The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2)
Summary:
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.
Everything changes when Han and Raisa’s paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This book is a fantastic sequel to “The Demon King” and is where the plot really starts to accelerate. Someone once showed me a “subway map” to demonstrate how complex plots merge and diverge throughout complicated stories and this is where I think the series could start to use one with the various characters. I don’t say that to shy people away, but because most fantasy epics seem to have a level of complexity that could use a “cheat sheet”.
I actually think this book is an upgrade from the previous book as they start to build up their own character and mannerisms. I appreciate an author who can show maturation because it is a complex issue with pacing. Amon and Raisa was a side-story that was well done, and it was good to see Raisa grow up a bit because of Amon’s forced maturation.
Warning: Contains repeated violence.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who have read The Demon King, but it’s going to be confusing if you haven’t started at the beginning.
Want to read the whole series?
The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3)
The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)