#Review - The King's Sword by Jennifer Anne Davis #YA #Fantasy #Romance

Series: League of Rulers # 2
Format: Kindle, 280 pages
Release Date: April 18, 2024
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Historical / Fantasy

From the moment Sabine set out for Lynk, her only thought was to find her sister’s killer. The answer comes with a terrifying discovery that puts her life on the line. Forced to trust her kidnapper in order to stay alive, Sabine embarks on a journey of harsh truths. Nothing is as it seems back in the palace among the clouds—especially the man she married.

On the run, Sabine and her unlikely ally seek refuge in Avoni—the kingdom known for its warring assassin guilds. The farther they go, the more hazardous their journey becomes as new enemies emerge. When unwanted feelings start to develop and secrets are uncovered, Sabine realizes there is no one she can trust but herself.

As Rainer’s wife, Sabine is nothing more than a pawn in a deadly political game that is decades in the making. When Rainer makes his next move, hinting at war, Sabine is ready with a countermove—and little does Rainer know, the pawn has become the queen, and she has no intention of losing with the stakes this high.

Jennifer Anne Davis' The King's Sword is the second installment in the authors League of Rulers series. This story begins right where the first installment left off. Sabine, the new Queen of Lynx, has been kidnapped by an Aroni assassin named Evander. Evander hoped to stop the wedding between Sabine and Rainer Manfred, the King of Lynx, from taking place because the League, which did not give their permission, knew that there would be no stopping Rainer from invading other countries. 

From the moment Sabine set out for Lynk, her only thought was to find her sister Alina’s killer which she has done. But was it really an Avoni assassin, or was a member of Rainer's family involved? The more time she spends in Lynk, the more confusing her emotions are for Rainer. Sabine knows that there are those eager to get rid of Rainer if he is not able to produce a heir by the time he turns 25. Even though she has some idea what happened to Alina, she has been forced to face threats to her own life. 

Forced to trust Evander to stay alive from the numerous assassins looking to cash in on a huge bounty on her head, Sabine embarks on a journey of harsh truths. Sabine and Evander, an assassin, a pirate, and a prince, seek refuge in Avoni—the kingdom known for its warring assassin guilds. Yet, Avoni is not happy with Sabine's appearance. Her presence is nothing more than a tease for enemies to find her. The farther they go, the more hazardous their journey becomes as new enemies emerge. 

When unwanted feelings start to develop between Sabine and Evander, and secrets are uncovered, Sabine realizes there is no one she can trust but herself. As Rainer’s wife, Sabine is nothing more than a pawn in a deadly political game that is decades in the making. When Rainer makes his next move, hinting at war, Sabine is ready with a countermove—and little does Rainer know, the pawn has become the queen, and she has no intention of losing with the stakes this high.

*Thoughts* I have read many books from this author. It seems as though the author loves to twist readers' emotions by leaving gasping cliffhanger endings, and hope that you are too emotionally involved in the story for you to just walk away. I have no intention of not finishing this series. Evander is an interesting character. He's literally a jack of all trades and good at them all. He is expected to marry Rainer's sister Lottie, but she's proven she can't be trusted. Time and time again, Evander seems more alive, and worthy of Sabine's feelings than anything that Rainer has ever done for her. As Sabine is forced to deal with her new reality, it seems as though she is on a collision course with not only Rainer but her family and the League of Rulers as well.  

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#Review - The Queen's Crown by Jennifer Anne Davis #YA #Fantasy

Series: League of Rulers # 1
Format: Kindle, 303 pages
Release Date: October 19, 2023
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Princess Sabine Ludwig of Backley thought her biggest problem was finding a man remotely interesting to dabble with while trying to fill her days with something other than knitting or drinking tea. But when her dear sister is brutally murdered in a foreign kingdom a week before she’s to be married, Sabine suddenly wishes for boring, ordinary days again.

Seeking retribution, Sabine decides to take her sister’s place and marry the mysterious king of Lynk. It’s the only way she can hunt down and find the killer. It’s the only way she can get revenge. When she finds the king far more appealing than she’d intended, it becomes difficult to keep her wits about her and remember why she’s there.

Thrown into a world of lies, power struggles, and seduction, Sabine must learn to navigate through the foreign kingdom’s dangerous court as she seeks her sister’s killer. The closer she gets to discovering who it is, the more she questions who she can trust—including herself.

 

The Queen's Crown, by Jennifer Anne Davis, is the first installment in the authors League of Rulers series. 18-year-old Princess Sabine Ludwig is the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Bakley. Sabine thought her biggest problem was finding a man remotely interesting to dabble with while trying to fill her days with something other than knitting or drinking tea. Then the unspeakable happens. Alina, who was supposed to marry another, accepted a marriage bone with the King of Lynk.

But when Alina is murdered a week before she’s to be married, Sabine suddenly wishes for boring, ordinary days again. Instead, she is fast tracked into learning everything there is to know about Lynk and the King that will be her husband and King after she steps up for Alina and accepts the marriage contract. She also learns how to protect herself as well as the most dangerous poisons. Things don't exactly go as planned. Before she arrives, she is attacked, and nearly killed. 

She arrives with her protector Lieutenant Markis Belle, who is ordered home, but refuses since Sabine's life is once again on the line, and any small mistake will likely end in tragedy. Thrown into a world of lies, power struggles, and seduction, and three siblings who have their own agendas and secrets, Sabine must learn to navigate through the foreign kingdom’s dangerous court as she seeks her sister’s killer. The closer she gets to discovering who it is, the more she questions who she can trust—including herself.

*Thoughts* First, yes, the book ends on a brutal cliffhanger ending. Unfortunately, the author kind of mentions the League of Rulers, and may include several characters who we do meet, and it seems this group has way too much power over the actions of the various countries who are always at each others throats. Rainer, the ruling King of Lynk, and his family are an interesting bunch. Sabine turns from a reckless teenager who is looking for fun, to someone forced to grow up in a hurry. When she has to face death at every turn, that's pretty easy to do, especially when you have a loyal bodyguard like Markis.

Rainer seems to honestly be trying to keep things together, including finding out who murdered Sabine who he apparently became close to. He knows that he is on a deadline to either marry, or abandon the throne. The brothers Axel and Anton are either part of the League, or have answers that Sabine needs to survive. Then there is the sister Lottie who I never trusted from the moment she was introduced. This story left me with a lot of unanswered questions, especially with all of the games and power play moves that are happening within the ruling family of Lynk. Will I continue? Of course!

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#Review - Hidden Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Knights of the Realm # 3
Format: Kindle, 306 pages
Release Date: March 10, 2020
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Amazon
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

With Prince Henrick dead, a foreign army in league with the king, and the palace taken, Reid must find a way to right the wrongs for the people of Marsden.

Reid never expected to find love, friendship, or her mother in the kingdom of Axian. She also never expected to become a leader for her people. With the king threatening to overthrow the dukes and take complete control of the kingdom, Reid realizes she may be the only one in a position to stop him. With the ring her father gave her, the commanders of the army at her side, and a master schemer in league with her, Reid just might be able to pull off the greatest upset in Marsden history—all she has to do in step into the role she was born for.

To protect her kingdom, Reid must outsmart them all. Luckily, she’s spent the last eighteen year learning the art of manipulation, and she isn’t above putting those skills to the test.

Hidden Knights is the third and final installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis's Knights of the Realm trilogy. Lady and Knight of the Realm, Reid Ellington, has found herself in a political quandary that she never expected when she agreed to marry Dexter Winston. King Eldon, who tried to kill her friend Ackley, has taken over, forcing Reid and her allies to flee to Ellington. After years of believing that her mother died during childbirth, secrets have surfaced that make that story not believable. 

Reid, who never wanted to become Queen, found a home in Axian where women have more freedoms than her home in Marsden. Women like Gytha who has become her friend. In Marsden, her people have dealt with rampant poverty and poor living conditions for decades. With hundreds of Melenia soldiers in Axian, Reid, with her father's ring that gives her authority to pull all the Dukes and Duchesses to her side. But with most of the Dukes arrested by Eldon, it will be up to the women to decide the fate of both countries. 

All the while, a certain leader of the Knights seems to have her own agenda, and if Reid isn't paying attention, she will lose everyone she loves from Dexter, to Ackley, to even Gordon, and Colbert who all seem to have twinkles in their eyes when it comes to Reid. Reid has come a long way. She started the series pretending to be a man. Unsure of herself, she has to hold back so much of herself so that she doesn't slip up and reveal the big secret. She comes into her own in Hidden Knights both in her physical and intellectual capabilities as well as finally being able to open herself up with others she's come to care about.

Dexter and Reid's relationship is one of enemies to lovers. He caught Reid spying on his family. He was very reluctant to connect with Reid, but he realized that a partnership between them might be beneficial for the kingdom and slowly agreed to work with her instead of against her for a common goal. The two began to care about each other and that continued to grow. Dexter's ability to lead was obvious. He when to trust those closest to him, how to delegate, and how to take action himself.

Hidden Knights is a good ending to the series but if you like Ackley, you might want to look for his duology that released soon after the ending of this series.

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#Review - Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis #YA #Fantasy

Series: Knights of the Realm # 2
Format: Kindle, 302 pages
Release Date: December 10, 2019
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Amazon
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

As a member of the Knights of the Realm, Reid swore an oath to protect her king only to discover he harbors a traitorous agenda. Being a woman raised in a man’s world, Reid thought becoming a Knight would give her purpose and strength. So far, it has done nothing but give her trouble. The king ordered her to spy on the Axian royal family while she prepares for her marriage—a marriage neither she nor Price Dexter wants. Once in Axian, Reid realizes she’s being used as a pawn in a decades-old political match. With the king and Knights seemingly at odds, Reid’s allegiances are torn, especially when she finds friendship in the unlikeliest of places.

As the kingdom of Marsden teeters on the brink of civil war, Reid must decide whose side she’s on—even if that means betraying her king in order to save the kingdom.

Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis is the second installment in the authors Knights of the Realm series. Since it has been a minute since I read the first installment, I'll do a bit of a summary. Reid Ellington was raised a boy by her father. Duke Ellington has 4 other daughters so Reid went unnoticed. After 18 years of pretending and passing as a boy, Reid became noticed by Knights of the Realm. As a female who was trained in combat, the young princes Gordon and Ackley, believed her to be the perfect person to spy on the neighboring nation since she can "pass" as both male and female.  

Ackley claims that his Uncle Henrick, who rules over Axian, is after the Marsden crown which his brother Eldon currently holds. After passing several challenges put forth for Reid to join the exclusive Realm of Knights, she finds yet more trouble. King Eldon, not knowing that Reid is a member of Ackley's Realm of Knights, is sent to Axian to steal something that is supposed to hold a life changing secret. Reid finds that Axian is a place where she should be living. In Axian, Reid meets the so called enemies who are not what they seem, especially Henrik and Princess Nara. Axian isn't a country preparing for war. Axian is a country that appears to be thriving. In fact, almost all of the family seems rather friendly to Reid except for one.

Flash forward a bit, Reid has been offered up by her father to be married to Prince Dexter who she met while spying on his family. Dexter is a bit cold to Reid for most of the first part of the story until Reid starts getting closer to Prince Gordon, and learns that King Eldon might be rattling swords to take over Axian. Even though Reid has been sworn to protect Marsden, Axian is now in her veins and she can't just sit by idly and allow it to be taken without a fight. Reid, Gordon, Dexter, and Ackley find some common ground as well as learning that Dexter belongs to a similar group to the Knights.

Reid has to face the fact that not only did her king trade her off to another kingdom so she may function as a spy, her father even approved of it after naming Reid is heir. Her duty as a knight and her impending marriage to stop a possible war between the Northern Marsden and Southern Marsden is hanging heavily on her shoulders. Trying to make the best of her predicament, she takes blow after blow from Dexter while being once again faced with the fact that her new kingdom is far more preferable to the dictated hell-hole she came from.  

The last part of this story was pretty abrupt and the story ends on a cliffhanger as well as a shocking death of a secondary character and the unknown fate of others including Princess Nara and Captain Gytha who had an unusual relationship with Reid right from the moment they met. The ending also gives us a brief look into the person in charge of the Knights, Anna, who is filled with surprises that you will have to read to find out. 

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#Review - Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis #YA #Fantasy

Series: Knights of the Realm #1
Format: Ebook, 270 pages
Release Date: September 10th 2019
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Reid has spent her whole life pretending to be a man so she can inherit her father’s estate, but when a chance encounter threatens to expose her lie, she is forced to risk everything.

In the kingdom of Marsden, women are subservient to men and land can only pass from father to son. So when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.

Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within the army known as the Knights of the Realm. If Reid wants to save her family from being arrested for treason and robbed of their inheritance, she will have to join the Knights and become a weapon for the crown.

To protect her family, Reid must fight like a man. To do that, she’ll need the courage of a woman. 

 

Realm of Knights is the first installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis' Knights of the Realm series. 18-year old Reid Ellington lives in the land of Marsden where women have no rights, nor can they inherit land from their fathers. They are basically cannon fodder for political reasons. Reid is the youngest daughter of 5 who has to play the part of a man until one of her married sisters has a son. Reid has spent 18 years hiding the fact that she was born female so that Duke Ellington's land stays in the family. 

In Marsden, lying about your identity is punishable by death. What's worse is that Reid is getting to that age where it’s obvious that she is not a boy, even by those who grew up with her. Trouble soon arrives in the form of Prince Gordon and Prince Ackley who demand that the Duke provide them with 500 soldiers to protect the border from incursions. They realize almost immediately that Reid is a girl, but instead of exposing her and charging her father with treason, they ask her to serve the realm and in doing so, she can earn a pardon for her father for lying to the king. 

As a female who was trained in combat, the young princes believe her to be the perfect person to spy on the neighboring nation since she can "pass" as both male and female. Reid, in trying to do what's right and prove herself the pardon for her father, ends up involved in a family squabble. Ackley claims that his Uncle Henrick, who rules over Axian, is after the Marsden crown which his brother Eldon currently holds. After passing several challenges put forth for Reid to join the exclusive Realm of Knights, she finds yet more trouble. King Eldon, not knowing that Reid is a member of Ackley's Realm of Knights, is sent to Axian to steal something that is supposed to hold a life changing secret. 

Thanks in part to Princess Idina and some blackmail, comes out in public as Lady Reid Ellington. She gets to experience what life as a woman in Marsden and Axian really means. Reid finds that Axian is a place where she should be living, not Marsden where women have no rights and no freedoms. In Axian, Reid meets the so called enemies who are not what they seem. Axian isn't a country preparing for war. Axian is a country that appears to be thriving. In fact, almost all of the family seems rather friendly to Reid except for one. Are they for real? Or, are they playing a game Reid as a pawn in a deadly game? 

I liked Reid just fine. I would have liked the author to show more of her skills as someone who was trained in combat, but it's early in the series, right? I totally blame her situation on the fact that her father refused to remarry after his wife died thus leaving Reid to shoulder all the responsibility of being her fathers heir. In reality, I do believe that he loves his daughter unconditionally as is shown later in the story. There's so many things that need to be uncovered. 

I would have liked a wee bit more world building in order to suss out this world. Is Ackley really who he pretends to be, and not just another hurdle for Reid to jump over?  The question really is, who is the true antagonist, and who is not what they seem? If Ackley actually cared about Reid as he claims, why then stand silent when she is ordered to do the King's bidding? Not sure if I am all in on the suspected romance between Reid and Gordon.

However, yes, I will continue with this series since I trust this author and the stories that she writes. I loved her Reign of Secrets series, but need to finish reading the final (2) installments in the series. 

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#Review - Cage of Destiny by Jennifer Anne Davis #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Reign of Secrets # 3
Format: E-Book, 406 pages
Release Date: August 21, 2017
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Destined from birth to be the next empress of Emperion, Allyssa grew up at court weighed down by the expectations of the crown. Kingdom and duty always came first.

Until now.

Having survived the brutal kingdom of Russek, she is given the choice to walk away and live a peaceful, quiet life. But it also means giving up everything she knows and everyone she loves. Before she decides, word reaches her about an assassination attempt. Donning her secret persona—that of a vigilante—she sets out to eliminate her enemy once and for all.

As Allyssa fights the demons of her past to save her future, she realizes she never had a choice. She can either embrace her destiny or be caged by it.

 

"It was about not being caged by her fears but rather embracing them and facing her destiny."

Cage of Destiny is the third installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis's Reign of Secrets series. Allyssa has finally made it home after some really awful things she experienced while she was captive in Russek. Thankfully for Allyssa, she has some pretty loving and understanding parents in Rema and Darnik who refuse to rush her back into the life she had before she was kidnapped and taken from her home. If you've read the first two books, I don't have to summarize for you.

If you haven't, here's a spoiler free summary of where we are when the story starts. At the end of Cage of Darkness, Allyssa's heart was shattered by her former betrothed who put his Kingdom ahead of his love for her. But, that wasn't all. She discovered a shocking secret. A secret that was kept from Allyssa her entire life. With the secret out, Allyssa is given a choice of a lifetime. She can either walk away from her fate and enjoy the rest of her life as she desires, or she can return and take her rightful place as Empress Heir. On top of all that, Kerdan, the crown prince of Russek, proposed a strategic marriage between the two.

With Allyssa's heart being torn in several directions, things are about to get interesting. Especially when Allyssa receives a letter claiming to be from the same man who broke her heart claiming he's going after Allyssa sworn enemy; Queen Jana. Allyssa knows that she can't return to her old life without first ensuring that her old enemy is put in the ground for good. Allyssa has been changed by her experiences. She can't go back to her days of being Lilly, overcoming demons, fixing wrongs, and fighting for a better future for her fellow Emperion's when she is having her own personal issues.

Before I get too far into this review, I really need to discuss the newest addition to the story; Nathenek. Nathenek is not only an assassin who worked for her mother, but also helped keep a massive secret from Allyssa. I loved the relationship between Allyssa and Nathenek. Even though he was part of the whole hiding the truth from Allyssa deal, Nathenek ends up being the most important part of her choices going forward. Choices that will send Allyssa back to Russek for one final confrontation with the Queen who tortured her. 

The next character I loved was Allyssa's own father Darnik, who may be the greatest military commander on the mainland, and the one who will stand tall alongside Allyssa as she plans her revenge on Jana. Darnik may not like the fact that Allyssa's path leads right back to where she escaped, but he isn't going to tie her up, toss her over his horse, and run back to Emperion while Jana is still in charge and still threatening Emperion with war.

But, to me Kerdan, may be the most important ally that Allyssa can have. He's the one who helped orchestrate Allyssa and Odar's escape from Russek. He's the one who offered a marriage to Allyssa that would be beneficial to both country's. He's the one who, like Darnik and Nathenek, stand with Allyssa from beginning to end, and doesn't force Allyssa into making decisions that she doesn't want. He's the one who brings out a different side in Allyssa, a side we haven't seen since we were first introduced to her in Cage of Deceit.

Allyssa really has come a long way since the first book in this series. In the end, her strength, and courage, and moxie, as it were, stood out for me. Once a girl who was against the idea of marriage, especially one forced upon her, she wants to do what is best for her country, even if that's creating a political match. As I finished this installment, I was aware of the fact that this is the end of Allyssa's story arc, and the beginning of a character who I haven't mentioned at all in this review. I dare say I am discombobulated at whether or not I will continue. I would love to go back and read Rema's trilogy first, and then skip forward to this new characters story arc. I want to learn more about Rema, Darnik, and Nathenek, then I can better understand Book # 4's protagonist.

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#Blog Stop/Giveaway/Review - Cage of Darkness by Jennifer Anne Davis #YALit #Fantasy @AuthorJennifer

Series: Reign of Secrets # 2
Format: Kindle, 219 pages
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Source: Blog Tour
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

While traveling to Fren, Allyssa and Odar are hijacked by a ruthless assassin who divulges a stunning secret that changes everything. 

Trying to come to terms with this newfound revelation, Allyssa is taken to Russek and delivered into the hands of a malicious and twisted royal family. She finds herself an unwilling pawn in a risky political game that will either end with her death or the annihilation of her beloved kingdom. Unsure of where the lies end and the truth begins, she must survive the brutal family and escape the fortified castle, all the while coming to grips with her feelings for Odar. 

In a kingdom filled with darkness, Allyssa enters a game where one wrong move means death, secrets hide around each corner, and it will take every ounce of cunning she has to survive. 

Cage of Darkness is the second installment in Jennifer Anne Davis's Reign of Secrets series. Picking up right where Cage of Deceit left off, Allyssa, Princess of Emperion is in a whole lot of trouble. She, along with Odar, Prince of Fren, have been spirited away from Emperion by an assassin who has already left bodies in his wake. The why becomes quickly apparent as is the identity of the assassin. The assassin plans on taking the two to the Kingdom of Russek. The same Kingdom that is currently marching towards a full-out war with Emperion.

Cage of Darkness is not a light novel by any means. Upon arriving in Russek, Allyssa literally finds herself fighting for her life. She is tossed into a cell. Abused (no, not sexually), tortured, and all the while, her supposed paramour, Prince Odar, is no where to be seen having made his own choices without letting Allyssa in on his plans. Allyssa soon finds that everything she has been trained for, all her nights as her secretive alias, are all needed in order to survive the days to come. Allyssa is at the mercy of the Russek monarchy who, simply put, hates everything about Allyssa, and her family and want them all dead. 

In Russek, readers are introduced to King Drenton, Empress Eliza, Princess Shelene, Prince Soma, & Queen Jana whose hatred of Queen Rema of Emperion is legendary. If you think your family has issues, wait until you meet these characters. But, there is also an internal struggle happening which puts Allyssa in the middle of a politically charged situation and in the same corner as the King's own son, Prince Kerdan. Kerdan wasn't exactly my favorite until he was. He turns Allyssa's struggle against the King & Queen, into his own. 

He finds a way to use her to his benefit, while also protecting her from Soma, and Jana who are eager to kill her. And, in the end, I actually liked Kerdan a whole lot better than Odar. My reason? Events that happen after Allyssa and Odar are helped to escape by Kerdan. I won't divulge any more than that. Needless to say, Allyssa is left with a whole lot of options at the end of this book. Where the author takes Allyssa in the next book called Cage of Destiny, is anyone's guess.  

Cage of Darkness gets my 4 star rating because it didn't fall into the sophomoric let down phase that many others have. It keeps a steady pace, has some really intriguing twists, and revelations, and yes because it is dark. I am an absolute fan of dark novels but without all the sexual violence. Davis's ending does leave readers with questions to ponder, but I have no doubt they will be answered in the next installment. I have absolutely let myself down by not reading the True Reign series first. After all, the events of True Reign have led to this point.  

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About Book One:

Sixteen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as the royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.

Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their kingdom and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.

Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.

Grab your copy today!

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Jennifer Anne Davis is the award-winning author of the bestselling TRUE REIGN series. After graduating from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential, she married her high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three highly energetic children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

Website † Facebook † Twitter † Instagram † GoodReads

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#Monday Review - Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: Reign of Secrets # 1
Format: E-Galley, 284 pages
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Jennifer Anne Davis's best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.

Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.

Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.

Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.

Cage of Deceit is the first installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis's Reign of Secrets series. 16-year old protagonist Allyssa is the Crown Princess, & only daughter of Emperor Darmish and Empress Rema of Emperion. By night, her alter-ego "Lily" fights crime alongside her best friend Grevik who not only wants to avenge his father, but also become one of the Guards of the city. As the would be heir of Emperion, she knows that she won't be ascending to the crown until she turns 30. But, Allyssa is also aware that the powerful country of Russek has started bullying its neighbors and has already invaded and conquered Mellenia, leaving a bloody trail not unlike that left behind by Vlad the Impaler. 

As with all things, things must change for the sake of her country's future. Allyssa's life takes a huge twist when it appears that she is a bargaining chip to be used and married off in order to justify an alliance between two countries who have a common enemy. Which means that Allyssa may have to give up her hope for finding love, and instead marry Prince Odar of Fren in order to stop Russek, and save both countries from being torn apart. What's even more infuriating, is that Prince Odar brings along a squire by the name of Jarvik who seems to have pure hatred in his eyes for Allyssa. 

I have chosen to read this series first before diving into the author's True Reign trilogy. I choose to read this book after reading Rise, the author's first book in a new series called Order of Krigers which I really liked. I know that the True Reign series takes place years before this series, but as with all things I do, I sometimes do things ass backwards, and then eventually catch up with the rest of the world. I love fantasy novels. I love characters like Allyssa who are eager to do what they can to help save others. I especially love the fact that she's not a Mary Sue in that he's not afraid to fight first, and ask questions later. I was a bit curious as to why it too so long for Allyssa to flip the lid on her real identity to her so called best friend, but in the end, it was probably for the best as things do get a bit dark, and bloody. 

Can I say how pleased I am with the relationship between Allyssa and her parents? Normally, or shall I say more times than NOT, parents and their children don't exactly get along all that well in Fantasy novels. In this case, they actually seem to genuinely care about what her feelings are about arranged marriages while leaving her desire to find her own love behind for the good of her country. I do hate cliffhanger endings. I also enjoyed Marek who is the head of Allyssa's guard. I'm not exactly happy that this book was released in 2015, yet readers won't get to see what happens next until 2017 when Cage of Darkness releases. Maybe because of her new series?

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#Monday Review - Rise by Jennifer Anne Davis (YA, Fantasy) @AuthorJennifer @Month9Books

Series: The Order of the Krigers # 1
Format: E-Galley, 300 pages
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: YA, Fantasy


The people of Nelebek live in fear of persecution from the evil Morlet, who reigns with a dark and destructive magic. The kingdom’s only hope lies with the Order of the Krigers—twelve warriors with mysterious powers linked to magical weapons.

For over a century, Morlet has been annihilating the Order, picking them off one by one. Eleven Krigers have been hunted down, tortured, and imprisoned in his dungeon. Now, only one remains.

Sixteen-year-old Kaia survives by keeping her head down and minding her own business. But when she finds herself in the middle of a public execution where the mysterious Morlet is in attendance, an odd compulsion she can’t resist comes over her.

Kaia looks into Morlet’s eyes.

Soon, an ancient power awakens and Kaia can no more blend into the scenery. Will she heed the call of the Krigers or will Morlet’s dark magic destroy the last of the Order?

Rise is the first installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis' The Order of the Krigers trilogy. Davis creates a story that is set in a fictional country of Nelebek. Nelebek is ruled by a megalomaniac

King named Morlet who is obsessed with finding and killing all Twelve members of a group known as the Order of the Krigers. The problem is that he needs all Twelve together, but he is missing the Twelfth member who remains elusive to his attempts to capture them. 

16-year old Kaia is the series protagonist. Kaia knows that surviving is the one and only goal of living in Nelebek. Her father, who works as a guard, has trained Kaia to fight and survive while living in squalor. Thanks to his efforts, and Kaia's hard work, she is more than ready for what comes next. Kaia knows that King Morlet has an obsession with the warriors known as the Order of the Krigers, but couldn't for the life of her have imagined that she is the Twelfth

member of the Order.

But, after staring down Morlet who is tearing the country apart looking for the Twelfth Kriger, something awakens inside. She feels energy in her hands, and she knows that something has changed. She is forced to go on the run with an assassin named Anders who saves her life more than once, and becomes her staunchest supporter. It has been foretold that when all Twelve members are together, they will have the ability and magical powers to bring down the evil King who has ruled Nelebek for a century. 

In a quest to understand why she is apparently the Twelfth member of the Order, and why she may be the most important cog in defeating Morlet, she will also discover her strength, her courage, friendship with two men who are bound by a curse, and danger at every turn. She will be forced to face death in the face, loss at at an personal level, and begin to question if what is written about her is even half true. 

Even though Kaia is young, and idealistic at times in not liking when Anders kills to save her life, but she doesn't run and hide. She opens herself up to being swayed by Morlet, and in the end, questions how a man so evil, can have any feelings whatsoever for her. One could say that the line between good and evil is truly blurred in this story. Morlet is an evil man. He does sick and twisted things to get his way and find the Kriger's. He took to black magic like a fish out of water, but apparently hasn't gone full Sith Lord since he finds different ways to make the reader question his behavior.

Anders is another one who blurs the line. He is a blood thirsty assassin. He's done some really bad things since he was cursed, yet he finds a connection to Kaia. For me, Vidar remains a question mark. He is not truly bad, but I'm not sold on his being pure good either. Let's hope the sequel called Burn reveals even more.

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