibly healthy sex life. It's really beautiful and wonderful to see (or not see, because this isn't erotica lol). What I especially love about Rendor is his love and trust in Shyla. I love so much that you clearly see when he is hurt or bothered by Shyla's actions, but she asks him to trust her, and he immediately accepts it and knows she will explain later. It happens several times in the novel and I just love it so much. They have such excellent communication with each other and I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY??
I loved how the villain's motivation was actually completely noble. I can't really fault the villain for what they are trying to achieve, only their methods. And even then, their argument is persuasive as hell. It's kind of like Thanatos on the Avengers movies. He's trying to save the galaxy from overpopulation, which I actually understand because finite resources, and he genuinely thinks the way he is going about it is the best way. Yeah, I understand KOK's villain's actions. I think that makes the motivation really realistic and understandable.
The only thing that didn't totally enchant me about this book was the interchangeability of the minor characters. I really had no memory of any of the Invisible Swords from Book #2 outside of Shyla, Rendor, and Mojag. I even had to be reminded that Gurice and Shyla were BFF. Mojag is the only interesting one, and that's only because he's a kid. Everyone else is interchangeable, their names and faces blur, and I don't really care about any of them. I cared far more about the characters that were introduced in this book, like the king.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think it's probably my favourite out of the trilogy. I will definitely be re-reading it at some point because Maria Snyder is just the best, and so is Rendor.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley AND Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I feel like it's been a while since the previous book in this series, but that's incorrect. The previous book, The City of Zirdai, had its release date pushed back by a year because of the pandemic, but this book was released only 6 months after Book #2, which is awesome for me.
I had real problems reading this ARC - it literally killed my Kindle twice (actually three times because I wanted to be sure!) and I had to eventually download the Netgalley app on my phone to read it that way, which I did not enjoy, but I got through it.
I feel like this book had a better plot and much less repetition than the previous two books. Shyla is offered an investigation job and she willingly takes it on, as opposed to in the first book where she is forced to work to save someone's life. The scenery changes often, which is really lovely to see as we travel between different underground cities and monasteries. It means we get to see how different cities have different cultures.
I feel like this also had some really good counters for what I was viewing in Book #2 as Shyla becoming all-powerful, which is a flaw of many of Snyder's lead characters. Although Shyla's magic seemed limitless and ever-growing, she did have limits on exactly what she could achieve. Unlike in Book #2, it wasn't expanding magical powers due to strange illogical leaps in logic, or 'thinking' herself stronger. I felt like it was a better progression. I really loved seeing a time when even the seemingly all-powerful mind-manipulator Shyla was outperformed, and I also loved that she put limits on herself due to her own morality.
I also loved Rendor so much. I have such a weakness for reformed bad guys, but he's such a good guy that I forget he used to be a bad guy! I also love big burly guys as well, so I'm especially weak for him. I love so much that he and Shyla have an incredibly healthy sex life. It's really beautiful and wonderful to see (or not see, because this isn't erotica lol). What I especially love about Rendor is his love and trust in Shyla. I love so much that you clearly see when he is hurt or bothered by Shyla's actions, but she asks him to trust her, and he immediately accepts it and knows she will explain later. It happens several times in the novel and I just love it so much. They have such excellent communication with each other and I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY??
I loved how the villain's motivation was actually completely noble. I can't really fault the villain for what they are trying to achieve, only their methods. And even then, their argument is persuasive as hell. It's kind of like Thanatos on the Avengers movies. He's trying to save the galaxy from overpopulation, which I actually understand because finite resources, and he genuinely thinks the way he is going about it is the best way. Yeah, I understand KOK's villain's actions. I think that makes the motivation really realistic and understandable.
The only thing that didn't totally enchant me about this book was the interchangeability of the minor characters. I really had no memory of any of the Invisible Swords from Book #2 outside of Shyla, Rendor, and Mojag. I even had to be reminded that Gurice and Shyla were BFF. Mojag is the only interesting one, and that's only because he's a kid. Everyone else is interchangeable, their names and faces blur, and I don't really care about any of them. I cared far more about the characters that were introduced in this book, like the king.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think it's probably my favourite out of the trilogy. I will definitely be re-reading it at some point because Maria Snyder is just the best, and so is Rendor.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley AND Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 8, 2023
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I was pleasantly surprised by The King of Koraha.
I read The Eyes of Tamburah and The City of Zirdai a few years back and while I wasn't exactly a fan of them, I decided to give this series one last go. I came in with moderate expectations and came out thinking this book was my favourite book of the trilogy.
I think this series was intended to be a duology because the story itself in The King of Koraha felt more like a standalone than a continuation of The City of Zirdai. This book focused on Shyla and Rendor venturing to Koraha to meet the King, discovering that he needs their help. Someone has stolen all his coins by putting in counterfeits and they need Shyla's abilities to find the culprit. With tensions looming and a powerful force using mystical pendants to get more followers to believe in their rebellious cause, the pressure is on for Rendor and Shyla to bring balance and restore the peace.
This book was very fast paced. There seemed to be something happening on every page and there was never a part that was slow or boring. It was edge-of-your-seat level action packed. I remember reading the last 200 pages or so in a day or two because I ended up being so engrossed in the story. There was nothing dull about this book and I really enjoyed going through the story with Shyla and Rendor.
On top of the fast paced action, there was a strong focus on characterisation. Shyla was such a strong, courageous and tenacious character. She was fair, honest and a true leader. I found her inspirational and I hope one day I could be like her. In the previous books, I never felt much towards Rendor but there was a real focus on developing and showing him as a flawed character that I couldn't help but feel like he was real.
All in all, this book was my favourite from the trilogy as it was action packed and there was a lot of focus on building characterisation. I'm excited to read more from Maria V Snyder in the future.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS
I was pleasantly surprised by The King of Koraha.
I read The Eyes of Tamburah and The City of Zirdai a few years back and while I wasn't exactly a fan of them, I decided to give this series one last go. I came in with moderate expectations and came out thinking this book was my favourite book of the trilogy.
I think this series was intended to be a duology because the story itself in The King of Koraha felt more like a standalone than a continuation of The City of Zirdai. This book focused on Shyla and Rendor venturing to Koraha to meet the King, discovering that he needs their help. Someone has stolen all his coins by putting in counterfeits and they need Shyla's abilities to find the culprit. With tensions looming and a powerful force using mystical pendants to get more followers to believe in their rebellious cause, the pressure is on for Rendor and Shyla to bring balance and restore the peace.
This book was very fast paced. There seemed to be something happening on every page and there was never a part that was slow or boring. It was edge-of-your-seat level action packed. I remember reading the last 200 pages or so in a day or two because I ended up being so engrossed in the story. There was nothing dull about this book and I really enjoyed going through the story with Shyla and Rendor.
On top of the fast paced action, there was a strong focus on characterisation. Shyla was such a strong, courageous and tenacious character. She was fair, honest and a true leader. I found her inspirational and I hope one day I could be like her. In the previous books, I never felt much towards Rendor but there was a real focus on developing and showing him as a flawed character that I couldn't help but feel like he was real.
All in all, this book was my favourite from the trilogy as it was action packed and there was a lot of focus on building characterisation. I'm excited to read more from Maria V Snyder in the future.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS
February 8, 2022
An enjoyable ending.
My review first appeared on my bookstagram, @booktineus.
The Good Things
+ Maria V Snyder is one of my favourite authors so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. Her writing is so easy to read.
+ The City of Zirdai had such a good, conclusive ending, so I was curious to see what could possibly happen in this book. Turns out I’d completely forgotten about some loose ends in the world that lead to an intriguing mystery.
+ One of my favourite parts was finally getting to see more of the world outside of Zirdai and exploring some creepy new magical threats that were quite sinister.
+ Another of favourite parts was Rendor getting some decent page time! He’s one of my favourites but kept disappearing in the previous books.
+ This world continues to be one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve read about and the world building is so seamlessly woven into the story.
The Not-So-Good Things
- The King of Koraha is slower paced in the beginning than the previous books in the series. It took me until the halfway mark, when the investigation really got going, to get into the story. The first half was still enjoyable, it just didn’t have the suspense of the previous books.
- I would have loved a little epilogue to see where all the characters are a few years after the series ending. I always love those little glimpses into the future.
TL;DR:
An enjoyable conclusion to a unique fantasy series. I loved that we finally got to see more of the world and some of my favourite secondary characters. This series could easily have been a duology, but I still appreciated this final book that gave us more time with the characters and tied up the loose ends I’d completely forgotten were unanswered.
My review first appeared on my bookstagram, @booktineus.
The Good Things
+ Maria V Snyder is one of my favourite authors so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. Her writing is so easy to read.
+ The City of Zirdai had such a good, conclusive ending, so I was curious to see what could possibly happen in this book. Turns out I’d completely forgotten about some loose ends in the world that lead to an intriguing mystery.
+ One of my favourite parts was finally getting to see more of the world outside of Zirdai and exploring some creepy new magical threats that were quite sinister.
+ Another of favourite parts was Rendor getting some decent page time! He’s one of my favourites but kept disappearing in the previous books.
+ This world continues to be one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve read about and the world building is so seamlessly woven into the story.
The Not-So-Good Things
- The King of Koraha is slower paced in the beginning than the previous books in the series. It took me until the halfway mark, when the investigation really got going, to get into the story. The first half was still enjoyable, it just didn’t have the suspense of the previous books.
- I would have loved a little epilogue to see where all the characters are a few years after the series ending. I always love those little glimpses into the future.
TL;DR:
An enjoyable conclusion to a unique fantasy series. I loved that we finally got to see more of the world and some of my favourite secondary characters. This series could easily have been a duology, but I still appreciated this final book that gave us more time with the characters and tied up the loose ends I’d completely forgotten were unanswered.
December 3, 2021
Yeah, wow, this book opened up the world wild open and I loved seeing it! Such a great book, and a great end to the series!
January 15, 2022
There is a lot going on in this book. It picks up where the last one left off: with Shyla and Rendor off to meet the king. Which means travelling across the deserts forever and finally getting the adventure she's always dreamed off.
It's very fade to black when the couple have their romantic interludes, but in a bit of a cheesy way. Lots of innuendo and couple jokes.
A lot of past characters sort of disappear from this book, and new ones are introduced. Her parents are mentioned but not actually in the book, and a few of the invisible swords make the journey, but that's about it. It's an entirely different adventure and removed from the other two books as Shyla takes on an investigative role for the king basically on the other side of the world. But we're all here for Shyla and Rendor (and maybe Mojag) anyway.
It's very fade to black when the couple have their romantic interludes, but in a bit of a cheesy way. Lots of innuendo and couple jokes.
A lot of past characters sort of disappear from this book, and new ones are introduced. Her parents are mentioned but not actually in the book, and a few of the invisible swords make the journey, but that's about it. It's an entirely different adventure and removed from the other two books as Shyla takes on an investigative role for the king basically on the other side of the world. But we're all here for Shyla and Rendor (and maybe Mojag) anyway.
February 2, 2022
A copy of this novel was provided by Harlequin Australia for review.
At the end of The City of Zirdai Shyla and the Invisible Swords overthrew the corrupt Water Prince and Heliacal Priestess, and even though there were hard losses, everything turned out for the better. And then Shyla received a mysterious summons from the king and the book ended.
The King of Koraha feels less like the third book in a trilogy, and more like an extra book on top of a duology. Everything is different in this book: the setting, the problems, the stakes, and the characters. There’s definitely nothing wrong with that, but I must say I did miss the characters that I’d come to know and love in the previous two books, and would have loved to see how Zirdai was settling in under the new figureheads.
But Shyla is whisked away to the capital city to meet with the king. She’s not entirely sure how the meeting will go, and whether he wants to punish her for basically overthrowing Zirdai. But in the end the king wants Shyla’s help because all the taxes have been stolen. Which means there’s no money left for the staff, protective forces, or the people. What starts out as a seemingly simple theft unfurls into a more sinister plot to overthrow the king and take control of all of Koraha.
Poor Shyla has the absolute worst luck! The girl had only just finished helping Zirdai overthrow their corrupt leaders, and then all of a sudden she’s basically in charge of saving all of Koraha. But at least she has Rendor through it all, who would have to be one of the most loyal and steadfast love interests I’ve read about. He believes in Shyla even when she doesn’t believe in herself, but the beautiful thing is that it goes both ways. Shyla believes in Rendor, even when he thinks the worst of himself. Their relationship is so lovely and healthy, and I’m glad readers get to see such a couple on page.
Speaking of worst luck, Shyla goes through many trials throughout The King of Koraha, both mentally and physically. I feel like she really needs a rest because her body has been battered and bruised more times than I can count, and in The King of Koraha her mind is used against her and the people she cares about as well. I wish there’d been a tiny bit more exploration of how she felt about all of this, but I suppose the time crunch in saving Koraha meant that would come later. Maybe we should get an epilogue, Maria? *praying emoji*
All in all, Maria V. Snyder has done it again. She has given us a strong heroine, a swoon-worthy love interest, and a story that grips you from start to finish. It’s no wonder she’s my number one auto-buy author!
© 2022, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: drowning imagery, attempted murder, loss of mind and body autonomy, multiple near death experiences, reference to torture, reference to murder, reference to death of friends, false imprisonment, physical fights
At the end of The City of Zirdai Shyla and the Invisible Swords overthrew the corrupt Water Prince and Heliacal Priestess, and even though there were hard losses, everything turned out for the better. And then Shyla received a mysterious summons from the king and the book ended.
The King of Koraha feels less like the third book in a trilogy, and more like an extra book on top of a duology. Everything is different in this book: the setting, the problems, the stakes, and the characters. There’s definitely nothing wrong with that, but I must say I did miss the characters that I’d come to know and love in the previous two books, and would have loved to see how Zirdai was settling in under the new figureheads.
But Shyla is whisked away to the capital city to meet with the king. She’s not entirely sure how the meeting will go, and whether he wants to punish her for basically overthrowing Zirdai. But in the end the king wants Shyla’s help because all the taxes have been stolen. Which means there’s no money left for the staff, protective forces, or the people. What starts out as a seemingly simple theft unfurls into a more sinister plot to overthrow the king and take control of all of Koraha.
Poor Shyla has the absolute worst luck! The girl had only just finished helping Zirdai overthrow their corrupt leaders, and then all of a sudden she’s basically in charge of saving all of Koraha. But at least she has Rendor through it all, who would have to be one of the most loyal and steadfast love interests I’ve read about. He believes in Shyla even when she doesn’t believe in herself, but the beautiful thing is that it goes both ways. Shyla believes in Rendor, even when he thinks the worst of himself. Their relationship is so lovely and healthy, and I’m glad readers get to see such a couple on page.
Speaking of worst luck, Shyla goes through many trials throughout The King of Koraha, both mentally and physically. I feel like she really needs a rest because her body has been battered and bruised more times than I can count, and in The King of Koraha her mind is used against her and the people she cares about as well. I wish there’d been a tiny bit more exploration of how she felt about all of this, but I suppose the time crunch in saving Koraha meant that would come later. Maybe we should get an epilogue, Maria? *praying emoji*
All in all, Maria V. Snyder has done it again. She has given us a strong heroine, a swoon-worthy love interest, and a story that grips you from start to finish. It’s no wonder she’s my number one auto-buy author!
© 2022, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: drowning imagery, attempted murder, loss of mind and body autonomy, multiple near death experiences, reference to torture, reference to murder, reference to death of friends, false imprisonment, physical fights
April 25, 2024
Why does it feel like there's some weird cult around Maria V. Snyder ?? There's this uberpositive reader bubble surrounding her which I just don't understand, and this book has probably the highest rating of any I've read this year. Most of her books that I've tried feel like smut novels but all the smut was taken out? Like the most any of the characters were allowed to do was kiss and get married and off-screen have sex to make 1-2 dozen babies (I'm not kidding). I'm not sure if Snyder is religious or just can't write sex scenes but either way I think it's a good thing she didn't even try, when the characters were finally allowed to 'be alone' the romance was so unbearably cringe I wanted to throw up. It's a cute little romp of a novel but in no world would I describe this as 'sizzling' or 'too hot to touch' (the author's own words). I don't know. It weirds me out. What is going on here.
Anyway, I really like the premise of this series and when I originally read the first book in 2019 I was kind of obsessed. The city felt vibrant and mysterious and there were monks and priestesses and grave robbing and archaeology and it was just all so much fun, so easy and wish-fulfilling. The fantasy girl sherlock holmes/indiana jones-style story is really satisfying. Yet as I read more it became more apparent that Snyder just isn't able to pull off her big ideas. There's absolutely nothing poetic or even compelling about her writing, it feels like something I would have written when I was 15. Books like this are written as if the reader can't think anything that isn't explicitly stated, like any word that's left off the page doesn't exist. It's all telling and no showing - Snyder needs to trust that readers can make their own observations and form their own opinions, and maybe even remember a thing or two from the past couple books. Aside from that there's just a few stylistic choices I personally don't like but maybe aren't technically bad writing. The author uses some very modern language which doesn't help the fantasy world immersion and there's way too many weird, abrupt time jumps that just aren't done very artfully. Snyder has this specific thing she does ALL the time where she makes it obvious that a man and woman are sleeping in the same bed and that the bed is big enough for two people but every single time they go to bed she ends the chapter or jumps forward in time before anything happens. It felt so juvenile and artificial. It's so bizarre to me that she does this because she clearly can not or will not write sex, so what's the point in alluding to it like this? Wouldn't it make sense to just end the chapter (and our suffering) and cut out the fluff? Why even bother wasting time to make the characters go back to their room and then have a conversation and get ready for bed and then have a little kiss and specify that they are going to sleep in the same (two person) bed just to then skip over the actual sex part? I'm sorry but a kiss before bed and then sleeping side by side is not 'sizzling' in the slightest, who the fuck is cranking their hog to that? Probably religious women with repressed sexuality who fetishise chastity or 'waiting for marriage'. Otherwise I have no idea. Those weird private bedtime scenes were the only narrative device carrying the romance storyline forward for the vast majority of the book, wholly due to the author's choice to actively prevent them from fucking. It majorly hindered the development of any real romance. They were kept apart for so long or forced to sleep in communal areas, counting the days where they couldn't be alone at night. I can't remember if they actually had sex at all during the book or if they just cuddled and kissed but they only explicitly talked about having sex (in order to create children) at the very end after they had a holy marriage. I guess it was just strange because due to these cracked choices the main romance plot wasn't allowed to have much space in the actual story, only really existing in brief flashes before bed each night.
The last thing that irked me is that descriptions of items and underground structures tended to be highly specific down to 1 decimal place, not leaving anything to the imagination, but when it came to the actual look of the city and the people it was just done so bluntly, so inorganically. Descriptions of specific people can be quite nice, but some other explanations or accounts are just devoid of emotion and prose. The inconsistency really bothered me.
The series is bad but I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of it (like twilight lol). I want to be able to analyse it but it's just not that deep. You can see some kind of message about extending colonial rule and restoring power to the monarchy which would be really funny to read into but I wholeheartedly believe that if Snyder intended us to take home any kind of message then it would be hammered into us relentlessly. It's just a surface level fantasy book and I need to stop talking about this before I go insane.
Anyway, I really like the premise of this series and when I originally read the first book in 2019 I was kind of obsessed. The city felt vibrant and mysterious and there were monks and priestesses and grave robbing and archaeology and it was just all so much fun, so easy and wish-fulfilling. The fantasy girl sherlock holmes/indiana jones-style story is really satisfying. Yet as I read more it became more apparent that Snyder just isn't able to pull off her big ideas. There's absolutely nothing poetic or even compelling about her writing, it feels like something I would have written when I was 15. Books like this are written as if the reader can't think anything that isn't explicitly stated, like any word that's left off the page doesn't exist. It's all telling and no showing - Snyder needs to trust that readers can make their own observations and form their own opinions, and maybe even remember a thing or two from the past couple books. Aside from that there's just a few stylistic choices I personally don't like but maybe aren't technically bad writing. The author uses some very modern language which doesn't help the fantasy world immersion and there's way too many weird, abrupt time jumps that just aren't done very artfully. Snyder has this specific thing she does ALL the time where she makes it obvious that a man and woman are sleeping in the same bed and that the bed is big enough for two people but every single time they go to bed she ends the chapter or jumps forward in time before anything happens. It felt so juvenile and artificial. It's so bizarre to me that she does this because she clearly can not or will not write sex, so what's the point in alluding to it like this? Wouldn't it make sense to just end the chapter (and our suffering) and cut out the fluff? Why even bother wasting time to make the characters go back to their room and then have a conversation and get ready for bed and then have a little kiss and specify that they are going to sleep in the same (two person) bed just to then skip over the actual sex part? I'm sorry but a kiss before bed and then sleeping side by side is not 'sizzling' in the slightest, who the fuck is cranking their hog to that? Probably religious women with repressed sexuality who fetishise chastity or 'waiting for marriage'. Otherwise I have no idea. Those weird private bedtime scenes were the only narrative device carrying the romance storyline forward for the vast majority of the book, wholly due to the author's choice to actively prevent them from fucking. It majorly hindered the development of any real romance. They were kept apart for so long or forced to sleep in communal areas, counting the days where they couldn't be alone at night. I can't remember if they actually had sex at all during the book or if they just cuddled and kissed but they only explicitly talked about having sex (in order to create children) at the very end after they had a holy marriage. I guess it was just strange because due to these cracked choices the main romance plot wasn't allowed to have much space in the actual story, only really existing in brief flashes before bed each night.
The last thing that irked me is that descriptions of items and underground structures tended to be highly specific down to 1 decimal place, not leaving anything to the imagination, but when it came to the actual look of the city and the people it was just done so bluntly, so inorganically. Descriptions of specific people can be quite nice, but some other explanations or accounts are just devoid of emotion and prose. The inconsistency really bothered me.
The series is bad but I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of it (like twilight lol). I want to be able to analyse it but it's just not that deep. You can see some kind of message about extending colonial rule and restoring power to the monarchy which would be really funny to read into but I wholeheartedly believe that if Snyder intended us to take home any kind of message then it would be hammered into us relentlessly. It's just a surface level fantasy book and I need to stop talking about this before I go insane.
December 10, 2021
I enjoyed this brilliant conclusion of one of my favourite trilogies! Maria never disappoints, so "The King of Koraha" takes its place among my favourite books.
The King of Koraha had summoned Shyla for an audience. She and Rendor are taking a trip to Qulsary to see him before their journey towards other cities as they planned a while ago. The King surprises Shyla with a request for help: to investigate and discover who was responsible for the biggest robbery in history. Shyla has no choice but to agree to take part in this, as the great stealing of a massive amount of taxes coins may signify much worse problems not just for the King but for all people. Shyla enters a dangerous path: even with her magic of the Eyes of Tamburah, she is not invincible against a mighty enemy who possesses ancient sorcery.
I loved to see Shyla's evolution in previous books and to become a badass as she needed this kind of personality for her adventures in Koraha.
The King of Koraha had summoned Shyla for an audience. She and Rendor are taking a trip to Qulsary to see him before their journey towards other cities as they planned a while ago. The King surprises Shyla with a request for help: to investigate and discover who was responsible for the biggest robbery in history. Shyla has no choice but to agree to take part in this, as the great stealing of a massive amount of taxes coins may signify much worse problems not just for the King but for all people. Shyla enters a dangerous path: even with her magic of the Eyes of Tamburah, she is not invincible against a mighty enemy who possesses ancient sorcery.
I loved to see Shyla's evolution in previous books and to become a badass as she needed this kind of personality for her adventures in Koraha.
March 31, 2023
This might be one of my favorites in this trilogy. I loved getting to see more of this world and all of the different cities. It was really cool how different each city operates from the other, but also the similarities. I also really liked how we got more of the lore and magic in this one and we find out more about how this world became the way it is. I love the characters and I'm so sad to see the end of this trilogy, but I'm so happy that I got to read it. The fight scenes in this one were way better than the fight scenes in the previous books which was fantastic.
February 17, 2022
The King of Koraha
When you mix a strong and humorous heroine with magic you get yourself an epic novel. Throw in some romance and you have won me over. With Rendor by Shyla Sunkissed side trekking through unforgiving lands and fighting off numerous foes you can see how this is an epic addition to the 'Archives of The Invisible Sword Series'.
Thanks to @harpercollinsaustralia for the copy and @mariavsnyderwrites for the truly amazing read
When you mix a strong and humorous heroine with magic you get yourself an epic novel. Throw in some romance and you have won me over. With Rendor by Shyla Sunkissed side trekking through unforgiving lands and fighting off numerous foes you can see how this is an epic addition to the 'Archives of The Invisible Sword Series'.
Thanks to @harpercollinsaustralia for the copy and @mariavsnyderwrites for the truly amazing read
March 27, 2022
Thanks to Harlequin for a copy of this for review
Maria V. Snyder's books always give me the best warm fuzzies and the greatest adventures.
This was a fantastic conclusion to The Archives of the Invisible Sword trilogy! I loved the way the characters mature throughout, this is such a nice stepping stone from YA to new adult fiction.
The rest of this review will contains spoilers for the previous books, but not this one.
I was so excited to see what direction this would take after all the excitement of the first two books. I knew Shyla and Rendor had some things to work out - especially Rendor - that were posing a few challenges in their relationship.
After the turmoil between the two of them in the previous book (I'm looking at you, sulky Rendor) I was worried was Snyder had planned for them this time.
Not only that, but it was hard to imagine more adventure that could be more exciting! With matters tidied up between the new Heliacal Priestess and the Water Prince in the last book, it's only right that this book excitingly turns its attention to further afield.
And I was certainly not let down. The action is all happening and new baddies are peppering our pages. Mojag became a fast-favourite with his new-found magical powers from the previous books coming in to play.
It was also epic to see more of Koraha! I could stay in this series for so much longer, especially with Shyla and Rendor. Those two are one of my favourite fictional couples, and I stand by my claim that Rendor could give Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) a run for his money.
Can't recommend this series enough, and if number three is next on your list then ENJOY the epic tale that awaits you.
Maria V. Snyder's books always give me the best warm fuzzies and the greatest adventures.
This was a fantastic conclusion to The Archives of the Invisible Sword trilogy! I loved the way the characters mature throughout, this is such a nice stepping stone from YA to new adult fiction.
The rest of this review will contains spoilers for the previous books, but not this one.
I was so excited to see what direction this would take after all the excitement of the first two books. I knew Shyla and Rendor had some things to work out - especially Rendor - that were posing a few challenges in their relationship.
After the turmoil between the two of them in the previous book (I'm looking at you, sulky Rendor) I was worried was Snyder had planned for them this time.
Not only that, but it was hard to imagine more adventure that could be more exciting! With matters tidied up between the new Heliacal Priestess and the Water Prince in the last book, it's only right that this book excitingly turns its attention to further afield.
And I was certainly not let down. The action is all happening and new baddies are peppering our pages. Mojag became a fast-favourite with his new-found magical powers from the previous books coming in to play.
It was also epic to see more of Koraha! I could stay in this series for so much longer, especially with Shyla and Rendor. Those two are one of my favourite fictional couples, and I stand by my claim that Rendor could give Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) a run for his money.
Can't recommend this series enough, and if number three is next on your list then ENJOY the epic tale that awaits you.
January 13, 2022
“The King of Koraha” is the finale of the “Archives of the Invisible Sword”. Like many of Snyder’s novels, this is exciting and involving, and will please readers who’ve been following the series. Unlike some of her novels, however, it would also be relatively easy to pick this up without having read the first two novels.
Shyla Sun-Kissed and the Invisible Swords have overthrown the corrupt rulers of the city of Zirdai. The city is settling down and adapting to new rulers who are far more reasonable and far less tyrannical. However, before Shyla has a chance to catch her breath, she receives a summons. The King of Koraha, who rules all the cities on Koraha, demands her presence.
Warily, she and Rendor obey the summons. The King has an unexpected mission for them; although a little reluctant to take it on, Shyla doesn’t think it will take very long, and it’s always good to please the ruler of the world. Except of course it turns out to be far more complicated, messy, and dangerous than Shyla expected.
I’m a big fan of Snyder’s work. However this novel is unusual in that it is not as strongly linked to the novels that preceded it as I expected. In Snyder’s previous works, the entire duology or trilogy was one connected story, each set of novels ultimately telling an over-arching story. “The King of Koraha” has the same characters and setting as the first two novels in the Archives of the Invisible Sword, but the story is largely independent of them. It’s still a hugely enjoyable novel. It just doesn’t feel like part of an over-arching story.
The plot was interesting; nicely twisty but not at all hard to follow. It was well constructed and the reversals of fortune were believable and often surprising. I lost myself in it very easily.
Shyla and Rendor are the focus of this story, and they’re both strong characters. Although the supporting characters were also generally strong, I found they faded a little in comparison to Shyla and Rendor. Both have grown and changed as a result of their earlier adventures, which continuing readers are likely to appreciate.
Other characters from the first two novels either don’t appear or have little more than cameos. That’s a large part of why this doesn’t feel strongly connected to those novels: the majority of characters are new and Shyla is addressing a new and different problem. It works well enough, but left me feeling like I was reading the sort of series (often seen in crime novels) where a few characters continue from novel to novel, but the plots are not related and many characters are new. I enjoy those too, but it’s not typically what I expect of a fantasy trilogy.
The bottom line is that Snyder has written another engaging fantasy story with strong characters and strong world building. You could read this as a stand alone and it would feel complete and fulfilling. However, continuing readers will enjoy seeing a little more of Shyla and Rendor, and leaving them in a situation that feels a little more final.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more, including reviews of Snyder’s earlier novels.
Shyla Sun-Kissed and the Invisible Swords have overthrown the corrupt rulers of the city of Zirdai. The city is settling down and adapting to new rulers who are far more reasonable and far less tyrannical. However, before Shyla has a chance to catch her breath, she receives a summons. The King of Koraha, who rules all the cities on Koraha, demands her presence.
Warily, she and Rendor obey the summons. The King has an unexpected mission for them; although a little reluctant to take it on, Shyla doesn’t think it will take very long, and it’s always good to please the ruler of the world. Except of course it turns out to be far more complicated, messy, and dangerous than Shyla expected.
I’m a big fan of Snyder’s work. However this novel is unusual in that it is not as strongly linked to the novels that preceded it as I expected. In Snyder’s previous works, the entire duology or trilogy was one connected story, each set of novels ultimately telling an over-arching story. “The King of Koraha” has the same characters and setting as the first two novels in the Archives of the Invisible Sword, but the story is largely independent of them. It’s still a hugely enjoyable novel. It just doesn’t feel like part of an over-arching story.
The plot was interesting; nicely twisty but not at all hard to follow. It was well constructed and the reversals of fortune were believable and often surprising. I lost myself in it very easily.
Shyla and Rendor are the focus of this story, and they’re both strong characters. Although the supporting characters were also generally strong, I found they faded a little in comparison to Shyla and Rendor. Both have grown and changed as a result of their earlier adventures, which continuing readers are likely to appreciate.
Other characters from the first two novels either don’t appear or have little more than cameos. That’s a large part of why this doesn’t feel strongly connected to those novels: the majority of characters are new and Shyla is addressing a new and different problem. It works well enough, but left me feeling like I was reading the sort of series (often seen in crime novels) where a few characters continue from novel to novel, but the plots are not related and many characters are new. I enjoy those too, but it’s not typically what I expect of a fantasy trilogy.
The bottom line is that Snyder has written another engaging fantasy story with strong characters and strong world building. You could read this as a stand alone and it would feel complete and fulfilling. However, continuing readers will enjoy seeing a little more of Shyla and Rendor, and leaving them in a situation that feels a little more final.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more, including reviews of Snyder’s earlier novels.
December 1, 2021
While I’m sure there’s plenty in this one to enjoy if you happen to pick this one up without having read The Eyes of Tamburah and The City of Zirdai, as Snyder is an experienced author who knows what she’s doing – it would be a huge shame if you didn’t put it back down and get hold of the first two books before tucking into The King of Koraha. All the books are packed full of adventure and incident and while Shyla and Rendor’s adventures in this story are riveting in their own right, knowing what has gone before gives the action and some of the characters extra heft.
I really loved this one. Throughout the series, Shyla has been in some tough situations, poor soul – but this time around, Snyder confronted her with a doozie that had my jaw dropping. I didn’t see that one coming! And while I was still spluttering over the nasty twist and horrible change in her fortunes, it just went on getting worse and worse… By this stage, I was absolutely hooked – no chance of putting this one down before discovering how it all works out.
Snyder’s bouncy, energetic style keeps the tension and pace nicely tight while Shyla is trapped. We also get some lovely descriptions of the underground cities she ends up visiting and interesting insights into how they vary in coping with the killing heat of the sun. All without losing any momentum. At no time was I tempted to skim the worldbuilding, which is a testament to the strong writing, given how invested I was in a certain plot twist. Of course, it’s all well and good providing a cracking adventure – but this book also had to put the trilogy to bed in a satisfactory manner. And again, while I’m very sorry this book is the end of such a wonderfully entertaining series – Snyder brought it all to a strong conclusion. All in all, this was a wonderful, immersive adventure and fitting ending to a delightfully entertaining trilogy. Very strongly recommended for Sand and Sorcery fans.
10/10
I really loved this one. Throughout the series, Shyla has been in some tough situations, poor soul – but this time around, Snyder confronted her with a doozie that had my jaw dropping. I didn’t see that one coming! And while I was still spluttering over the nasty twist and horrible change in her fortunes, it just went on getting worse and worse… By this stage, I was absolutely hooked – no chance of putting this one down before discovering how it all works out.
Snyder’s bouncy, energetic style keeps the tension and pace nicely tight while Shyla is trapped. We also get some lovely descriptions of the underground cities she ends up visiting and interesting insights into how they vary in coping with the killing heat of the sun. All without losing any momentum. At no time was I tempted to skim the worldbuilding, which is a testament to the strong writing, given how invested I was in a certain plot twist. Of course, it’s all well and good providing a cracking adventure – but this book also had to put the trilogy to bed in a satisfactory manner. And again, while I’m very sorry this book is the end of such a wonderfully entertaining series – Snyder brought it all to a strong conclusion. All in all, this was a wonderful, immersive adventure and fitting ending to a delightfully entertaining trilogy. Very strongly recommended for Sand and Sorcery fans.
10/10
November 25, 2022
I guess it was just bad luck that I stumbled over M.V. Snyder's works via her last series the "Sentinels of the Galaxy". So far, every single one of her previous works pale in comparison.
Usually, I pass on the books I've finished reading to either the local library or gift 'em to someone in my family or to friends. Not so with "The King of Koraha". Too many times this poor book got tossed across the room in utter frustration over either the incredible stupid twist in the plot or the utter idiocy with which the main protagonist was depicted.
I am somewhat flabbergasted by all the 4 and 5 star ratings, which came mostly from female readers. Does an utter lack of good sense or judgement truly represent a young woman or am I missing something here. Granted, M.V. Snyder is an artist when it comes to creating a fantasy world in all its shining details, captivating and believable. Certainly a reason why the first book in this series got nominated for several awards and even won one. But when it comes to create a credible and life-like character, even one that grows up in a simple, non-tech environment, I feel that the readers are being cheated for their own intelligence.
While 'Archives of the Invisible Sword' isn't quite as bad as the 'Glass' series, I caught myself several times turning the book over to see it the cover had a picture of a nude male, proudly displaying a deep-tanned six-pack, having a drooling female wrapped around him from the back. If the authors intend is to write in this genre then by all means, but please DO NOT list your works in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Magic category. It is an insult to all those of us who enjoy a good SF or fantasy book without the sex and infatuations.
While not a complete waste of money and definitely 5 stars for the first book there was nothing that would even rate even a single star for the other 2 books in the series. Sorry!
Usually, I pass on the books I've finished reading to either the local library or gift 'em to someone in my family or to friends. Not so with "The King of Koraha". Too many times this poor book got tossed across the room in utter frustration over either the incredible stupid twist in the plot or the utter idiocy with which the main protagonist was depicted.
I am somewhat flabbergasted by all the 4 and 5 star ratings, which came mostly from female readers. Does an utter lack of good sense or judgement truly represent a young woman or am I missing something here. Granted, M.V. Snyder is an artist when it comes to creating a fantasy world in all its shining details, captivating and believable. Certainly a reason why the first book in this series got nominated for several awards and even won one. But when it comes to create a credible and life-like character, even one that grows up in a simple, non-tech environment, I feel that the readers are being cheated for their own intelligence.
While 'Archives of the Invisible Sword' isn't quite as bad as the 'Glass' series, I caught myself several times turning the book over to see it the cover had a picture of a nude male, proudly displaying a deep-tanned six-pack, having a drooling female wrapped around him from the back. If the authors intend is to write in this genre then by all means, but please DO NOT list your works in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Magic category. It is an insult to all those of us who enjoy a good SF or fantasy book without the sex and infatuations.
While not a complete waste of money and definitely 5 stars for the first book there was nothing that would even rate even a single star for the other 2 books in the series. Sorry!
October 13, 2024
This was definitely the best book in the trilogy. I think the story really benefited from expanding the world and moving beyond Zirdai. I personally found the city of zirdai not really fleshed out, the world felt too small and the storyline too confined.
This book was probably more what I was expecting from the trilogy so it’s a shame we really only got that sprawling desert adventure in the last book
This book had a lot more adventure and action and the new characters were rather enjoyable, I liked them better than most of the characters from the previous book. Shyla is a great FMC I really enjoyed reading from her perspective.
The stakes were a lot higher here too and even though it was the longest of the 3 books, it felt the shortest. The pace was faaaaast and the storyline never dragged which was awesome.
I liked the mythology of the king and the expansion of the world. The villains were much more realistic, particularly in their motives, and the threat more dangerous. I never found the water prince or heliacal priestess that dangerous?
Overall the trilogy was fun but it suffered too many similarities to Snyders other books. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the healer and study series (both of which were better trilogies) but I’m finding her work is becoming very formulaic. The FMCs are almost indiscernible from one another, the supporting cast basically just have their names changed and the romantic interest is pretty much the same person. I found myself noticing it with this series how strong the similarities were and that definitely detracted from the reading experience.
That being said The archives of the invisible sword was a fun series with likeable characters and an intriguing plot, but there just wasn’t enough substance or world building to really pull me in. It was enjoyable, fast paced and if you have read any of Snyders previous works chances are you’ll enjoy this too. It’s light, easy, quick and fun.
This book was probably more what I was expecting from the trilogy so it’s a shame we really only got that sprawling desert adventure in the last book
This book had a lot more adventure and action and the new characters were rather enjoyable, I liked them better than most of the characters from the previous book. Shyla is a great FMC I really enjoyed reading from her perspective.
The stakes were a lot higher here too and even though it was the longest of the 3 books, it felt the shortest. The pace was faaaaast and the storyline never dragged which was awesome.
I liked the mythology of the king and the expansion of the world. The villains were much more realistic, particularly in their motives, and the threat more dangerous. I never found the water prince or heliacal priestess that dangerous?
Overall the trilogy was fun but it suffered too many similarities to Snyders other books. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the healer and study series (both of which were better trilogies) but I’m finding her work is becoming very formulaic. The FMCs are almost indiscernible from one another, the supporting cast basically just have their names changed and the romantic interest is pretty much the same person. I found myself noticing it with this series how strong the similarities were and that definitely detracted from the reading experience.
That being said The archives of the invisible sword was a fun series with likeable characters and an intriguing plot, but there just wasn’t enough substance or world building to really pull me in. It was enjoyable, fast paced and if you have read any of Snyders previous works chances are you’ll enjoy this too. It’s light, easy, quick and fun.
May 17, 2025
While I still enjoyed this book, it feels disconnected from the first two in the trilogy.
This book takes place outside of Zirdai and instead mainly focuses on the goings-on of what is essentially the capital city, where the king is. For the majority of the story, all the characters we've been introduced to thus far, barring Shyla and Rendor, are absent. The plot doesn't involve Zirdai in the slightest. I feel like there was plenty more to do in Shyla's home city, especially if there was any sort of time jump involved, but it's almost as if the author wanted to rush getting Shyla to live her dream of traveling around Koraha and didn't do so in the best way.
Regardless, even though I missed being in Zirdai, I still had fun with this book. My favorite part was probably when Shyla
Also, I will say, as happened with the previous books in this trilogy (though I kept forgetting to mention it in my reviews), there were several instances of missed or misplaced punctuation. Beginning or ending quotation marks would be missing. In this book in particular there was a random period in the middle of the word. There weren't too many, but it was enough to be noticeable. I suspect this is an issue with the self-published versions of these books due to their very nature of being self-published, but it didn't bother me too much. The actual writing/prose was good, and that's mainly what I focus on when I read.
This book takes place outside of Zirdai and instead mainly focuses on the goings-on of what is essentially the capital city, where the king is. For the majority of the story, all the characters we've been introduced to thus far, barring Shyla and Rendor, are absent. The plot doesn't involve Zirdai in the slightest. I feel like there was plenty more to do in Shyla's home city, especially if there was any sort of time jump involved, but it's almost as if the author wanted to rush getting Shyla to live her dream of traveling around Koraha and didn't do so in the best way.
Regardless, even though I missed being in Zirdai, I still had fun with this book. My favorite part was probably when Shyla
Also, I will say, as happened with the previous books in this trilogy (though I kept forgetting to mention it in my reviews), there were several instances of missed or misplaced punctuation. Beginning or ending quotation marks would be missing. In this book in particular there was a random period in the middle of the word. There weren't too many, but it was enough to be noticeable. I suspect this is an issue with the self-published versions of these books due to their very nature of being self-published, but it didn't bother me too much. The actual writing/prose was good, and that's mainly what I focus on when I read.
November 30, 2021
Nearing the end of book 2, The City of Zirdai, I was confused because everything seems to be sorted but this was supposed to be a trilogy! Of course, if you've read book 2, you'd have come across the little tidbit at the end which brings us to this third and final book of the series, The King of Koraha. What is obvious to me is that I've been so focused on the little bit of this world, Zirdai, while Maria V. Snyder is concerned on the whole universe, Koraha. The problem that we encountered in books 1 & 2, in Zirdai, is not contained... it is part of a bigger problem which needed to be fixed. Who better than the Invisible Sword!?
Shyla and Rendor led the way to investigate this threat to Koraha. As always, Shyla inadvertently walked herself into trouble. This was a bit frustrating to read but a good laugh for after because really, it's part of her charm. And I just love how her Invisible Sword friends (Rendor included) banded together to support her and each other. In the end, the story is brought full circle back to the first book as Shyla accepted that fact that "with great power comes great responsibility".
The King of Koraha definitely will not disappoint fans; so many twists and turns as per Snyder's trademark where each chapter ends with another question that readers will want immediate answers to, this is a unputdownable finale. With plenty of romantic moments between Shyla and Rendor, this turned out to be a very heartwarming read ;)
My thanks to Harlequin Australia for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts
Shyla and Rendor led the way to investigate this threat to Koraha. As always, Shyla inadvertently walked herself into trouble. This was a bit frustrating to read but a good laugh for after because really, it's part of her charm. And I just love how her Invisible Sword friends (Rendor included) banded together to support her and each other. In the end, the story is brought full circle back to the first book as Shyla accepted that fact that "with great power comes great responsibility".
The King of Koraha definitely will not disappoint fans; so many twists and turns as per Snyder's trademark where each chapter ends with another question that readers will want immediate answers to, this is a unputdownable finale. With plenty of romantic moments between Shyla and Rendor, this turned out to be a very heartwarming read ;)
My thanks to Harlequin Australia for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts
February 8, 2022
First off, my biggest complaint about this book is that for the entire time I had it sitting on my shelf to be read, every time I glanced over at it I would get The Court of King Caractacus song stuck in my head. I don't think I deserved that.
After that, spoilers all the way.
A solid end to the series, and unique, excellent worldbuilding the whole way through.
After that, spoilers all the way.
A solid end to the series, and unique, excellent worldbuilding the whole way through.
February 23, 2023
This is the final book in the Archives of the Invisible Sword trilogy and I'm a bit conflicted with this one. I really enjoyed seeing more of the world as Shyla and Rendor travelled to see the King. There's hints that Koratha wasn't always as it is now and I would have loved to learn more about how the world ended up a desert land.
I loved the dynamic between Shyla and Rendor. But then I always enjoy Ms. Snyder's romances. They always have great chemistry no matter how different her various characters are.
My conflict comes from a certain plot twist that takes place. It was well written and added alot of tension to the story. But I didn't enjoy it - and I wasn't supposed to. I like these characters so much and I hated to see them go through what they did. But as I said, it really added tension to the story, it just wasn't to my personal taste.
I usually rate my books in personal enjoyment (and if I did that, this story would get a 3.5). But because I know my enjoyment went down due to my own personal preferences, I'm going to rate it 4 stars as I think it deserves this, and I believe there are plenty of others who will really enjoy this plot direction.
So while this isn't my personal favourite series from this author, I'm glad to have read this it. The setting was so interesting, I characters were so likeable and I really came to adore the romance. I also really enjoyed the adventure and treasure hunting aspect of the series, it was a very fun element to the story.
I loved the dynamic between Shyla and Rendor. But then I always enjoy Ms. Snyder's romances. They always have great chemistry no matter how different her various characters are.
My conflict comes from a certain plot twist that takes place. It was well written and added alot of tension to the story. But I didn't enjoy it - and I wasn't supposed to. I like these characters so much and I hated to see them go through what they did. But as I said, it really added tension to the story, it just wasn't to my personal taste.
I usually rate my books in personal enjoyment (and if I did that, this story would get a 3.5). But because I know my enjoyment went down due to my own personal preferences, I'm going to rate it 4 stars as I think it deserves this, and I believe there are plenty of others who will really enjoy this plot direction.
So while this isn't my personal favourite series from this author, I'm glad to have read this it. The setting was so interesting, I characters were so likeable and I really came to adore the romance. I also really enjoyed the adventure and treasure hunting aspect of the series, it was a very fun element to the story.
April 28, 2022
A very enjoyable read and satisfying ending!
What I liked
• Pretty well-developed villain
This book has two villains. Both get a pretty good deal of page-time and we get a good insight into their plan and motivations. I found that a great improvement from the previous two books which failed to set up its’ villains properly.
• Rendor and Shyla
I just enjoy these two together! I enjoy how devoted they are to each other and how supportive of each other they are. In this book they are fully committed to each other; there’s no question about it and I really liked that.
• The return of the old crew!
I got so happy when Mojag & Co. joined Shyla and Rendor! I especially enjoyed Mojag’s growth and the fact that they left Jayden at home!
• Exploring Koraha
It was great to see more of this desert world Snyder has created and I really enjoyed seeing more of the magic system. Not everything was explained but it didn’t really need to, I think. We learnt what we needed to in order to understand the plot – the rest is a mystery.
What I struggled with
• While I actually liked the plot, I felt it was somewhat disconnected from the story in the two previous books. I mean, there are definitely parallels but it felt like the story wrapped up by the end of The City of Zirdai and then this was sort of a standalone following Shyla and Rendor on their next adventure.
What I liked
• Pretty well-developed villain
This book has two villains. Both get a pretty good deal of page-time and we get a good insight into their plan and motivations. I found that a great improvement from the previous two books which failed to set up its’ villains properly.
• Rendor and Shyla
I just enjoy these two together! I enjoy how devoted they are to each other and how supportive of each other they are. In this book they are fully committed to each other; there’s no question about it and I really liked that.
• The return of the old crew!
I got so happy when Mojag & Co. joined Shyla and Rendor! I especially enjoyed Mojag’s growth and the fact that they left Jayden at home!
• Exploring Koraha
It was great to see more of this desert world Snyder has created and I really enjoyed seeing more of the magic system. Not everything was explained but it didn’t really need to, I think. We learnt what we needed to in order to understand the plot – the rest is a mystery.
What I struggled with
• While I actually liked the plot, I felt it was somewhat disconnected from the story in the two previous books. I mean, there are definitely parallels but it felt like the story wrapped up by the end of The City of Zirdai and then this was sort of a standalone following Shyla and Rendor on their next adventure.
February 12, 2023
This third and final instalment in the Invisible Sword series benefitted from fewer unrealistic injuries. The ambushes and traps were less repetitive too, allowing room for the excellent world-building and cultural aspects to breathe.
I still have some reservations which prevent me from giving a five-star rating.
The romantic/intimate scenes were horribly cringeworthy. I'm not sure if this series is intended for a YA readership, but even taking that into account, ending a scene with "OOOH" is embarrassing to say the least.
If the enemies had such strong hypnotic/sorcery powers, controlling whole sections of the population, it makes no sense that they were so easy to overcome in the final showdown.
The last part of the book seemed rushed in comparison to the build up throughout the series. All the mysteries were solved and the enemies despatched with relative ease and speed. I feel this section could have been longer and more detailed. The story ground to an abrupt halt with some playful dialogue. It made me wonder if some pages were missing from my copy.
Like I said in my review of the second book, these stories require the reader to suspend their disbelief and simply enjoy them for what they are - mostly light-hearted adventures with daring heroes and evil schemers.
I still have some reservations which prevent me from giving a five-star rating.
The romantic/intimate scenes were horribly cringeworthy. I'm not sure if this series is intended for a YA readership, but even taking that into account, ending a scene with "OOOH" is embarrassing to say the least.
If the enemies had such strong hypnotic/sorcery powers, controlling whole sections of the population, it makes no sense that they were so easy to overcome in the final showdown.
The last part of the book seemed rushed in comparison to the build up throughout the series. All the mysteries were solved and the enemies despatched with relative ease and speed. I feel this section could have been longer and more detailed. The story ground to an abrupt halt with some playful dialogue. It made me wonder if some pages were missing from my copy.
Like I said in my review of the second book, these stories require the reader to suspend their disbelief and simply enjoy them for what they are - mostly light-hearted adventures with daring heroes and evil schemers.
June 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this trilogy so much, although I have to say that this book didn't really feel like Book 3 - Books 1 & 2 went together very much, but the end of Book 2 tied up almost all the plot-points raised in Book 1. This book still has the same main character, but now Shyla is heading off to a different city and a different set of complications that didn't particularly tie in to what was happening in the first two books. This isn't a negative, per se, but it did feel slightly odd.
Still, I really like Shyla a lot, and I like her love interest, and I like that there wasn't a love triangle anywhere along the line. I appreciate Snyder's emphasis on themes like forgiveness and redemption. As with the first two books, this one was a little too frenetic (it's what keeps this series from being 5* reads for me), with a dizzying pace of action, betrayal, battles, near-death experiences, and then a bunch of information dumped at once. But since I really like these characters and the world Snyder has created, I was willing to roll with the story, and it felt like she kept it just out of chaos territory.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable story here, and a great trilogy as a whole.
Still, I really like Shyla a lot, and I like her love interest, and I like that there wasn't a love triangle anywhere along the line. I appreciate Snyder's emphasis on themes like forgiveness and redemption. As with the first two books, this one was a little too frenetic (it's what keeps this series from being 5* reads for me), with a dizzying pace of action, betrayal, battles, near-death experiences, and then a bunch of information dumped at once. But since I really like these characters and the world Snyder has created, I was willing to roll with the story, and it felt like she kept it just out of chaos territory.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable story here, and a great trilogy as a whole.
September 2, 2022
After setting up her world and the conflicts in the first two books, author Snyder in this third book in the "Archives of the Invisible Sword," has written what feels like a stand-alone novel--the further adventures of Shyla and Rendor! The original story set in the city of Zirdai wrapped up with both the corrupt and evil Water Prince and the Heliacal Priestess being deposed and killed, the Invisible Swords are set up and prospering, and the new rulers of the city are accepted by the King of Zaraha. So after righting things in Zirdai, Shyla and Kendor are called to an interview with the King of Koraha in the capital and then they plan on visiting other cities and wonders all over the world. That vacation-like plan is short circuited when they are asked by the King to uncover who has stolen the taxes over the past two circuits leaving the King without money to pay his guards or staff. So now the conflict is upped from saving just a city to saving the King and the whole world. With this book, author Snyder has dreamed up fun new places and magics in the world of Koraha. I wonder if there will be another installment in this series; I'd like to read it.
January 28, 2022
In some ways this installment of this series was the hardest to read but also the most rewarding in the end. I have a lot of experience with Maria V. Snyder’s stories - and I know sometimes she touches on very sensitive and highly charged topics like addiction or abuse of power in ways that are very emotionally charged for the reader. It is one of the things I love about her books. In this one, there were moments where Shyla was magically trapped that were almost too hard to read, but I was committed to getting through to the end because I trusted that the journey would be worth it. For me, it was. I have so many things I want to talk about regarding the themes of this series and the ideas explored. But for right now, I am just savorying the joy I felt at the end. That moment is what makes me always wish there were more installments in Maria’s series. In the end, I want to spend more time with these characters as they work to continue to improve the worlds they have fought so hard to save .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2022
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Like the first and second books in this series, there is a lot to like about The King of Koraha. The concept of a world ravaged by a climate requiring the populace to live underground feels very necessary. The way they manage to extreme temperature is interesting and worth further exploration. However again, the whole book doesn't really work. The characters still feel very thin and apart from Shyla and maybe Rendor, I couldn't remember any of the characters from the previous books. Even Shyla feels flat apart from her blonde hair and light complexion. Someone mentioned to me that the book was initially written in the first person and rewritten to be in third person. This made more sense to me as the pacing felt a little off.
I won't to be able to recommend these books, but I think there are more satisfying fantasy series out there. However, there are enough good bits that make me glad that I finished the series.
Like the first and second books in this series, there is a lot to like about The King of Koraha. The concept of a world ravaged by a climate requiring the populace to live underground feels very necessary. The way they manage to extreme temperature is interesting and worth further exploration. However again, the whole book doesn't really work. The characters still feel very thin and apart from Shyla and maybe Rendor, I couldn't remember any of the characters from the previous books. Even Shyla feels flat apart from her blonde hair and light complexion. Someone mentioned to me that the book was initially written in the first person and rewritten to be in third person. This made more sense to me as the pacing felt a little off.
I won't to be able to recommend these books, but I think there are more satisfying fantasy series out there. However, there are enough good bits that make me glad that I finished the series.
January 1, 2022
A great way to tie up the trilogy!
In truth the series felt like 3 separate stories rather than a trilogy, while other trilogies have felt more like one book built on the previous, like extensions of the previous adventures. This time it really felt like three, while still connected, separate stories as the main 2 characters interacted with different supporting characters in each book. Main characters in previous books took a backseat in book 3. Nevertheless I enjoyed this book much more than book 2, and it was a lovely experience overall.
Well written, with good pacing and steady world-building. Really enjoyed exploring more of this land of Koraha, branching out beyond Zirdai. However, with the changing main supporting characters in each book, I felt I did not get to explore and understand these support characters in much depth. Would have loved to been able to dig deeper into the backstory of the King, for example.
Overall, still a very pleasurable read!
In truth the series felt like 3 separate stories rather than a trilogy, while other trilogies have felt more like one book built on the previous, like extensions of the previous adventures. This time it really felt like three, while still connected, separate stories as the main 2 characters interacted with different supporting characters in each book. Main characters in previous books took a backseat in book 3. Nevertheless I enjoyed this book much more than book 2, and it was a lovely experience overall.
Well written, with good pacing and steady world-building. Really enjoyed exploring more of this land of Koraha, branching out beyond Zirdai. However, with the changing main supporting characters in each book, I felt I did not get to explore and understand these support characters in much depth. Would have loved to been able to dig deeper into the backstory of the King, for example.
Overall, still a very pleasurable read!
December 3, 2021
Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. Which, came as no real surprise as the second book in the series didn't either.
One of the biggest flaws (I think) with the second book was that there was too many characters. This made it difficult to keep track of them all and connect to any (or all) of them. Being the final book, I would have thought that we would have been introduced to all the characters by now and could just move on with the plot. This was not the case! Shyla and Rendor spent a lot of the book travelling to new cities and meeting (of course) new people. There was also a lot of references made to characters from the first and second books. This was a lot to remember! It also inevitably meant that a lot of dialogue took place, sometimes at stake of the plot.
I did like that we got to see Rendor come to terms with his past, although briefly.
One of the biggest flaws (I think) with the second book was that there was too many characters. This made it difficult to keep track of them all and connect to any (or all) of them. Being the final book, I would have thought that we would have been introduced to all the characters by now and could just move on with the plot. This was not the case! Shyla and Rendor spent a lot of the book travelling to new cities and meeting (of course) new people. There was also a lot of references made to characters from the first and second books. This was a lot to remember! It also inevitably meant that a lot of dialogue took place, sometimes at stake of the plot.
I did like that we got to see Rendor come to terms with his past, although briefly.
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