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Daughter of Ravens #3
The Rebel's Prize
Hunting traitors is easier than facing the man she never meant to love…
In the wake of treachery and broken bonds, Chloe de Roche has fled Illvya and a marriage that was never supposed to be real, to hunt the rebel mages trying to topple the empire. Bringing them to justice is the only way to clear her name and salvage something of the life she's been fighting for. But leaving Lucien behind might be even harder than finding the truth about the treachery buried in the heart of the empire…
Faced with Chloe's desertion, magic that undermines his ability to know the truth, and a threat to the emperor he is sworn to serve, Lucien de Roche is reeling. But even though his hopes that Chloe might grow to love him have been shattered, he can't turn his back on his wife. Bound by vows and honor, he has no choice but to follow her, even if she might break his heart…
Defeating those who seek to tear their world apart will not only take all their powers but an admission that they are stronger together than apart. But are they willing to risk their lives—and their hearts—to save an empire?
The Rebel's Prize is the third book in the Daughter of Ravens series, a new romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott, set in the same world as the Four Arts series. This series has old friends turned enemies (and then enemies to lovers), a heroine looking for a second chance, a smitten hero, political intrigue, royal witches, inconvenient marriages, sexy times and more. Enjoy!
In the wake of treachery and broken bonds, Chloe de Roche has fled Illvya and a marriage that was never supposed to be real, to hunt the rebel mages trying to topple the empire. Bringing them to justice is the only way to clear her name and salvage something of the life she's been fighting for. But leaving Lucien behind might be even harder than finding the truth about the treachery buried in the heart of the empire…
Faced with Chloe's desertion, magic that undermines his ability to know the truth, and a threat to the emperor he is sworn to serve, Lucien de Roche is reeling. But even though his hopes that Chloe might grow to love him have been shattered, he can't turn his back on his wife. Bound by vows and honor, he has no choice but to follow her, even if she might break his heart…
Defeating those who seek to tear their world apart will not only take all their powers but an admission that they are stronger together than apart. But are they willing to risk their lives—and their hearts—to save an empire?
The Rebel's Prize is the third book in the Daughter of Ravens series, a new romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott, set in the same world as the Four Arts series. This series has old friends turned enemies (and then enemies to lovers), a heroine looking for a second chance, a smitten hero, political intrigue, royal witches, inconvenient marriages, sexy times and more. Enjoy!
340 pages, ebook
First published October 17, 2023
28 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Scott
28 books595 followersM.J Scott is a RITA® Award nominated author. She is an unrepentant bookworm. Luckily she grew up in a family that fed her a properly varied diet of books and these days is surrounded by people who are understanding of her story addiction. When not wrestling one of her own stories to the ground, she can generally be found reading someone else’s. Her other distractions include yarn, cat butlering, dark chocolate and fabric. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
For free reads and all her news and sneak peeks sign up to her newsletter at https://www.mjscott.net!
Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormjscott
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She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
For free reads and all her news and sneak peeks sign up to her newsletter at https://www.mjscott.net!
Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormjscott
Or Instagram: www.instagram.com/melwrites
Or Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mel_writes
She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 19, 2024
The perfect ending to the series!
August 29, 2023
Another great installment in this series. I love this world and these characters so much, and I'm never disappointed!!
5 stars
5 stars
May 28, 2024
Final book in the "Daughter of Ravens" trilogy, again, too much sex and not enough story.
The principals conclude that there has to be a spell that can make people lose their memories, just as there is one to alter illusions, working in tandem. Researching some of the traveling theater troupes finally leads them to Deandra, who had cast a forget spell over Chloe but whose sanctii remembered all those she had seen and could provide the missing image of a young woman who, as a girl, had always exoected things to go her way and became vindictive when they didn't. Expelled for a cheating scandal, she was unable to find a real job as the guilds, notified of the expulsion, wouldn't hire her. So she took up political plotting. She nearly destroys Lucien at one point, and does destroy others, but there is enough evidence gathered to expose the depth and breadth of the plot and to stop it, in one case, tragically.
There is a lot of suspense, however, since magic is always based on sex and/or drugs, too much of the story revolves around sex and not magic, and the suspense is chopped short in favor of satisfying the prurient interest of role playing wanna-be witches reading the novel.
The story was enjoyable overall and the author has a lot of untapped potential that goes beyond writing sex scenes that are perhaps the most fantasy oriented parts of the book, since most of what the author depicts her characters doing in the bedroom is not physically possible for the male. I'm a retired RN and have worked in women's health, which often means disabusing women of the notion that their male partners are capapble physically of what their fictional counterparts can do. I dislike this type of sex writing primarily because of all the young women I have counseled who take a single, usually female, author's fictionalized and strongly fantasized sex scenes and become single mothers because they cannot let go of those false expectations for sex from the men in their lives. It is harmful and IMO dangerous to young women to perpetrate these harmful romantic fantasies that destroy real relationships.
The principals conclude that there has to be a spell that can make people lose their memories, just as there is one to alter illusions, working in tandem. Researching some of the traveling theater troupes finally leads them to Deandra, who had cast a forget spell over Chloe but whose sanctii remembered all those she had seen and could provide the missing image of a young woman who, as a girl, had always exoected things to go her way and became vindictive when they didn't. Expelled for a cheating scandal, she was unable to find a real job as the guilds, notified of the expulsion, wouldn't hire her. So she took up political plotting. She nearly destroys Lucien at one point, and does destroy others, but there is enough evidence gathered to expose the depth and breadth of the plot and to stop it, in one case, tragically.
There is a lot of suspense, however, since magic is always based on sex and/or drugs, too much of the story revolves around sex and not magic, and the suspense is chopped short in favor of satisfying the prurient interest of role playing wanna-be witches reading the novel.
The story was enjoyable overall and the author has a lot of untapped potential that goes beyond writing sex scenes that are perhaps the most fantasy oriented parts of the book, since most of what the author depicts her characters doing in the bedroom is not physically possible for the male. I'm a retired RN and have worked in women's health, which often means disabusing women of the notion that their male partners are capapble physically of what their fictional counterparts can do. I dislike this type of sex writing primarily because of all the young women I have counseled who take a single, usually female, author's fictionalized and strongly fantasized sex scenes and become single mothers because they cannot let go of those false expectations for sex from the men in their lives. It is harmful and IMO dangerous to young women to perpetrate these harmful romantic fantasies that destroy real relationships.
January 14, 2025
I really really really wanted a more in depth explanation of the sanctii and their world/society and why Elarus chose Sophie etc. So I'm definitely upset that this was the end. Otherwise the whole plot and conspiracy was wrapped up pretty well. I do have a few more questions with the overall series and it would have been more satisfying to have gotten a bit more into why Alain had decided to betray his father and if Alain started the conspiracy, was pulled in, or was manipulated in some way. I get it...the memory erasing magic meant we weren't going to know because all characters involved had used it on themselves but surely the driving force for most involved wasn't really just "we want more power over our own countries" like this plot took years and involved a lot of death. If this conspiracy was going to take decades and end with another emperor who could just not do what he said he promised to it seems like the much easier option for those tangentially involved to just use diplomacy and ask the current emperor to change some laws or allow for more control over a period of time.
Maybe all the memory stuff needed to happen so Aristides didn't actually have to decide the fate of his son? I'm not sure. I get that Alain was made out to be a sociopathic douchebag from the first time we met him and yes some people are just born that way but like he was going to be emperor. Again I get it he didn't want to wait but wouldn't it have been much simpler for him to have planned out a plain boring poisoning of his father? I mean as his son and heir surely he had enough access to his father and could have made it look like his father died naturally, he didn't need to risk everything in some dramatic play for the throne it was literally going to be his!!
Maybe all the memory stuff needed to happen so Aristides didn't actually have to decide the fate of his son? I'm not sure. I get that Alain was made out to be a sociopathic douchebag from the first time we met him and yes some people are just born that way but like he was going to be emperor. Again I get it he didn't want to wait but wouldn't it have been much simpler for him to have planned out a plain boring poisoning of his father? I mean as his son and heir surely he had enough access to his father and could have made it look like his father died naturally, he didn't need to risk everything in some dramatic play for the throne it was literally going to be his!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
Okay I really did enjoy this trilogy, but this review is going to sound like I don't. I burned through it super quickly. It gives me fullmetal alchemist + bridgerton + bits of magical school and soap opera maybe? Hard to explain the associations in my head. I think the strength is when the main character is doing things on her own, but at this point in the trilogy that doesn't happen very often. Some sequences feel like a group of characters literally going from room to room together in almost a comic/Scooby Doo fashion. There are threads that are never fully wrapped up- I still don't understand how the diplomatic situation in the North really shook out after MC left at the end of the first book. A very fraught/tense situation, but it just resolved off page. The author introduces big dramatic things and they are resolved a few chapters later. That can be good for my anxiety but really undermines the seriousness of the situation. I did enjoy it and will read more by the author, but I do think she could work on her pacing and plotting a bit. I was surprised by the omission of certain scenes and the inclusion of others.
October 22, 2023
We find Chloe running away after she broke her bond with Lucien, and as she attempts to locate the group responsible for the attempt on the Emperors' life, she wonders if she made a mistake by leaving. Naturally, you can't keep a good man down as Lucien pursues her and finds her. Together they go after this group of mages who steal peoples memories and illusionists, along the way they start to explore their true feelings about one another, Chloe more than Lucien. It's a time of reckoning and moving beyond her past and accepting that this is the man and place she wants to be.
I have totally enjoyed this series and the entire Four Arts series.. 7 books in all counting the novella on Imogene. Highly recommend this series, but for it to make sense, you do need or at least should read the first three book about Sophie and Cameron. It will give you a better sense of this world you are about to embark on
I have totally enjoyed this series and the entire Four Arts series.. 7 books in all counting the novella on Imogene. Highly recommend this series, but for it to make sense, you do need or at least should read the first three book about Sophie and Cameron. It will give you a better sense of this world you are about to embark on
October 27, 2023
This is an amazing mix of fantasy/mystery/romance!
This is a spin off of The Four Arts series set in the same world. Yes, it would be well worth it to read that series because it is also phenomenal! This book wraps of the 3-book arc with Lucien and Chloe. I am now left wanting more books set in this world and thinking of which characters I would like to know more about!
This is a spin off of The Four Arts series set in the same world. Yes, it would be well worth it to read that series because it is also phenomenal! This book wraps of the 3-book arc with Lucien and Chloe. I am now left wanting more books set in this world and thinking of which characters I would like to know more about!
October 23, 2023
Exciting conclusion to the series
This volume of the Four Arts world, Daughter of Ravens wing, was an exciting conclusion to the series. Chloe and Lucien did their usual stupid and stubborn things but eventually figured it out in a satisfying and true to character way. Loved it
This volume of the Four Arts world, Daughter of Ravens wing, was an exciting conclusion to the series. Chloe and Lucien did their usual stupid and stubborn things but eventually figured it out in a satisfying and true to character way. Loved it
August 18, 2024
So much fun and mystery
Thoroughly enjoyed all the books I have read from Scott. Well thought out with no gaps in the story or culture that was built. And nice romances thrown in to spice it up. Highly recommend.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the books I have read from Scott. Well thought out with no gaps in the story or culture that was built. And nice romances thrown in to spice it up. Highly recommend.
December 19, 2023
5⭐️ Wow 🥹 I mean it all the way ! I’m speechless. I just wanted more and more! 😭 This trilogy’s just getting better every damn book!
January 2, 2024
Fantastic conclusion to this series!! I hope there is more to come in it. For instance - Irina and Valentin.
July 27, 2024
Lucien and Chloe I will always love you.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews