A mysterious crystal. A legacy of shadows. The prophecy unfolds…
Cora never dreamed of returning to her old life, but with her kingdom at stake and her brother’s life on the line, she has no choice but to reclaim her former title. Yet with new changes come new dangers, this time in the form of scheming royals with cruel politics. If she can play their games, she just might keep her crown. But can she say the same for her heart?
Prince Teryn has already betrayed Cora’s trust, first with a lie, then with a kiss. Now all he wants is her forgiveness. If he’s lucky, maybe he’ll win her affection too. But just when he manages to convey his deepest feelings, he makes a fatal mistake that unleashes an old threat in a terrifying new way.
Thrust into a web of lies, deadly magic, and hidden memories, Cora and Teryn must uncover secrets of the past to secure the future of their kingdoms. If they fail, darkness will return in a way no one will see coming.
And it will be wearing the face of the one Cora loves most.
A Cage of Crystal is the second book in the Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae trilogy. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone. If you like breathtaking magic, fierce heroines, and enemies-to-lovers romance, then you’ll love this epic fantasy tale.
A Cage of Crystal is an upper YA fantasy that contains moderate violence and gore, mildly steamy fade-to-black romance, and adult situations such as pregnancy and marriage.
NOTE: A Cage of Crystal is based on an older edition of the book, Veil of Mist. This updated edition has been fully rewritten and includes plot changes, name changes, and other modifications from the original. The original edition has been unpublished.
Tessonja Odette is a Seattle-based author of fantasy romance, epic romantasy, and fairytale retellings. Her different series range from cozy fae romcoms to dark and twisty fantasy. In her books you’ll find witty banter, sizzling romance, and breathtaking magic. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching anime, squeezing her pets, or dancing to the music only she can hear.
Today is the day! A Cage of Crystal (Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae Book Two) is finally here! I’m so excited that this sequel is out in the world. This was such a fun book to write. I absolutely loved writing all the twists and turns while building the magic systems AND deepening the romance.
This series is for you if you like: -epic adventure -slooooow burn enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance -second chance/forbidden romance (secondary couple) -multi POV -snarky unicorn companions -secrets and plot twists -stabby heroine -elemental witches -sensory magic -elves and fae -morally gray characters
Thank you so much for being here and supporting me and my books! This release/series means so much to me so I hope you love it as much as I do!
A Cage of Crystal is now available in ebook, free in KU, on paperback, and hardcover. Signed editions are live on my Etsy shop!
Want a peek at the hardcover edition? I love how it turned out!
A sequel that is more dramatic, more action-packed, and (slightly) steamier.
The only reason this book gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that Teryn and Cora spend just way too much time apart. I know that the name of this book is quite literally "A Cage of Crystal" so I should not be complaining that it took up too much of the plot. Point taken. But I personally struggle when love interests are apart for long stretches of a book. I'm a forced proximity kind of gal.
Teryn and Cora spend most of the first act of the book geographically apart. They spend the last half separated by the crystal. It leaves very few scenes with them interacting. I wanted to see more of Teryn’s attempts to court Cora. I wanted to see the slow burn romance slowly ratchet up as real feelings become involved. If I had one wish for book 3 it would be to see the romance between Teryn and Cora get kicked up a couple notch or two…
As far as Cora’s prophecy is concerned I’m staring to wonder if it’s even about her. What if it’s Mareleau? Breaking down the prophecy…
His mother is the Blood of Ailan, but with the beauty of Satsara. The dragon did not appear to recognize the blood of Ailan in Cora. Mareleau’s beauty has been focused on more than Cora’s.
She has the blood of the witch, blood of the Elvyn, and blood of the crown. I suspect Mareleau’s Magic Trick is really witchcraft that she's unknowingly practicing. She is blood of the crown, and she appears just as likely to have Elvyn blood as Cora.
The unicorn will signify her awakening. She did set everything in motion with the unicorn hunt too.
“When will she be born?” “The year of the Great Bear.” Cora and Mareleau are the same age.
Other Reviews in Series: Book One - A Throne of Shadows - Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) Book Three - A Fate of Flame - Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
The second book in this trilogy started a bit slow, but the way the second half had me in a chokehold. Perfection.
All the couples and main characters were separated through out the most of the book, common second book scenario - but it’s done right. So far this series has taken every single romantasy trope and done it well.
First book had unicorns. Second book brings in DRAGONS!!
I’m diving right into the third and final book because I legit HAVE to.
« You think too little of yourself, but I see you. »
I was having a fun time in unicorn world and then about 250 pages in, I realized nothing pertinent was going on LOL. I do think this was WAY too long. And I don’t mind big books… it just helps when there’s actually something going on.
Ever want to shake a book and scream : COMMUNICATE YOU TWATS!!!!!!!!!!! Because that’s what I wanted to do with this one.
« She was a dragon. She would consume the world and burn it to ash to get what she wanted. »
‼️This is a massive spoiler section ‼️ * So… Cora learns she’s *probably* infertile because of the prophecy/curse. (We don’t even know who the prophecy is about or have any clue about anything at that point lol). Then she becomes OVERLY obsessed with having children all of a sudden. She even goes to the point of making Mareleau feel bad about wanting more time with Larylis before having kids? That’s where I snapped out of it. That whole scene gave me massive secondhand embarrassment. You know when you read something and then you just close your eyes because wtf? * This also really snapped me out of it but how in the actual world did no one realize this wasn’t Terryn?! It was so painfully obvious. * Honestly, I despised the fact that Terryn got possessed. It was a very weak plot IMO. It’s also because when you think about it… why would they just keep the crystal unguarded/unprotected? It made absolutely no sense to me. Cora knew the threat it posed and she just decided to be massively stupid about it. * The conversations between Terryn and Emylia were just so weird? He wasn’t asking anything and she was just saying stuff out of the blues it was odd.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Woooowww this book had me on the edge of my seat like the entire time! I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. And let me tell you, this series is quickly becoming one of my new favorites. I really couldn’t anticipate the twist and turns that came in this story. It sucked me in like I NEEDED to know what happened. And now I’m left dealing with the cliffhanger!
The story starts off a month after the events of the first book. I love when there isn’t much of a time gap between books in a series. And once things got started, it kept going. There were honestly no lulls in this, just one thing after another, keeping me invested in it.
I love that it’s multiple POV, not just with Teryn and Cora (the main love interests), but with Teryn’s brother, Larylis, and his love Mareleau. You get to see each facet of the story but from different perspectives. Sometimes I get bored when there are multiple character’s views in one book, but it definitely didn’t take away from the story, if anything adding more depth to it.
The growth of relationships throughout are perfect, relationship as well as friendship. Almost the whole time, I was rooting for Cora and Mareleau to become friends. They start off hating each other and end up bonding through similar trauma, as well as the pains of being a woman in a man’s world.
Teryn and Cora’s growth is definitely different in this story because of what Teryn is forced to go through. But I think even with their separation, you can see how their feelings slowly unfold for each other.
Even though some situations were resolved in this story, you can see how it’s setting the plot for the next in the series. It’s all these threads coming together to form a bigger pictures, but you can only see little bits at a time. I just know this series is going to blow me away and I can’t wait for the journey.
I have had a pretty mediocre month so this was a welcome experience. And the half star comes purely from my relief of getting out of that slump!
At first, I was apprehensive about the new POV because I wasn’t a fan of the character, but I did see the value of having her POV throughout the story. I find the story to be very engaging and mostly, it makes sense. There are no irritations with the characters and there is good progression for both the characters and the story. The romance is turning out to be the heart-wrenching kind and I hope it will be of the epic kind as well. Probably won’t wait long before I start the last book.
This sequel is even better than the first book! Cora’s return to the world of royalty is full of danger, at the same time,Teryn’s fight for survival adds a heartfelt touch. The twists and turns with court politics, and secrets from the past kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved how the threat from the first book came back in an unexpected way, making the story even more intense. The action, emotions, and surprises made it impossible to put down. I can’t wait to dive into the final book!”
Tried my best to make this stretch another 2 months so I could go right into the 3rd book but I couldn't put it down, def wanted to see more progress in teryn and Cora's relationship but definitely and excited to see (spoiler)
To see how cora and teryn along with larylis and mareleu take on the responsibility of ruling and what they intend to do with things. Also can't wait to see how el'ara plays into the final conclusion of this story.
I enjoyed this a lot more than the first in the series, A Throne of Shadows . This is faster paced with more action, and it has a lot more fantastical elements to it that I enjoyed.
The book begins right where the first ends, and I'm embarrassed to say that I did not remember much that happened in the first book when I started reading. But actually the author does a great job of giving you just enough of a refresher throughout the new setting without it feeling like a major info dump,and my memories came flooding back. Even though I thought this made the book quite accessible, I do recommend giving yourself a refresher before starting.
The pacing is quite improved from the last one, but there were still parts that dragged a bit for me and things I didn't connect with. The first half of the book has a lot of it dedicated to court politics and how Cora and Marelau must adjust to their new roles in the kingdom, and unfortunately, it bored me to no end. There's quite a lot to unpack in the first half, so even though I didn't care for that particular subject, the writing was compelling enough for me to pull through. I think the author knew when/where to put in different magical tidbits to keep my interest going just when I needed it. And don't get me started with how frustrating Cora and Teryn's lack of communication in their relationship became. I wanted to scream. There are four povs to the story, and aside from Cora and Teryn, I really didn't connect with the other two. In fact I really despised Mareleau's character until pretty much the end of the book. I did enjoy her friendship with Cora though, and hope that continues to develop in the next one. Larylis I'm still neutral on.
The conflict/villian in this was so cool though. It was so interesting. I don't want to say anything in case of spoilers, but I loved how the root of it was so connected to nature and the essence of life. We get so much more information too. We learn more about the world of Lela and El'Ara, the different kinds of magic, the prophecy, and even Morkai's tragic backstory. Cora learns more about her abilities, and Valorre is in it quite a bit. And everything was tied in perfectly with the action-packed ending. I didn't feel like there were any loose ends, and there's was enough left with Cora's storyline to hint at where the story will go next. I anticipate the finale to be *chef's kiss*.
So many thanks to Tessonja Odette for providing me with an early review copy. I really appreciate being a part of her launch team! All opinions are freely given and my own.
Amazing sequel, I'm eagerly awaiting the next book to close the loop for me. After finishing, I wished I had the last book in my hands already, as I want to know how it ends. I have many ideas on who the mother and child are in the prophecy and am curious to see if my hunch is correct.
I found it hard to get into at first. I wished I had reread A Throne of Shadows before to give myself a refresher, but I did pick it up by the middle. I know I had a similar feeling about A Throne of Shadows too. I felt there was a lot of slow build in the beginning, but things took off about 50% into the book. It became very action packed, with many stories and realms. I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the multiple character viewpoints, giving each character more depth and allowing you to fall in love with them. Cora, Teryn, Larylis and Mareleau will make a powerful team for the next book. It will be interesting to see how they handle the adversaries coming. I hope we get more information and history on the Faeryn, Elvyn and Forest People.
I did not love the miscommunication trope, as I often find myself frustrated when reading them. I feel it was supposed to add character depth, showing their fear behind sharing, but at the same time it left me grumbling.
Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book and all Tessonja Odette's if you love fantasy, romance, villains, and strong heroines. She has a very easy to read writing style.
I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Tessonja for the ARC!
Anyone else think this book was entirely too boring?! I kept checking to see how many pages I had left. We still know NOTHING after 2 books!! What's the entire prophecy? Who EXACTLY stated the prophecy? Who are the mother, child, and unicorn? Cora doesn't seem so sure. She's managed to be around 3 different groups of people, all who knows the prophecy, yet no one gives Jay important details? The fae on the other side of the veil know of the prophecy, know the true heir is gone, possibly to the human realm, and yet none of them think the woman who crossed into their realm with a UNICORN, may have something to do with the heir or the prophecy?? Why has only 1 person, the evil guy, managed to find out that the prophecy is about cora? I mean, maybe it's not. Maraleau is pregnant, and also does her "magic", maybe it's her mad Cora just happened to be the one who brings a unicorn near maraleau? Idk. Honestly, it seems like the author made this story so bland, boring, and vague deliberately. It's a slow read, even for quick refers IMO. Cora and Teryn are barely around each other. There are so many boring side characters; the uncles, the other king, the cousin, the ladies maids, Emylia, Des, and they have nothing to do with much of this story. I understand why some people were necessary, they have to kinda make sense of the power GIVEN not TAKEN bit, but omg..just get to the actual story!!! Hope the next book actually has cora and Teryn spend time speaking to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Amazing sequel, can't wait for book 3 to be published.
From the very first chapter, the pacing was spot on. You get sucked into the story almost immediately, with a lot of interesting stuff going on, great characters and a lot of new developments. I really liked the 4 alternating POVs, this way you get to know all the main characters better. They are all so unique and lovable in their own way. I was happily surprised by Mareleau in particular, how scheming, fierce yet also vulnerable she is. Just like Mareleau, Teryn, Cora and Larylis also show a lot of potential for the next book, both in character and in development. I absolutely feel connected to all four of them and cannot choose a favourite character. I also loved to get to know Lela's history better, how everything that happened in the past comes together in the present. This is really well written, very consistently and coherent, without any plotholes. Plus with everything that's going on with the Faeryn and the Elvyn, consider me intrigued. Even if it has been a while since you've read a Throne of Shadows, you don't need to worry. Sufficient information about past events is bein repeated throughout this book so you won't miss any details, yet it doesn't feel like too much repetition or info dumping at all. It's just perfectly executed. Add Valorre and Berol to this mix, I just love these familiars 😍 The biggest downside for me was that the miscommunication trope is very present throughout the book. This is by far my least favourite trope. But otherwise, I really liked the story. Another, way smaller downside is that I had hoped we would see a bit more of the Forest People in this book as well, but maybe that'll happen in book 3.
If you've read a Throne of Shadows, hurry up and grab yourself a copy of a Cage of Crystal, you won't be disappointed. I'm really looking forward to seeing how everything will continue in the third and last book of this trilogy.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review.
‘Maybe a witch can be a princess’ Being in touch with nature, smelling out toxins, recognizing poisonous plants, utilizing healing herbs, clearing out negative energies, reconnecting with the elements, etc. How could any of that be a bad thing? When we increase awareness of our surroundings, we increase our empathy with other people. Sounds like something we could use IRL.
Mareleau most definitely fits the bill with that famous line from William Congreve’s play, The Mourning Bride (1697): “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” As the story moves along, Mareleau’s relationships begin to change, if even only slightly. Her growing softness and declining sarcasm are paced realistically, so her maturation has time to develop.
Believe it or not, a more incredible transformation is Dimi’s. I won’t go into details, but readers will see the royal side of him. How his recovery was portrayed reminded me of people with mental illnesses and/or addictions. Yes, it IS okay for others to be cautious about relapses as long as they can also support the improvements. People need support in order to heal, not punishments.
Some sage advice from the author: Heed your clairsentient warnings Never under estimate the magic of a unicorn horn
Will these four be able to maintain their tenuous hold on their thrones? ‘A Fate of Flames’ will let us know later in 2023. *** Reading the sequel now - releases 15 December!
This second book for the Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae is a fantastic follow up to book one! It answers some of the questions left at the end of book one and Cora, Teryn, Larilys, and Mareleau's lives get complicated. Everyone is trying to grasp their new roles in court while there's a darkness still lurking unseen. I don't want to give any spoilers away so I will leave this review short and sweet. Thank you Tessonja Odette for the ARC I love your fantasy writing. Can't wait for the final book to wrap up the story!
THIS IS BOOK 2. THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1
Cora is now home with no choice but to reclaim her title, but now there's a new threat that's after the crown. And when she's told she must marry, she accepts her fate. Prince Teryn learns that Cora will have to marry his brother, he is determined to change things, especially since his betrothed is in love with his brother and he's in love with Cora. But after he accidentally unleashes an old threat, he'll have to fight for his freedom. Will the two of them be able to push back the darkness threatening their kingdoms?
Yay. We have body snatching and more blood magic and weird chimera creature things and a a lie that turns into a truth and new friends? Sort of? There was a lot going on. BUT. I felt like this dragged for so long. Like cool yo, I get it, Taryn is screwed. How many times did we have to hear about how he can't do something or he hears this but he can't answer? If you answered the limit does not exist then bingo you won. Taryn became kind of whiney, Cora took like 10 steps back when it comes to opening up, Valour was missing for like 90% of this, and I just wanted this to MOVE. HOWEVER. We finally get to see the other realm which was cool, and the ending had me like HOLD UP WHAT. So yeah. I'll probably end up reading the next book. I just really wish this was like 100 pages shorter.
Once again speechless! How does the author manage to keep the fantasy, romance, plots and character development so well balanced!??? OMG! I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that she managed to answer questions I had after finishing the first book in the best way possible! My mind was blown away in some moments i couldn’t react. Super excited to start the next one (and last) of the trilogy and see how everything, every single detail and schemes come to an end 🫶🏻
Trying do hard to get through this, the romance just seems a little stilted in this book and I hate everything about the princess that sent them on a unicorn hint I don't understand her purpose in this book. She's unnecessary.
The first book was hard to get into but this one sealed it for me. Good characters, romance, friendship, a charming unicorn, and an evil sorcerer. Love it. Excited to read the final book
A Cage of Crystal is the second book in Tessonja Odette's Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae series and it was spectacular. The amount of stuff that popped off in the first three chapters really set the tone for this book. Secrets, lies, miss understandings, political games, intense emotions, and more.
Cora aka princess Aveline is having a rough go of it. Strong independent stubborn Cora has to play these awful political games and while she still has complicated feelings for her brother she is determined to help him and their kingdom recover. Too bad that means hiding so much of herself, including her magic. Cora doesn't fit in anywhere, not with the forest people who hate royals and not with the royals who fear magic. Cora is caught in a very hard place but she's gonna fight because that's what she is, a fighter.
Talk about romantic entanglements, nothing gets messier than royal weddings. Cora has feelings for Teryn who is in a political engagement with Mareleau who is actually in love with Larylis, Teryn's brother, who winds up in a political engagement with Cora. It came full circle, people, and caused so much drama because out of the couples, no one was happy. Through a bunch of manipulation, things sort out somewhat.
Teryn is a great guy and he's trying to make everyone he loves happy, he tries to do the right thing and that's admirable. He is most definitely developing feelings for Cora, they've been through a lot and he's messed up a few times but I think they're a perfect fit. It looks like Cora and Teryn are finally getting together if they can overcome the obstacles standing in their way and I'm so happy for them.
I love that he cares so much about Larylis, they are close even with the circumstances of being Teryn's half-brother, and wants the best for him. As for Larylis, he's humble and respectful, a gentle soul who deems himself unworthy but he loves Teryn and would do anything for him. I like Larylis so much and just want to put him in bubble wrap but I am beyond stumped about how can he love someone like Mareleau. That princess is deceitful, manipulative, entitled, and mean. I don't like her but she was put into crappy circumstances revolving around marriage and her crown, plus the woman is willing to fight for love so I give her that. Also, she's a little bit crazy, which can only be a plus for her and I will admit towards the end she improved, slightly.
This plot was bananas. A ton of crazy stuff went down and I can't really describe it without spoilers but I'm gonna try. A few new characters were introduced and I believe that they are going to be important in the next book. There were political marriages, dark magic (because you know evil never dies) a bunch of new magical beings, elvys, dragons, seers, djyn, and more. Plus we finally get Morkai's origin story. The story that started this crazy adventure was detailed af (I'm telling you great world-building) the story behind Morkai's fall into darkness was beyond fascinating. There were a lot of key details including info about other realms. Speaking of which, we go to another realm and the people aren't the friendliest bunch. Between all that on top of the fake pregnancy, rush weddings, and political upheaval, this book was jammed packed.
Tessa has another spectacular book on her hands with A Cage of Crystal. I've come to care about the characters, the plot is exciting, and the world-building is excellent. What's not to love? There was a bunch of stuff going on that makes for a very compelling story, I can't fathom what's gonna happen next, but I can't wait for the next book.
I had been eagerly awaiting this book since finishing the first in the series, and it did not disappoint. I re-read A Throne of Shadows beforehand, which was helpful because I had forgotten some of the minor plot points and the subtle references to major plots weaving throughout. A lot happens in the first third of the book, to the point where I had started to think "okay, this all seems wrapped up, how is she going to fill the rest of this book?!" It then quiets down for a few chapters and I started to lose a little interest, the way the story plays out can't be helped as there needed to be a little time to lull the characters into a false sense of security before everything kicked off again, but I just felt like I was left hanging in anticipation a little too long. However, the rest of the book more than made up for this, I couldn't put it down, as one reveal after another kept me guessing and wanting to know more! Possible spoiler alert! The introduction of another world was a bit complicated, I can see how it will fold into the final story, and I know the author has said this book has ended up twice as long as the original (if you didn't know, this series was published previously but has been re-written and released again with some changes) but the information revealed regarding this world did feel a bit rushed, and some parts were over-explained in what felt an unnecessary way. I did enjoy the way the prophecy was unravelled, with certain aspects you could guess along as it was revealed, but the final third did feel very rushed through - which I get, the characters just wanted to know the whole story, but perhaps this could have been strung throughout the early chapters where not much was happening? Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found myself holding my breath through the final scenes desperate for my favourites to survive and defeat the baddies.
Honourable mention for Mareleau who is an arrogant and spoiled princess, who just does whatever she wants to get what she wants, consequences be DAMNED, but had real growth in this story and I cannot wait to see how she grows through the next book, and how her friendship with Cora develops! It's so good to see two female characters who have had such different experiences finding common ground and begrudgingly learning to respect each other through a mutual disrespect of the patriarchy!
What. A Ride! It started off at a brisk walk, & kept gaining pace until by the end it was a full sprint! That ending has left more thoughts swirling in my head than a vortex full of sharks! I loved the world building Tessonja has done, she built on what we saw in the first book & expanded it to include so much more than I was expecting, it is hard to explain without risking some amazing revelations. There are a lot of court politics & scheming in this one compared to the first, so keep in mind, if political fantasy reads aren’t your thing you may struggle with parts of this story, however I promise it is worth it for the reveals! Cora continued to be an excellent MC, grappling with not just her own evolving abilities & being thrust back into the role of Princess, but the ramifications left behind after the battle that freed her brother Dimetreus’s mind from the clutches of Duke Morkai, & the consequences of unwittingly waging war on the two other Kingdoms. I really enjoyed Teryns POV in this & love how loyal he is, literally with every breath in his body he is constantly thinking about protecting those he cares for. It was excellent reading more from Mareleau and Larylis’s POVs, Mareleau still frustrated me a lot, her selfishness caused a lot of frustration all round, that being said, when the layers of her personality started to peel back, I really got a feel for just how complex a person she is, I’m still not a big fan but I do have a lot more respect for her now. I loved the flashbacks about Morkais past, & learning more about the Fae & the prophecy surrounding the unicorns, the Fae and the true heir to the Elvyn throne. Side note- I love the fact that Cora can communicate with Valorre, her magnificent unicorn friend & I cannot wait to see how their friendship plays into the events in the third book which will no doubt continue to give me deer in the headlight’s eyes. Thank you Tessonja for sending me a digital ARC of this in exchange for an honest review, I thoroughly enjoyed it & cannot wait for the final book.
A Cage of Crystals picks up right where we left off from A Throne of Shadows. Cora and her brother Dimetrius are waiting to learn if they will gain control of their kingdom back, Mareleau still doesn’t want to marry Teryn (and vice versa), and Larylis is still reeling from the decision he was forced to make. Dimetrius manages to hold onto his kingdom, but both his and Cora’s future hang in the hands of King Verdian, his brothers, and the council he selected. Mareleau’s future is similarly controlled by her father in his decision on who she should marry. Is there anything she can do to sway his decision? And what will come of the lies she tells in a desperate attempt to control her own life? Then the future of all three kingdoms is put in danger from an old enemy in an unexpected way. A mysterious crystal, a dark tower, and secrets hidden deep in the forests may be the only witnesses to the horrors these royals face.
This is a really hard recap to write without giving anything away. I did find the story a little long, even for an epic fantasy, it was just a little bit wordy for me. However the storyline was captivating and moved relatively swiftly. The whole book truly is a wild ride. I loved the history of Desmond, the Elvyn, and the Faeryn. I enjoyed the character development in Mareleau because I couldn’t stand her in book one, but I actually kind of like her now. I have always enjoyed Tessonja’s voice and while this series is different from any of her other work, I still love it. I can’t wait to see what is to come in book 3.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to Tessonja Odette for providing an arc to read early and review.
This is book two in Tessonja Odette’s republished series the Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae, and it picks up right after the first book. I absolutely love everything Odette writes and this is no different. The world is so interesting and I can’t wait to see more in book 3. All I want is for Cora to be happy and have a break, she gets through so much in this book and it just never stops and she deserves to be happy. This series is high fantasy, young adult/new adult, with magical creatures and magic that isn’t common. The series follows Cora who has lived in the forest with those labeled “witches” for most of her life and magic is a major part of her life but when she finds a unicorn that is being hunted her life completely gets turned upside-down.
I highly recommend this series for fans of high fantasy books with a complex world with kingdoms stuck in wars, magic that isn’t fully discovered, and secret identities.
I had to look at my previous review of book one as a reminder as to what happened but I found I really didn't need it as the book starts as we left off just after the battle with Cora and Teryn still trying to undo the damage done by the evil Morkai. There are recaps hidden within the text to jog your memory so you don't need to have read book one recently but you do need to have read it at some point. Cora, as always, is a delightful mixture of hope and cynicism, Teryn was forthright and strong and even Larylis starts to grow on you despite his self-efficacy. I still can't deal with Mareleau who honestly needs a darn good slap. The intrigue and plot in this are just as good as ever and don't get stale and you can fall in love with the characters all over again. (most of them, I'm looking at you Mareleau!) I want a sassy unicorn following me around at all times! As with everything that Odette writes you are in for great characters, an interesting storyline and more twists than you can shake a stick at.
Thanks to Tessonja Odette for the eARC, all opinions are my own.
This was the first book I read after having my baby and let me tell you, it had me on my toes through the whole thing.
It was a faster pace read, which was consistent and faster than the first book. It also has multiple POV’s where each character is so different. You never feel like the characters are bleeding into each other, or that views get repetitive, which is great to have the distinct differences.
However, I struggled with the miscommunication trope (this could be personal preference of not being a fan). I love both Cora and Teryn’s character development throughout the book. But I found myself wanting a bit more from their relationship (I’m also a sucker for romance).
Overall there is a lot of politics and scheming involved, which could be difficult if it’s not your thing. I’m really excited to read future books from Odette, they always fulfill my curiosity and help get me out of my ready slump.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy. This review are my own thoughts and opinions.
I have been (not so) patiently waiting to get my hands on this second book!
First off thank you so much for letting me get this ARC! I'm so excited to get back into this amazing magical world. I loved having the multiple points of view, it's done in such a way that it's not overbearing or confusing. You get the perfect opportunity to get to know all characters and step into their minds. And getting more of a back story was great. I loved every moment of Valorre and Berol. The ending part with them brought tears!
Ugh and he should not be named I hated him as much as I hated professor Umbridge! This book had so many twist and turns it kept me tensing and intrigued through every chapter.
Just when you think Tessonja can't top her previous book, she goes and does it. This sucked me right in and I can't put her books down! The only complaint I have is now I have to wait for the 3rd book! 😂