A compelling tale with well-drawn characters and beautifully executed LGBTQ+ romance.
In McPherson’s fantasy novel, a prince becomes the unwilling heir to his kingdom’s throne and discovers rampant corruption.
As the second son of King Fortin, 25-year-old Prince Beauregard Highput was never supposed to inherit the throne of Granvallée.But ever since his older brother, Charmant, died after falling from his horse four months ago, the spare has become the heir. Instead of living his own life in the isles, as he’d been doing for the last seven years, Beau is on an accelerated course of training and education to prepare for his impending ascent, as his father is in poor health. To make matters worse, Beau must quickly get married to an eligible woman who will be able to rule beside him and produce an heir. The best option is Lady Victoire Penamour, his late brother’s fiancée; however, she hates him, as she thinks he murdered his brother for the throne. Beau has no desire to rule, but if he abdicates, a civil war may break out among power-hungry nobles trying to seize the crown. He accepts the responsibility, but he must overcome other demons, including his grief over his brother, the trauma of a near-death experience, and a history of alcoholism and self-harm. Also, he’s in love with his best friend and personal guard, Elias Batesian, and harbors a growing attraction to Lady Penamour. Meanwhile, there’s corruption afoot and danger around every corner. In her debut fantasy novel, McPherson delivers a thrilling and emotional story with remarkable worldbuilding. Readers will instantly connect with the genuinely kind but snarky Beau, as he remains true to himself and his morals, and loyal to the people he cares about. Elias and Lady Penamour are also intriguing and well-developed characters. The romantic buildup between Beau and Elias, and between Beau and Lady Penamour, is engaging and ultimately satisfying. The novel also offers strikingly sensitive and authentic representations of queer and trans characters, as well as polyamory. Family strife, intense battle scenes, and magic add interest to the palace intrigue.
A compelling tale with well-drawn characters and beautifully executed LGBTQ+ romance.Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9798992254310
Page Count: 382
Publisher: Metaltail Press
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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