Book Review: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

About the Book:

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (The Cursebreaker Series)

Face your fears, fight the battle.
Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Fight the battle, save the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and magical scraver by her side. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.

 

My Thoughts:

Finally! The final book in the Cursebreaker series is available and it is a worthy emotional conclusion.

The book picks up where the second leaves with Grey aligned with Lia Maria on one side and Rhen on the other side with Harper. Each try to find a way to handle their kingdoms and win favor with their people. The story as always is divided into point of view chapters and is handled very well by the author. With Lilith back and working her master plan in the background, it takes a lot for Harper and Rhen to trust each other again and work through their anger.

On the other hand, Grey is trying to learn how to wield his magic as well as get the soldiers of Syhl Shallow to work with him and not against. Lia Mara, a queen who is looking for peace instead of violence in how things are handled faces pushback at every turn and is trying to find her footing.

As everyone works together on their own side, Harper works to bring Rhen on a path to peace. Grey and Rhen have too much history to move against each other. The story is well-written and is a fitting conclusion. The relationships between the characters grow, but bonds of family are the strongest in the end. It is beautiful to see how everyone fights for something or someone they love and in the end they all realize what they are fighting for. This is a story of courage in the face of adversity and the courage to stand up for what you believe in. The choices to stand up for the ones you love and support them!

I read this book in almost one sitting and am glad for it. The story evokes strong emotions in the reader as they traverse the kingdoms with the characters. It is good to be back with our favourites and to join them in this final journey!

I thoroughly enjoyed this final book and love the series! It is indeed a must read!

Top 5 – 2021 Releases I’m Excited to Read!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Devouring Books that I came across recently!

The theme for this week is 2021 Releases.

Here is a list of books to be released in 2021 that I am excited about. A lot of them are ARCs and a few are upcoming that I am waiting to buy.

The below list doesn’t completely reflect my top 5, but the ones I am super excited about right now! I have tried to pick books from different genres and share them.

The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (The Cursebreaker Series)

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Seven Perfect Things

The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski

The Watchmaker of Dachau

His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke

His Hidden Wife

 

Feel free to share your thoughts and recommendations! If interested please do participate!

Round-up 2020 – YA Fantasy Fiction series!

Hey guys!

As you might have observed, I have been doing round-up posts with a focus on genres read this year.

However, in this post, I wanted to focus on fantasy fiction book series that I have read in their entirety and enjoyed. I will focus not only on series that are completed, but even ones which have an upcoming sequel or final book.

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The Ember Quartet by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2)A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes, #3)A ​Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes, #4)

This is the most talked about series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the books. I started the series at the beginning of this year and worked my way through the first three books! I fell in love with Laia, learnt to hate and then love Elias and create various relationships with the various characters we meet through the journey!

A wonderfully fast-paced and explosive series, the plot has all the elements of fantasy, romance, action, war, friendship, family and so on! You name it, it will be there!

The series came to a conclusion this December with the release of the final book, A Sky Beyond the Storm. I am glad that I read this series and was able to follow through until the end.

Caraval series by Stephanie Garber

Caraval (Caraval, #1)Legendary (Caraval, #2)Finale (Caraval, #3)

Another series that I thoroughly enjoyed this year was the Caraval series! Having read book 1 last year, I followed up with Books 2 and 3 this year. I know that I was a little late to the party, but better late than never right?

I would have regretted not taking the journey with the characters and playing the game! A wonderful concept, the author brought to us a whole new world and a new concept with characters to love, hate and wonder at. In the end, we cannot help but fall in love with the characters, the concept and the world! A complete roller-coaster of a ride, this series is definitely worth it’s popularity!

Read my reviews of Legendary here and Finale here.

Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)  A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series)

Yet again we have another critically acclaimed and famous series that is currently doing the rounds thanks to the anticipation of the upcoming final novel: A Vow So Bold and Deadly.

This is a story of love and loss, of friendship and relationships, bonds between siblings and people. The author has crafted a lovely plot that will have the readers hooked from beginning to end.

I also love the way the author has played with words in the titles of the books and the meaning they have with respect to the sections of the plot covered in each book. The series has been worth reading so far and I cannot wait for the last book.

Check out my reviews of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

Ash Princess trilogy by Laura Sebastian

Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) Lady Smoke (The Ash Princess Trilogy, #2) Ember Queen (The Ash Princess Trilogy)

This is a gripping series that follows Theo as she navigates the palace that once belonged to her mother and finally finds a way to fight for what is hers. The journey is split among three books and the series is definitely worth reading!

I absolutely enjoyed reading about Theo and the various characters in the book. I have somehow missed to review the books on my blog, but I hope to get to it soon.

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These are just a few of the wonderful book series that I have read this year! I look forward to discovering and reading more in 2021!

Do share your thoughts and recommendations for new series!

Book Review: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

About the Book:

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series)

Find the heir, win the crown.
Win the crown, save the kingdom.

Harper has freed Prince Rhen from the curse that almost destroyed his kingdom. But all is not well; rumours are rife that there is a rival heir with a stronger claim to the throne and that ‘Princess’ Harper of Disi is nothing but a fraud.

Grey has fled the castle carrying a terrible secret. When he is discovered by soldiers and returned to Ironrose by force, Grey’s allegiances begin to shift. And as he grows closer to an enemy princess, he is forced to decide whether he will stand against Rhen for the crown he never wanted …

My Thoughts:

Brigid Kemmerer brings to us a well-written, action-packed sequel that follows Grey’s journey as he deals with the truth about who he is. All secrets come to light at some point, and it is the same in this story. When the truth about Grey comes to light, he is seen as a threat to the kingdom. Rhen, now freed from the curse is not ready to see reason or understand. All he sees is betrayal.

The author weaves together a rather complicated set of emotions spread among all the chaaracters, all layered one on top of the other. To get to them, we have to peel back each layer and deal with what is revealed. With so many rumours about Harper and the rival heir about, Rhen is at his wits end to keep everything together. This story mainly focuses on Grey’s journey, his actions and decisions and his interaction with the enemy princess and kingdom. We see how he grows, how he learns to become a prince in his own right and how he interacts with the people around him. There is a stark contrast to Grey’s personality and Rhen’s which is beautifully brought out in this book.

This story is a wonderful sequel to the first, showing us a different aspect of the plot and story and culminating in a cliff hanger, leaving the reader wanting for more! I am sure that every cursebreaker is impatiently waiting for the next book to know what happens!