2019 New Release challenge
Review: The Queen’s Resistance (The Queen's Rising #2) by Rebecca Ross
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Series: The Queen's Rising #2
Author: Rebecca Ross
Published March 7th 2019 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Goodreads Synopsis
The highly anticipated sequel to The Queen’s Rising!
Finally, Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is settling into her role as the daughter of Davin MacQuinn, a disgraced lord who returned to Maevana to reclaim his house. Though she’d just survived a revolution, one that will finally return a queen to the throne, she faces another difficult challenge. She must prove herself trustworthy to the MacQuinns. But as Queen Isolde Kavanagh’s closest confidant, she’ll have to balance serving her father’s house as well as her country. And then there’s Cartier, a wholly separate but desirable factor in her new life.
Aodhan Morgane, formerly known as Cartier Évariste, is adjusting to the stark contrast between his pre-rebellion life in Valenia as a master of knowledge and his current one as the lord of a fallen house. During his castle’s restoration, he discovers a ten-year-old boy named Tomas, whose past and parentage are a complete mystery. So when Cartier’s former pupil Brienna is as taken with Tomas as he is, he lets his mind wander—what if he doesn’t have to raise him or his house alone?
As the Lannon trial rapidly approaches, Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside to concentrate on forging alliances, executing justice, and ensuring that no one interferes with the queen’s coronation. But resistance is rumbling among the old regime’s supporters, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebels’ forces. And nothing makes a person more vulnerable than deep-seated love.
Goodreads
Review
I was blown away by book 1 on this series, The Queen's Rising, so knew that I would need to get my hands on book 2 as soon as possible, and ordered it as a birthday present to myself. Now that Isolde has been restored to her rightful position as queen, and Brienna is settling into her role as MacQuinn's adopted daughter, and mistress of knowledge, the bunch of characters we know and love might have been expecting that life could get to normal, and their wouldn't be too many issues to contend with. However, that isn't the case. Aodhan's - who we met as Cartier - whole house has been decimated, and trying to rebuild the Morgane family from the ashes of his ancestral home. While trying to come to terms with his new position as master of his house, and his feelings for Brienna, he discovers a young boy hiding in his home, who he takes under his care, and whom he and Brienna care for. No one knows who the boy is, though, and when his identity is revealed, both must do all they can to save him from the justice that is being served to so many others. Also, we have so many other characters, some new, some old, who are displeased with the restoration of the monarchy, and will do just about anything to ensure that our rag-tag bunch of characters fail in their efforts.
I loved how the character growth we saw in Brienna and Aodhan in book 1 developed so much more in this book. Both have distinct roles they now have to deal with, which are a lot harder than they may have expected, both mentally and physically. They need to rely on each other, for their strength, and we see how their attraction, which may have been physical and brief in The Queen's Rising, cements and strengthens, as they do. They are a true power couple, and every part of this book proves that. The whole aspect of found family, whether platonic or romantic love, is definitely explored here, in so many regards. Even without all of the action - which there was a lot of - I would've been happy to read a book that explored the characters coming together, and becoming a family, which they all are by the end of the book. The ending tied up everything perfectly, and I've already got my eye on Ross' next book. This is definitely a series for fantasy lovers!
Dates Read:
March 20-22, 2019Rating
5 Stars
