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tpriest's review
4.0
I enjoyed the first book in this series, but book two... Queen Titania has been tried for treason, and now her every move is followed by guards. Reading about Titania's internal debate on following the rules or doing whatever it takes to save her people was intriguing and incredible. WOW.
sreddous's review
5.0
First off: thank you so much to the author for autographing my copy!! What a fun treat to see your message -- and the thing is, you wished me magic, and, MAN, did I find magic in this EXCELLENT book!!!
Incoming rant about fantasy books in general: This is just me personally, but I am a bit exhausted by protagonists (especially female protagonists) who are hot-headed, stubborn, and impulsive. It feels like there is/was a trend of stubbornness being, like, the only way that authors decided to make a main character (especially a female main character) "strong." And while there ARE plenty of super!!great "stubborn" protagonists out there, what I personally tended to find is that when their impulsiveness/stubbornness caused them to say things that they didn't always mean/behave badly and cause drama/cause plot problems, I pretty much always thought, "ugh, you got yourself into this," and wasn't invested in the plot or in their struggles because it was too easy to be like "lol you didn't have to be like this. Stop.".
Here's the thing!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS protagonist isn't that way AT ALL. This protagonist threads a very careful needle about not being "boring", not being a weak doormat and standing up for herself and setting boundaries and such, WHILE also pretty much always choosing to behave diplomatically.
I LOVE Titania. I feel her exhaustion because the effective first-person POV shows us everything she feels and thinks, so when I see her choose to be mature and choose to engage in reasonable dialogue even when she's struggling emotionally and feeling pain and questioning herself, oh, I can just FEEL everything weighing on her, and my heart is so sad for her when things STILL don't go right even though she "always tries to do the right thing", and I'm just rooting so hard for her ALL THE TIME! She's still realistic and believable. Her insecurities make sense. She has a lot of hard choices to make, both big-picture problems to solve for the kingdom and also personal drama. And that personal drama never comes from stupid contrived misunderstandings. It REALLY feels like how real people would try to prioritize feelings over duty in completely reasonable ways. Everything about the way she's written is SO GOOD. And, honestly, a bit unique in fantasy that I've read lately!!
The other characters are fun and believable too. Without spoiling too much, if I got really nitpicky, I guess I would have liked to see Lucifer's team in action a little bit sooner instead of just have him as a simmering threat for so much of the text (trying to be generic to avoid spoilers -- his role isn't really connected until the end, I mean). But that's REALLY nitpicky because even though this plot is sometimes slower-paced and dealing with politics and the day in-and-out of running a kingdom... that stuff is all interesting!! So it's fine!! Maybe a little more from Lucifer could have been cool, but it's not needed as much because all the other struggles and hard choices Titania has to make are engaging too.
But overall, I'm definitely invested in reading the other books in this series. What a treat to see such a well-balanced cast, realistic drama that isn't forced, with a plot that """"maybe was a little slow"""" but in my opinion used ALL that time to do important character things.
Incoming rant about fantasy books in general: This is just me personally, but I am a bit exhausted by protagonists (especially female protagonists) who are hot-headed, stubborn, and impulsive. It feels like there is/was a trend of stubbornness being, like, the only way that authors decided to make a main character (especially a female main character) "strong." And while there ARE plenty of super!!great "stubborn" protagonists out there, what I personally tended to find is that when their impulsiveness/stubbornness caused them to say things that they didn't always mean/behave badly and cause drama/cause plot problems, I pretty much always thought, "ugh, you got yourself into this," and wasn't invested in the plot or in their struggles because it was too easy to be like "lol you didn't have to be like this. Stop.".
Here's the thing!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS protagonist isn't that way AT ALL. This protagonist threads a very careful needle about not being "boring", not being a weak doormat and standing up for herself and setting boundaries and such, WHILE also pretty much always choosing to behave diplomatically.
I LOVE Titania. I feel her exhaustion because the effective first-person POV shows us everything she feels and thinks, so when I see her choose to be mature and choose to engage in reasonable dialogue even when she's struggling emotionally and feeling pain and questioning herself, oh, I can just FEEL everything weighing on her, and my heart is so sad for her when things STILL don't go right even though she "always tries to do the right thing", and I'm just rooting so hard for her ALL THE TIME! She's still realistic and believable. Her insecurities make sense. She has a lot of hard choices to make, both big-picture problems to solve for the kingdom and also personal drama. And that personal drama never comes from stupid contrived misunderstandings. It REALLY feels like how real people would try to prioritize feelings over duty in completely reasonable ways. Everything about the way she's written is SO GOOD. And, honestly, a bit unique in fantasy that I've read lately!!
The other characters are fun and believable too. Without spoiling too much, if I got really nitpicky, I guess I would have liked to see Lucifer's team in action a little bit sooner instead of just have him as a simmering threat for so much of the text (trying to be generic to avoid spoilers -- his role isn't really connected until the end, I mean). But that's REALLY nitpicky because even though this plot is sometimes slower-paced and dealing with politics and the day in-and-out of running a kingdom... that stuff is all interesting!! So it's fine!! Maybe a little more from Lucifer could have been cool, but it's not needed as much because all the other struggles and hard choices Titania has to make are engaging too.
But overall, I'm definitely invested in reading the other books in this series. What a treat to see such a well-balanced cast, realistic drama that isn't forced, with a plot that """"maybe was a little slow"""" but in my opinion used ALL that time to do important character things.
saxtonm83's review
5.0
Here we are again with a terribly young queen with insight far beyond her tender age of 16 years old.
Titania struggles as the realm doesn't appreciate she saved them from disaster and instead condems her. she struggles knowing her instincts are right and true but a council of a different generation can't see things the way she does.
she perseveres despite some heart lurching goodbyes and she learns not to trust so quickly except in her own decisions. she makes one hard decision after another but continues above all else to put the realm and her kingdom before herself.
will she regain trust in herself, can she erase self doubt.. can she protect a realm that doesnt seem to want her protection and can she mend her poor young broken heart....?
wonderful YA series... its a can't miss!
Titania struggles as the realm doesn't appreciate she saved them from disaster and instead condems her. she struggles knowing her instincts are right and true but a council of a different generation can't see things the way she does.
she perseveres despite some heart lurching goodbyes and she learns not to trust so quickly except in her own decisions. she makes one hard decision after another but continues above all else to put the realm and her kingdom before herself.
will she regain trust in herself, can she erase self doubt.. can she protect a realm that doesnt seem to want her protection and can she mend her poor young broken heart....?
wonderful YA series... its a can't miss!
desdeeo's review
5.0
Titania is a young queen but that doesn't make her a foolish ruler. She has such insight for a girl her age and unfortunately a lot of responsibility. She handles it all well, and still she is put under surveillance for her actions in saving her realm and possibly that of the one above. No one seems to really appreciate what she has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice for protecting the realm. Throughout this book, she continually feels alone and struggles with her self-worth. Will she be able to see the help that is right in front of her in time to save the realm again? Will her actions be enough to prove that she always puts her kingdom first?
This is the second installation in this series, and I am glad it is not going to be the last! I mean... there has to be more! I enjoyed meeting new characters, finding out more about the realm, and reading all the changes that Titania went through in this book. She continually made good decisions, even when they were hard. She was able to find strength in others in the least expected places. While my heart broke for the good-byes she had to say, I was thankful that she didn't rush to replace the holes that were left on her heart. She is figuring out who she is on her own, and I appreciated reading that.
True YA book. This is an excellent read.
This is the second installation in this series, and I am glad it is not going to be the last! I mean... there has to be more! I enjoyed meeting new characters, finding out more about the realm, and reading all the changes that Titania went through in this book. She continually made good decisions, even when they were hard. She was able to find strength in others in the least expected places. While my heart broke for the good-byes she had to say, I was thankful that she didn't rush to replace the holes that were left on her heart. She is figuring out who she is on her own, and I appreciated reading that.
True YA book. This is an excellent read.
dimples87's review
5.0
This book is an exciting read that’s thrilling and action-packed. From the first book of this series, Tricia takes us to a faraway land that’s exciting to be a part of in this read. Grenat book from start to finish!
aims2read's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
I love the way that this author proves that you can connect in so many ways with so many different people, able to care, and have a love and adoration for all of them in some way, shape or form. Even with this being the case, it’s easy to feel alone in the world, especially when things aren’t playing out the way you thought they would or should.
The way that Titania is so young, yet so wildly wise beyond her years, makes for a fantastic read. Of course, her age shines through on occasion, but that’s to be expected. I very much enjoyed the way the story is written in first person, and we get to see the world, responsibilities, and trials and tribulations through her eyes. Along with the love and strength emanating from our heroine, she exudes strength, power, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her people and her kingdom. I haven’t read the first installment in this series yet but will be starting that as soon as possible. The depth of the world building this author puts into this novel is wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Well done!
van829_86's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This is the second installment in the realm chronicles series by Tricia Copeland and after having read the first book, “ To be a Fae Queen” I was ecstatic to finally be able to dive into this book. If you haven’t read her first book that I mentioned above you definitely should before reading this one. It provides insight into the characters as they are introduced as well as the start of the storyline so you know what they have been through which makes them do what they do.
In this second book there are some changes at the high council and some disbelief at things Titania says happened. Now it seems that not only is Titania trying to protect her fae kingdom from the evil below but also herself from those who should be her allies. This book brings more of her family into the fold and we definitely still see the younger side of Titania as she tries to figure out not only ruling a kingdom, defending it from evil, but also growing and maturing into an adult.
This book leaves Titania questioning everything about what she is doing and her faith that it is right. Can she overcome the insurmountable odds to prove not only to herself but also high council that she is a right and just ruler of her fae kingdom? I cannot recommend this book enough to those that enjoy a fantasy adventure. This is one action packed book by an author who clearly knows how to knock it out of the park!
purplesky25276's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Will she bestow the power to fight the evil below? Defending her kingdom against the evil that has threatened to colonize Middle Earth. Finding that she has loss companions. Will she right her path? This book was well written and hard to put down. Great flow to the story.
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