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The Envoy’s Honor

(Chronicles of Tournai #8)

Antonia Aquilante (Goodreads Author)

3.75 · Rating details · 24 ratings · 14 reviews

Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills would be necessary for a problem so personal to him and his family.

A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people—the magical ...more

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Published November 6th 2020 by NineStar Press

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November 2020 MM Releases

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Feb 17, 2021 Sibil added it

Shelves: readtoreview

DNF
Thaks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I am a bit torn about this book. I decided to drop it because it was full of annoying characters, and I wasn't really in the right mood for so much annoyance and irritation. I think that we have a great cast of characters, there are a lot of them, and they all are alive. But I just couldn't get past the irritation. And the main lead in this book is shippable, but... But even if I enjoyed both ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 Mar rated it liked it

3.5 stars

I feel I cannot give this book a fair rating without reading the previous books. Although I did like that I didn't need to read them to understand what was going on.
I was attracted to this book by its cover and plot and it definitely paid off. It was a fun and very entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Nov 27, 2020 Veronica of V's Reads rated it really liked it

This is the eighth book in a fantasy series, and likely best enjoyed when read in sequence, though it can be read as a standalone. I have read books 1-4 in this series and still felt there was enough background to fill in the gaps I had from not reading books 5-7. This review may contain some spoilers for previous books.

Griffen is the second son of his family, his elder brother Bastien is the Duke of their familial estate in Ardesia. They are both cousins to Philip, crowned prince of Tounai, and This is the eighth book in a fantasy series, and likely best enjoyed when read in sequence, though it can be read as a standalone. I have read books 1-4 in this series and still felt there was enough background to fill in the gaps I had from not reading books 5-7. This review may contain some spoilers for previous books.

Griffen is the second son of his family, his elder brother Bastien is the Duke of their familial estate in Ardesia. They are both cousins to Philip, crowned prince of Tounai, and Griffen works in the palace at Jumelle, the capital city as a diplomat. Bastien is engaged to Corentin, a scholar from a hidden realm called Ivria where the people have a magical secret they endeavor to keep from society-at=large: many of their number can shift into a dragon form. Bastien had been attacked and kidnapped in a previous story and Corentin’s magic both saved Bastien and revealed the secret of Ivria, at least to Prince Philip and his consort Prince Amory and certain other trusted members of Philip’s family and retinue. Griffen doesn’t think dragon magic is odd, and he’s happy for his brother’s happiness.

Griffen, Bastien and several other members of the prince’s family are dining in the palace for a private celebration over impending nuptials when a delegation from Ivria arrives unannounced and with little decorum. Kirill is among this number, but he’s startled and frustrated when the unofficial delegation leader makes unreasonable demands–to hand over Corentin to be returned to Ivria for questioning. The delegation was only sent to determine if the revelations Corentin had let slip posed any danger to Ivria or its interests–but Kirill is soon convinced that the unreasonable and crude demands his fellow envoy are making stem from a deeper plot, one that would reveal the dragon’s magic in an attempt to ignite a conflagration.

Kirill and Griffen are both working to help Corentin and smooth over this situation, and they are both caught in an unwanted attraction for each other. Kirill’s fellow delegates are encouraging this–either because they want to see him happy or they hope he can exploit the relationship. The delegates have been invited to stay in the palace, temporarily, so that Philip’s guards can keep an eye on them, and make sure they do not attempt to kidnap Corentin. Kirill knows this, and he doesn’t trust the people of the palace, or Griffen, for these reasons. Still, their communications become less intrigue-laden and more friendly–until one of the Ivrians is murdered in the palace gardens. Now Kirill’s missing is to find the murderer while extricting their group from Tournai with haste. Even if it means leaving Griffen behind. Maybe…temporarily.

This is an intrigue-heavy mystery that develops alongside the romance. Griffen is a good man and he’s willing to trust Kirill more than Kirill trusts him–and that’s find for a while. His excellent behavior and attention to details help Kirill to navigate the two walks he’s taking in the negotiations about Corentin and his growing regard for Griffen. We had met Griffen briefly in earlier stories, but he was never a central character before now. Kirill and his Ivrian compatriots are interesting and I liked learning a bit about their culture. Not all of them can shift into dragons, but Kirill can–and he shows a lot of trust to shift in front of Griffen once Griffen finds an isolated area for Kirill to stretch his wings. The romance develops slowly ans is adversarial at first, due to the nature of being from different nations and wanting different objectives–namely, Kirill is angry that Griffen has knowledge about his magic, and he’s afraid that knowledge will be used for harm. It takes time for Kirill–and his fellow delegates–to see the few people from Tournai who know their secret go to great pains to not let it be revealed to any new persons, thus protecting the Ivrians from the exposure they want to contain.

Griffen and Kirill develop a plan for further connection, once they agree that they want more than something casual. Kirill feels so seen and cherished by Griffen, who loves him in human or dragon form. Griffen really feels connected to Kirill, and their lives seem aligned both emotionally and diplomatically. Bastien and Corentin also share their happy ending with the greater group of friends and family that make up these books, with glimpses of folks who might become MCs of their own right in later stories. I’m a fan of this series and the magical world they encompass. Can’t wait for another story to hit the press! ...more

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Dec 30, 2020 Rafael Rodriguez rated it really liked it

I was given a eBook copy of the book for my honest review.

To Start Things off This is the Eight Book in the series. AS it stand my review is partial to this specific book and what I've read as u have not had the chance to read the previous 7 books.

Griffen is the second son of his family, his elder brother Bastien is the Duke of their familial estate in Ardesia, cousins to Philip, crowned prince of Tounai. Griffen works in the palace at Jumelle as a diplomat. Bastien is engaged to Corentin, a sc I was given a eBook copy of the book for my honest review.

To Start Things off This is the Eight Book in the series. AS it stand my review is partial to this specific book and what I've read as u have not had the chance to read the previous 7 books.

Griffen is the second son of his family, his elder brother Bastien is the Duke of their familial estate in Ardesia, cousins to Philip, crowned prince of Tounai. Griffen works in the palace at Jumelle as a diplomat. Bastien is engaged to Corentin, a scholar from a hidden realm called Ivria where the people have a magical secret as they can shift into dragons. Bastien had been attacked and kidnapped in a previous story and Corentin’s magic both saved Bastien and revealed the secret of Ivria, at least to Prince Philip and his consort Prince Amory and certain other trusted members of Philip’s family.

It was a very immersive book which can be read as a stand alone even though there are some elements that could be smoother if you have the chance to read the previous 7 books.

The world building and character development are key components in the book that keep the story going each character was very well rounded which would be do to it being a book later in the series i would of liked to have the chance to read the previous ones to see how the growth went from book to book. But either way you were able get each character and their different personalities flow through the book.

Synopsis: Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills would be necessary for a problem so personal to him and his family.

A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people—the magical Talent allowing them to change into dragons—and therefore their kingdom itself remain safe. The delegation is concerned for Corentin, an Ivrian, and the man Griffen’s older brother is soon to marry.

The Ivrians seem to want to drag Corentin back to Ivria for the offense of revealing their secret, but Griffen refuses to let it happen. His determination puts him into contact—and conflict—with Kirill, a negotiator for the king of Ivria who possesses the dragon Talent himself. The two clash and connect, getting closer and pulling away as they try to negotiate the needs of their people and an unwanted attraction between themselves. However, just as trust might be growing between them, a plot is uncovered and a member of the Ivrian delegation murdered. Griffen and Kirill must discover who is behind both for the safety of their countries and the people they love…and for a chance to be together.

I am Giving The Book a 4/5 ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 AMHH rated it really liked it

Kirill is Ivrian, part of a delegation sent to Tournai to assess the ramifications of the defection of one of their own. Griffen is a diplomat in Tournai and the younger brother of the man now betrothed to the defector. Kirill and Griffen have every reason to distrust each other, and for a significant portion of the novel, their duty to their respective countries wars with the chemistry between them. It’s helpful, although not strictly necessary, to have read the earlier books in this series, as Kirill is Ivrian, part of a delegation sent to Tournai to assess the ramifications of the defection of one of their own. Griffen is a diplomat in Tournai and the younger brother of the man now betrothed to the defector. Kirill and Griffen have every reason to distrust each other, and for a significant portion of the novel, their duty to their respective countries wars with the chemistry between them. It’s helpful, although not strictly necessary, to have read the earlier books in this series, as there are not only a significant number of cameos from earlier couples, but also some significant plot details that provide more context for the events of this book.

Without a doubt my favorite part of this novel was the plot. The Ivrian delegation is shocked by the fact that their defacto leader doesn’t really seem to be negotiating so much as demanding, and confusion over his motives and a surrounding web of intrigue makes for a deliciously tense, compelling read. The conspiracy is engrossing, and each event in the chain that helps to unravel the mystery just draws you in further. There are some great supporting characters: Romilly in particular is awesome-- they have a dry wit, a great fashion sense, and a solid dedication to their friendship with Griffen that makes them pretty much the perfect companion and sidekick.

There are some loose ends, too, that I wish had been tied up within the story. Griffen’s brother treats him with a fair amount of condescension and even distrust, and while we see how much that hurts Griffen, there’s never a moment in which the two brothers talk it out, let alone a well-deserved apology for Griffen. Kirill and Griffen seem to linger in the “I’m attracted to you but shouldn’t be” space for a very long time, so long, in fact, that when their relationship does progress it does so very quickly, which leaves less time to see the relationship develop organically and makes it feel almost like an afterthought. Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel, but I wasn’t as sold on Kirill and Griffen as a couple as I have been with any of the other pairings from this series.

*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily composed an unbiased review.
...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Verdant rated it liked it

Shelves: dragons, fantasy, mm, mm-shifter, royalty

There are many things I don't get here seriously..
First though, What's with the names? Not that it's bad. Some are just wierd.. hmmm.
*An envoy from Ivria arrived at Tournai to seek assuage about the safety of their secrets that was revealed on book 5. (I haven't read book 7 and I forgot the narrative on book 6. So I don't know how much time has passed since then).
*out of 8 representative 3 are supposed traitor, 1 is just along for her cousin, 2 are friends, and the other 2 is apparently having There are many things I don't get here seriously..
First though, What's with the names? Not that it's bad. Some are just wierd.. hmmm.
*An envoy from Ivria arrived at Tournai to seek assuage about the safety of their secrets that was revealed on book 5. (I haven't read book 7 and I forgot the narrative on book 6. So I don't know how much time has passed since then).
*out of 8 representative 3 are supposed traitor, 1 is just along for her cousin, 2 are friends, and the other 2 is apparently having an affair with each other. None of them have clear purpose on their group. Might as well they didn't exist.
*Rommily was addressed mostly with them/their. But there was an instance in which Kirrill referred to Rommily as "him." It was inconsistent.
*The plot about the 3 wanting to reveal their dragon talent sadly lack in execution. I mean, thus it really help to antagonize the Prince's into submission thinking what? Ah, they should be angry with us now they would make a move that would require us completely going dragon on their turf. Like seriously? When it didn't work, they killed their own instead and hoping to blame Tournai for it. From what grounds? I mean it was seriously poorly executed. There aren't evidence pointed to support their eventual claim. Or staged a fake fight, perhaps, that was what supposed their meeting with Cathal kept a secret? And Ederic? going to the gardens seeming upset? If Kirill and Griffen hadn't stumbled on him first would that have been the narrative? Even so, they didn't even create a ruckos as to what really was happened or shared some speculation. You would think Byram would have his opinions known or imply something even a bit to funnel their plans? No?
So, really, The villain died in vain. that didn't really serve much of a purpose.
*Also, there was seriously lacking an appearance for Corentin and Bastien. I know that this is supposed to be Griffen's story. But since they are the reason why the envoys came in the first place, surely a little tidbit on their plans would be nice? I thought when they arrived they would address Corentin directly, given that he was in the premises when Ederic voiced his demand. He could have spoken and said "No, I won't go." How funny is it that the reason they are there, didn't even get the chance to be interrogated or ask.?
*Bastien being growly at Griffen for being with Kirrill didn't make sense either. He seems to have a superior complex in that he is always right and dom't be an idiot kind of way. Maybe it seems why they don't get along? There is no brotherly love shown between them. Griffen didn't even visit Bastien again to give his update since he volunteered to be the spokesperson.

On the romance side well, I can't say I'm elated. First mainly because how it seem very awkward. Their kiss was a bit stilted to me. Like hey you seem attracted to me, I am to you, we should kiss. hmmm. There was no build-up on the moment. Like it was created just for the heck of it.

--

Also, I have already read Marcus and Alexander's story. It may seemed better than this. But Not much.
Firstly, this is the eight out of how many books to come but there is no definite read on the situation about these so-called 'spies'. Even the book (#7) about the palace's Spymaster seemed to be not worth his salt, so to speak. I mean, Nada. The spy theme has been quite dragging. I hope this has a resolution soon and not abruptly left out.

Now, I did enjoy 4 of this series's books. Namely the first four. It was a new take on fantasy romance for me. Not to mention cats. Because who wouldn't love a cat shifter? But, sadly when Bastien's book came out, I felt seriously disappointed where the book was going. Who are their adversary? Not to mention that I also kind of didn't dig Bastien and Corentin (It might have been the name. Maybe?).

It could also be because the narrative is a bit long-winded. Like it couldn't get to the point fast enough. ...more

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Dec 23, 2020 Sanna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of the author in question who've oreviously read the whole series

Shelves: 2020-fell-hard-for-these, 2020, dragons, fantasy, favorite-fantasy, historical, mm, series-favourites, shifter, x

Not that exciting this time

3.5

This is the currently newest title in this fantasy series of romantic MM variety when 2020 is finally nearing its end. Shifters, suspense, historical fantasy setting.

I finished this and I'm afraid this one wasn't for me. I love this series in general. This new one continued quite logically. I've loved all the other previous titles and recommend them but this one was not a hit but a miss for me personally.

The problem was among others the slowness and the all too muc ...more

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Nov 09, 2020 Iz rated it really liked it

Shelves: dragons, english, fantasy, lgbtqia, magic, romance, soft

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this novel from Netgalley because the blurb sounded amazing, not aware that it was part of a series of interconnected standalones. I thought the worldbuilding and exstensive cast of characters was going to confuse me but instead I managed to follow the story easily and boy, did I devour it. I could probably kick myself for not reading any of the previous books beforehand though, the small glimpeses we get here of all ...more

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Dec 05, 2020 Thieving Magpie rated it really liked it

I have a feeling that I can not do this book justice. I wished I had read the previous books before this one, because - as usual - I think I would have been able to enjoy it more if I'd already knew what I was getting into.
Luckily, this book was also readable without having any knowledge of the previous books - and I enjoyed it a good deal. If the other books are anything like this one, I am pretty sure I've found myself another great series. Shape-shifting dragons?! I am in! Oh, and it's also a ...more

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Nov 05, 2020 R rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, magic, paranormal, reviewed, series, shifter

As friend and family to royalty, Griffen only wants to serve his Princes and country of Tournai. When unexpected visitors arrive, he has an instant reaction to Kirill. As a dragon, Kirill is there to protect his country’s secret. He didn’t plan on Griffen changing his life.

I’m not really going to get into the story because...blurb.

The author writes beautifully. The gardens and homes are strikingly portrayed, as is the style of dress.

I like all the Tournai characters and I think everyone from the ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Joscelyn Smith rated it it was amazing

I really do love this series and I enjoy how each book adds to the overall world. Griffen and Kirill's story is another fantastic addition, I would recommend reading the previous books because the each build upon each other and further the story arc running throughout the series. All in all the wonderfully well-written characters and fantastic world-building made for a highly enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley* ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Coltostallion rated it it was ok

DNF at about 70%. I just had trouble getting into this one. I had read previous books in the series so I won't rehash my issues with instalove, but I wanted to give the series another try a bit further in. I want able to get into it, though. ...more

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Nov 08, 2020 Ilona rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, intrigue, romance

My Review ...more

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Nov 20, 2020 Jena rated it it was amazing

What a fabulous addition to the Tournai series! This one jumps in with Griffin’s story and doesn’t let you go until the very last page! Excellent suspense and love story!

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About Antonia Aquilante

Antonia Aquilante

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Antonia Aquilante has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours, she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years, but one thing has remained consistent - they all end in happily ever after.

She has a fondness for travel (and a long list of ...more