Prince Kael.
His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes begin to show their true colors, she starts questioning whether anyone is who they seem. Even herself.
The Consort is
probably one of my most anticipated books of 2017. I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on
it. I was left on the edge of my seat
after The Bound and I needed
MORE. Linde has expertly weaved a
fantastical tale full of suspense and magic that I just can’t stay away from
this series. If you love epic fantasies,
you will love this one. While not as
beefy as a traditional epic fantasy, this series definitely has the journey,
the tales, and the magic to fit right in with some of fantasy’s greatest. I had so many questions after the last book
and for every question answered it seemed like three more would pop up in its
place. I’m utterly enchanted by this
series.
Cyrene really starts to come into her own in this installment. She’s got such strength and determination it is admirable. I swear though, every solid relationship or idea that I thought I had a grasp on got turned on its head and all topsy turvy. It’s so complicated and intricate that it really makes you think and ponder. There’s plenty of literary meat in this story for everyone to sink their teeth into. And so many emotions—anger, heartache, joy, confusion, and so on. They are all packed into this story. You really run the gamut of them. If you haven’t started this series yet, I’m telling you, you are definitely missing out.
Time was a wily beast.
It stole. It destroyed. It healed.
Constant and immovable.
And each day brought a new morning.
Time was dependable. And only time could move the world forward.
Time had slipped away from Cyrene. It was a thief in the night, scrubbing away the hours and leaving her disoriented.
At first, all she could feel was the soft bed beneath her body. For a moment, she thought of Dean. Lying against his chest, waking in the morning with his arms wrapped tightly around her, knowing that another night had passed. Another night closer to their wedding.
Then, another second ticked by, and that memory stabbed her in the chest. There would never be another morning like that. There would never be another dawn with Dean. There would never be another moment in Eleysia. For she was bound to Byern. And always would be.
Her eyes flew open, and she scrambled across the bed in horror. Her hand touched her mouth…and Kael Dremylon’s eyes slowly opened with a lazy smile on his pretty face.
“Morning,” he said, biting back a yawn.
“What in the Creator’s name are you doing in my bed?” she all but shrieked.
“Sleeping.”
“How dare you come into my quarters and share my bed with me! Do you think I have no honor? Do you think I have forgotten what you tried to do to me?”
She had woken up curled around Kael! Her leg wrapped around his. Her arm flung across his bare chest. His arms cradling her, as if he even knew what comfort was.
Now, he was staring at her as if she had gone completely insane. How could he possibly think this was okay?
“Do you know where we are?” Kael asked.
He sat up and leaned on one elbow. The sheet slipped off his body, revealing every rippling muscle. She snapped her gaze back up to his face.
“I don’t see how that matters.”
“We are on a Byern warship. This is the only room on the ship with quarters this nice. Otherwise, you can sleep below decks with the crew. Is that what you want?”
She shook her head. “Surely, there must be somewhere else. I can’t be expected to sleep here. What will everyone think?”
He laughed a bitter, rough laugh. “Now, you are concerned about this?”
“If I am to be carted back to Byern, then I should have the luxuries of an Affiliate.”
He held his hand out. “And you are afforded those luxuries.”
Cyrene opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off.
“This is a war vessel, not a pleasure ship. We are not on procession, like the last time you had the full attention of Byern royalty in your bed,” he said viciously. “If you do not sleep with me, in my rooms, then you sleep below decks. With the crew.”
Cyrene glowered at him. Of course, he would use every advantage that he had while he had her here. And, even though she had never slept with King Edric, it still prickled her to think that everyone, including Kael, believed that she had. But, if it irritated him to consider it, then she wouldn’t contradict him.
“So, you expect me to sleep next to you the entire time I am trapped here?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “Now, if you want to roll back over and lie on me again, I won’t object.”
"With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH
On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series.
✦ My Review ✦
Cyrene Strohm is a Queen’s Affiliate, a high-ranking official of the court of Byern, with power and privilege to spare. But she’s also a keeper of dangerous secrets: like the fact that she holds the heart of the King, and that she possesses magic in a world where magic no longer exists. Determined to discover what this means and how to use her newfound abilities, Cyrene sets off for the distant land of Eleysia. An island nation where Affiliates are strictly forbidden from entering. But the journey is perilous, and the destination may mean utter ruin, as Cyrene comes to learn that everything she’s been told her whole life – about her court, her homeland, and even herself—are bound in a beautiful lie.
✦ My Review ✦
No comments:
Post a Comment