She bowed to his threats to save her people. Falling in love with him wasn’t part of the plan.
Princess Evaraine of Farhall is betrothed—to a playboy prince she has never met. To prepare for their wedding, she travels to his home kingdom of Garimore, where she must accustom herself to an uncomfortable new world of scheming courtiers and incomprehensible fashions.
But there are more pressing concerns than wedding gown fittings and awkward tea parties. Evaraine’s fiancé is missing, the king of Garimore is making increasingly sinister threats, and Evaraine’s hidden magic is becoming far more difficult to control.
And then there’s Danric—the driven and seemingly heartless crown prince of Garimore. Evaraine knows she should hate him, both for what he represents and for forcing her into a distasteful alliance. Yet despite his intimidating presence, Evaraine begins to catch glimpses of a much different man than the one he shows the rest of the world.
But just when she is beginning to long for more than a loveless royal marriage, Evaraine learns of a threat to the people she’s fought so hard to save—a threat that calls into question everything she thought she knew about Danric and his father.
To save her kingdom, she will have no choice but to reveal her most dangerous secret, and in doing so, risk losing the one man who has ever held her heart.
Kenley Davidson is a romantic fantasy author and unrepentant caffeine addict who believes in the power of storytelling and loves nothing more than a good book hangover. Her books include romantasy, urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and sci fi, but no matter the genre, she writes stories of hope and redemption with characters you can root for, heart-pounding romance without the spice, and happy endings that might just make you cry.
Her favorite things (besides books) are coffee, k-dramas, cats, and playing cozy video games. And also scones.
Kenley currently lives in Oklahoma, where she cares for a menagerie of misfit house plants while waiting for her adult children to occasionally pop in for laundry and a home-cooked meal.
Find out more about Kenley’s books at her website: kenleydavidson.com
Feels like a personal attack that I have to wait until DECEMBER for this.
//
No because the way I love these two? They're definitely slow burning but the feelings are THERE and yes to both of their character development, coming into their own and out from under their parents' wing. The ending had me REELING and picking up book 4 immediately, I neeeeeed to know what happens!!
Anyway, it continued the last two books' cliffhangers plot but this time with a new couple. Danric is heir of the Garimorian throne and Evaraine is betrothed fiancee of his younger brother.
It was fine so far. I'm not that impressed yet and the chemistry was also not as tangible as Leisa and the Raven. Welp, we'll see how it'll progress in the next book I guess.🤷
But the story itself is still solid tho. I love the plot and for now, that's what hooking me in this series. I need to see the end of this series no matter what.
Debated between four and five stars but decided to go with five because even though it felt a bit slow to me, I think it might have been my mood/life distractions more than the book.
It is definitely a VERY slow burn though--both in plot and the romance. Evaraine and Danric's denial of their feelings and internal rehashing of the traits they love about the other ("but I can't!") and secret keeping/lack of trust at times felt frustrating, but it DID totally make sense given their personalities and life experiences.
I love Danric and want to give him a hug. And tell him to relax a little. 😆 But his arc of all of his beliefs and understanding of the world being challenged and broken down and reshaped and his internal struggle was SO well done!
Evaraine was great, but ugh, the magic-related mysteries keep building! Leisa's magic related threads still need solving and now we have new threads related to several magical things including Evaraine's magic in this book. I'm gonna die from wondering by the time the series finishes and all is revealed. 😉
This book is a little bit of a sleuth book with investigations, which was kinda fun, kinda contributed to the slowness in the first half. There was also some timelines things that confused me, but I figured them out.
Overall I did enjoy this and am looking forward to the next book (and hoping it doesn't take too long for our love birds to sort out their relationship).
I enjoyed this one more than the first two books! The author is really digging into the actual meat of the plot and characters rather then just the “set up” feel I got from the first two, and several of the plot twists surprised me and have me curious on how they’re going to be resolved.
Evaraine and Danric are such complex characters I both wanted to hug and shake the silliness out of them even though all their motives made sense to what they’ve been through. Danric especially—my heart just went out to the poor guy and I only want the best for him. Evaraine too, but I’m more attached to Danric, surprisingly, lol.
I’m not normally into the more political intrigue type of fantasy stories but this one is really well written and fascinating and I’m very intrigued to see where the author takes this plot!
‼️Content‼️
Language: damning; bastard; dear gods; gods
Violence: fighting with weapons, magic, and hand to hand (not detailed); rotten eggs and stones are flung at a man; injuries and blood (not detailed)
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink ale
Other: magic; mages, elves, fae, and other magical races; magical creatures and abilities; grief over a lost parent; a character is kidnapped; a character is illegitimate
I've been thoroughly enjoying the Legends of Abreia series. The Hidden Queen is the third book in the series, and I've become completely invested in the plot and characters. The world building and character development are top-notch, with some twists that took me by surprise. If you like adventure, magic, mystery and slow-burn romance...this series is one I highly recommend. I loved it and can't wait to read more by the author.
I'm really enjoying this series. I wish I didn't have to wait in between books because I really don't like cliff hangers but alas, here I am, once again waiting to read the next book because I had no form of closure and pretty much nothing in the romance department. Not even a kiss to be had. I should have waited to read this series until it finished so I could read one after the other. I do feel the build up in the story. It's all going to come to an explosive head soon - that good versus evil showdown - and I can feel it's going to be good. I hope the next book comes out soon!
I waited a whole year for more of Prince Vaniell and I get practically nothing? Wtf. Then the author makes it so it seems Danric couldn’t give two shits about his younger brother? This is ridiculous. The story had me engaged and really looking forward to the reunion of the brothers and all the secrets that come with it all just to end up with nothing. This was just a book based on the youngest Prince’s betrothed ending up with his older brother. So utterly predictable. I would have been completely fine with it if I had gotten some brotherly bonding in there too! Wtf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
At first I wondered if I would like a complete switch in main characters every two books while the storyline was still progressing. But, I ended up loving Everaine and enjoyed getting to discover all her depths while still seeing the progress of the overall story-arc immensely! Love this series, so far!!
Y'all. I struggled with this one. I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason I had a hard time connecting with Evaraine and Danric. It wasn't until the very last part of the book that I started feeling the littlest bit invested in them. But then it ended and it left me feeling extremely frustrated.
I was hoping Evaraine and Danric's relationship would be a bit further along than it was. There was zero romance and, even though it ends in a "cliffhanger", I'm trying to decide if I want to keep going or not. I probably will because a bookish friend told me that I'll get to see Leisa and Kyrion for part of it and I absolutely adore those two!
Both enemies and allies, they have no choice but to trust each other.
One thing I love about Kenley Davidson's writing is how invested I get in the characters. I loved both Danric and Evaraine right off the bat. I enjoyed watching her inner strength shine through her weaknesses, and I loved how deep and emotional Danric's character arc was. When his world is crumbling around him, he has to turn to the last person he thought he would need.
I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait for the next in the series.
Another great book in this series! More intrigue and subtle danger. I'm so glad we finally get a few answers to the questions from the earlier books, yet even more questions are opened. I can't wait for the next book!
It's been a while since I read the first two books of this series, but I remember enjoying them quite a bit. For the YA demographic, they were surprisingly not overly angsty or annoying. So I was excited to see that the third book in this series had dropped.
In this installment, I really enjoyed the character development for both MCs. However, there were a lot of speeches made to one another in the form of dialogue and the inner monologues were repetitive. Other than that, this was an entertaining way to pass an afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing how the author is going to bring all of the conflict to a head.
I'd been waiting for months for this book to get published, and when it finally happened, I didn't get a chance to read it, but I'm very happy I finally did it. With every book that comes out in the series, the story gets better and better. The writing is spectacular; it flows smoothly and sucks you into the story.
The first 2 books focused on Leisa, while this one was Evaraine's story, who was a supporting character in the previous books. She was misunderstood by people in the prequels, who saw her as weak and helpless, but in this one, they saw what she's really made of. I liked the way her character developed. Not only hers, but all the main characters had depth and backstories. The author really took her time with them to ensure that she elicited the right kind of response from the readers.
One particular person I did not care for previously has completely changed my opinion, and now I want to know more about them.
There was also a major plot twist that made me go, "woaahhhh!" Apart from that, there were many unpredictable scenes that kept me hooked throughout. I'm going crazy waiting for the remaining secrets to spill.
Another great element of this series is that it focuses on different couples every 2 books and then finally gets them together for the final showdown. I've only read one other series that followed this style, and it was amazing, so I can't wait to see how the author executes it.
The romance is slow, but it's great to see Evaraine and Danric take their time to reflect on their feelings. I'm excited to see how their relationship progresses.
The book ended on a cliffhanger like the previous ones. I was so engrossed in the story that I hadn't even realised it was the end. Luckily, the sequel comes out next month, so I won't have to wait for long.
I really hope more people read this series because it's absolutely amazing. People who enjoy fantasy romance, stories with secrets and deception, magic, and strong protagonists should check it out.
I absolutely loved getting to know Princess Evaraine better in this story! I really appreciate the representation of a strong heroine of spirit and mind, but who is physically weak in comparison. We need more of this!
The series continues following a new hero and heroine (well, not new to us, just new POV's), and I absolutely loved every single second of it.
Things to look forward to: a new sweet romance, an arranged marriage, hidden secrets, family betrayals and conflicting/tense emotions.
Prince Vaniell and Danric both surprised me greatly in this story, and Danric is growing on me...even if I find him infuriating at times, I take solace in the fact that so does Evaraine. 😉 He's loyal to a fault, honorable and though the romantic tension is present, there's not even a kiss to be had.
I can't wait for the next book and to see all my favorite characters brought together again!
I was a little apprehensive going into this one since the focus isn't on Leisa and Kyrion anymore, but as for the first two books, Kenley Davidson didn't disappoint. Everaine is basically your typical Silk Hiding Steel kind of proper princess, and given how the story makes political intrigue very interesting and believable, she fits in pretty well. Not to mention that will all the reveals going on in this book, it feels like we're just getting started, so I can't wait until June to read the rest!
The twists and turns of this book will have you doing mental gymnastics. Superbly written, it will take over your life and leave you longing for the next book in the series. Well done, Ms. Davidson!
3.5 I just want to say that in this series the internal dialogue can last a little too long and be very repetitive. I find myself wanting to just move on already!
But I do like that we have a female character that is physically weak/unwell (well you know what I mean; I will not spoil), but is still viewed by others as valuable and capable and is worth respect. I think we need more characters with these kinds of limitations that also accomplish great things.
Also, I like that when there is a misunderstanding with characters at the end of these books, they don’t immediately assume the worst. They take time before making final conclusions. So thank you for that!
This was a great continuation to the series. The story moves from Leisa and Kyrion to Evaraine and Danric. There are many developments to the overarching storyline, lots of intrigue, danger, and magic. It’s quite gripping and hard to put down.
The last chapter may have been a little too convenient, but it’s cool ☺️
Content: There is no foul language or sex. There is some violence but it’s not gory or overly descriptive. The romance is still being developed and hasn’t gone past handholding. There is magic. There is no mention of faith or God.
I am not as enamored with Evaraine as the main character, but this one was a solid entry in the series. The plot is moving along and I'm ready to start the 4th book.
Okay, this one was so good. I was a little worried that this one wasn’t about Leisa and Kyrion, but I ended up loving getting things from Evaraine’s and Danric’s perspectives. I’m really looking forward to the next one ❤️
This series is so good! I wish however I would of waited to read this book until the next one came out… in June! Ugh. The two leads in this book are interesting characters with an interesting back story. This works is unique and a great fantasy series.