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Princesses of Selmy Island #2
Eagle's Embrace: Princesses of Selmy Island Book 2
Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Sarah J Maas alike, the Princesses of Selmy Island series features all your favorite historical romance tropes in a vivid fantasy setting on the brink of a fae war. Each book contains a standalone romance that can technically be read separately, but they are better read in order to follow the full story of the fae war.A Human Princess with a Wish to Remain InvisiblePrincess Olga Sova spent most of her life as the invisible sister, which suited her just fine. Unfortunately, her older brother, Ivan, is mucking up the kingdom now that he is king, and her older sister has gone off to marry her true love. With the balance of their family thrown off, Olga needs to help her Ivan find his place as king. She thinks the best way to do this is to find him a queen. Unfortunately, when she puts the idea in his head to throw a ball to find a suitable bride, he gets it in his own head that it would be the perfect setting to find her a husband. She always knew she would marry for politics, but with her two left feet, a ball is the last place she will catch a husband.A Fae King Separated from His Beloved HomelandThe novelty of ruling a human kingdom has worn off for King Nasir after more than a century. All he wants now is to return to the fae realm where he belongs. For the first time since the Gates were sealed, leaving him trapped in the human realm, it is looking like this is a real possibility. The only problem is, to make it happen, he needs to play nice with the humans so they can win the coming war. He even agrees to attend a human ball and convince a princess to marry one of his men.At the Sova's royal ball, Olga and Nasir find themselves caught in a compromising position. Now King Nasir must marry Princess Olga or her brother will pull his support from the war efforts. And to make matters worse, his chief advisor thinks a human queen in his kingdom will also win his support with his own people.Will they be able to set aside their difference to make a union work for the good of both of their kingdoms? Eagle's Embrace is part 2 in a Death of Koschei the Deathless retelling.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2021
24 people want to read
About the author
Mandi Richards
8 books23 followersAuthor . Mom . Wife . Teacher . Nerd
Mandi Richards is the smut-writing alter of a good-girl nerd. She is first and foremost a mom of two wonderful boys and three kitties. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and she is an elementary school teacher. When she is not busy with all of that (which definitely doesn't leave her much time!) she can usually be found reading, playing dungeons and dragons, watching Disney princess movies, or playing minecraft.
Mandi Richards is the smut-writing alter of a good-girl nerd. She is first and foremost a mom of two wonderful boys and three kitties. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and she is an elementary school teacher. When she is not busy with all of that (which definitely doesn't leave her much time!) she can usually be found reading, playing dungeons and dragons, watching Disney princess movies, or playing minecraft.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 22, 2026
Mandi Richards’s Eagle's Embrace, the second installment in the Princesses of Selmy Island series, is an utterly delightful and enchanting romance that seamlessly weaves beloved historical romance tropes into a lush, politically charged fantasy world. Perfect for fans of the marriage-of-convenience and ballroom intrigues of Bridgerton with the magical stakes of a fae war, this novel delivers a satisfying, character-driven love story against a backdrop of looming conflict.
The protagonists are a perfectly matched pair of reluctant hearts. Princess Olga is a wonderfully relatable heroine, the “invisible sister” who prefers books and strategy to the spotlight, yet steps up with fierce loyalty to steady her kingdom. Her social anxiety and “two left feet” make her journey from wallflower to queen deeply endearing. King Nasir is her ideal foil: a weary, centuries-old fae ruler trapped in the human realm, longing only for home and now forced into a political marriage. Their meet-cute at the royal ball, which spirals into a “compromising position,” is executed with a perfect blend of humor, tension, and fateful inevitability.
Richards excels at building the slow-burn tension between Olga and Nasir. Their marriage, born of pure political necessity, becomes a delicate dance of cultural misunderstanding, growing respect, and simmering attraction. The fantasy elements, the sealed Gates, the fae realm, the coming war, are integrated smoothly, providing compelling external stakes that push the internal romance forward. The subplot involving Nasir’s chief advisor adds an extra layer of political intrigue, making their union a strategic play on multiple chessboards.
The prose is engaging and warm, the world-building vivid without being overwhelming, and the romance is both sweet and suitably passionate. While part of a larger series and a retelling of The Death of Koschei, the story stands firmly on its own as a complete and satisfying romance.
Eagle's Embrace is a charming, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable fantasy romance. It proves that sometimes the most powerful alliances are forged not on battlefields, but in ballrooms and in the quiet, growing understanding between two people from different worlds. A must-read for fans of the genre.
The protagonists are a perfectly matched pair of reluctant hearts. Princess Olga is a wonderfully relatable heroine, the “invisible sister” who prefers books and strategy to the spotlight, yet steps up with fierce loyalty to steady her kingdom. Her social anxiety and “two left feet” make her journey from wallflower to queen deeply endearing. King Nasir is her ideal foil: a weary, centuries-old fae ruler trapped in the human realm, longing only for home and now forced into a political marriage. Their meet-cute at the royal ball, which spirals into a “compromising position,” is executed with a perfect blend of humor, tension, and fateful inevitability.
Richards excels at building the slow-burn tension between Olga and Nasir. Their marriage, born of pure political necessity, becomes a delicate dance of cultural misunderstanding, growing respect, and simmering attraction. The fantasy elements, the sealed Gates, the fae realm, the coming war, are integrated smoothly, providing compelling external stakes that push the internal romance forward. The subplot involving Nasir’s chief advisor adds an extra layer of political intrigue, making their union a strategic play on multiple chessboards.
The prose is engaging and warm, the world-building vivid without being overwhelming, and the romance is both sweet and suitably passionate. While part of a larger series and a retelling of The Death of Koschei, the story stands firmly on its own as a complete and satisfying romance.
Eagle's Embrace is a charming, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable fantasy romance. It proves that sometimes the most powerful alliances are forged not on battlefields, but in ballrooms and in the quiet, growing understanding between two people from different worlds. A must-read for fans of the genre.
August 6, 2021
Loving this series!
Omg this series fits right into my favorite types of stories to get lost in. Great world building, fantastic complicated characters and the electric chemistry.
So of course we knew Nasir was going to be a hand full and boy was he ever. He definitely needed a slap across the face to wake up and see his errors at how he perceived his kingdom and Olga was happy to oblige. I loved seeing Olga open up and come into her own. It hurt to see her doubt herself like that.
Marvena was so instrumental in this relationship working and I really think she’s the one for Ivan…hope we get her book too.
The little teaser at the end for book 3 has me extremely excited!! Can’t wait for more, especially as the war continues to creep ever closer and tensions are on a knifes edge.
Steamy romantic fantasy with witty banter, a shared bed, cross kingdoms adventures and self discovery.
Omg this series fits right into my favorite types of stories to get lost in. Great world building, fantastic complicated characters and the electric chemistry.
So of course we knew Nasir was going to be a hand full and boy was he ever. He definitely needed a slap across the face to wake up and see his errors at how he perceived his kingdom and Olga was happy to oblige. I loved seeing Olga open up and come into her own. It hurt to see her doubt herself like that.
Marvena was so instrumental in this relationship working and I really think she’s the one for Ivan…hope we get her book too.
The little teaser at the end for book 3 has me extremely excited!! Can’t wait for more, especially as the war continues to creep ever closer and tensions are on a knifes edge.
Steamy romantic fantasy with witty banter, a shared bed, cross kingdoms adventures and self discovery.
October 5, 2022
This is book 2 in the series of the Princesses of Selma Island. I wasn’t a super fan of the first one but decided to give the second one a shot but I did not enjoy it either. I wanted to love the series but just not in love.
July 3, 2021
I loved all of it more than the first book. Honestly so much angst and you can't beat a hot fae with wings 🔥
Longer review to come 💕
Longer review to come 💕
July 3, 2021
A very enjoyable read
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and easy to relate to. I am looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and easy to relate to. I am looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.
July 9, 2021
Awesome
Once again your characters are very well developed. My only wish is that the story was longer I didn't want it to end.
Once again your characters are very well developed. My only wish is that the story was longer I didn't want it to end.
October 13, 2021
Easy going, enemies to lovers type story - .5 - 1 pepper of spice. Only a few awkward moments of juvenile dialogue, but overall a nice read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews