Rogue, Prisoner, Princess

Of Crowns and Glory #2

by Morgan Rice

ROGUE, PRISONER, PRINCESS is book #2 in Morgan Rice’s bestselling epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, which begins with SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Book #1).

17 year old Ceres, a beautiful, poor girl from the Empire city of Delos, finds herself forced, by royal decree, to fight in the Stade, the brutal arena where warriors from all corners of the world come to kill each other. Pitted against ferocious opponents, her chances of survival are slim. Her only chance lies in drawing on her innermost powers, and making the transition, once and for all, from slave to warrior.

18 year old Prince Thanos wakes on the isle of Haylon to discover he has been stabbed in the back by his own people, left for dead on the blood-soaked beach. Captured by the rebels, he must crawl his way back to life, find who tried to assassinate him, and seek his revenge.

Ceres and Thanos, a world apart, have not lost their love for each other; yet the Empire court teems with lies, betrayal and duplicity, and as jealous royals weave intricate lies, they each, in a tragic misunderstanding, are led to believe the other is dead. The choices they make will determine each other’s fate.

Will Ceres survive the Stade and become the warrior she was meant to be? Will Thanos heal and discover the secret being withheld from him? Will the two of them, forced apart, find each other again?

ROGUE, PRISONER, PRINCESS tells an epic tale of tragic love, vengeance, betrayal, ambition, and destiny. Filled with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding action, it transports us into a world we will never forget, and makes us fall in love with fantasy all over again.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Ebooks, Fiction, Audiobook, Magic

185 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2016

About the author

Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising three books; of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books; of the epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, comprising 8 books; of the new epic fantasy series A THRONE FOR SISTERS, comprising eight books (and counting); and of the new science fiction series THE INVASION CHRONICLES. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.

TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA ONE (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring) and RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1) are each available as free downloads!

Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!

Reviews

[♥ℂĦℝΪՖƬΪℕÅ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Slave to Warrior ★'s

First she had been a slave.
Then a warrior.
And then, one day, somehow, queen.

Buddy read with Nancy :)

“The power within you is a dangerous one,” he said. “It is a very old gift, and if you choose to accept it, it will grow within you. You will hurt or kill all those who attempt to harm you. Anyone who touches you with malice will turn to stone.”

Okay. I know this is fantasy but still shouldn't it at least be believable? Because let me tell you several things are pretty far fetched even for me. It was just sooo unbelievable. Everything was incredibly predictable as well. Like the revelations of things such as Ceres not being the biological daughter to her parents and Thanos being the king's firstborn son, which in turn makes him next in line for the crown these twists weren't a surprise! Like I said PREDICTABLE!!! Rogue, Prisoner, Princess starts right were Slave, Warrior, Queen left off. This is much like the first book in a sense minus all of the cat and mouse crap. The storyline, world-building, and character development are to put it simply WEAK or NONEXISTENT. And still, everything felt rushed and so much detail was missing especially when it came to the battle scenes, describing new places and new people. So that was... disappointing 😐. The series is being written in such a way that doesn't allow for us to get to know who the characters really are and that's a problem because it doesn't let us connect to them fully. We are being given the absolute bare minimum of there character. So basically, we are just getting to know them through there actions and not by their feelings or their minds. There are a few characters I like which my ship is at the top (Ceres & Thanos) fingers crossed. Thanos POV's drove me crazy though because he was a horrible judge of character. Then there's the two I hate very very strongly (Prince Lucious & Marita, Ceres mother) and one I LOVE to HATE (Stephania). She's like the puppet master pulling everyone's strings and no one has a damn clue! Stephania is a master at manipulation.

This second installment was NOT as good as the first book. I have to agree with so many others when I say Morgan Rice really isn't that good of a writer. With that being said, If it weren't for me wanting to see if anything comes of my ship I probably wouldn't be continuing on with this series but I think I'll stick it out at least for a little while longer. Therefore moving onto Knight, Heir, Prince. Wish me luck!

“Slowly, Ceres felt the power welling up inside her. It came with a warmth, like the first embers of a brush fire. It sat in the pit of her belly, waiting for her.”

She was going to discover who she really was.
She was going to meet her mother.

[✨faith✨trust✨pixiedust✨ Dead Account; Not Coming Back · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does this deserve 4 stars? Definitely not! But I’ve been an angry reader the past few months during my slump and I wanna be a happy reader again. If Air Awakens can get 4 stars from me, so can Morgan Rice lol

This felt like a huge improvement from the first book, but given how the first was strangely good but also really really bad, that doesn’t mean too much. It’s still hokey and silly and a bit nonsensical, but enjoyably so, with enough merit that you can sort of look passed those things. I really enjoyed the expansion of the world and lore, the more in-depth look at the characters through more points of view, and the significantly better pacing. The action was entertaining and the monologues were sometimes a little profound. It really kind of surprised me.

Thanos was still my favorite character, despite some stupid stuff towards the end. I really liked where Ceres ends up, actually doing stuff and making real decisions based on logic and not just base instinct. Her father was a fan favorite for sure, kinda coming out of nowhere but being so darn fatherly, you can’t not like the guy. While I expected more of her brother throughout, I appreciated what I got of him, as well as Anka who I thought would be just a random thing from SWQ. Stephania and Lucious got perspectives too, which was interesting, however cartoonishly evil they were. Eoin, who didn’t get a POV (but did get a random love interest hinting, which came out of nowhere because the tension was negative degrees but okay) He was a great character though and I thought the curse he was under was really cool.

All in all, I had a good time, even a little unironically.

[✿Nancy✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First she had been a slave.
Then a warrior.
And then, one day, somehow, queen.

Hmm. What can I say? This second installment was strange and far too unbelievable. It certainly wasn't as good as Slave, Warrior, Queen but still, I will be continuing on with this series!

[Wonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tad slower this time around, I spent the entire novel inwardly screaming at Thanos...still screaming at him...Dumb man! Ceres had some character development that I can't wait to see in action in the following novels. I think I have a new favorite villian, it's been awhile since I wanted to strangle a fictional being!!!

[Bellatrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little better that the first one, but not much. I think that Rexus's death was an important factor because with the love triangle dissolved, the story became much more enjoyable.

I also think that because Ceres thought Thanos was dead since the beginning of the book, she could focus more on other aspects of the story that are more interesting, like her family and the Revolution. And when Thanos comes back to Delos after almost being killed, because he learns that Ceres is lost and probably dead, his character developes in a different way, with him entering the rebellion and falling in love with Stephania. This is perfect for the story because the plot doesn't revolve around Ceres and Thanos's romance anymore.

I really liked Stephania's character because she basically moved the entire plot in this book, causing Ceres to fight in the pits and then being sent to the prisoner island. She also orders Thanos's killing and when he comes back alive, she pulls the strings and makes it look like it's Lucius who tried to kill him.

I don't like that the author is putting magical elements to a story that could've been better without them; though it's nice to finally understand why Ceres has powers.

The "plot-twist" about Ceres not being the biological daughter of her parents wasn't surprising at all, since we already knew that her mother hated her for apparently no reason, even if she loved her other children. And the plot-twist of Thanos being the king's son was also predictable, even though it made no sense why this had been hidden.

[Tomer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book is better constructed and now, revolves nicely between its different sub-plots and characters. I still have my reservations regarding chosen timescales and some of the depicted relations, which made things hard to swallow. Nonetheless I am glad to see it starting to make good on its earlier promises and hints.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (6/24/2018)!💝

[Judi Easley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the series is about like the first. We really are only getting to know the characters by what they do. We are not getting into how they think or feel too deeply. It's mostly just surface emotions. Right now, I'm trying to keep my eye on Stephania, since I don't trust her beyond the tips of my fingers. She's out for herself and herself only. Though she seems to have found a new and agreeable playmate. I wonder how long that will last. They didn't play so well last time.

As for the rest of them, they all think everyone else is dead any way. So each of them are going their own merry way. Better than jumping back into the capital city and getting thrown into the Killings again or conscripted for the army. The only one still taking chances around there was Ceres' mother, and you know how that turned out!

Well, I'm going for book three, because at this point I've got time and a little bit of money invested in the series and want to know how this works out. I do really like the covers of these books, especially this one, book two. I purchased this ebook from Amazon and this is an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley

[Themisna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This installment was much better than the first book indeed. But it’s still very hard for me to understand how a book like this got published. I mean, like I’ve said before, the idea and concept of it it’s brilliant but the story seems forced, no decent storyline and with a bunch of plot holes. I have thought about it a lot and maybe it’s just that I do not like the author’s writing style? I don’t think I will keep reading this series or any of this author’s book anymore.

[~Bellegirl91~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What will you do with what I’ve told you?” Marita asked. Stephania cocked her head to one side. “I’m going to make sure that your daughter gets exactly what she deserves.” Marita seemed to consider that. For a moment, Stephania thought that she might complain, or beg for some kind of leniency for Ceres. Instead, to her shock, she nodded. “Good,” Marita said. “I should have strangled her at birth.”


“What are you doing?” he asked. “If you’re not coming with me, you should rest.” “I can’t,” Ceres said. She turned back toward him, determination set on her face. “I’m going to train. They want to kill me, but I’m not going to let them. I’m not going to give up, and I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me run away.” Berin swallowed at the strength there in his daughter. Even so, he didn’t want to just leave her. “I could come with you. I could help you.” Ceres shook her head. “It is a path for me alone, Father.” He smiled at her, and he could feel his eyes well with tears, as he saw hers well, too. He had never been more proud of her, or loved her more. He stepped forward as she did, and they embraced for a long time. “I love you, Ceres,” he whispered, “and I always will.” “I know, Father,” she replied. “And whether we ever meet again or not, you should know that I love you, too.”


This was really good holy crapanoli I can't wait to get my hands on the 3rd book soon when I get through a few more other books I NEED to finish before starting bk3 of this newfound series I discovered on Libby! Without giving too much away, you definitely learn a few things about 3 different characters: Thanos, Ceres, and Stephania and I can't WAIT to see whats in store for these particular 3 characters in the next book.

Overall, the books are a slow burn but a good slow burn and yet it's a different style most readers probably aren't used to but for me a relief that there's hardly any language and sex in it and it's still a good book. Totally worth reading especially if you like ancient Rome type stories as well.

[J Jahir · Rating 4 out of 5]

El primero está genial por la forma en que arranca y te engancha; el segundo es una mera continuación que también nos deja más desesperados al terminarlo, si eso es posible. pensar que quedan 6 libros para terminarla.
Rice sigue usando en esta saga como en las otras que he leído el recurso de la guerra, el chico/chica poderosa que tiene el destino en sus manos, que se entrena y va descubriendo sus poderes, el amigo/a leal que se gana cuando el/la prota le salvan la vida, y se deja leer, es muy ligera, sin una omplejidad ni profundidad excesiva. ya deben darse una idea.
En este libro, seguimos a Ceres donde la dejamos el libro anterior, luchando para sobrevivir en la arena, cuando se va enfrentando con ciertos rivales experimentados y buscan su muerte. mientras que por otro, thanos intenta averiguar quién intentó asesinarlo.
la cuestión de que el rey era su padre en vez de ser su tío podía considerarse algo predecible tal vez, pero me gustó. ahora falta ver cómo continúa.

[Alysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I read a Morgan Rice book long ago, but I can't really remember because it's been a long time if I have. I did feel like I was missing something in the story of Ceres and Thanos, so discovering that there was a prior book made sense. I found myself wanting to discover their back story as well as continue on in the series to find out what happens. Overall, I did like the story, liked the character of Ceres as a strong female lead. I want to see how she and Thanos interact with one another since they're both very strong lead characters...both playing the role of protector. Could be interesting.

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Crowns & Glory: Part 2
Review of the author's self-published audiobook on Audible (2017) based on her original Kindle eBook (2016)

Rogue, Prisoner, Princess carries on immediately from Slave, Warrior, Queen with lead character Ceres still attempting to understand her "Force" powers but also obtaining training in various secretive martial arts from an unlikely source. Other betrayals, reveals and surprises continue to keep this series fresh and addictive.

The narration by Wayne Farrell was excellent in all voices in this audiobook edition.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong, well written, action driven second book in series. Anxiously awaiting third book in this series.

[Edwin]

--volgt--

[Somia]

Free on amazon 9th April 2019

[Hollylovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Está segunda parte ha estado un poco más floja que la primera, pero aun así y todo me ha gustado mucho y estoy deseando continuar con la saga

[Avid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only my 2nd book by Morgan Rice but I have enjoyed both so far. Pretty complimentary for one that rarely reads this genre. I am stepping out and trying new arenas during this lock down and happy to have found some old classics as well as new authors. A series is always exciting. I hope the rest are as good. I did enjoy the 1st better than this one and vacillated between 4 or 5 stars. I settled on 4 stars. It was rather truncated and a bit rushed especially at the ending to me. I understand it is a series but a writer can still have closure with a good cliff hanger. With this book it is not necessary to read the first book but it certainly would make things MUCH clearer to understand as you go along. I do recommend this book as it is quick light reading with a lots of fun action. Enjoy. :)

[Kaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed with the way way Thanos immediately (within the next page) thought about kissing Stephania and started thinking he could easily fall in love with her after it was reported Ceres was dead.... It was so quick and who he was attracted to was also an irritating issue, considering how evil she is. When characters are fickle like that, it ruins the romance plot line, as it will always seem a bit shallow after something like that.

In addition, the multiple points of view used in the story, are not something I enjoy in books.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting

Rice has many ideas I like, and her characters hint at being people I could really care about. But I still have issues with the pacing and the world- of still doesn't feel whole. I also feel Rice spoonfeeds readers information we should be able to parse on our own if the characters were a little more wholly realized.

But it was entertaining and I got it for free through a sale, so that made it easier to accept the flaws.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly too angsty for my liking, however, I think I am hooked on the series now and have to keep reading. It does kind of scare me that there are 8 books. It’s got a good way to go, but someone, someone, anyone, needs to save Thanos from himself. I think he lost hero status as lead of the book when he showed he was a really bad judge of character. Ceres should finally end up with Eion. However, if the angst keeps dragging out, I might abandon it.

[Inti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quería ver si la escritura mejoraba o si la historia se ponía mejor pero no, falta creatividad, lleno de lugares comunes y todo flojo flojo. Veo que esta autora tiene muchos libros, me imagino que se concentra en la cantidad más que en la calidad. Todos sus libros se ven atrayentes por los temas pero que pérdida de tiempo leer algo tan mal escrito.

[Bettina Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Wish I had read book 1 first now I will need to go back to it. Maybe I will go on to book 3 I have lots of questions that need answers. A story of revolution and intrigue. With some discussion before hand about the violence would let my children read it.

[Pippa P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and reviewed the first book in the series, I was looking forward to finding out where Morgan Rice might go with this story. This one seemed to me to be better written, to have been planned better, and to be more cohesive with a logical outplaying of the characters’ personalities within their circumstances. (If you have not read the first book, “Slave, Warrior, Queen”, please note there are spoilers below.)
The story picks up with Ceres in the Stade, fighting for her life. Berin, Ceres father, comes back from the foreign country where he had been hoping to find work only to find his family gone, except for his wife who is bitter at him for ruining everything by going away. Berin's younger son, Sarn, is in the army, having been conscripted,but is determined not only to survive, but to escape to the rebels to fight with them.
Ceres's father finds her in the cells under the Stade but she resists his attempts to rescue her, telling him that she is exactly where she needs to be, but that her younger brother needs his help more than she does.
The machinations of the Royals continues as Ceres becomes more and more popular with the people. They try to remove her in a number of ways, until they finally learn that in order to escape from slavery, she killed the slaver who had bought her. She is sentenced to hard labour on the Isle of Prisoners until she dies.
Meanwhile Thanos, of the larger royal family, has survived the assassination attempt on the battlefield and joined with the rebels who found him to help them defeat the massed army of the king, and then returns to the capital to pursue a fifth column campaign against the Royals and to find out who had tried to have him killed. He discovers an unlikely ally in the form of Stephania, the young noblewoman with whom the King and Queen had arranged a marriage for Thanos before Ceres had arrived on the scene.
And likewise, Berin discovers an unlikely ally as he is trying to find his son in the woman whom his daughter helped to escape the slaver.
The book once again covers a lot of ground, taking the reader deeper into the world and pulling them into the lives of the characters. Once again, it ends on a cliff-hanger, waiting for the next book to answer the questions of what happens next.
As I mentioned before, it is a much better story with the characters being allowed to grow, and more thought being put into the world-building and the outworking of the characters.
I will probably look to finish this series at some point as I have grown curious about the characters and their lives and predicaments. I would like to see how Morgan Rice resolves their stories.
The third book in the series of eight is “Knight, Heir, Prince” and deals with Thanos’s story more closely.

[Exuline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce fut encore un agréable moment passé en lecture audio de ce titre. Ce n'est certes pas un roman avec des messages puissants, un véritable attachement des personnages où une histoire révolutionnaire, mais tout simplement une lecture-écoute détente.

Les défauts que j'évoquais pour le tome 1 (rapidité des actions comme si l'autrice ne prenait pas le temps d'exploiter son histoire) ont disparu dans ce tome et j'ai trouvé ceci bien plus agréable à suivre. En revanche, au début on passe sans cesse d'un personnage à l'autre sur de très courts chapitres ce qui n'est pas du plus agréable. Mais vers le milieu j'ai trouvé que l'organisation des chapitres a évolué laissant plus de temps à chacun de montrer leurs intentions et laisse la place à un travail plus important sur le caractère des personnages.

Ceres, va découvrir de nouveau combattre pour sa vie, ne comprends toujours pas son pouvoir mais l'utilise au moment opportun et va devoir redoubler de vigilance pour survivre, pour déjouer les complots, et découvrir les mystères qui l'entourent. Mais cela va amplifier son éloignement avec Thanos, qui lui aussi aura de nombreuses épreuves à surmonter. Loin des yeux, loin du cœur,... surtout que Stephania est toujours dans les parages et l'amour que croit porter Thanos à Ceres n'est peut être finalement qu'un feu de paille. Le prochain tome nous le dira.

Vous comprendrez donc qu'il n'y a pas grand chose à dire, l'univers se développe, les personnages gagnent en personnalité, c'est plus une lecture sans prise de tête qu'une véritable admiration pour cette saga.

[Scarleth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta saga se me hace un poco extraña... la disfruto pero no me encanta, sé que su historia no es tan atrapante y en muchas ocasiones creo que el mundo construido tiene algunas inconsistencias, pero aún así, necesito saber que es lo que pasará a continuación. No puedo simplemente dejarlo estar.

La vida de Ceres en este libro dio un giro en 360º, y wow. ¿Quién será su madre? ¿Porqué es tan poderosa? Si solo hemos visto un esbozo de sus poderes, ¿qué viene a continuación?

El príncipe Thanos es otro cuento, tiene un corazón tan inocente que se fía de quien no debe, y la autora nos deja en claro que él se está equivocando de persona, y aún así, no le doy crédito.

Morgan Rice tiene cierta crueldad para mostrar la sub-trama romántica entre los protagonistas, pues acaba el primer libros dejando a uno de ellos muerto, y durante todo el segundo libro los llena de situaciones que impiden que estén juntos como se debe, secretos, tretas, trampas, etc. Los mantiene sufriendo al más puro estilo de Cassandra Clare con Jace y Clary.

Pero bueno, esta altura ya es evidente que leeré toda la saga.

[Veronique Varchi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un fantasy come tutti gli altri sia come ambientazione che come personaggi. I cliquè ci sono tutti: un regno in cui la famiglia reale opprime il popolo in ogni modo e maniera, un principe che non condivide l'operato dei suoi sovrani, una ragazza di umili origini che rappresenterà la svolta per il riscatto grazie ad enormi poteri che imparerà ad usare col tempo (una persona normale invece pareva brutto, eh?). Ovviamente la storia d'amore tra il principe e la ragazza povera, amore ostacolato da una una terza donna, in apparenza stupida e leale ma in realtà astuta e manipolatrice.
Ah, per concludere, il principe è il vero erede al trono (ma viene fatto passare per un nipote), e la ragazza non è figlia di coloro che l'hanno allevata (il che era chiaro visto gli abusi e i soprusi della madre). Di chi è figlia tocca ancora scoprirlo ma sicuramente la madre non è una donna comune.
Per ora niente di nuovo sotto al sole. L'unico personaggio veramente interessante è proprio l'altra donna, la vera cattiva della serie, roba che il re e la regina "le spicciano la stanza..."

[Anne-Birth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quite enjoyable second book in the series. I liked it.
I really like most of the characters. Some of them are really annoying tho and because you read the book from so many different perspectives, you also read from the perspective of people you don’t like and that bugged me.
It was also hard to read from the perspective of seven different people. Two of them are the main characters and have the most interesting plot line. So I would have loved to read more from them. I do understand why Morgan did it though, as all the stories are important for the plot, but it was still kinda annoying because the book was barely 200 pages long.
I really liked the plot though. There was a lot happening and you always knew more than the characters, which was annoying sometimes, because characters acted stupid because they didn’t know something.
Overall I quite liked this book and I am definitely going to pick up the rest of the books in this series.

[美津子 Mitsuko Mitsi 佐々木 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Seguimos dónde nos quedamos en el 1er libro.
No le doy las 5 Estrellas íntegras por qué no paso algo que yo quería y me mantuvo gritándole al libro.

La verdad que es una historia buena, al menos hasta donde voy, es ligera y es de esas que te despejan la mente y ayudan cuando tienes bloqueo lector.

En esta entrega seguimos no solo a Ceres en la trama, sino que tenemos también capítulos narrados por otros personajes, como Thanos, Sartes, Stephania y Lucios. Así que cada capítulo te va dejando cada vez más enganchado a la historia.

Te explican algunos secretos y hay un par de plop twists que puede sean un poco predecibles pero la verdad a mi me emociono haber adivinando uno que otro, los otros si fueron de wow y nunca faltan los enredos para darle más drama y querer tirar el libro al suelo.

En pocas palabras me está gustando mucho este mundo y me gustaría continuar con la saga.