The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso

Paperback, 515 pages

Published April 19th 2018 by Orbit

Series: Swords and Fire #2

Fantasy

Own

My Thoughts

Ok so I was crushing hard on someone in this book, haaard! Leave Marcellus behind and run away with this guy, stat! He was the perfect trickster/fool *dreamy sigh*. You hear me, Amalia! You forget that other guy this instant!

Right. So in the last book Amalia became a Falconer, which means she controls someone with magic. She does want to make it better for those with magic, so they do not have to be forced to become falcons. She did not choose to become a Falconer either, but what can you do. And Zaira is a big mouthed...*thinks about it* Oh she has grown on me, like a wart. I like her and her big mouth.

War is coming so they go to Vaskandar to try to stop it, since Amalia's mum is a big shot and Amalia's gran is a queen in a neighboring country. I must say, bravo to creating Vaskandar. I often complain of lack of worldbuilding, but I felt Vaskandar. It was such an interesting country, I wanted even more.

Prince Ruven, grrrrr, I wanted to kick him in the nuts. Hate that guy! All that is rotten in Vaskandar.

The crush I had I kept hoping that would be a good guy, I will not say any name ;) 

Adventure, blood and magic. I can't wait to read more! Arghh, I need book 3!

Blurb

Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, they must call a rare gathering of all seventeen lords to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this Conclave might be her only chance to stifle the growing flames of war, and she is ready to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction.

Amalia and Zaira must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. Or else it will all come down to swords and fire. 

The Tethered Mage - Melissa Caruso

Paperback, 438 pages

Published October 24th 2017 by Orbit

Series Swords and Fire #1

Fantasy

Own

My Thoughts:

I did enjoy this one. It was a solid book, but nothing amazing. Good is still good, and I do hope book 2 will be even better. But hey if the entire series is solid good then that is fine too. I liked the lightness of it.

I wanna get back to Anne with an E, so better make this short.

Amalia is a noble woman who becomes a Falconer by mistake. That is someone who says what the person wielding magic can or can not do. I liked Amalia, she was sensible.

Zaire is the one with magic. Eh, maybe I will warm up to her. She was so something at times.

Zaire wants to be free and hates Amelia. They must become friends.

And someone is trying to make war happen.

The worldbuilding was not the strongest, pretty weak to be honest. But the story was light and easy and fast to read. I will def read more.

BlurB.

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. 

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. 

War looms on the horizon. A single spark could turn their city into a pyre.