Savage Bred

The Royal Rose Chronicles #3

by Victoria McCombs

It’s dangerous to be a pirate.

The seas have become more threatening than ever, with enemies closing in on all sides. War isn't just brewing—it’s here, knocking on their doorsteps, threatening to devour them all. And just as she was warned, Emme might have been the one to create the chaos.

In her desperate attempt to keep the fight away, Emme hatches a plan that involves trapping the only one who can put an end to the battles. But as plans go awry, she discovers she’s not the only one scheming. Eventually she'll have to accept that she’s no longer playing a role: She’s a pirate now. A pirate who will do what it takes to save her crew, even if it means oathbinding herself one final time.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Pirates, Romance, Audiobook, Christian

Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Best-selling author of Oathbound and Mortal Queens from Enclave Publishing.

Victoria McCombs is the author of The Storyteller’s Series, The Royal Rose Chronicles, and the fae dynasty duology, with hopefully many more to come. She survives on hazelnut coffee, 20-minute naps, and a healthy fear of her deadlines, all while raising four wildlings with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska.

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very much looking forward to this finale, and it did not disappoint! The crew has been scattered but they're always fighting to get back to each other, and I love them for it. A lot of plot threads were tied up nicely, and I never wanted to put the story down! Definitely a trilogy I'm going to be re-reading in the future, and I'm giving this one 4 stars!

[Sharon Loves to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this trilogy! It is well-written with great characters and a tight plot. I felt that the character arcs could have been given more attention in the details and inner-workings. Changes take place in the hearts and minds of our characters, but we don’t see much of it while it’s happening, just the end result. Still, overall, I enjoyed the characters.

The issue I had with the first book—that of pirating being an approved occupation—is briefly touched on and sort of redeemed. See below for what I mean, but it is a spoiler…

🛑🛑🛑


Arn, Emme, and Landon leave pirating for more honorable work, and Arn briefly mentions that Emme has shown him the way to a satisfied life in that. He doesn’t want to constantly be craving fame and captaining the Royal Rose over more important things in life. This is great, but what about justice for all the killing and thieving they all had done? I would have liked to have seen that handled more fully.


🟢🟢🟢

[Haley Durfee · Rating 4 out of 5]

《I've learned that when you're a pirate, you have a quarrel with everyone.》

◇emme: she's a pirate
◇arn: i will be your darkness, you will be my light
◇ontario: go swim with the fishes
◇emric: dark side? no thanks

Betrayals and backstabbing abound in Savage Bred, the thrilling conclusion to the Royal Rose Chronicles. Every character has an agenda...and a cutlass to ensure they get their way.

Content:
Violence
Arabella is emotionally abusive to her children
Romance (kissing)

Ages 14+

[Noah Litle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epic conclusion of the series. I enjoyed this book a lot. Read the whole thing in about two sittings. My only critique is that the ending seemed to drag on for too long, but I might feel differently if I hadn't waited so long to finish the series. In any case, I did stick around for it, and it was worth it.

As always, I appreciate the reality infused in these fantasy books. The world may not be real, but the characters feel like they could be. I'm looking forward to reading more by Victoria. I really love the way these books reflect reality without doing any disservice to the fantasy worldbuilding.

Also, I was kind of hoping Ontario would get a happier ending. Oh, well. The poetic justice was a better ending for him than I expected, so I can't complain.

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A SIMPLE CONCLUSION.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

With how short this book was I am almost leaning towards it working better if it had been a duology. I enjoyed it, but just needed more.

I do like these characters and it’s a great TRUE young adult series and that’s always a big bonus. The romance is sweet and I wish they had some more page time together as they fought their way back to each other. I am intrigued by how some of the story lines felt a little open and if there’s some kind of spin off coming?

It’s a quick audio book (7 hours) and if you’ve been enjoying the series so far I think you’ll like this conclusion too. This wasn’t initially on my radar and I am happy that I picked them up! Another solid seafaring adventure read.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, weapons violence, near death experiences

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not my personal favorite of all time, this series was overall pretty enjoyable. I really hate to give away any spoilers since this is the final book in the trilogy, but I thought it was a fun read. It went directions I didn’t expect and ended in a satisfying place for all the characters I liked. I did feel the shortness a little bit (it’s the shortest of the trilogy) and it felt like certain characters still have potential for future stories, however it still wrapped things up well. Definitely recommended for readers who enjoy pirates.

Content Advisory:

If you were okay with the content in the first two books, then this book is on the same level of intensity in all areas of content. Once again, I would say that if you are okay with watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, then you'll be okay with this series. The romance goes no further than kissing (and that is barely described.) There are still mentions of prophecies (still no specifically Christian content, but you can tell it was written by a Christian as it is a much more positive read than secular teen books), and still some violence, but I personally thought the violence was a little less intense in this book. There’s also more grappling with the morality of the pirate life and those who make better moral choices end up in a more positive place in life by the end of the book (not without struggles, but it’s made clear that their choices were the right ones) than those who decide to continue to be selfish and harm others.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

Clean YA Fantasy

“It’s dangerous to be a pirate”🏴‍☠️

Savage Bred was a good conclusion to this pirate adventure series. It was a quick read and provided me with the closure I was looking for. I did miss a few characters being together for most of this book, but the other characters picked up the slack. Overall, this was a fun book for those looking for a clean pirate adventure with a touch of romance, and found family. Would recommend.

[Crystal Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The danger is real in this story and it’s hard to know who can be trusted! Lots of suspense and plot twists in this smash-buckling adbpventure! A great conclusion to the trilogy.

[Anna Barroso · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Savage Bred” by Victoria McCombs (@victoria_mccombs)
5⭐
(The third book in the Royal Rose Chronicles)

Genre: Christian fantasy
Format: eARC
Cleanliness: 5⭐️

𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
I absolutely couldn’t have asked for a better resolution to this story. I think it’s my favorite in the trilogy, now. There were so many intense scenes that left you on the edge of your seat, and because it’s has mulipti-POV, it was the perfect kind of aggravating. Also, so many swoony moments. The ending is just *chef’s kiss*. I loved seeing the character growth for Arn the most in this book. I cannot stop thinking about it. And I cannot wait to get my hands on my physical copy, because you KNOW I already pre-ordered that.

If you’ve been interested in diving into this series, now’s your time! Savage Bred releases August 24.

Ps – this book was gifted to me by the author and publisher, but this review is entirely honest and my own opinion.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5 stars)

If you’re in the mood for a pirate book that doesn’t have smut or tons of graphic violence, I’d recommend this YA fantasy trilogy. McCombs’s characters are well-written and dimensional. As much as I did enjoy both of the MCs and their POVs, there were several secondary characters who were just as interesting.

Being a pirate book, there’s plenty of high-seas adventure, sword fighting, betrayal and treachery, and more!

And the ending. It’s perfect!

I would recommend this series to older teens (maybe 15+) and adults who enjoy The Pirates of the Caribbean and are looking for another enjoyable pirate story.

Possible concerns: quite a bit of kissing (nothing too steamy though), ale is drunk in celebration, quite a bit of violence/fighting with some injuries described.

[Paige Knowlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many series, the first book is strong and the subsequent ones falter. In others, the level of success remains stagnant throughout the series, whether that is at a low or high level. In the case of The Royal Rose Chronicles, the story got better with each book.

The first book was my least favorite of the three. It felt a little crowded with how many different adventures took place in such a short time. It was also a lot heavier and darker than I was expecting, and it still feels significantly heavier than the second and third book were, which is not typically the case. I believe it felt this way because McCombs was still gaining an understanding of writing a pirate tale, and as such focused more on the concept of pirate life than the plot, though it was definitely still there throughout.

The plot is much more streamlined in the second and third books, with good call-backs and build-ups on the ideas introduced in the first book. I felt more engaged in the goals of these subsequent books and excited by the adventures taken to complete them. The conclusion wrapped everything up well, though I wish the "emerald stars" concept had been brought into the story earlier on and made a little more impactful, since it was so prevalent in the third book.

[Victoria McCombs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author!
This is the third and final book in the series, and shortest of the three. It's relentless, it's twisty, and it's full of broken deals and new alliances. Just as in the previous books, we will see a few betrayals, and I'd love to know if you correctly guessed who is good and who is bad by the end of it!
It's coming to you August 2023, and I hope you enjoy! Be on the lookout for two pre-order incentives in the form of gorgeous art prints.

[Lizzy Hite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good series conclusion—kept me invested and flipping pages all the way through. Definitely recommend this series!

[Aprilslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

“By now, I knew hope could be a powerful thing, but it could also be a dangerous thing.”

WHAT A STUNNING CONCLUSION TO THIS TRILOGY. I just love everything about The Royal Rose and Emme and Arn. I can’t really say anything about this story because it will spoil everything in the other two books, but oh.. my… goodness. This perfect ending to this story. I loved it so much Please go read Oathbound and Silver Bounty.

Perfect for people who love stories with:
-Adventure
-Pirates
-Family Relationships

[The Book Bunch (Sam) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

A great way to finish off a stella series but it did feel a little rushed and easy compared to the first two

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part of the book was definitely the Arn and Emme story line. Their love story that was built through all three books was great! I didn’t like how other “ships” ended up in this book however. I loved how the series had such a complicated plot that you never knew what would happen next. And that the book had mostly morally grey characters so you never knew what choices they would make. However, since so much had to be resolved and there was so much going on, I feel like the ending wasn’t mind blowing or anything. The ending was more that everything fizzled than having an epic explosion. This book was honestly my least favorite of the series for that reason. Maybe we just needed one more book? Don’t get me wrong, I still think that the author has great writing and it was an exciting pirate tale with super lovable characters! And the narrator did a great job! So I was never bored while listening.

SPOILERS and book notes:
A communication pod. That’s cool magic. You can transmit your image when you both have the coin. Reminds me of Star Wars ha. Love that ems goal is to sail with raven saving kids and giving them a better life. There are so many characters and ships and plot lines how in the world is this going to wrap up at the end of this book?? I like that through forced proximity and shared captivity and trials Landon and Arn are like brothers again. They forgave each other after so much betrayal and hurt. I mean Landon cut off his hand and betrayed him to pirates! And Arn killed his love!!! Wow forgiveness is powerful. So many morally grey pirates. Finally the reunion of Arn and Emme!!!! They finally admitted that they love each other more than anything! And when they noticed each other from a distance??? Heck yes. the marriage proposal and that they are co captains on the bleeding rose helping kids! I love their hea. But I feel like Emrick and raven had a bittersweet ending. Don’t even mention that I totally shipped him and coral 100% more. I am so mad. Though I do love raven. And then I feel bad for our homeboy Ontario that just lost his way. I feel like he isn’t a horrible person. He just needs to be humbled!! Only satisfying thing was literally Arn and Emme.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Savage Bred picks up a little bit after the ending of Silver Bounty, and things are changing for the crew of the Royal Rose.

I rarely find negative character arcs in the main characters, but McCombs did a nice job with Ontario's negative arc. The progression flowed naturally throughout Savage Bred and was established in the previous two novels. McCombs wrote all of the various characters relationships and arc conclusions well.

Personally, two things created "bumps" in the plot for me. The technology subplot that Ontario gets involved in was a little random at first to me. There didn't seem to be any foreshadowing in any of the other books for it. While the technology was needed in the plot, I think that the items might have worked better as magical items instead, since that was already established in the story world.

Secondly, Calypso's orphan ship felt a little off-kilter as well. While it was a sweet element to Calypso's character, I had some questions about how the children were able to manage the ship and survive while she was gone. That information might have been clumsy to work into the story, but I think it would have grounded that element more. The romance between her and Emeric also felt a little weird after Emeric and Coral being together in the first two books.

Despite the few bumps in my reading experience, Savage Bred was an enjoyable read and conclusion to The Royal Rose Chronicles.

Cautions: semi-graphic moderate/heavy violence; moderate romance; several kisses *

*it's been a little bit since I finished Savage Bred, so I might have forgotten a caution


Thoughts on the Series:

The Royal Rose Chronicles is a fun YA fantasy pirate adventure. The unreliable narrators create plenty of twists and turns. I found a few world-building elements to be bumps along the way, but the books were still enjoyable. Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean will very likely enjoy the trilogy. I would rate the series 3.5-4 stars overall.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emme and Emric’s mother, the dreaded pirate Arabella is coming for them. But they want nothing to do with her. She isn’t making things easy, though, blackmailing harbor towns to not sell them supplies unless they agree to wait for her. Meanwhile, Emme is still hoping to find Arne, the young man who captured her heart and was swept off to another ship. There’s also the matter of a prophecy which Ontario is overly obsessed with, and a princess in hiding whose people need her.

I don’t know exactly why, but none of the books in this series really enthralled me. I think it was the characters, I never really connected with any of the main characters and didn’t really care what was happening to them. Sorry Emme and Arne. That isn’t a testament to McCombs’ writing. I have some students who are die hard fans, and are demanding I put this on the shelf ASAP. So the writing grips the right reader, I just am not the right reader. I’m grateful for the audiobook that really helped me push through and finish the series. I do appreciate the effort Emme and Emric are making to leave a legacy drastically different from their mother’s bloody pirate trail, and trying to make a positive difference in the world. It is a good book to highlight that family doesn’t doom you to follow down the same path or make the same mistakes.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a couple kisses.
Violence: There are some swashbuckling, high seas battles which result in injuries and fatalities. The bad guys can be brutal and merciless.
Ethnic diversity: Made up kingdoms. I think there were some brief mentions that some characters had darker skin but I couldn’t tell you which ones. (I know Emme is blonde.)
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Emme and Emric have serious controlling mommy issues.

[Kristi W - Book Love By Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

*They had Arn. They could be the most dangerous men in the world, and I’d still run toward their ship! Just to find him.*

This is book three in The Royal Rose Chronicles. It’s the continuing story of the pirates of the Royal Rose packed with danger, treachery, and unexpected twists. This is a fantastic conclusion to an epic high-seas adventure!

The crew is scattered and trying to get back. Everyone seems to have their own agenda and is determined to see it through. Emme has come into her own. She is willing to do anything to guarantee the safety of Emeric and Arn. Her determination to find Arn is strong. Arn does what he has to in order to survive and never stops trying to get back to Emme. His devotion to her is unwavering. Arn’s growth and desire to change was incredible. Emme and Arn finally get their happily ever after. Emeric faced treachery and the unknown with his normal sunshine. He finally sees himself as who he wants to be not who he was raised to be. I was so glad to see his happily ever after. Ontario remains his same pirate-self. He is just trying to find his place and to prove who he is but only proves that he is his father’s son.

A few more quotes:
“People aren’t usually given what they want. Nor are they given what they can handle. They are simply given, and it’s up to them what they make of it.”

“I have looked everywhere for you,” she whispered. “I’ve been trying to get to you every day,” I whispered back. “I never stopped trying to get back to you.” “Do you love me?” she asked. “I love you more than I love anything in the world.”

Note: In true pirate fashion there is a little sword violence.

[K G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series just went downhill for me.
Not to say book 3 wasn't good! It was fine. I liked it.
The thing that was so great about the first one was the off-the-wall fantasy vibes it delivered. It was crazy, and I loved it.
For book 2, I figured my issue was just a second-book slump. It was good, just not great.
But this one lost the momentum of book 1 entirely. it felt like it belonged to a different series, the vibe was so different. it opened too many doors and closed them all too quickly, to the point where 20 pages from the end I was wondering if there was going to be a book 4.
I'm not saying don't read it. Please do! Book one is fantastic and I recommend the series on the strength of book 1 alone. This one just didn't cut it for me, and that's okay.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Bred was an excellent conclusion to The Royal Rose Chronicles and my favorite of the series. There were a lot of different perspectives, but it was easy to switch between them, they all had something going on to hold your interest, and you could understand the motivation of all of the players and how they fit with everyone else. The story was fast paced, keeping you interested throughout. Everyone gets their own unique ending which we get to see from all of their perspectives which was fun. There was still a lot of pirate life, fantastical encounters, and plots within plots to keep the world vivid. Savage Bred was a great way to finish this swashbuckling series.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third and final book in the Royal Rose series was a great way to see the love story of Emme and Arn and their future. This fast paced story is sure to take you by surprise with unexpected events and deals made. I can see spin offs from this series because there are some slippery scallywags whose stories are not yet finished.

If you enjoy pirate tales with some romance, consider reading this series. I thought it was exciting and interesting. However, you will want to start with the first book since this is a trilogy. I'd recommend this for young adults and older due to murder and mayhem that you'd expect from pirate tales.

[❀♡Kelsey♡❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♡⚓︎⛵︎I absolutely LOVED this series!! So amazing!♡⚓︎⛵︎
~
Also wanted to note: This is the first series published by Enclave that I've ever read. I believe they are a Christian publishing company, but this series is not Christian. The characters in this series pray to a different god than Jesus/Yahweh. I do not see it as allegory. They pray to a false god.
In my opinion, this is a secular book series. Just wanted to put this info out there for anyone wondering. I also want to mention there is ZERO smut in this series (which I appreciate greatly)!
In closing, this book series is fun and entertaining! I absolutely loved it! But don't go in expecting a Christian story, because it is not. ♡

[Jeanine Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Bred, final book in the Royal Rose Chronicles has arrived and I couldn’t be happier. This book was the perfect conclusion for Emme and Arn! I loved getting back to the sea and following their with quests to find each other again. They deserve all the happiness!

Even though this is the final book I feel like there is so much potential for more. I truly hope to see some spin-off books for these characters, Ontario, Landon, Emric, Coral and dare I say Arabella the Ruthless, too. I would also love a bonus epilogue someday for Emme and Arn. I just can’t get enough of those two!

This a clean, YA fantasy with romance on the high seas, full of adventure, betrayal, and friendship. Great read for teens and adults alike.

[Lyndsey Lewellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular ending to the series!

I loved Arn. I loved Emme. And their romance was chef's kiss! The rest of the cast were so three dimensional you could reach out and touch them. Conflict filled every page. I had no idea how the MC's were going to get out of one scrape after the next. The pirate fantasy world building will blow you away. It had mermaids, swashbuckling, sea monsters, treasure, and everything I wanted after reading the initial blurb. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, or Cutthroat Island, DO NOT MISS this series. Well done!

[Mychaela Bardakjy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent ending to this trilogy, some wonderful surprises and twists, but ultimately, it ended how I hoped it would. My only complaint is I wanted MORE of it! I feel like some of the endings were left open ended enough to save room for more tales down the road. I wish there had been an epilogue or maybe a few extra chapters, but ultimately, I am pleased with the ending and how the book fleshed everything out.

[Alix Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I overall really enjoyed the trilogy and the fun pirate adventure. It's a fun YA fiction that I would feel comfortable letting my future teenage daughter. Has romance, betrayal, selfishness and selflessness, things that you'd expect to find in an adventure pirate novel, without being too over the top.

[Alyssa Korsmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so sad about this series. I just glad to be done with it and I hate that. It had so much potential and I will try and read it again at some point but it was just not great. Things seemed all over the place and not all that cohesive. I loved the characters and it may have just been this season that I’m in but overall a little sad with it.

[Greta Kimel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the Royal Rose Chronicles trilogy, and wow, it was so good! The characters are so multidimensional, there’s so much action, and the themes are really meaningful. If you like a good pirate story with lots of twists and turns and endearing and realistic characters, check out this series (Oathbound, Silver Bounty, and Savage Bred).

[Lyndsey Ruhland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this whole series. It gave pirates, complex family dynamics, multiple characters journeys, the villains getting either their due comeuppance and or redemption. There is also definitely the conversation of people not necessarily being good or bad just working through motivations. It might be YA but at them same time the HEA was sweet and not graphic, which I need sometimes.