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Rise of the Vicious Princess #2
Return of the Vengeful Queen: A YA Fantasy Romance About Political Betrayal and a Queen's Alliance with Her Enemy
From C. J. Redwine, the author the New York Times bestselling Ravenspire series, comes the stunning conclusion to the fantasy duology that began with Rise of the Vicious Princess. Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, And I Darken, and Ash Princess!
Charis Willowthorn is a queen without a throne. A Rakuuna invader holds Charis's kingdom of Calera captive, leaving her desperate—and ruthlessly committed to vengeance. But with her allies reluctant to intervene and her enemies hunting her across the open sea, Charis is left with only one forge a temporary alliance with Tal Penbyrn, the boy who betrayed her—and, at all costs, keep him out of her heart.
Tal is imprisoned, both by the Rakuuna and the weight of his guilt. Though he once betrayed his love, he knows that he can help turn the tide in Charis’s favor, if only he can regain her trust. But the Rakuuna have an ally of their own—one who knows Charis’s every move and will stop at nothing to see her destroyed.
With threats closing in and every allegiance in doubt, Charis must be stronger, faster, and more vicious than her enemies to reclaim her kingdom—and her future.
Charis Willowthorn is a queen without a throne. A Rakuuna invader holds Charis's kingdom of Calera captive, leaving her desperate—and ruthlessly committed to vengeance. But with her allies reluctant to intervene and her enemies hunting her across the open sea, Charis is left with only one forge a temporary alliance with Tal Penbyrn, the boy who betrayed her—and, at all costs, keep him out of her heart.
Tal is imprisoned, both by the Rakuuna and the weight of his guilt. Though he once betrayed his love, he knows that he can help turn the tide in Charis’s favor, if only he can regain her trust. But the Rakuuna have an ally of their own—one who knows Charis’s every move and will stop at nothing to see her destroyed.
With threats closing in and every allegiance in doubt, Charis must be stronger, faster, and more vicious than her enemies to reclaim her kingdom—and her future.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
21 people are currently reading
6506 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Redwine
26 books4,033 followers**Please read my FAQ before sending any requests: http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/p/faq.html **
C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and going to the movies. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and going to the movies. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
May 11, 2024
Alas, This wasn't what I expected to be my most anticipated sequeal of the year...
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update: 23 june 2022: Goddamn, the instant I put the first book down, I wanted to know what happens next. Yes, I do not care to say this out loud but this story has a chockhold on me and I cannot rest until I see the sequel out. Bye!
---------{☆}-----------
update: 23 june 2022: Goddamn, the instant I put the first book down, I wanted to know what happens next. Yes, I do not care to say this out loud but this story has a chockhold on me and I cannot rest until I see the sequel out. Bye!
May 13, 2024
I will be happy screaming about this duology for the foreseeable future. Fascinating political machinations, swoony, healthy romance, lovable characters (HOLLAND MY SWEET CHILD), great character growth; twists and turns I didn’t see coming, terrifying monsters, a queen who would do anything for her people… LOVE
There are parts that are pretty violent but they’re few and far between. There was one part where I was eating and reading at the same time though and I had to put the book down because my stomach was like NOPE. XD (related to throats. As I discovered with These Violent Delights, I do not handle throat violence well.)
Highly, highly recommend this series!!
There are parts that are pretty violent but they’re few and far between. There was one part where I was eating and reading at the same time though and I had to put the book down because my stomach was like NOPE. XD (related to throats. As I discovered with These Violent Delights, I do not handle throat violence well.)
Highly, highly recommend this series!!
August 3, 2024
★★★ (3.0)
Finally done with this series, and sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. For a book with over 300 pages, being the last in the duology that was supposed to wrap up everything, this one falls short. While I was fascinated by some aspects, the plot felt too rushed in many ways. The political intrigue, the journey, and the schemes were all over the place.
There were not many details in any of the subjects, and our main character just moved from one situation to another. Although I understand she carried a lot of weight on her shoulders, it seemed too easy for her to fix everything when, in reality, it should have been more conflicted. Additionally, Charis was not as vengeful as I expected. I know she's young, but she seemed to surrender too easily without realizing her importance to her kingdom. I expected her to be braver and not show herself falling apart, but this resolve only remained in her mind by the end.
Some of the characters were insufferable and kept doing reckless things, and I just wished they would stop their actions. Don't get your hopes up for romance, as you won't find much of it. It felt like the romance made Charis frail, and Tal was just there, following her and caring for her, without the fire I hoped to see in him.
I expected an amazing storyline and well-developed characters for this sequel, but what I got was just a mediocre plot with drama. I loved the first book, but this one was not to my liking at all.
Finally done with this series, and sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. For a book with over 300 pages, being the last in the duology that was supposed to wrap up everything, this one falls short. While I was fascinated by some aspects, the plot felt too rushed in many ways. The political intrigue, the journey, and the schemes were all over the place.
There were not many details in any of the subjects, and our main character just moved from one situation to another. Although I understand she carried a lot of weight on her shoulders, it seemed too easy for her to fix everything when, in reality, it should have been more conflicted. Additionally, Charis was not as vengeful as I expected. I know she's young, but she seemed to surrender too easily without realizing her importance to her kingdom. I expected her to be braver and not show herself falling apart, but this resolve only remained in her mind by the end.
Some of the characters were insufferable and kept doing reckless things, and I just wished they would stop their actions. Don't get your hopes up for romance, as you won't find much of it. It felt like the romance made Charis frail, and Tal was just there, following her and caring for her, without the fire I hoped to see in him.
I expected an amazing storyline and well-developed characters for this sequel, but what I got was just a mediocre plot with drama. I loved the first book, but this one was not to my liking at all.
Want to read
May 25, 2023pre-read: book one ended by starting up my favorite trope- you already know i’m adding this just to see it play though.
May 31, 2024
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Return of the Vengeful Queen, by C.J. Redwine, is the final installment in the Rise of the Vicious Princess duology. The story picks up 3 weeks after exiled Princess, soon to be Queen, Charis Willowthorn and 62 others survived a brutal attack by monstrous creatures called the Rakuuna who made a deal with the Rullenvor. Charis and her people are hoping to find help from Solvang only to learn that there is a bounty out on her head, and any country who helps her, might be the next to be attacked.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Return of the Vengeful Queen, by C.J. Redwine, is the final installment in the Rise of the Vicious Princess duology. The story picks up 3 weeks after exiled Princess, soon to be Queen, Charis Willowthorn and 62 others survived a brutal attack by monstrous creatures called the Rakuuna who made a deal with the Rullenvor. Charis and her people are hoping to find help from Solvang only to learn that there is a bounty out on her head, and any country who helps her, might be the next to be attacked.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
May 29, 2024
All the stars. All the feelings.
I need to sit with this one a bit before I write a full review, but I can say this: I’ve waited two years to read this book, and it was everything I hoped and waited for.
Of course, I’m not surprised. CJ Redwine has a special skill with words and worlds and incredible characters.
I need to sit with this one a bit before I write a full review, but I can say this: I’ve waited two years to read this book, and it was everything I hoped and waited for.
Of course, I’m not surprised. CJ Redwine has a special skill with words and worlds and incredible characters.
May 12, 2025
I was so invested in this book!
Full review to come…
Full review to come…
March 2, 2025
I really liked this duology! It was fun to read and I loved the characters. There was a bigger plot than I had thought from just reading the first one and I liked that it was very political, though Charis was a fierce political opponent. The lack of magic, even though it is a fantasy, made it even better. The characters relied on their own wit and skill which, to me, makes a much better story.
I said before that I liked the sea setting and I was very interested in the Rakuuna. I thought this would have been better and could have been more built up with the monsters if it was a trilogy, but as a light read it worked as a duology.
I definitely recommend this as a fun, light read that would be good for getting out of a reading slump or just wanting to read something that’s not terribly heavy. Especially for character driven people because the characters were hilarious. Holland was the absolute best character!!
I said before that I liked the sea setting and I was very interested in the Rakuuna. I thought this would have been better and could have been more built up with the monsters if it was a trilogy, but as a light read it worked as a duology.
I definitely recommend this as a fun, light read that would be good for getting out of a reading slump or just wanting to read something that’s not terribly heavy. Especially for character driven people because the characters were hilarious. Holland was the absolute best character!!
July 10, 2024
This was a pretty good book. Like all books by C.J. Redwine, the action was packed with political intrigue. Charis navigated the political situations like playing chess, and it was very interesting to me how she chose to deal differently with different people in different situations. Honestly, though, I think that the ending was a little bit anticlimactic. I was expecting a lot more in the ending from the Rakuuna, considering that they've been such a big part of the story since the first book, but that didn't really happen. Charis was brilliant, as before. I just wish that we could have seen more about her and Tal's romance.
All in all, though, I would definitely say that this was a great ending to this duology. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a romance fantasy that deals heavily in politics.
All in all, though, I would definitely say that this was a great ending to this duology. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a romance fantasy that deals heavily in politics.
April 23, 2024
Return of the Vengeful Queen is the heart-pounding conclusion of the Rise of Vicious Princess duology by C.J. Redwine. It is a gripping adventure that holds back no punches as our brave princess does everything she can to fight for her kingdom being torn apart by the monstrous rakuaan. What is driving these monsters will come as quite a shock; the backstabbing in the pages is appalling and shocking; the princess's bravery as she puts herself into the clutches of these monsters is so brave. I was so engrossed in this book that I read it all in one day. I could not stop turning the pages, hoping against hope that good would win out and all would end without more loss of life. Though we only get two books, I would have loved to read more stories set in this world—an excellent ending to a thrilling tale.
May 27, 2024
I experienced every emotion reading this duology and loved every second. I prolonged reading this book because I didn’t want it to end but I could have easily read it in a day. Excellent conclusion to this story.
I will be recommending this duology to anyone and everyone. Absolutely loved it.
A must read for fans of Dance of Thieves duology.
I will be recommending this duology to anyone and everyone. Absolutely loved it.
A must read for fans of Dance of Thieves duology.
August 8, 2024
read my review of the first book for overall thoughts on these books :)
i really liked this book for the same reason as the other book. i do kinda wish there was a bit more of the romance in this one but that’s just me ig 🤷🏻♀️. it all ended quite nicely, too.
I LOVE HOLLAND SO MUCH THO CAN I MARRY HIM PLS?
i really liked this book for the same reason as the other book. i do kinda wish there was a bit more of the romance in this one but that’s just me ig 🤷🏻♀️. it all ended quite nicely, too.
I LOVE HOLLAND SO MUCH THO CAN I MARRY HIM PLS?
May 26, 2024
Loved it! Marvelous end to Charis' story. She is a badass and I am inspired by her strength and pure awesomeness. She is a master at everything and it's so cool!
March 23, 2025
This one felt more accurate. Would have loved more about Tal and his relationships but I get that it’s about Charise.
Clean
Clean
August 17, 2025
in this day and age its hard to find a fmc who isn't insufferable and I think we finally have folks. I didnt find myself questioning her once man. love that vibe
June 20, 2025
Good ending for this duology! Enjoyed it!
July 16, 2024
Loved the ending!
October 11, 2024
First I shall start by saying that I am so glad that I finally made myself read this duology. I have been a fan of C.J. for so many years now. And her books are always amazing. I had been so curious and excited about this series. I'm sad that I did not love these books. But I'm glad that I read them, as I did enjoy them.
I am giving this sequel three stars as well. There were several parts that I loved. But there was too little of it. And there were more parts that I found a bit boring and a bit weird. Yet I found this final book to be exciting at times and I found the ending to be great. I truly enjoyed reading the final moments of this story.
I shall try my best to write a shorter review of this second book. Although I may end up writing too much, as always. This book begins where the first one ended. Charis is on the run after the sea monsters, the Rakuuna, invaded her country and killed her mother and her father too. And so many others. It hurt my heart to read about, as her father was so sweet. Sigh. In this book it is mostly about Charis going to a different kingdom across the sea to find allies, trying to take her kingdom back. How she learns about a way to hurt the Rakuuna. How she ends up having to be captured by them, to have any kind of hope about saving her people. There is much going on in this book. I liked learning about the new places. I liked the basilisk cave. Wanted more of that.
There was so much happening in this book. And I may have written way too much about it all below. And yet I'm not going to share much about the plot. I must say that it was all a bit too political for me. I wanted more fantasy. More romance. More action. This book was more quiet. More about planning than actually doing anything. Which was a little boring to me. Yet it was a little fascinating too, how they tried to figure everything out. Though they were a bit slow, ha. I wish there had been less time jumps and more scenes.
I do not know how to talk about the romance. It takes almost half the book before Charis begins to forgive Tal. And that bothered me a lot, how long she took. How she keeps being angry with him, when I felt like she shouldn't be. She is always thinking about how he lit up a light inside her, and how that is now gone. Found that whole thing to be a little bit silly. And how she always thinks about how he betrayed her. Sigh. And yet. I did want them together. But I found their romance a little silly and too little yet too much as well.
I wish I had loved the romance more. But I felt like it was a little badly described still. I wanted more from it all. I wanted more cute gestures. Not just him touching her at times and her getting all warm because of it. I wanted more of everything, I guess. I also felt like maybe he loved her a bit too much, ha. Just wanted to believe in their romance more. And yet. I loved them together. And I did want them together. But there was too little focus on the actual romance part of their romance. Hmph. How rude. I needed much more.
A little more about the friendships. At first we see more of Nalani. And I adorec her and thought she and Charis were great friends. Then she shows up again at the end of the book and she had changed much in about one week. It seemed a little overdone to me. But even so. I adored her. And her brother, Holland. He do have some funny moments. And was in this book a whole lot more. But I also felt like he was a bit too much at times, with the whole defending thing. To me it was a little bit weird and overdone, in a way.
We see a tiny bit more of the other nobles from Charis's court, when she returns home near the end of the book. I did not like them at all. There was her cousin, Ferris. He was still a jerk. And he was not any better in this second book. Her guard, Rueben, was more in this second book too. But I felt like he barely said anything. He was just there in the background. There was also a new betrayal in this one. And it was so very obvious. How Charis found out about it was just fully silly and she should have been discovered.
There was just a few things that bothered me about this book. It is often mentioned how her guards are hunting for threats with their eyes. It got a little comical for me, haha. Charis also very obviously have an eating disorder. And I felt like it was dealt with poorly. She almost never ate and it is mentioned often. She was skinny and sickly. She was better at times, but still. I wish more had been done about it. I also failed to see how she was actually vicious. She was just hurt and broken and soft, but never actually a badass.
And that is something I wish we had gotten to see more of. There was always mentions of her now dead mother, and how she was such a cold and deadly queen. And how Charis is just like her. But all she does is speak. Where she supposedly makes everyone believe her and be scared of her and does as she tells them. I wish we had gotten to see her actually be vicious and cold and do something. But no. Charis was more soft and careful. But then. I loved that about her. I really did. Charis was amazing just as she was.
What I found to be all kinds of interesting were the sea monsters, the Rakuuna. I so wish there had been more of them. More about where they lived and how they spent all their time. They have now taken over Calera, having killed the queen and so many others. We learn why they did so. They had a good reason, I think. I liked learning that they were sick and needed medicine. I hated how Charis and the others hurt them at times, with a poison. I felt like the sea monsters were just misunderstood, haha. And I liked them.
I have to be honest and say that the covers are a little misleading. It made me think the books would take place underwater. Or close to water at least. But being on the ocean is such a small part of these books. And nothing underwater at all. So I was a bit disappointed, haha. Should have just been a crown, I think, nothing about the water. More about Charis and her kingdom. And I very much do not like that font. Ack. And yet. The covers are stunning in a way. and the story was still awesome, even with the covers, haha.
Return of the Vengeful Queen was an exciting final book in a great duology. I did not fully love them. But I liked them well enough and I'm so glad that I finally read them both. The writing was pretty much perfect. I liked the setting as well, though, well. I wish the books had been more fantasy. Less politics, ha. I would have loved them more if they had been a little more magical. Sigh. Still. The plot was interesting and I did like how it all ended. I cannot wait to read even more books by C.J. And I think you should read these too.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2024...
I am giving this sequel three stars as well. There were several parts that I loved. But there was too little of it. And there were more parts that I found a bit boring and a bit weird. Yet I found this final book to be exciting at times and I found the ending to be great. I truly enjoyed reading the final moments of this story.
I shall try my best to write a shorter review of this second book. Although I may end up writing too much, as always. This book begins where the first one ended. Charis is on the run after the sea monsters, the Rakuuna, invaded her country and killed her mother and her father too. And so many others. It hurt my heart to read about, as her father was so sweet. Sigh. In this book it is mostly about Charis going to a different kingdom across the sea to find allies, trying to take her kingdom back. How she learns about a way to hurt the Rakuuna. How she ends up having to be captured by them, to have any kind of hope about saving her people. There is much going on in this book. I liked learning about the new places. I liked the basilisk cave. Wanted more of that.
There was so much happening in this book. And I may have written way too much about it all below. And yet I'm not going to share much about the plot. I must say that it was all a bit too political for me. I wanted more fantasy. More romance. More action. This book was more quiet. More about planning than actually doing anything. Which was a little boring to me. Yet it was a little fascinating too, how they tried to figure everything out. Though they were a bit slow, ha. I wish there had been less time jumps and more scenes.
I do not know how to talk about the romance. It takes almost half the book before Charis begins to forgive Tal. And that bothered me a lot, how long she took. How she keeps being angry with him, when I felt like she shouldn't be. She is always thinking about how he lit up a light inside her, and how that is now gone. Found that whole thing to be a little bit silly. And how she always thinks about how he betrayed her. Sigh. And yet. I did want them together. But I found their romance a little silly and too little yet too much as well.
I wish I had loved the romance more. But I felt like it was a little badly described still. I wanted more from it all. I wanted more cute gestures. Not just him touching her at times and her getting all warm because of it. I wanted more of everything, I guess. I also felt like maybe he loved her a bit too much, ha. Just wanted to believe in their romance more. And yet. I loved them together. And I did want them together. But there was too little focus on the actual romance part of their romance. Hmph. How rude. I needed much more.
A little more about the friendships. At first we see more of Nalani. And I adorec her and thought she and Charis were great friends. Then she shows up again at the end of the book and she had changed much in about one week. It seemed a little overdone to me. But even so. I adored her. And her brother, Holland. He do have some funny moments. And was in this book a whole lot more. But I also felt like he was a bit too much at times, with the whole defending thing. To me it was a little bit weird and overdone, in a way.
We see a tiny bit more of the other nobles from Charis's court, when she returns home near the end of the book. I did not like them at all. There was her cousin, Ferris. He was still a jerk. And he was not any better in this second book. Her guard, Rueben, was more in this second book too. But I felt like he barely said anything. He was just there in the background. There was also a new betrayal in this one. And it was so very obvious. How Charis found out about it was just fully silly and she should have been discovered.
There was just a few things that bothered me about this book. It is often mentioned how her guards are hunting for threats with their eyes. It got a little comical for me, haha. Charis also very obviously have an eating disorder. And I felt like it was dealt with poorly. She almost never ate and it is mentioned often. She was skinny and sickly. She was better at times, but still. I wish more had been done about it. I also failed to see how she was actually vicious. She was just hurt and broken and soft, but never actually a badass.
And that is something I wish we had gotten to see more of. There was always mentions of her now dead mother, and how she was such a cold and deadly queen. And how Charis is just like her. But all she does is speak. Where she supposedly makes everyone believe her and be scared of her and does as she tells them. I wish we had gotten to see her actually be vicious and cold and do something. But no. Charis was more soft and careful. But then. I loved that about her. I really did. Charis was amazing just as she was.
What I found to be all kinds of interesting were the sea monsters, the Rakuuna. I so wish there had been more of them. More about where they lived and how they spent all their time. They have now taken over Calera, having killed the queen and so many others. We learn why they did so. They had a good reason, I think. I liked learning that they were sick and needed medicine. I hated how Charis and the others hurt them at times, with a poison. I felt like the sea monsters were just misunderstood, haha. And I liked them.
I have to be honest and say that the covers are a little misleading. It made me think the books would take place underwater. Or close to water at least. But being on the ocean is such a small part of these books. And nothing underwater at all. So I was a bit disappointed, haha. Should have just been a crown, I think, nothing about the water. More about Charis and her kingdom. And I very much do not like that font. Ack. And yet. The covers are stunning in a way. and the story was still awesome, even with the covers, haha.
Return of the Vengeful Queen was an exciting final book in a great duology. I did not fully love them. But I liked them well enough and I'm so glad that I finally read them both. The writing was pretty much perfect. I liked the setting as well, though, well. I wish the books had been more fantasy. Less politics, ha. I would have loved them more if they had been a little more magical. Sigh. Still. The plot was interesting and I did like how it all ended. I cannot wait to read even more books by C.J. And I think you should read these too.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2024...
June 2, 2025
Charis’ life seems to have completely fallen apart, but as the new queen of Calera, she refuses to fall apart herself. Her kingdom may be in the clutches of the Rakuuna merpeople impossible to kill, her parents may be dead, her allies may be unfaithful, and the man she loved may have been a lying traitor, but she will be the immovable queen her mother raised her to be. At least in front of others. She needs to shore up some allies, find refuge for her people who managed to escape the invasion with her, and find a way to defeat the Rakuuna. Likely she won’t survive, but she’ll do her best to make sure her cousins and heirs Nalani and Holland do survive along with the rest of her subjects. But holding it together is tearing her apart, and just when she thinks she’s starting to get an upper hand, she’s forced to face Tal and outmaneuver her enemies from within their clutches.
I put off reading this because I was afraid it was going to get bad for Charis, and wasn’t sure I could handle it. I was also afraid it was going to turn her into someone I couldn’t root for, but then I realized who was writing this story. Redwine was going to weave in hope, and she was going to save Charis from herself somehow. And once I dove in (and stopped listening to the audiobook version whose voice interpretations of the characters grated on me) I could not put the book down (I devoured ch 5-the end in less than 24 hrs) and found that what I trusted Redwine to do proved to be true. This is a whip smart fantasy thriller about a very clever young woman learning it is ok to not be ok, ok to rely on others, ok to trust others to take care of themselves and not feel like it is up to you to protect everyone, and also to use the skills that you know you are well trained in and excel at, to lean into your strengths (which in Charis’ case is out-smarting and out-thinking all the opponents). I like how the book resolves Tal and Charis’ relationship, and how we get there. It turns out to be a very sweet and wholesome love story. I adore Nalani and Holland and how they help protect Charis from herself (Tal does this too, and her guard Reuben a bit too). And I loved trying to guess what Charis is going to pull out of her sleeve next and then being surprised when what she figures out exceeds my expectations. It’s like a heist story, but the people pulling the heist are the good guys and restore justice and sow hope and stand for what is good and loving (and even offer grace to some) instead of some rival thief gang outmaneuvering another rival gang for revenge. It’s absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss.
Violence: There are some battles and attacks. The Rakuuna are pretty merciless and dig claws and fangs into people when they attack and bash them around. There are some sobering killings with them involved. The weapon Charis finds against the Rakuuna is a poison they have to test to see how it works, it ends up tearing the creatures up from the inside out and is a bit gross. There are some poisonings and stabbings.
Ethnic diversity: Fake ethnicities. I don’t really remember skin color described except the Rakuuna, it seems left up to you to imagine.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Charis puts herself under an immense amount of pressure and is being used as a pawn in others’ games too. Her stress level is insane and she is having trouble eating and sleeping, thankfully her friends look out for her and force her to take care of herself before it gets super bad.
I put off reading this because I was afraid it was going to get bad for Charis, and wasn’t sure I could handle it. I was also afraid it was going to turn her into someone I couldn’t root for, but then I realized who was writing this story. Redwine was going to weave in hope, and she was going to save Charis from herself somehow. And once I dove in (and stopped listening to the audiobook version whose voice interpretations of the characters grated on me) I could not put the book down (I devoured ch 5-the end in less than 24 hrs) and found that what I trusted Redwine to do proved to be true. This is a whip smart fantasy thriller about a very clever young woman learning it is ok to not be ok, ok to rely on others, ok to trust others to take care of themselves and not feel like it is up to you to protect everyone, and also to use the skills that you know you are well trained in and excel at, to lean into your strengths (which in Charis’ case is out-smarting and out-thinking all the opponents). I like how the book resolves Tal and Charis’ relationship, and how we get there. It turns out to be a very sweet and wholesome love story. I adore Nalani and Holland and how they help protect Charis from herself (Tal does this too, and her guard Reuben a bit too). And I loved trying to guess what Charis is going to pull out of her sleeve next and then being surprised when what she figures out exceeds my expectations. It’s like a heist story, but the people pulling the heist are the good guys and restore justice and sow hope and stand for what is good and loving (and even offer grace to some) instead of some rival thief gang outmaneuvering another rival gang for revenge. It’s absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss.
Violence: There are some battles and attacks. The Rakuuna are pretty merciless and dig claws and fangs into people when they attack and bash them around. There are some sobering killings with them involved. The weapon Charis finds against the Rakuuna is a poison they have to test to see how it works, it ends up tearing the creatures up from the inside out and is a bit gross. There are some poisonings and stabbings.
Ethnic diversity: Fake ethnicities. I don’t really remember skin color described except the Rakuuna, it seems left up to you to imagine.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Charis puts herself under an immense amount of pressure and is being used as a pawn in others’ games too. Her stress level is insane and she is having trouble eating and sleeping, thankfully her friends look out for her and force her to take care of herself before it gets super bad.
July 2, 2024
Well.. this was .... disappointing. Considering how the first book ended and how I was really looking forward to this sequel and Tal's betrayal.
I can wholeheartedly say that Charis was not a vengeful queen, and she was not as vicious as she kept implying about herself.
Where did this go wrong?
I think it started with the fact it was a single POV book. A plot line that included several different countries and war plans and a hell of a lot of characters with one person's view does not work.
Initially I thought I was judging this too hard, and maybe I was not in the mood.. but slowly I realized that nope, it was indeed the book. It dragged on, I got confused about what the characters wanted to achieve, I didn't understand who was the actual enemy and there were a lot of things that didn't make sense, that instead of a YA fantasy, I started believing this was a fairytale (because how in the world does someone survive a dagger plunged into their chest and yet still live happily ever after?)
Charis was not the formidable vengeful queen I anticipated her to be. Her chapters included long monologues of war plans, speculations and projecting. Chapters that were supposed to portray her vulnerable side came off as showing her to be weak and pity. Because within the first 10 chapters she had already decided she would die. And there is nothing she can do.
I mean... Girl?????
Get up and start fighting. I wanted her to sound as confident in her mind as she faked it out to her people. I wanted her to look forward to a future and fight for it. "I won't die at their hands. I refuse" that's the mentality I was hoping for. Instead we got "I will die and my cousins will take the throne but that's ok" ??????
Don't get me started on the actual plot. The huge amount of time-skips? The unrealistic journeys? Charis and her team take 3-5 weeks on the Rakuuna ship to reach her kingdom, but when Nalani is kidnapped it takes less than a week? Also the fact she assigned some nameless retired war general, in a far away kingdom along with other nameless, faceless characters that will lead her great aramada to wage war on her enemies who are supposed to be super human and super powerful. EXCEPT. That entire plot line fell apart and she outsmarted everyone and simply told them to leave and they did.
If you think that sounds bland... wait until you hear of the romance. Non existent as far as I'm concerned. Charis and Tal's reunion was so underwhelming, I tried skipping ahead to see if anything more interesting was to come.... and ended up even more disappointed. Tal was a lovesick puppy with a one track mind to ask for Cahris's forgiveness and love. No character whatsoever.... I mean what happened to that spark between the sweet guard and the frigid princess?
I could keep going on and on with my ramblings but you get the point...
I can wholeheartedly say that Charis was not a vengeful queen, and she was not as vicious as she kept implying about herself.
Where did this go wrong?
I think it started with the fact it was a single POV book. A plot line that included several different countries and war plans and a hell of a lot of characters with one person's view does not work.
Initially I thought I was judging this too hard, and maybe I was not in the mood.. but slowly I realized that nope, it was indeed the book. It dragged on, I got confused about what the characters wanted to achieve, I didn't understand who was the actual enemy and there were a lot of things that didn't make sense, that instead of a YA fantasy, I started believing this was a fairytale (because how in the world does someone survive a dagger plunged into their chest and yet still live happily ever after?)
Charis was not the formidable vengeful queen I anticipated her to be. Her chapters included long monologues of war plans, speculations and projecting. Chapters that were supposed to portray her vulnerable side came off as showing her to be weak and pity. Because within the first 10 chapters she had already decided she would die. And there is nothing she can do.
I mean... Girl?????
Get up and start fighting. I wanted her to sound as confident in her mind as she faked it out to her people. I wanted her to look forward to a future and fight for it. "I won't die at their hands. I refuse" that's the mentality I was hoping for. Instead we got "I will die and my cousins will take the throne but that's ok" ??????
Don't get me started on the actual plot. The huge amount of time-skips? The unrealistic journeys? Charis and her team take 3-5 weeks on the Rakuuna ship to reach her kingdom, but when Nalani is kidnapped it takes less than a week? Also the fact she assigned some nameless retired war general, in a far away kingdom along with other nameless, faceless characters that will lead her great aramada to wage war on her enemies who are supposed to be super human and super powerful. EXCEPT. That entire plot line fell apart and she outsmarted everyone and simply told them to leave and they did.
If you think that sounds bland... wait until you hear of the romance. Non existent as far as I'm concerned. Charis and Tal's reunion was so underwhelming, I tried skipping ahead to see if anything more interesting was to come.... and ended up even more disappointed. Tal was a lovesick puppy with a one track mind to ask for Cahris's forgiveness and love. No character whatsoever.... I mean what happened to that spark between the sweet guard and the frigid princess?
I could keep going on and on with my ramblings but you get the point...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2024
Well, she has done it again. I think I'm starting to become obsessed with CJ Redwine and when she writes books like this - how can't I? What an epic conclusion to this duology. Seriously getting chills just thinking about it. There wasn't one part of this book that I didn't absolutely love. The writing, the plot, the world, THE ROMANCE! It was all here and it was all done perfectly. I loved that we were able to get more of this world. In the first book, the other countries were introduced but now they are explored. I loved that the plotting and the planning of Charis and how she stays true to herself. I love the romance in this book, even though it takes a while. I love the friendship in this book and how Charis tries to do things alone but they won't let her. There is so much to love!
Charis, my dear sweet Charis, whom tries to be tough and cold but can't because she cares too much. Charis who tries to push everyone away to do it alone but she has such a faithful team, that they will always stand by her side. Her personality progression is top-notch and I love seeing the cold exterior from the first book melt away and stay away, no matter how hard she tries. Charis is a caring person who will always put her people first, and who wouldn't want a queen like that?
Overall, Return of the Vengeful Queen by CJ Red wine is the perfect conclusion to this duology. I don't think there is anything she could have done differently nor would I have wanted it done. The execution on the plot was perfect and I loved that more of this world was explored. Charis is such an amazing heroine and she is definitely one that will stick with me. If you love epic stories, fierce queens, loyal friends, and amazing story telling - you want this series.
Charis, my dear sweet Charis, whom tries to be tough and cold but can't because she cares too much. Charis who tries to push everyone away to do it alone but she has such a faithful team, that they will always stand by her side. Her personality progression is top-notch and I love seeing the cold exterior from the first book melt away and stay away, no matter how hard she tries. Charis is a caring person who will always put her people first, and who wouldn't want a queen like that?
Overall, Return of the Vengeful Queen by CJ Red wine is the perfect conclusion to this duology. I don't think there is anything she could have done differently nor would I have wanted it done. The execution on the plot was perfect and I loved that more of this world was explored. Charis is such an amazing heroine and she is definitely one that will stick with me. If you love epic stories, fierce queens, loyal friends, and amazing story telling - you want this series.
May 16, 2024
A genuinely good read with a vicious and satisfying ending to the best duology I've read in ages. CJ does romance and betrayal right, and I absolutely love the complex relationship between Charis and Tal.
So many books flake out when it comes to CJ does it right, where This book is about how that's resolved, for better or worse, and I love it all.
The politics in this book are more cunning and ingenious than the previous, in my opinion, and I'm impressed with how conniving and sharp CJ has to be just to write her characters. Charis isn't just a "strong female protagonist" who's only strong because others are weak (a flaw many writers succumb to these days). She's intense and savage and can genuinely hold all the cards through sheer intellect.
CJ has won my heart with this series, and it's one I can see rereading again in the future. It's a righteous blend of Princess Bride and Pirates of the Carribean, and no, CJ, your direct quotation from Inigo Montoya was not lost on this reader.
So many books flake out when it comes to CJ does it right, where This book is about how that's resolved, for better or worse, and I love it all.
The politics in this book are more cunning and ingenious than the previous, in my opinion, and I'm impressed with how conniving and sharp CJ has to be just to write her characters. Charis isn't just a "strong female protagonist" who's only strong because others are weak (a flaw many writers succumb to these days). She's intense and savage and can genuinely hold all the cards through sheer intellect.
CJ has won my heart with this series, and it's one I can see rereading again in the future. It's a righteous blend of Princess Bride and Pirates of the Carribean, and no, CJ, your direct quotation from Inigo Montoya was not lost on this reader.
May 1, 2024
I've been waiting for this book for so long!! The ending of book 1 was brutal. I am so glad that I now know the end of this story. I think Charis is one of the strongest and weakest female leads that I've ever read about and I love her for that. She responds so relatably to the incredible pressures all around her. And Tal and Charis...well, they may be one of my favorite YA romances around.
That said, I couldn't help but rush through the first hundred pages cause what I cared about most was seeing how Charis and Tal would restore their relationship to save the kingdom. Once they were back together, the story really picked up for me. I read the whole book in only two sittings. The ending was very satisfying. I love this duology and am very happy about how it all wrapped up. Can't wait to see what CJ Redwine writes for us next!!
Oh, and one more thing: this cover is gorgeous!!
That said, I couldn't help but rush through the first hundred pages cause what I cared about most was seeing how Charis and Tal would restore their relationship to save the kingdom. Once they were back together, the story really picked up for me. I read the whole book in only two sittings. The ending was very satisfying. I love this duology and am very happy about how it all wrapped up. Can't wait to see what CJ Redwine writes for us next!!
Oh, and one more thing: this cover is gorgeous!!
January 16, 2025
I enjoyed this sequel considerably more than I did the first installation of this duology, but I still just never really fell in love.
Honestly, I like the supporting characters in these books more than I do the characters the books are actually centered around, (and titled for), which really isn’t a good sign right off the hop.
Charis felt like a very fake character, there wasn’t much about her that felt genuine and I had a very hard time connecting with her - I spent more of my time rolling my eyes and scoffing than I did actually getting invested in all of the political issues.
I think maybe these books were just a bit too young for me, as they really didn’t dive very deep into the plot or the politics, or even the relationships. Everything was very surface level, which made for an okay book that was easy to read, and easy to follow, but difficult to love.
Honestly, I like the supporting characters in these books more than I do the characters the books are actually centered around, (and titled for), which really isn’t a good sign right off the hop.
Charis felt like a very fake character, there wasn’t much about her that felt genuine and I had a very hard time connecting with her - I spent more of my time rolling my eyes and scoffing than I did actually getting invested in all of the political issues.
I think maybe these books were just a bit too young for me, as they really didn’t dive very deep into the plot or the politics, or even the relationships. Everything was very surface level, which made for an okay book that was easy to read, and easy to follow, but difficult to love.
June 15, 2024
All of the resolutions in this book gave me the warm fuzzies. Although some characters remarkably recovered from some grave wounds, I was happy with who made it out alive. I felt Charis was a bit too lost and mopey for longer than was necessary and then she warmed up to Tal again faster than I expected. I was happy for their ending and that Vahn and Alaric weren't complete jerks. I would have liked to see more of Tal's sister in this one since she was such a mystery in the first book.
Overall I enjoyed this book but thought some aspects were overlooked (Charis has lost a ton of weight but she managed to fit into her gown made for her before the Rakunna arrived? etc.) but I would still recommend this series to others.
Overall I enjoyed this book but thought some aspects were overlooked (Charis has lost a ton of weight but she managed to fit into her gown made for her before the Rakunna arrived? etc.) but I would still recommend this series to others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2024
I had read a couple earlier series of the author, and they were fairly good.
This book was problematic. It needed a map, with the complex geography. People moved too fast in time and space. The bad humanoids gave them too much unsupervised time. The whole progression of events at the end was unrealistic. The bad guys were too super, then were outfoxed. the traitors, were caricatures.
The plot depended too much inept opponents. Physical wounds were almost ignored unless fatal.
Probably last book byy this author.
This book was problematic. It needed a map, with the complex geography. People moved too fast in time and space. The bad humanoids gave them too much unsupervised time. The whole progression of events at the end was unrealistic. The bad guys were too super, then were outfoxed. the traitors, were caricatures.
The plot depended too much inept opponents. Physical wounds were almost ignored unless fatal.
Probably last book byy this author.
May 30, 2024
I rather enjoyed this book. It's a good sequel to the first one.
I did have a little trouble getting into the story, but at one point in the later half of the book I picked it up and couldn't put it down.
The political intrigue was a little hard for me to follow when I was tired and had a headache, but it was still very interesting to see everything fall into place, especially after the cliffhanger of the first book. The wrap up after the climax felt like it was a bit too fast, for my personal tastes.
All-in-all, I enjoyed reading it!
I did have a little trouble getting into the story, but at one point in the later half of the book I picked it up and couldn't put it down.
The political intrigue was a little hard for me to follow when I was tired and had a headache, but it was still very interesting to see everything fall into place, especially after the cliffhanger of the first book. The wrap up after the climax felt like it was a bit too fast, for my personal tastes.
All-in-all, I enjoyed reading it!
September 9, 2024
Quick and exciting read. Political intrigue doesn't really blow my hair back, hence the 3 stars instead of 4, but the thing I love about Redwine is that she doesn't use smut as a crutch for mediocre plot or character writing. This book (and the previous) are clean, so you can absolutely detect the slow growth of genuine friendship, affection, and romance between the two main characters. It's just so heckin delightful, I went back to reread the Defiance series so I could keep enjoying this brand of YA <3
September 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book A LOT more than the first! This one has more action, isn’t slow paced and isn’t as overwhelmingly political like the first was. Overall, I think the duology ended up being really good once I got past the initial struggle I was having with the first book.
･:*˚:✧｡ ･:*˚:✧｡ Trigger Warnings: ･:*˚:✧｡･:*˚:✧｡
〰️If marked with 🔹, it will be expanded on/given more context below.
❥ Alcohol - (consumption)
❥ Attempted assassinations - (recounted)
❥ Basilisks/snakes
❥ Basilisk/snake attacks
❥ Battle scenes
❥ Blood
❥ Bullying - (recounted)
❥ Colonization
❥ Confinement & captivity
❥ Death - (on-page & recounted)
❥ Emesis
❥ Emotional abuse
❥ Fainting
❥ Gore🔹
❥ Grief
❥ Imprisonment
❥ Injury/injury details
❥ Kidnapping
❥ Murder
❥ Nightmares
❥ Panic/anxiety attacks
❥ Physical assault
❥ Poisoning
❥ Seasickness
❥ Self neglect due to stress
❥ Suicidal thoughts
❥ Terminal illness
❥ Violence
❥ War
🔹Gore: There is a graphic and detailed scene in particular that occurs in Chapter 20.
･:*˚:✧｡ ･:*˚:✧｡ Trigger Warnings: ･:*˚:✧｡･:*˚:✧｡
〰️If marked with 🔹, it will be expanded on/given more context below.
❥ Alcohol - (consumption)
❥ Attempted assassinations - (recounted)
❥ Basilisks/snakes
❥ Basilisk/snake attacks
❥ Battle scenes
❥ Blood
❥ Bullying - (recounted)
❥ Colonization
❥ Confinement & captivity
❥ Death - (on-page & recounted)
❥ Emesis
❥ Emotional abuse
❥ Fainting
❥ Gore🔹
❥ Grief
❥ Imprisonment
❥ Injury/injury details
❥ Kidnapping
❥ Murder
❥ Nightmares
❥ Panic/anxiety attacks
❥ Physical assault
❥ Poisoning
❥ Seasickness
❥ Self neglect due to stress
❥ Suicidal thoughts
❥ Terminal illness
❥ Violence
❥ War
🔹Gore: There is a graphic and detailed scene in particular that occurs in Chapter 20.
May 4, 2024
I literally just finished listening to the audiobook of ROTVQ, and ABSULUTELY LOVED IT. First off, there were so many twists I was not expecting, and the way that C.J. Redwine can keep track of them and how they relate is truly astonishing. Secondly, TAL AND CHARIS!!!!! All in all, five stars and will definitely read again!
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