ARC Review: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer
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Series: Cursebreakers #3
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Published January 26th 2021 by Bloomsbury YA
Goodreads Synopsis
Grey has been revealed as the rightful prince of Emberfall. But the kingdom is crumbling fast, torn between his claim and that of the reigning Prince Rhen and Princess Harper.
Newly crowned as Queen of the enemy kingdom Syhl Shallow, Lia Mara struggles to rule with a gentler hand than her mother. But as Grey moves closer to claiming the crown of Emberfall, both Harper and Lia Mara are forced to question where they stand - and how far they can follow the dictates of their hearts.
Brigid Kemmerer's heart-pounding saga comes to a thrilling climax, as two kingdoms come closer and closer to conflict - and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Now that the truth is out, both Rhen and Grey are on different sides of a brewing war. Discovering he is in fact the true heir of Emberfall, and that he has magic, was a shock for Grey, and the torture he faced at Rhen's hand has left him struggling. With Lia Mara, the new Queen of Syhl Shallow, he is on track to claim his throne, but people of Syhl Shallow don't trust him. For Rhen and Harper, tensions are brewing in Emberfall, and when it's revealed that the wicked enchantress, Lilith, survived, and is back, they realise they're facing a challenge bigger than them all. Will the brothers come to terms with their differences, and stop the war before it occurs, or will Lilith's machinations destroy them, once and for all?
Considering how A Heart So Fierce and Broken ended, I was desperate for this book, and overjoyed when my review copy came available. We're thrown back into the action not too long after the cliffhanger from book 2, and all of our main characters - who each have a voice now - are facing trouble and difficulties. For Lia Mara, she knows that she is kinder than her mother was, and is being undermined by her sister, Nola Veran, and other minister in Shyll Shallow. I felt like she had a real uphill battle to become comfortable as Queen, and being respected as such too. I liked her growth across the book, and felt like she was in a really good place at the ending. For Grey, he's a foreigner in a country who doesn't like him, his powers, or his birthright. There are people both actively, and passively undermining him, and trying to discredit him in the eyes of Lia Mara, and it was a long time before he was starting to be listened to. I actually enjoyed the Lia Mara/Grey chapters more than Rhen/Harper, which surprised me, but for the latter two, not much really happened, until Lilith made her reappearance. Once she is back though, the action ramps up for all four characters, and really made the book the four stars I've given it. Rhen and Harper's suffering at Lilith's hand, and then the final battle between them all, was well worth the wait, and kept me gripped in the final chapters. I do think the book may have been a little bit too long, with some parts in the middle seeming to be filler chapters, and then I wanted a bit more from the ending, as it was a bit too ambiguous for my liking.
This was actually the first time I've ever read/listened to an audiobook, and I liked it, but won't be doing it regularly. For me, the voices were good, and clear, and I started out at 1x speed, and quickly changed it to 1.5x. However, I just don't think audiobooks are for me, because I really struggled to pay attention to it, and had to actively be not doing anything to concentrate. I know for some people, this is their preferred method of reading, but mine will always been physical or e-books. I am happy to have had the chance and experience of reading/reviewing a audio book ARC though.
Dates Read:
February 2-3, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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