fantasy series

The Assassin King – Symphony of the Ages #6 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Title: The Assassin King

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Minimal

Objectional Content: Violence

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The Assassin King opens at winter’s end with the arrival by sea of a mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, who endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of the Brother, now known as Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc.

At the same moment of this portentous arrival, two gatherings of great import are taking place. The first is a convocation of dragons, who gather in a primeval forest glade–the site of the horrific ending of Llauron, one of the last of their kind. They mourn not only his irrevocable death, but the loss of the lore and control over the Earth itself that it represents. The ancient wyrms are terrified for what will come as a result of this loss.

The second gathering is a council of war held in the depths of the keep of Haguefort: Ashe and Rhapsody, rulers of the alliance that protects the Middle Continent; Gwydion, the new Duke of Navarne; Anborn, the Lord Marshall; Achmed, the King of Ylorc, and Grunthor, his Sergeant-Major. Each brings news that form the pieces of a great puzzle. And as each piece is added it becomes quite clear: War is coming, the likes of which the world has never known.

Cataclysm, both large and small, await in this sixth volume of the USA Today bestselling fantasy series, The Symphony of Ages. A twisting, fast-moving tale, The Assassin King promises endless surprises–most of which lead to pain.

My Review

Given the amount of set that occurred in the previous book, I was expecting the Assassin King to be much more fast paced. Instead, it starts with a meeting and a lot of dialogue. The characters have all come together to share what they learned in Elegy for a Lost Star. Anwyn is still alive and hunting for Rhapsody and a new character appears, searching for Achmed.

I don’t really have a lot to say about this books, in terms of a review. I found the beginning slow, but it picks up later on. I liked reading it, I’m ready for the next book. Three more novels and this series will be complete, which has been a goal for quite some time. i think it will be very satisfying once I have finished the entire series.

I may update this review in the future when my brain is working better.

Anyway, 4 out of 5 stars!

Elegy For a Lost Star – Symphony of the Ages #5 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Title: Elegy For a Lost Star

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Minimal

Objectional Content: Violence

Synopsis (From Goodreads🙂 Elegy for a Lost Star sets the stage for a major turning point in the Symphony of Ages series. The dragon Anwyn–who has lain for three years in deathlike sleep in a grave of rock and black coal is freed by the cataclysm that concluded Requiem for the Sun . Disoriented and confused, she remembers only the person who trapped her in dragon form and locked her in a rocky grave–Rhapsody; and an all-encompassing desire to wreak vengeance. Meanwhile, Achmed, the Firbolg king, resumes rebuilding his shattered home, while a guild of merciless assassins set about taking revenge on him for the killing of their leader. A horribly deformed but magical being finds its way through a carnival of freaks to the palace of an evil despot, who sees in it the potential to be the instrument by which his plans of conquest and brutal domination of a continent will be realized. With the rise of new leaders, good and evil, the long-awaited birth of the Child of Time, the dark plans of assassins and rulers, a confrontation that shakes the relationship of the Three, and a battle to the death between two dragons of unimaginable elemental power, the seeds of chaos are planted for a war that will, by its end, consume half of the world.

My Review

Picking up shortly after Requiem for a Dream ended, Elegy for a Star begins with Gwydion Navarne being invested as Duke. With the impending birth of their baby, Rhapsody and Ashe plan to move to their own keep. After the explosion that nearly destroyed the Firbolg kingdom, the dragon Anwyn, believed to be dead, has been awoken. Though her memories are fragmented, the one thing she does remember is her hatred for Rhapsody and begins to hunt her down.

Faron, the child of the F’Dor host Michael, is now adrift in this world. Found by a pair of fishermen, it is sold to a passing carnival as a “freak.” When the carnival makes it’s way to Sorbold, Faron comes under the notice of the emperor to be. Unfortunately, the would be emperor notices the scales Faron tries to hide and immediately buys it from the carnival for his own twisted purposes.

Unaware that Anwyn is alive and hunting her, Rhapsody goes to the dragon Elysynos during her pregnancy. As no one really knows what to expect with such a child, the dragon’s lair seems the safest place.

Elegy for a Lost Star very much feels like a “staging novel.” By this I mean that it’s setting up a great deal to be resolved in the next book. Other than Anwyn, there isn’t really a central antagonist to be fought against. Everything is ramping up for the next book.

The focus in this book has somewhat shifted away from the Three, following other characters to show what is happening in other parts of the continent. This is fine of course, not everything has to focus on Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor. Although, Achmed is getting more focus as of late.

This book is enjoyable and a must read if you read Requiem for the Sun. My rating for Elegy for a Lost Star is 4 out of 5 stars and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Requiem for the Sun – Symphony of the Ages #4 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Title: Requiem for the Sun

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Minimal

Objectional Content: Violence, Sexual violence, violence against children

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Requiem for the Sun , Sequel to the USA Today bestselling Rhapsody Trilogy

It has been three years since their devastating battle, and peace has settled across their land. But to the south an empire lies ready to crumble. When the Dowager Empress dies, along with her successor, a great war breaks out, threatening to overwhelm the known world.

And an old nemesis of Rhapsody’s–presumed dead for centuries–resurfaces, forcing her to choose between facing his depravity or sacrificing her own life . . . and that of her unborn child.

My Review

Requiem for the Sun starts off three years after the end of Destiny. Rhapsody and Ashe are married, and Lord and Lady Cymrian. During those three years, there has been relative peace in the Alliance. As the happy couple decide it’s time to have a baby, the Dowager Empress of Sorbold and her son die. Rhapsody, too ill from her pregnancy to attend the funeral, travels back to Haguefort, while Ashe goes to the funeral.

After leaving Haguefort, Rhapsody intends to travel to see the dragon Elysynos, but on the way she is ambushed by an old foe and taken prisoner. The moment it is known Rhapsody is missing, both Ashe and Achmed begin searching for her immediately.

Rhapsody continues to be an amazing character. Her resilience and determination is unmatched. I think many people in her situation may have given up and died, unable to find a way out of the predicament. With the life of her unborn child on the line, giving up is not an option in Rhapsody’s mind. One way or another, she will get out and she will be free.

When with his wife, Ashe can be unsufferable. His obsession with Rhapsody is rather irritating. However, separate the two, and suddenly he’s a likable character, doing whatever he must to get his wife back. It’s at times like these that his badassery shines.

I felt like Grunthor didn’t get as much page time time in this novel, but he is definitely still there and just the same as ever. In fact we do find out an interesting tid bit about Grunthor that I thought was fantastic.

One thing that bothered me about this book, and may be a bit of a SPOILER, is that Rhapsody is trapped in a cave for days on end. A cave that fills with water when the tide comes in. Her husband is literally tied to the element of water. Was there not some way she could have called to him through the water? That made no sense to me. END SPOILER

Overall, Requiem for the Sun is a fantastic addition to the Symphony of Ages series, and a good start on a new trilogy. My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to anyone who has read the original trilogy. If you haven’t read the original trilogy, I suggest you read that first.

Thanks for reading!

Destiny: Child of the Sky – Symphony of the Ages # 3 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Destiny: Child of the Sky - Symphony of the Ages #3 by Elizabeth Haydon

Title: Destiny: Child of the Sky

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Minimal

Objectional Content: Violence, Sexual violence, violence against children

Synopsis (From Goodreads): A FELLOWSHIP OF THREE

To stand against the F’dor– an ancient, vile being intent on destroying the world– a fellowship has been forged: Rhapsody, a Singer of great talent and beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, a giant of jolly disposition and lethal skill with weapons.

Driven by prophetic visions, the three know that time is running short, know that they must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all. But after their final, brutal confrontation with the F’dor, their world crosses the threshold of disaster and faces utter oblivion. The action reaches a fevered pitch, achieving a crescendo of tragedy, love, and triumph of human spirit over world-shattering cataclysm.

With death at hand and the world crumbling at their feet, these three will finally discover their true …

DESTINY

My Review

Destiny picks up where Prophecy left off. Rhapsody and Ashe have parted ways. While Ashe goes off to prepare to take on the mantle of Lord Cymrian, Rhapsody heads out into the world with Achmed to find the children of the F’dor. It is their hope to separate out the demon blood for Achmed to use to track it down and kill it once and for all.

i have to say, I enjoyed this book more than Prophecy. I think because the story focused a lot less on Rhapsody and Ashe’s relationship. She is with Achmed in the beginning of this book, looking for the demonspawn children. After, she goes to find several of them on her own, allowing her to be an independent person once again. The focus also shifts onto other characters as well, though I would say Grunthor doesn’t get nearly enough page time.

Rhapsody goes through a great deal in this book. It’s actually pretty amazing how she’s able to survive perilous situations, nearly dying, and overcoming overwhelming despair. Rhapsody is definitely a fantasy heroine for the ages.

While above, I indicated that the sexual content was minimal, what there is comes close to a rape scene. This is a warning for anyone who might be triggered by such scenes. It is thankfully relatively brief.

I feel like the reader gets to see a lot more into Achmed’s mind and feeling in this novel as well. He may not be one for emotional displays, but he is utterly devoted to Rhapsody and loves her in his own way.

If you wanted to, you could stop reading the series here. It was originally meant to be only a trilogy and the plot is nicely wrapped up by the end. The series does continue on with Requiem for the Sun, which I will be reading next.

My rating for Destiny is 4 out of 5 stars (Ashe is still annoying) and I would recommend that anyone who has read Prophecy, read Destiny. And if you haven’t read any of these books yet, start with Rhapsody.

Thanks for reading!

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Prophecy: Child of Earth – Symphony of the Ages #2 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Title: Prophecy: Child of Earth

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Descriptive

Objectional Content: Violence, Sexual violence, violence against children

Synopsis (from Goodreads) In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged–three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody, a singer of great talent and even greater beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, a giant Sergeant-Major whose jolly disposition stands at odds with his deadly skill at weapons. Having fled the F’dor–an ancient, powerful evil–the three emerged on the other side of the world, only to discover fourteen centuries had passed. Their homeland had been destroyed, their people scattered across several continents, and everyone they ever knew had long since passed away…except, perhaps, the F’dor.

Prophecy continues this powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue the religious leader of her new homeland while Achmed and Grunthor seek evidence of the F’dor. These three may be their world’s only hope, the heroes spoken of in the Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running short. They must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all.

My Review

So, I’m not really sure how to review this. I started reading Prophecy in January, right after I’d finished the first book, Rhapsody. It is now June and i just finished it. i don’t think it’s ever taken me six months to get through an entire book before. This should not be taken as any sort of reflection the book itself, because the book is fantastic. I really enjoyed reading, when I read it. The problem here is me. For some reason, I just did not want to read.

The latter half of the book (the part most fresh in my mind) focuses quite a bit on the relationship between Rhapsody and Ashe. Now, I have no problem with romance in books, but in this one it meant a fair amount of sex scenes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it just didn’t feel like it added a lot to the story overall. Mostly, it makes Ashe look a little pathetic. He’s been in love with Rhapsody from the moment he saw her and his desperation is really starting to show. Their relationship also causes Rhapsody to ignore some of the things she should be responsible for, much to Achmed and Grunthor’s annoyance.

There is a lot more going on besides just Rhapsody and Ashe, but i don’t want to spoil anything so I’m not really going to say anything about it. Though I would like to say that there is some pretty descriptive violent scenes that may be triggering for some people.

My rating for Prophecy is 4 out of 5 stars. l’m on to the third book, Destiny, which hopefully won’t take me six months to read!

Thanks for reading!

Rhapsody: Child of Blood – Symphony of the Ages #1 by Elizabeth Haydon

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Rhapsody: Child of Blood Symphony of Ages #1 by Elizabeth Haydon

Title: Rhapsody: Child of Blood

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages

Sexual Content: Descriptive

Objectional Content: Violence, Sexual violence, violence against children

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world– a world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsody’s aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron.

My Review

Rhapsody is a book I first read several years ago. At the time, the entire series hadn’t yet been published. After what feels like forever, I’m finally rereading the entire series so I can read the last two books.

It has been so long since I first read Rhapsody that, although I remember a few key things, it was like reading it for the first time again. I think I enjoyed it more than I did the first time around. Truly, I loved this book.

The trio of main characters, Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor, could not be more different from one another. However, the bond they form is more than I’ve seen in most books, especially without it somehow turning romantic. Elizabeth Haydon has an amazing ability to keep the reader engaged even during some scenes that could be considered boring or tedious. I felt invested in these characters from the very beginning.

Rhapsody, especially, is a complex and intriguing character. She has lived through some very traumatic experiences and yet still manages to smile and have a positive outlook. Where some people would become bitter and withdraw into themselves, Rhapsody’s experiences make her want to help people even more, but especially children. She may be small in stature, but she is ferocious when she needs to be.

I always have any objectional content listed at the top of my reviews, but in this case, I feel the need to reiterate that there is some graphic violence involving children, some of it sexual in nature. These things are meant to disgust the reader and portray the level of evil of the antagonists. It all has it’s place in the story. However, if child violence is something that is just not for you, or may be triggering for any reason, this may not be the book for you.

My rating for Rhapsody is 5 out of 5 stars. I was honestly never bored reading this. I would recommend this book to fans of high fantasy looking for an exciting new adventure!

Thanks for reading!

A Tapestry of Lions – Chronicles of the Cheysuli #8 by Jennifer Roberson

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Title: A Tapestry of Lions

Author: Jennifer Roberson

Series: Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Sexual Content: minimal

Objectional Content: Violence

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Nearly a century has passed since the Prophecy of the Firstborn was set in motion—the generational quest to recreate the magical race which once held sway in the lands ruled by Homana’s Mujar. Now, Kellin, heir to Homana’s throne, has only to sire an offspring with an Ihlini woman to reach this goal. But Kellin wants nothing of prophecy, nor even of his own magical heritage. Embittered by tragedy, he refuses the sacred lir-bonding, becoming anathema in the eyes of his Cheysuli kin. But willing participant or not, Kellin provides a very real threat to the Ihlini—the ancient enemies of the Cheysuli people—for should the prophecy be fulfilled, life as the Ihlini know it will end. How can a lirless warrior ever hope to escape the traps of the Ihlini sorcerers? And how can the prophecy ever be realized when the man born to become its final champion shuns his destined role?

My Review

Going into this book, I really didn’t know what to expect. All the previous books have been about the prophecy and mixing the correct bloodlines to bring the prophecy to fruition. Only one bloodline remains, that of the Ihlini. But what Cheysuli would willingly and knowingly be with an Ihlini?

Kellin, Aidan’s son, is the main focus of A Tapestry of Lions. He is a child filled with bitterness that his own father gave him up (though he eventually does the same to his own bastard children). After experiencing tragedy and loss, Kellin rejects the gods and vows to never have a lir. As a man he has become even more bitter and rebellious, closing himself off to any meaningful relationship so he can’t be hurt by losing someone. He also resents that he is not so important as the son he will one day sire.

Kellin honestly changes and grows in leaps and bounds in this book. He starts out as a child proud of his Cheysuli heritage, looking forward to the day he receives his lir and lir gold, wanting to be recognized as a warrior of the clans. Then he experiences loss and grows up to sleep with random whores, get in fights and gambles. He goes through a lot and comes out the end a much better person.

I wasn’t sure how it was all going to end. As I was reading, I kept thinking there wasn’t enough left in the book to wrap it all up. In the end though, I was satisfied with the ending. I’m sure the author could write more books in this world if she wanted to, but I wouldn’t say it was necessary to round off the story.

Overall, I would say the series is an enjoyable one. There were definitely elements about it that I didn’t like. For instance, the first book is about a strong female character and then the subsequent books are almost all about male characters and the majority of the female characters are sort of relegated to a background role of have babies.

My rating for A Tapestry of Lions is 3 out of 5 stars. My rating for the Chronicles of the Cheysuli is also 3 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to people who enjoy older, slower paced fantasy that covers multiple generations and different protagonists.

Flight of the Raven – Chronicles of the Cheysuli #7 by Jennifer Roberson

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Flight of the Raven, book 7 of the Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson

Title: Flight of the Raven

Author: Jennifer Roberson

Series: Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Sexual Content: minimal

Objectional Content: Violence

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Aidan, only child of Brennan and Aileen, and the grandson of Niall, is heir to the Lion Throne of Homana and inheritor, too, of a prophecy carried down through the generations and finally on the verge of fulfillment.  But will Aidan, driven as he is by strange visions and portens, prove the weak link in the ages-old prophecy—the Cheysuli who fails to achieve his foretold destiny? For as Aidan prepares to set out for Erinn to claim his betrothed, he will become the focus of forces out of legend, visited by the ghosts of long-dead kinsmen, and by the Hunter, a mysterious being who may be a Cheysuli god incarnate.

Commanded by the Hunter to undertake a quest to claim a series of “god-given” golden links, Aidan will find himself challenged by the Cheysuli’s most deadly foe—Lochiel, the son of Strahan—who will use every trick of Ihlini sorcery to stop Aidan and destroy the promise of the prophecy once and for all…

My Review

Aidan is an interesting character. He has what is known as kivarna, the ability to sense others emotions, a gift from his Mother’s side of the family. From the time he is a child, Aidan is plagued by strange dreams and a compulsion to go the throne room in the middle of the night. There, he sees a chain made of gold, though no one else sees it and when he tries to touch it, it crumbles to dust.

Unlike the heirs before him, Aidan was not betrothed to anyone and now has the freedom to choose who he wants for a bride. He travels first to Solinde, then to Erinn, to meet his cousins of similar age to see if they are suitable to one another. Honestly, the intermarrying in this family is getting to be too much.

I have to admit, I was extremely disappointed to learn that Keely had children. In her book, Daughter of the Lion, she was adamant that she didn’t want to have babies. However, in a world where their is no birth control and she married for love, pregnancy is pretty inevitable. Still, this felt like a disservice to her character.

Aidan’s fate is different than most who have come before him, and his life takes a tragic turn. I don’t want to say much more than that as to avoid spoilers.

I honestly don’t know how this series is going to turn out. It feels like everything should be coming to a head, but at the time of writing this I’m about halfway through the final book and I really don’t know how it can all be wrapped up in the few hundred pages left.

I feel like this review is somewhat lacking but I don’t know what else to say.

My rating for Flight of the Raven is 3 out of 4 stars.

Daughter of the Lion – Chronicles of the Cheysuli #6 by Jennifer Roberson

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Daughter of the Lion, Chronicles of the Cheysuli #6 by Jennifer Roberson

Title: Daughter of the Lion

Author: Jennifer Roberson

Series: Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Sexual Content: minimal

Objectional Content: Violence, torture

Synopsis (from Goodreads): She is Keely, twin sister to Corin, and daughter to Niall, the ruler of Homana, and she alone has the power to shapechange into any form—a power akin to that of the Firstborn. Like her brothers, Keely has been chosen to play a crucial part in the Firstborn’s prophecy. Yet Keely is no weak pawn to be used in men’s games of power and diplomacy. Trained alongside her brothers in the art of war, gifted with more of the old magic than most of her close kin, she will not easily give way even to Niall’s commands, nor be forced against her will into an arranged marriage.

But others besides Keely’s father have plans for her future. Strahan, the most powerful Ihlini sorcerer, is preparing a trap from which even one as magically-gifted as Keely may find no escape. And in the deepwood, another waits to challenge Keely—an outlaw fully as dangerous to her future freedom as Strahan is to her life…

My Review

Daughter of the Lion follows Keely, Niall’s youngest daughter, in the first person POV. I found a lot in Keely that I can relate to. Unlike every other female character in this series, Keely absolutely hates the idea of getting married and having babies. Everyone around her assumes that she wants to be a man because she wants to learn how to use weapons and doesn’t like wearing dresses. Keely doesn’t want to be a man, she just wants the freedom to be herself.

I can relate to this as a woman who does not want to ever get married or have children, and I am so grateful that I live in a world where I can make this choice. Keely, on the other hand, is under immense pressure to marry the Prince of Erinn in order to secure the proper bloodlines for the prophecy. Brennan, the eldest son, is married to the Princess of Erinn, but their son is sick, may not live and she cannot have more children. If the child dies, then it is all up to Keely to provide the right children for the prophecy.

There are a few times where I think Keely should keep her thoughts to herself, especially when it comes to telling other women to “rid themselves” of their pregnancy. Her feelings regarding pregnancy and childbirth are valid, however, there are some things better kept internal.

Daughter of the Lion touches on some pretty heavy topics including rape, abortion and a woman’s right to choose. People in this series staunchly believe that there is absolutely no reason to ever terminate a pregnancy and that women exist to have babies. It is a disgusting attitude.

There is a scene in this book that really irritated me. Despite protesting that she does not want to hold a baby, her sister in law forces her to do so and then leaves her alone with said baby. I am not a person who is crazy about babies. I have no interest in holding them. If someone did this to me, I would be furious! And of course, in the book, it’s not a big deal and forcing Keely to hold a baby would surely make her maternal instincts kick in. That is so unfair.

Overall, I did really enjoy Daughter of the Lion. Keely’s perspective is so different from everyone’s that has come before. I loved seeing everything from her point of view and how people treat her because of her beliefs. I’m interesting to see how this all turns out with the prophecy and the opposing side trying to stop it. Only two more books to go.

My rating for Daughter of the Lion is 4 out of 5 stars.

A Pride of Princes – Chronicles of the Cheysuli #5 by Jennifer Roberson

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A Pride of Princes, Book 5 of the Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson

Title: A Pride of Princes

Author: Jennifer Roberson

Series: Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Sexual Content: minimal

Objectional Content: Violence, torture

Synopsis: (from Goodreads) Brennan, Hart and Corin were the three Cheysuli sons of Niall, ruler of Homana, and the next link in the generations-old prophecy of the Firstborn. Now the time had come for all three to take the paths for which they were fated:

Brennan, heir to the throne of Homana, would face the menance of unknown assassins and trecherous Ihlini magic.

Hart, Brennan’s younger twin, must journey to Solinde, the kingdom which would one day be his to rule—a land that longed to see the Cheysuli prince overthrown.

And Corin, the youngest prince, must battle sorcery and madness in the court of distant Atvia.

Three princes, three destinies—and if even one should fail to fulfill the patterns of prophecy, Homanan and Cheysuli alike would pay a deadly price…

My Review

Much as I expected, there was a time jump of about 20 years from the Track of the White Wolf. However, in A Pride of Princes, the story isn’t following just one character, but 3, the sons of Niall. So far, this is the first book in the Chronicles of Cheysuli that has multiple points of view.

I found A Pride of Princes to be much more engaging as the story follows the three brothers. Each of them are very different from one another, something the author takes pains to establish from the very beginning. Each man has had his life planned out for him basically from birth. Which kingdom they will rule and who they will marry has already been established.

We also get to see some of Lillith and her brother, Strahan, the ongoing villains of this series. Strahan wants Niall’s sons so he can turn them into puppet kings and rule the kingdoms through them. It begins to become evident what exactly the fulfillment of the prophecy may mean. It could be the end of both the Ilhini and the Cheysuli.

There are instances of emotional and psychological manipulation as well as physical torture, which some readers may find disturbing or triggering.

The female characters continue to leave something to be desired. Their only purpose seems to be marrying the right person and having sons.

Of the five books so far, A Pride of Princes has been the most interesting and engaging. I enjoyed the differences in the three brothers, even as I railed against some of their choices. I think this book also highlights the dangers of a gambling addiciton.

My rating for A Pride of Princes is 4 out of 5 stars.