WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his land is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that their royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his kingdom flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how this blaze began.
PRINCESS. With enemies advancing on Astranza, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?
ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.
Warrior Princess Assassin is the first installment in author Brigid Kemmerer's Braided Fate trilogy. This is the author's first attempt at adult romantic fantasy. The story revolves around 3 key characters:
King Maddox Kyronan of Incendrian, Astranza Princess Majoriana, aka Jory, and Asher, a member of the Hunters Guild who has been Jory's best friend most of their lives. King Maddox Kyronan, a fire-wielding warrior king of Incendar, is desperate to save his drought-stricken kingdom from ruin.
His solution lies in a marriage alliance with Princess Jory of Astranza, whose royal family is rumored to possess weather-manipulating magic that could restore his lands. However, Ky harbors a dangerous secret about the origins of his kingdom’s blaze, adding layers of tension to his mission. Jory, meanwhile, is trapped by her brother Prince Dane’s political machinations, forced into an engagement she doesn’t want while hiding the truth that her family’s magic is fading, threatening Astranza’s stability. Enter Asher, Jory’s childhood friend turned assassin, who now works for the Hunter’s Guild.
When tasked with killing both Ky and Jory, Asher faces an impossible choice between his duty to the Guild and his lingering feelings for Jory—and, unexpectedly, a growing attraction to Ky. The story unfolds over a matter of days, with the trio navigating assassination attempts, treacherous travel, and their own conflicting emotions. As they flee danger together, their relationships evolve from distrust to tentative alliance. Ky is a standout—a warrior king whose fearsome reputation belies a compassionate, sharp-witted nature that makes him both commanding and relatable.
Jory’s journey from a sheltered, naive princess to someone grappling with her kingdom’s secrets is compelling, though her initial naivety can occasionally frustrate. Asher, with his traumatic past (including time spent in a brothel after being exiled), brings emotional depth and moral ambiguity, making his choices the emotional core of the story. The plot, while light on action in the middle, is driven by secrets and mistrust, particularly around the mysterious Draegonis and the origins of Incendar’s fires.
The political machinations, especially Prince Dane’s sinister control over Jory, provide a strong foundation for the trilogy’s larger conflicts. If you are into polyamorous dynamics in a love triangle, this story is for you. If not, perhaps it would be best served to pass on it, and read something else. That is what I have decided to do.
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