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The Line of Succession #3
Interregnum
Chaos rules an empty throne.
The Queen remains steadfastly in a coma. James is adjusting to his life as prince regent, helped by new eye-candy Samuel, while Andrew faces up to the reality of working for the opposition—James’ twin sister Alexandra. Andrew and James now find themselves on opposite sides of the war of succession.
With Alexandra’s bombshell article due to shock the monarchy to its core, she must seek out political allies to take the throne while keeping her restless husband Faisal in check. But the establishment is fighting back, and they’ll use even the most diabolical means to ensure James will produce an heir.
The powerful forces behind Operation Rex face a greater threat—Lizzie’s plans to expose the monarchy’s deadliest secrets to the world. Her pact with the IRA may finally avenge her parents’ murder… and truly enthrone a reign of chaos during this interregnum.
The Queen remains steadfastly in a coma. James is adjusting to his life as prince regent, helped by new eye-candy Samuel, while Andrew faces up to the reality of working for the opposition—James’ twin sister Alexandra. Andrew and James now find themselves on opposite sides of the war of succession.
With Alexandra’s bombshell article due to shock the monarchy to its core, she must seek out political allies to take the throne while keeping her restless husband Faisal in check. But the establishment is fighting back, and they’ll use even the most diabolical means to ensure James will produce an heir.
The powerful forces behind Operation Rex face a greater threat—Lizzie’s plans to expose the monarchy’s deadliest secrets to the world. Her pact with the IRA may finally avenge her parents’ murder… and truly enthrone a reign of chaos during this interregnum.
- GenresLGBT
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2019
4 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Harry F. Rey
30 books98 followersHarry F. Rey is an author of over a dozen fiction novels. He's a graduate of Penguin WriteNow 2020, a member of the TV Foundation's New Writers Collective 2024, and has been Pushcart-nominated for his short stories.
Harry's main works include the MM royal drama series The Line of Succession from Deep Desires Press, the queer sci-fi series The Galactic Captains from Nine Star Press, the WWII-era gay historical novel Why in Paris? from Encircle Publications and the historical romance Six Days in Jerusalem.
His debut young adult gay romance - Of Gods and Boys - from Deep Hearts YA recently topped the Amazon teen charts. His other works include the rom-com All the Lovers from Deep Desires and the forthcoming sci-fi thriller The Dorvethan Conspiracy from Rebel Satori Press.
Harry's work has also been featured in anthologies including Not Meant for Each Other from Lost Boys Press and Queer Life, Queer Love from Muswell Press.
Harry can often be found scouring second-hand bookshops for the lost classics of gay literature, which he blogs about on his website and social media.
Harry's main works include the MM royal drama series The Line of Succession from Deep Desires Press, the queer sci-fi series The Galactic Captains from Nine Star Press, the WWII-era gay historical novel Why in Paris? from Encircle Publications and the historical romance Six Days in Jerusalem.
His debut young adult gay romance - Of Gods and Boys - from Deep Hearts YA recently topped the Amazon teen charts. His other works include the rom-com All the Lovers from Deep Desires and the forthcoming sci-fi thriller The Dorvethan Conspiracy from Rebel Satori Press.
Harry's work has also been featured in anthologies including Not Meant for Each Other from Lost Boys Press and Queer Life, Queer Love from Muswell Press.
Harry can often be found scouring second-hand bookshops for the lost classics of gay literature, which he blogs about on his website and social media.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 4, 2019
This series...
Shit gets real.
I used to see two sides to the story regarding James and his sister's rivalry but now I'm on one side, however that could change given how this author writes.
Strong contemporary world building that mashes truth with fiction in a bloody believable manner.
Plenty going on and continuing.
The erotica is well balanced but ads a pathos to the ongoing issues James faces being a closeted gay Prince Regent. The desire for James and Andrew to be able to be together, but the line of succession says otherwise.
Brief written review, podcast review, and quotes/pics on the blog-
Shit gets real.
I used to see two sides to the story regarding James and his sister's rivalry but now I'm on one side, however that could change given how this author writes.
Strong contemporary world building that mashes truth with fiction in a bloody believable manner.
Plenty going on and continuing.
The erotica is well balanced but ads a pathos to the ongoing issues James faces being a closeted gay Prince Regent. The desire for James and Andrew to be able to be together, but the line of succession says otherwise.
Brief written review, podcast review, and quotes/pics on the blog-
October 10, 2020
With Queen Victoria in a coma, it's chaos. The war over the crown is in full force and goes deep and beyond borders.
With secrets waiting to be revealed it's getting dirty and messy.
Andrew's desperately attempt to fix everything failed.
James broke up their relationship. James is alone, no one to share his secrets, parties, or bed with. He has a crown to claim. He's forced to marry and make an heir.
There is some spicy sexual activity between the men in this story they fuck around where possible, mostly civil, secretly behind closed doors, sometimes incognito and outside.
The web of lies, conspiracy, betrayal, is suffocating. Phone bugging, tracking, indoctrination, infiltration, blackmailing, name it you got it. It's a complete James Bond movie, with the whole upper-class present. And all for the crown... of course.
Again an excellently written, quite suspenseful, and complicated narrative.
I got even a bit dizzy at times, all those complications, different characters, functions, it’s a lot to take in for a not English native.
A clever plot, skillful put together and intriguingly written, what I missed for my pleasure is romance, just plain honest romance. My head hurt by all the dishonesty.
With secrets waiting to be revealed it's getting dirty and messy.
Andrew's desperately attempt to fix everything failed.
James broke up their relationship. James is alone, no one to share his secrets, parties, or bed with. He has a crown to claim. He's forced to marry and make an heir.
There is some spicy sexual activity between the men in this story they fuck around where possible, mostly civil, secretly behind closed doors, sometimes incognito and outside.
The web of lies, conspiracy, betrayal, is suffocating. Phone bugging, tracking, indoctrination, infiltration, blackmailing, name it you got it. It's a complete James Bond movie, with the whole upper-class present. And all for the crown... of course.
Again an excellently written, quite suspenseful, and complicated narrative.
I got even a bit dizzy at times, all those complications, different characters, functions, it’s a lot to take in for a not English native.
A clever plot, skillful put together and intriguingly written, what I missed for my pleasure is romance, just plain honest romance. My head hurt by all the dishonesty.
March 12, 2023
Why aren't all y'all
reading these? Can't help rooting
for dumbass royals.
reading these? Can't help rooting
for dumbass royals.
March 2, 2020
NOTE: This book was provided by Deep Desires Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
At last, I had the chance to read the third installment of this page-turner series I dubbed “‘House of Cards’ with the extra-flavour of royals and celebs” in my review of book number two. Once again, the blurb retraces the major lines of the new developments without actually giving away too much. To say more would lead to spoilers, so I’ll refrain from retelling the countless twists and turns the author invents with the sole goal of making his readers get hooked (he does a perfect job, by the way). Once I picked up this book, I simply couldn’t put it down, which was already the case with the first two books.
What can I say then? Simply that it was an unmitigated pleasure to reconnect with the main characters: prince (now prince regent) James, his ex-lover Andrew, his ruthless and cold-blooded sister-cum-opponent Alexandra, the latter’s unfathomable hunk of a husband Faisal, the royal cousin Lizzie with her own hidden agenda, James’s future spouse Princess Katyn of Sweden, not to forget Sam, editor-in-chief of the tabloid The Gazette, and his closeted gay son, who has fallen in love with Andrew. Exits the severe Queen, Victoria II, as she is now in a coma and not likely to survive book number four (altough with this author, I really cannot say I’m sure about that), and while I rushed through the chapters, exit some other characters (I shall not say which ones). And enters Lisa Mantis, the new director general of MI5, one of the British secret services. The author takes up all the threads of his plot, relentlessly makes them plunge on, and even succeeds in entangling them some more until the grand finale and yet another cliff-hanger that, once again, made me gag for the next installment.
I already mentioned it before and am happy to repeat myself: Harry F. Rey sure knows how to write and how to draw me along with the almost perverse twists of his fertile imagination. I could sense the genuine pleasure he must have taken writing these books, because it shines through his finely chiselled scenes, the pitch-perfect dialogs, and all the unexpected turns and reversals. The only thing I could be sure of: when a character got her or his hopes up too high, they would be thwarted expertly and brutally. As a reader, I got a somewhat better overview of what was going on on-scene and off-scene, which allowed me to be one step ahead of the different protagonists (a reader’s smug feelings are sorely underrated when it comes to one’s reading pleasure), but it was subtly done. How does this impact the characters? Well, they always seem just as clueless as in the first two books while they continue to believe they are the masters of their fates. Nope, they are not, that much I can disclose, and they find out the hard way. Therefore it is scandal after scandal after scandal – almost as if one is reading a very juicy tabloid, but much, much better written. At the same time, this almost cruel treatment of the characters made me sympathize with them and therefore find them endearing – something I wouldn’t have felt otherwise because none of them is outright nice or loveable per se. This is an exceedingly clever writing technique if I ever saw one.
Anyway, this book as well as the first two are a splendid kind of entertainment, and I am really looking forward to finding out a) how the different plot threads continue and b) how they all come to an end – hopefully several supplementary novels further down the road, that is.
At last, I had the chance to read the third installment of this page-turner series I dubbed “‘House of Cards’ with the extra-flavour of royals and celebs” in my review of book number two. Once again, the blurb retraces the major lines of the new developments without actually giving away too much. To say more would lead to spoilers, so I’ll refrain from retelling the countless twists and turns the author invents with the sole goal of making his readers get hooked (he does a perfect job, by the way). Once I picked up this book, I simply couldn’t put it down, which was already the case with the first two books.
What can I say then? Simply that it was an unmitigated pleasure to reconnect with the main characters: prince (now prince regent) James, his ex-lover Andrew, his ruthless and cold-blooded sister-cum-opponent Alexandra, the latter’s unfathomable hunk of a husband Faisal, the royal cousin Lizzie with her own hidden agenda, James’s future spouse Princess Katyn of Sweden, not to forget Sam, editor-in-chief of the tabloid The Gazette, and his closeted gay son, who has fallen in love with Andrew. Exits the severe Queen, Victoria II, as she is now in a coma and not likely to survive book number four (altough with this author, I really cannot say I’m sure about that), and while I rushed through the chapters, exit some other characters (I shall not say which ones). And enters Lisa Mantis, the new director general of MI5, one of the British secret services. The author takes up all the threads of his plot, relentlessly makes them plunge on, and even succeeds in entangling them some more until the grand finale and yet another cliff-hanger that, once again, made me gag for the next installment.
I already mentioned it before and am happy to repeat myself: Harry F. Rey sure knows how to write and how to draw me along with the almost perverse twists of his fertile imagination. I could sense the genuine pleasure he must have taken writing these books, because it shines through his finely chiselled scenes, the pitch-perfect dialogs, and all the unexpected turns and reversals. The only thing I could be sure of: when a character got her or his hopes up too high, they would be thwarted expertly and brutally. As a reader, I got a somewhat better overview of what was going on on-scene and off-scene, which allowed me to be one step ahead of the different protagonists (a reader’s smug feelings are sorely underrated when it comes to one’s reading pleasure), but it was subtly done. How does this impact the characters? Well, they always seem just as clueless as in the first two books while they continue to believe they are the masters of their fates. Nope, they are not, that much I can disclose, and they find out the hard way. Therefore it is scandal after scandal after scandal – almost as if one is reading a very juicy tabloid, but much, much better written. At the same time, this almost cruel treatment of the characters made me sympathize with them and therefore find them endearing – something I wouldn’t have felt otherwise because none of them is outright nice or loveable per se. This is an exceedingly clever writing technique if I ever saw one.
Anyway, this book as well as the first two are a splendid kind of entertainment, and I am really looking forward to finding out a) how the different plot threads continue and b) how they all come to an end – hopefully several supplementary novels further down the road, that is.
February 15, 2020
Review to come!
October 14, 2019
This series still intrigues me, even though I can't relate to the main "romance" of the story. This truly is a soap opera type series, so I cannot recommend strongly enough that the books be read in order and in their entirety.
We pick up not long after the events of Acts of Treason, if my memory serves me correctly. Andrew has been working for Alexandra for a time, and James has a new press secretary, the ever charming and handsome Simon. While Andrew has convinced himself that his actions are leading to a new future for James and himself, James feels bitter and betrayed; never truly having been loved at all.
Of course, while Alex plots and schemes to claw her way to the throne, James has become the Prince Regent. Manipulative forces that have been in play far longer than this generation of Royals, have put their own plans into motion, just as they did in the past. Operation Rex is their ploy to seal the line of succession, and when Alexandra hears of this, she dubs her own machinations Operation Regina.
Political power plays are in abundance, feelings are manipulated, sex is used as not only pleasure, but a means of control, and government agencies are coming along for the ride. A misguided attempt at bringing Princess Katyn down a peg or two through an alliance with the IRA brings devastation; to all parties involved. However, in its wake, even more intrigues and plans are formulated.
But, the horrendous fallout also brings clarity to Andrew regarding his current situation. And, it allows James to recognize the depth of his love and need for the man missing from his life. As the story closes, there is change in the air, both on the personal sides and the political. But one must never take for granted that they have all the facts in any situation. Surprise opponents can be lurking in your own personal circles. To be continued...
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
We pick up not long after the events of Acts of Treason, if my memory serves me correctly. Andrew has been working for Alexandra for a time, and James has a new press secretary, the ever charming and handsome Simon. While Andrew has convinced himself that his actions are leading to a new future for James and himself, James feels bitter and betrayed; never truly having been loved at all.
Of course, while Alex plots and schemes to claw her way to the throne, James has become the Prince Regent. Manipulative forces that have been in play far longer than this generation of Royals, have put their own plans into motion, just as they did in the past. Operation Rex is their ploy to seal the line of succession, and when Alexandra hears of this, she dubs her own machinations Operation Regina.
Political power plays are in abundance, feelings are manipulated, sex is used as not only pleasure, but a means of control, and government agencies are coming along for the ride. A misguided attempt at bringing Princess Katyn down a peg or two through an alliance with the IRA brings devastation; to all parties involved. However, in its wake, even more intrigues and plans are formulated.
But, the horrendous fallout also brings clarity to Andrew regarding his current situation. And, it allows James to recognize the depth of his love and need for the man missing from his life. As the story closes, there is change in the air, both on the personal sides and the political. But one must never take for granted that they have all the facts in any situation. Surprise opponents can be lurking in your own personal circles. To be continued...
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
November 1, 2019
4.5 Stars
Interregnum, the third and final book in Harry F Rey's The Line of Succession series, is a great continuation of this royal adventure.
It's full of intrigue, murder, and suspense as they fight for the crown.
As the future king, James is closeted and being forced to marry a girl. His story is full of sabotage, manipulation, and way too many family issues to count. And then there's Andrew, who's working for James' enemy and appears to be against James.
Like the previous books, the writing is fast paced, full of thrilling action. Don't let your attention drift for a second. It's non-stop action, plotting, sabotage, manipulation, and more for these complex characters.
Interregnum is a fantastic conclusion to this thrilling tale.
Interregnum, the third and final book in Harry F Rey's The Line of Succession series, is a great continuation of this royal adventure.
It's full of intrigue, murder, and suspense as they fight for the crown.
As the future king, James is closeted and being forced to marry a girl. His story is full of sabotage, manipulation, and way too many family issues to count. And then there's Andrew, who's working for James' enemy and appears to be against James.
Like the previous books, the writing is fast paced, full of thrilling action. Don't let your attention drift for a second. It's non-stop action, plotting, sabotage, manipulation, and more for these complex characters.
Interregnum is a fantastic conclusion to this thrilling tale.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews