Those four words should have been a warning. They should have filled Violet with dread. But she was so focused on Rafe's disappearance, she forgot.
The resistance was supposed to be fighting for a better world. A group of freedom fighters formed during the Monarch War, pushing back against laws that would see everyone enslaved. For a while there, they gave hope.
But with power comes corruption. The Society has been quietly amassing the strength and backing to become a real threat, and not everyone wants to use that power for good.
In a world torn apart by the death of monarchs, new leaders rise. Violet dives headfirst into the viper's nest with one singular goal: rescue the stolen prince who possesses half her heart.
With the unwavering support of Jordan at her side, Violet knows she can face whatever the resistance throws at them. Even if she was the intended target all along.
Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer. Never forget the betrayals of the past.
Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can't believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job.
For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.
Reading order:
Secret Keepers series (Paranormal Romance) House of Darken. House of Imperial. House of Leights. House of Royale.
Storm Princess Saga (PNR/Fantasy) The Princess Must Die. The Princess Must Strike. The Princess Must Reign.
Curse of the Gods (Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance series) UpperYA/NA Trickery. Persuasion. Seduction. Strength. Neutral. Pain.
So. Jordan did not get the duck outta here. He be in there still. And I mean IN there (I’m sorry I should stop I know). Anyway yeah, that’s basically the entire reason this was a two star read for me. I didn’t give a crap about the plot line or anything, I just wanted Rafe and the MC to be end game, but instead we ended up with a MFM end game and I didn’t love it. I’m fine with MFM but Jordan just appeared out of nowhere, and I just didn’t ship them? Anyway the only thing boosting this series up is the wonderful power of the twins, Mattie and Nolan are the loves of my life! Meh.
Look, I get why Jordan was in the picture, I do. He was there to dampen Rafe's darkness, and Violet's darkness stubbornness. I get it. But I didn't like it. And just because of that, I wasn't all that invested in the book. I felt like Jordan stood in the way. Also I had problems with Violet. I couldn't connect with her, she annoyed me and I didn't like how she acted. I didn't like her personality. I very much want Rafe though. He's the only reason I continued with the book, with the series. Violet clearly wants the perfect match for him, but I'll be ;) That said
Characters: The list is long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.
Quick basic facts: Genre: - (NA) Dark Dystopia Contemporary College Romance. Series: - Series, Book Three. Love triangle? - She is with both men. Cheating? - No. HEA? - Yes. Favorite character? - Rafael ‘Rafe’ ‘Fallen Angel’. Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes. Would I recommend this book/series? - For Rafe, yes. But for the series, no. Will I read this again in the future? - No. Rating - 2 stars.
This series started off great with Book 1 and started going downhill in book 2 and this conclusion made me wish I never started the series to begin with. Forced relationships. Violet who started off as such a strong protagonist is just super annoying and the story in general just took a sharp left and not in a good way.
sorry, but I just don’t see the unconventional HEA everyone else is seeing here.
Sure, child-free relationships can and do work for many, but the lack of open and official commitment from her guys is bothering me. They get to keep everything and she gets to be their dirty little secret. But she’s rich so that’s okay! Lovely.
By their 30’s - 40’s at the very latest I foresee her future as a single, well connected, wealthy woman with fond memories of her two princes who have since moved on in life.
I would have been happier seeing them abdicate their duties to their siblings and live with her in earnest, rather than this “oh we will just adopt and never marry even though the pressure on us will be massive” explanation. This is, at best, a HFN.
I can’t lie. I had such low expectations going into the Princess Ballot, but considering it's a three-book series, each under 300 pages, all released in just seven months, it did a lot! My rating of five stars is probably very generous, but I enjoyed this final book, and the series has bought me out of a bit of a slump.
Poison Throne is the third book of the Royals of Arbon Academy series, where orphan Violet Spencer has won a ballot to attend a prestigious school that educates royal families. In this final instalment, Violet has been captured by the resistance who wants to make her the face of their cause (very Hunger Games).
What I liked most about these books were the characters. The fmc Violet, her two princes, Jordan and Rafe, and her twin besties Nolan and Mattie are all so endearing and make a fun group. They gave me Hannaford Prep vibes, and I'm all for solving a love triangle with polyamory. There was also a clear bad guy to root against, and although it was a bit cheesy, I was glad he got what was coming to him in the end.
I still think the world-building is lazy and sloppy - this series is set in a dystopian future following world wars that left the remaining countries to be ruled by monarchies. At times, you could easily forget it's not set in the present day - they had Froot Loops fgs, but paper was a finite resource.
One thing I hated and had to overlook was that they made Violet a distant relative of Princess Diana and framed her death as a cover-up. I may be British and not a massive fan of the Royal Family, but still, even to me, it felt wholly unnecessary, being mentioned once and never again, having no impact on the story. Thinking about it now makes me want to change my rating, but I’m staying strong!
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It’s probably one of those that I won’t remember in a few months but was a fun read.
I have no idea how this series got so twisted,completely different from the first book. The relationship dynamic was so cringing and I couldn’t help but feel Rafe was just settling because Vi couldn’t choose? And when exactly did Vi fall in love with Jordan? there was no build up, they were strangers then they were lovers? The relationship felt forced Violet had to keep making comments to reassure the reader that’s what she wanted. Basically saying at one point to F off if you didn’t agree lol! It made Rafe weak and I no longer felt the connection between them that I still felt in Play boy princes. At 50% when they were all 3 in bed together I cringed so bad I had to take a break. Rafe literally said he couldn’t do it and then offered his bed to Vi and Jordan. What really was the tip of the ice burg for me was the conversation Rafe and Vi had about Jordan saying they wouldn’t last as a couple without Jordan. They were singing a completely different tune in Princess ballot and were obsessed with each other.
Unfortunately the relationship took a lot away from the plot, multiple sex scenes in a row and some action then more sex scenes. In my opinion the 5 star reviews are way exaggerating, I kept waiting for all these unexpected things to happen and they never did. The ending was really anticlimactic it made me wonder what all the build up was for in book 1&2. I felt really sad for violet at the end, I felt the injury was unnecessary.
I loved Mattie and Nolan I would have loved Jordan for Mattie that’s how I thought it was going to go from the first book. It would have made more sense being she’s engaged to his brother and how protective he was of Mattie about that Situation. But unfortunately we can’t always get what we want.
My opinion has remained the same through all 3 books of the Royals of Arbon Academy. Great world build. Action/suspenseful storyline. Romantic side not my favorite.
Rafe in the end became an ok MC for me. Finally began to treat Violet with less verbal viciousness. For me though, the damage was done. Even in the end, considering Violet's past both distant and recent her acceptance of his treatment did not sit well with me.
Absolutely loved Jordan. For me, he deserved better than what he got. Kind of wished he would have washed his hands of Violet. She was not very considerate of his feelings for far too long.
Nolan and Mattie again are perfection!
I can see where for some this series could be a smidge triggering, so heads up on that.
Back in the day, when I was fairly new to the reverse harem genre and was walking into a world filled with authors and stories I had never heard of, I got a review copy for Princess Ballot. I immediately fell in love with the world, the characters and the darker edge to it. So, when I got the message yesterday that my credit card details were maybe leaked, I took the risk to wait 12 more hours. Just to make sure that the conclusion to this series was delivered.
And the moment I started this morning I remembered why I enjoyed these books so much. The easy to read writing style, combined with the fast moving plot, leads to a very thrilling and addictive story. Once I started it was hard to put the book aside. It's a very typical one more chapter book. And it didn't help that the last book ended on a cliffhanger and that it took some time for our characters to find their way out of a very peculiar situation.
What I love is that this book brings back all the things we've grown to love so much in the previous books. Although it's only a trilogy, it almost felt like a little trip down memory lane. And this is possibly because it is acknowledged that these kids are only teens and that, even though they can be involved in political issues and saving the world, it's not their job to do it. They are given the chance to be teens, to do what they love, to find their place in the world. But, that doesn't mean we don't get to see and know what's happening in the outside world.
Everything from the previous books comes together. The political conflict, Violet's childhood and training, the royal families and their ridged ballot to ensure genetically perfect women or husbands for their royals, the position of the commoners in this world and of course, the relationships between the characters. I personally was glad that we also got to see Alex again. I know that what he did in the first and second book is not okay, but I somehow never truly gave up on him. I'm glad that we got to see a little of the old Alex back. However, it's Rafe I really love, even though he's not my type. I love his intensity, his passion, his fire.
It's sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I will certainly get the boxset for the bonus story whenever it becomes available.
Well I’m not gonna lie, I looooved this series and I’m digging the unconventional relationship going on. And considering book one barely features Jordan and violet is dating Alex, I had ZERO clue the series was gonna take all the turns and end where it did. First thought though is how I’m soooo happy Rafe’s dad is ok. Next I’m honestly shocked more ppl didn’t treat Violet differently after learning about her and Uriels connection. I mean technically she could have known all along and been in on it from the beginning but even Rafes parents showed no animosity or mistrust towards her. I will say I am shocked they even left Alex alive. Could it really be possible he’s not as slimy a human as we thought?!?! Don’t get me wrong he’s still a scumbag but perhaps at the very least someone who’s willing to change now that his crummy parents are gone?? 🤷🏼♀️😳 guess we can hope.
In the end, how come I knew that Rafe would really end up getting Violet an island. That man misses nothing and even if it took four years he still delivered. Cant say I’m not soooooo jealous!! Only thing that saddens me is the sensei getting that last blow on her and taking away her ability for children. Just an all around a f’d up situation as she’s dating royalty and not only that-the reason she even met them at the school was because of her “breeding” ability. Now she can’t even have a happy accident. Devastating that he dealt this final blow to her and she’s only 18 🙁
Side note: Rafes mom is the flippin best, her having sex talks with Violet about Rafe was truly funny and made me LOL more than once…. I’ll stop blabbing now 🤫 So glad I randomly squeezed this series in because I was sooooo here for it and I never expected to fall so hard for it. I do have hope that over the years Violet will finally experience both her men at one time, I mean 2+1=3 🥰 easily manageable for a girl like Violet lmao. Given the final scene I’m guessing it won’t be too hard changing their minds or too long, lucky bitch 😂😂🤣🤣 This really was a truly phenomenal series that went every way but the way I expected and I loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE Jaymin Eve fan. I own and have read every single book she has written.
But I was disappointed in this book. It wasn't bad, BUT it wasn't the book they started. At the end of book 2, they took a complete left turn on the plot. It was like they either wrote themselves into a corner or just got lazy and didn't really want to put the time into finishing the story they started, or they didn't have the time to finish the story they started, so they picked the road most travelled and wrote something completely predictable.
At the end of book 2, they dropped one major plot line (Alex being framed and arrested). Poof! plot gone. And Alex is suddenly not the antagonist any more. He's the misunderstood son.
They conveniently killed off the princesses who were betrothed, so that easily paves the way for Violet to be with either Rafe or Jordon. But does Violet choose? No. Instead of picking a guy, she decides to keep both Rafe & Jordon, and they're okay with it. I totally get that throuples are a thing, but this isn't a throuple. And I didn't believe it. It was just lazy, lazy, lazy writing, IMO.
Let's talk about Violet's backstory. She was an orphan, right? No, they changed their minds about that. Sorry, not believable.
And let's talk about the Resistance, who replaced Alex as the antagonist. The leader of the resistance groomed Violet from the time she was a child, and only Violet, as his key to success. No one else. Only Violet. First, why Violet? He kept saying that she was key to his success, but why? Why her and only her and no one else? If you're planning to take over the world, you should have a Plan B, C, D and probably a Plan E, F & G. But he only had Plan A -- Violet. Totally illogical, and lazy writing.
I'm honestly really curious to find out what happened with this series. Because this 3rd book really felt like it was rushed, and there wasn't a lot of thought put into it. Again, the 3rd book wasn't terrible, it just wasn't the story it started out to be.
I was so disappointed with how this ended. The first book was AMAZING I had such high hopes. But Jordan came out of nowhere with how he liked violet in the second book and violet suddenly crazy for him, just no. Everything was all about lust at least every chapter having some sort of sex scene, in any situation they were in somehow they were getting off on each other, just too much. Violet going back and forth between each of the guys overshadowed most of the plot happening, a very basic plot and just in general so anti climatic and predictable. I only kept on reading this series because I thought violet would eventually choose between the two guys but the more I read I just knew it wasn’t going to end well. I honestly cried out out of frustration because this series could have been GREAT with more character development with Rafe and how he likes violet as their relationship made the most sense since the first book. Honestly the biggest disappointment, it made me hate the mc so much, just pick one guy and stop stringing each other along. However, if you like books where the mc doesn’t chose a guy in the end, then this is the perfect series for you and I would have rated it a solid 4 stars because the writing was still smooth, easy to read and fast paced although predictable.
So disappointing. I’m only giving it two stars because I generally like these authors so I would feel bad giving it a one star review.
The authors said “sometimes you have to let the characters drive the story”, but damn if this story didn’t need a different driver. The overall character building, storyline and execution in this series needed work. It was ridiculous. I mean ridiculous even to those willing to suspend reality. The heroine only seemed to have three states of being, “robot mode” (don’t even get me started on robot mode), overcome with lust (which became an eye rolling experience and began to feel like filler) and silly/TSTL (which didn’t work with a character that’s supposed to be bad ass). I expected more from these authors and I felt that after putting up with this nonsense of a series we should have at least gotten a better HEA, but....I was so excited about this series when it came out. I’m so sad that it didn’t even sort of live up to the hype.
Ya know.. I feel bad for Jordan. He fell in love with Violet and she did the same with him. Yet, she always loves Rafe.. and he loves her too. Yet, it still kind of felt like Jordan wasn't in the full relationship. Even though they all agreed that they would be together. So, yeah, that kind of bothered me but I did enjoy them getting closer together.
What I didn't appreciate was the new villain. Her sensei. He was a complete douche canoe and I wasn't a fan of him being near Violet one freaking bit. So I was definitely okay for Rafe and Jordan going into caveman mode when it came to protecting Violet. Which.. didn't do much since she usually walked into trouble no matter what.
I did like that they were going to fight one another but it just seemed way to short. Kind of disappointed by that but I guess I'm glad that certain people are dead now. Oh and before I forget, I feel very bad that she can't have kids but I did like that Jordan talked about adopting when it came to wanting kids. It was definitely sweet of him to say.
In the end, I think I wanted a bit more from this book since it was the last one and I'm also slightly jealous that she got a freaking island from the guys. I don't know how they will top birthday gifts after this one but good luck to them both.
So, I have been looking forward to this book ever since the end of Playboy Princes, the cliffhanger was a nasty one and I needed to know what happens next! Well Poison Throne kicks off straight from where we left off and jumps straight into the action.
Violet is your typical headstrong kick ass MC but, sometimes I did roll my eyes a tiny bit. You can stay put and still be strong. Strong females are still strong if they have moments of weakness. (A problem I've found in a few books in general.) But I do like her. I can understand why she wants both Rafe's dark and Jordan's light.
I'm a huge Rafe fan. Just putting that out there. He is everything I want in an alpha male character and I think the chemistry between him and Violet is crazy insane off the charts and so friggin' hot! Every scene he graces I'm here for. I love him.
Then there's Jordan, who kind of reminds me of a wet flannel a little bit. I enjoy his character and think he's sweet but there is no way I would class him as a fellow alpha male. I mean, even their fighter names of Fallen Angel and Sushi show the difference between the two of them!
This book got four stars from me because I do love the series and the premise as a whole. This book sadly lost me a little bit with the ending. It just felt a tiny bit incomplete. I wanted more insight into their future.
What to say that I haven't already said in my reviews of the previous two books?
My main problem still is that these books normalize certain kinds of behavior that cannot be acceptable. For real, if I'd had a shot every time Rafe said "you are mine" or "you belong to me", I would've ended up in the hospital with a serious liver problem. I mean, branding Violet with a hickey to lay a claim that that is Rafe's (and then Jordan's) territory? Dude, that just makes me sick. And a couple of comments from the main character saying that she knows she is a little "fucked up" does not justify it, because at the end of the day it still comes across as romantic and it's never called out. On the contrary, it seems like Violet believes she is the most liberated woman ever, super independent and mother of all feminists. It doesn't help women dealing with these kind of situations realize those are wrong, you know?
Thankfully, Jordan was there to kind of balance it out. It concerns me how people prefer Rafe and his shitty behavior over Jordan and his kindness... Like, everything okay at home? And even with Jordan I have issues, because it seems like some of the Rafe-esque attitude is rubbing on him during this book. Talk about bad influence...
So, about the end, I'm actually quite happy about it. I for sure thought (after Playboy Princes) that she was gonna end up with Rafe. And boy am I glad I was wrong! True, I would've still preferred if Rafe just disappeared and was out of the picture completely, but not-just-him is better than only-him, so I'll take it.
And just to finish, as I already wrote in my review of Playboy Princes, I have a problem with the nonexistent world-building of these books. But since we all know that wasn't the intent of the authors -but rather the whole romance plot-, I'll give it a pass. What I just can't fathom is why they would tangle everything so much with the good and bad resistance, the Princess Ballot tampering, the breeding programs in Siberia, Violet's sensei and abuser, etcetera etcetera etcetera, just to solve it all in like two pages with a ridiculously simple and unbelievable solution. Also, Jordan's PTSD? Puff, gone, in literally TWO PARAGRAPHS. Also x2, could Mattie and Nolan be more irrelevant in this last book? Come on, it's these details.
Nevertheless, shoutout to Jaymin Eve and Tate James for keeping me turning page after page after page until the third book. At least they were a fast addictive read with a few twists that I didn't expect.
I don't know where to start. actually I have a lot to say about this book but now that I've started typing I don't know what to write.
all the carbon academy fans know how violet and her boys keep us on edge. I was really antsy about who would violet chose because I liked both of her princes and I would hate for even one of them to go. but as the book progressed i really started preferring Rafe over Jordan and hoped that she would choose him. but the ending was nicely done and when I got to know that she was choosing both I was elated as I understood that Jordan was the light to their relationship
anyways, moving on from the boys, the book finally shows violet's sensei. i kinda expected violet to be joyed when she met Uriel again because of the fondness she showed while speaking of him in the last 2 books. but as we get to know more about violet's backstory and how her relationship with her sensei was, i kinda understood violet more.
okay, now if you have read my other reviews, you would know that i am very much interested in character development and the bonds formed throughout the book. this book has taken my expectations to the next level. i mean the way we get to see how queen Jancita and king felipe are so comfortable with each other and they treat violet as their daughter is awesome. also i like Jancita's playful. not only that, we see the twins and violet become really close along with Jordan introducing his parents to violet. i also liked the massive personality change Alex has. although i would forever hate him its good to see that he became a better person.
so concluding this review i would rate this 4 stars because if only judged plotwise this book would've sucked. but taking all points into consideration i would give the book 4 stars!
This book starts out pretty exciting and has more action than the others. It's pretty well paced and I felt like everything came together so fast. This has been a good series, I just felt like things never seemed that difficult and I wasn't emotionally invested in the characters. Things didn't go too deep and I was hoping for more information about the world and history.
We got to see more fighting in this one, something I wanted through the books. Violet is a trained badass and I love seeing her take cocky men down. The romance also developed more and I was happy seeing the guys with Violet. Their triad is great, they're all strong and smart and challenge each other.
I wonder if there is a spinoff book about Violet's friend. Her story was left a bit open so I'll be looking into that.
2.5 stars (would be 3 if it was mf only!) Still not sold on the polyamorous dynamic (and not even one threesome I mean seriously?) The whole leaving the room dynamic if the other was with her wasn't something I was sold on, especially with room for potential mfm scene. I don't get what he brought to this series, at all.
I don't get where the whole "Jordan stops me and rafe from being destructive" dynamic.. Especially given that rafe somewhat mellows towards the end. It just felt like a dumb justification. I honestly don't get where he came from and still am baffled by it?
rafe and violet certainly could've been enough, especially with their violent tendencies, Jordan just felt like an addition to make this consciously 'unconventional'
Not how I was hoping the series would end, but I still binge-read all three books in three days! Action-packed, with lots of political intrigue and drama. And spice. No shortage of that here!
3.5 stars but rounded up this time because overall, I had a good time with this series and I'm sad that it's over!
These books are just the right sort of crazy for me. They are very unconcerned with realism and extremely fast paced. I thought the relationship dynamic was fun! I liked the reverse-harem like relationship set up and I like how all the characters play off each other.
There's not that much I can say in this review that I haven't said in my previous reviews because this book is very similar. The plot is still very predictiable and packed full of action that is very unlikely. At one point, Violet and Jordan get kidnapped and the Rafe and them all get free and they go right back to the school like basically nothing happened. We do get to learn more about Violets backstory this book which is something I've been wanting for a while so I'm glad we finally got it.
In the author's letter, they talk about coming back to this world in the future and I hope they do! I would love to read more in this world with the same high-octane action that I've come to expect from this series!
This duo always create wonderful stories together. I am glad I was able to wait until the series was complete before starting (I almost caved several times) because those cliffhangers were brutal. As usual with these two writers, the characters were well developed and layered. The relationships also were thoughtfully created. What I really love and know that I can count on from these authors is that there won't just be romantic relationships but also friendships and found family. Without the secondary characters the story would have felt bleak at times. Now, regarding other aspects; the pacing was great, the mistakes were minimal and the action felt like there were high stakes which was appropriate. I also loved that this wasn't a triangle situation because I equally adored Rafe and Jordan (plus I hate triangles). Overall, this trilogy was highly entertaining and I absolutely recommend.
We’ve got the resistance and people from the past poppin up. There was way less wah I’m a poor orphan and way more I’m a boss bitch and I can take care of myself. Mattie is legit the best friend every girl wants. The spicy scenes were on point but not boring. Sometimes in series I feel like you read the same phrases over and over but these were well written.
Violet has got herself in literally the dream relationship. I would love Mattie and Nolan to be my friends. Even all the shit with Alex was perfectly laid out and went a way I approve. I liked that the epilogue was in 4 years and not too crazy down the line. It helped keep things feeling close to realistic.
What the title of this book has to do with the book itself I can't quite understand. Never the less it was a brilliant book. The beginning was so dark and twisted. And to find out just how badly Violet was treated her entire life just to fulfil the ambitions of an asshole...sigh it was very dark. The fight scenes were good. Rafe and Jordan both did a lot of character development, and I love them both; although, Rafe is still my favourite. Violet also came a long way and totally deserved her happy ending. This series has made me want to go back to the beginning and reread it immediately. Very few series' have ever made me want to do that. It was a great series with really good characters and story.
I’m not crying… 😭👀😂 one of my favourite series this year so far, without a doubt. Absolutely fucking loved it. Everything about it. I’m an emotional mess 😅 literally went from sad tears to happy tears all within five minutes near the end… that fucking ending though 😭💖💖 my heart is SO full!! What an ending 🥹🙌🏼 I can’t even gush about Violet & ……. Because I won’t allow spoilers. But just know, they’re EVERYTHING!!!! 😭💖 the storyline as expected was epic and non stop action packed!! How these two authors manage to have such a brilliant storyline plus all the 🔥🔥 moments is just amazing. This book is a lot darker than the first two books, it’ll have you hurting a lot. But it’s all so worth it to reach their HEA, im so sad it’s over!!! Mattie & Nolan are up there with my most favourite side characters 🙌🏼 I would LOVE for them to get their own stories. They’re epic 🙌🏼 everything about these books are a HELL YES from me!! 🥹💖
Holy potato cakes 😭 This was a wild ride. AGAIN. One of my favourite things about this series is that there’s no loss of interest or concentration. The pace is fluid throughout and you’re constantly captivated.
This is something that’s pretty common through both Tate and Jaymin’s writing in their solo works too, I think.
I had this book as an audio book again, and I stayed up listening to it till the wee hours of the morn. Every chance I got to read it I did. It is a really addictive storyline.
We see the relationship of Jordy, Rafe and Violet flourish as we all knew it would, and we also see Violet face some demons, hit a couple more hurdles, but take it all on in her classic Violet style.
Some really heart pumping moments that just had me unable to put the book down.
All in all? I loved this series. All 5 star read for me 🙏🏽