Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:
Synopsis for Curse of Shadows and Thorns (from Goodreads):
A rebellious princess. A cursed rogue. A forbidden love that will bring a kingdom to its knees.
As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs.
When her uncle holds the life of her deathly-ill father over her head, reluctantly, Elise puts her fate into the hands of Legion Grey, the handsome and mysterious dowry negotiator. He may be arrogant and infuriating, but soon Legion incites a blistering, forbidden passion she can’t ignore.
As their attraction grows, so do the dangers: attacks from black-eyed people, a cursed enemy who is more beast than man, and rumors of fae returning for the crown they believe was stolen from them long ago.
After a bloody coup upends the kingdom, Elise flees with Legion, but nothing is as it seems. The man she allowed into her heart reveals his own secret plans with the return of magic—and he has every intention of using Elise to see them through.
With war between magic and mortal on the horizon, Elise must pick a side to protect her kingdom. Does she stand with her people who stole the throne? Or with a man who lied his way into her heart and whose secret past could bring her destruction?
Author: L J Andrews
Series: Broken Kingdoms
# of Books: 9 (Full Reading Order Here)
There is one novella: #6.5 These Wicked Crowns
Book Order: Connected Trilogy Sets (#1-3, #4-6, #7-9)
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Faerie, Norse, Romance
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: September 2021 – August 2023
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook (#1-3)
**I’ve put this series on pause as I await my library getting the sequels. This is a review of only the first 3 books in the series!**
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I stumbled upon this one when browsing my library’s Hoopla. I love faerie stories and the allusions to Viking mythology was intriguing as well. I saw that all 3 books were available so I was eager to dive in! (Only after did I learn that there are 9 books in the series but the first 3 complete one story so it wasn’t a big deal)
The Concept / The World:
The fae here aren’t really tricksters and manipulative. More like they are the true monarchy of the land because they have magical powers. It’s an interesting take and I do enjoy the politics and mythology of the land; it just isn’t my usual experience with faeries. I think that’s the Viking influence showing vs the traditional faerie story.
Each trilogy set takes place in a different kingdom with a different set of leads. While it would help to read in order, I think you can read each set independently if you wanted.
The Plot:
One thing I both loved and hated about this series was the simplicity of the plot. I liked that there weren’t a bazillion side characters to keep track of – we get to develop the ones we have; that the politics of the world were easy to follow; and the romance was a slow burn.
At the same time though, I just wanted a little more to the plot. Just another twist to keep the tension running high and drive the story a touch more.
The Characters:
I liked all the characters. Everyone was solid and well developed. And I liked that as we got deeper into each trilogy, the side characters start to shine more and bring a little more to the plot.
The Romance:
I like a good slow burn romance and this delivered. It added to the story but never took away from it.
My Audiobook Experience:
I really enjoyed the audiobook production and that’s probably why I’m holding out for my library to get the rest of the series…
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
The only reason I paused this series was due to the availability of the books from my library. I see that this series is sometimes in Kindle Unlimited so I might check it out at another time. But I’d definitely return to this world anytime!
Series Rating: 3/5
As someone who loves twists and turns, this reminded me that things don’t have to be always going 110% to deliver an entertaining story.
Read if You Like: solid stories
Avoid if You: want more devious faerie characters
- A Court This Cruel and Lovely by Stacia Stark (Kingdom of Lies Series #1)
- Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J Tuli (Artefact Ouranos Series #1)
- Mortal Queens by Victoria McCombs (The Fae Dynasty Series #1)
