This book was an exciting adventure through a world torn apart by one man's greed and two unlikely allies. Euthalia is the Flower Queen of Calanthe and the one surviving monarch in control of her kingdom after the rest have been conquered by the emperor. However, she has had to survive knowing she was engaged to the brutal emperor. While trying to secure her country's future and put off her marriage, she hears rumors a Slave King who is "liberating" other kingdoms from the emperor. This man, Conri, has already appeared in her dreams. Conri has the goal of killing the emperor since his entire family was killed by him. This book was well written and exciting. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

4/5 stars

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I was hooked almost instantly to this book. A wonderful fantasy world with rich descriptions and a romance that builds up to a wonderful climax. Told from Conri and Lia's perspectives, this book is for fans of Ash Princess. A kingdom controlled by a vicious tyrant, Lia, queen of the Orchid throne must maintain a facade of stupidity and meekness to keep the tyrant away from capturing her kingdom. When Conri, the slave king, sets out to her island, she prepares to catch him before he can reach her shores to use as leverage for her kingdom's continued freedom and to earn the tyrant king's trust, in hopes of literally stabbing him in the back. What she doesn't prepare for is Conri's proposition of marriage to create a new alliance that proves to the world that there is still more to be said then bending the knee to a false king. A wonderful story that truly addresses the question, "How far will you go to survive and protect those that you hold dear?"

Lia
Last of her family, she is the Queen of Calanthe with a strange...secret...that only her ladies in waiting know of partially. She shaves her head bald and spends hours having wigs glued to her head and makeup being painted on her body. I had wished that the reasoning was given more insight as opposed to being thrown into the story near the end, almost haphazardly. I am hoping that it will be discussed more in the sequel, perhaps a crucial element to defeating the tyrant king.

Conri
Once a prince to a beautiful kingdom, he is now known as the slave king after freeing the people from his country that were captured and enslaved to work the mines for a rock mineral known as vurgsten. This rock is highly explosive when used in battle, but after having mined it so long he is left with a rough voice and hard calloused hands. His right hand woman is Sondra, who once was a beautiful woman now hardened by the things she's seen in the mines and experiences made to face.

Not for the younger ages of YA, the ending romance is very descriptive as Lia and Conri must consummate their marriage. Well written, but admittedly as awkward as one's first time. Definitely more romance focused than action due to lack of large/complex plot. Very straightforward. I do look forward to a sequel!!!

The first book in the highly anticipated Forgotten Empires Series by Jeffe Kennedy is titled The Orchid Throne. A captivating fantasy romance by a writer who knows how to lure you in and hold your attention until the very end. The Orchid Throne is a combination of two stories woven together in a beautifully creative way that leaves you wanting more. The main characters are vivid and well-written with secondary characters you are sure to want to learn more about. The world-building is well planned out and helps with the overall tone of the story. The Orchid Throne is a fascinating fantasy romance novel that I did not want to end!

This book is due to be released on 24th September, you can read my thoughts on my WordPress blog, Flora's Musings... from 22nd September.

So, what did I like about it?
Jeffe Kennedy is a new-to-me author and I was very impressed with her writing style; I found myself captivated with her beautiful and descriptive use of language. The prose she uses is intelligent, eloquent and very reminiscent of a historical novel; the words chosen and the sentence formation, while still managing to set the scene beautifully in one's mind.

I thought that the story itself was intelligent and felt well planned out and the way she weaved realistic human behaviours, known historic attitudes and etiquettes into her new fantasy world made it feel believable.

Ms Kennedy allows both her main characters - Euthalia and Conrí - to lead the reader with their own chapters/sections, giving us a chance to read their inner dialogue; I really like this because it helped me to gain a further depth of understanding, empathy and connection to both of them.

If you’ve read my reviews before, then you’ll know that I connect to a story more when the female protagonist is intelligent, resilient, self-reliant and has plenty of gumption; I wasn’t disappointed here. Even though Euthalia was a queen and lived under a plethora of restrictions, she has oodles of gumption, a political mind so sharp you could cut with it and had a wonderful sense of humour.

The many aspects of The Orchid Throne captivated me. The court espionage and rebellion kept me guessing, the battles and fighting kept me on the edge of my seat and the prejudice, injustice and brutality of the times tore me apart; I’ve got to confess, tears did trickle down my cheeks – quite a bit! But fear not, dear reader there was enough gentle humour and banter to balance the tears, the relationship between Euthalia and Conrí both warmed my old romantic heart and set the fires a-blazing too. *oh my*

So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?
I really liked this book but I just wanted to tell you why my rating was 4 stars rather than 5.
I think that I have already mentioned that historic fiction isn’t my preferred genre, this is mainly due to the constraining etiquette the characters are forced to live by and, as such, it took me a while to shake off my frustrations and read this story without my modern sensibilities screaming.

It’s important to remember that The Orchid Throne is an opener to a new series, I have read reviews that complained of a slow start and although I struggled with the pace at first too, I soon came to enjoy the gentle way in which Ms Kennedy gradually built the plot throughout this book. Although there is no perilous life-or-death cliffhanger at the end of this one, I liked that Ms Kennedy has left enough teasers and story threads to continue in the subsequent books.

So, basically what I’m saying is...
Although The Orchid Throne is not my usual genre, I really enjoyed the story. This book had everything that I look for in an engaging read; some mystery and intrigue, fighting and action, a sprinkling of romance with a nice balance of gentle humour.

I really liked this one though some of the pacing was a tad slow. I thought the world was very interesting and the relationship between the characters and how it grew over the course of the book was great. Really the ending was my biggest huh moment- it seemed to just end. I wanted more.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just want to say that I absolutely adore Kennedy’s writing! I found The Orchid Throne incredibly enjoyable. The beginning was a bit slow to start, but once I got in.. I was in.

Kennedy has such an intense writing style that just captures you. Her vivid descriptions make you feel like you are right there. I will say I felt like the story wasn't fully formed. I was definitely left wanting more. But still I am super excited to see where this story goes.

Personally, I love books from dual perspectives and really enjoyed that this book had two different protagonists and you got to see things from both sides. I cannot wait for the next one. Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Jeffe Kennedy for allowing me to review this book.

The beginning to this story waxes and wanes a bit plus it takes awhile to realize that Lia is far stronger and more intelligent than anyone has given her credit for and Con does realize that when he finally meets her (which takes a few chapters before they even meet) and immediately does everything wrong . It is an amazing tale with a bit of tragedy in the background history which is what I hope this story is going to remedy at the end of what I hope is a trilogy and not a repeat of the Sorcerous Moons Series that dragged us through 6 books before we got a great ending.

Con and Lia are the ultimate love/hate couple and they will have a lot of things to work through and more than a few surprises along the way and while the ending is not some kind of cliffhanger it does leave you wanting more (as most good books do).

4 Stars for a great story that had some slow parts but I didn't have to scan through pages and pages so obviously it held my attention.

Bottom Line: I can't wait to get my hands on the next one although I got a bad feeling since the second book in most trilogies tends to be depressing :) Add to the questions that we still don't really know who the old wizard is or how powerful he really is, that part I can't wait to find out either.

This story was very unique and well written. This book is more fantasy and world building driven. Unfortunately, the world building took up 60% of the book until we get to the actual story and action for the last 40%.
I am glad I pushed myself in the beginning to continue on because there were some moments when I thought, maybe this story just isn't for me and I should stop. I was disappointed to hear about King Anure and how evil he is but we never encounter him at all during this book. At the end there were still lots of questions unanswered and no resolution besides with Conri and Euthalia joining forces at the end in hopes to ending the rule of King Anure.
I feel like there was too much world building and not enough time to fully layout the plot which just left me little unsatisfied as a reader at the end.

In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…

Well this book sounded interesting but it's not in a genre that I normally read and I should have known this for the red flag that it was. I did not like the book or the characters. It was just too far out there for my taste and just not my cup of tea. I could barely find it readable and will not be interested in reading more of this series.
I gave this far out fantasy 2.75 of 5.0 stars.
I received a complimentary ARC of this title. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued when I spotted this one...the cover is gorgeous, the blurb written so that it would pull you in. And in truth, there are definitely certain times that I am pulled down the fantasy bend and never want to leave it.

That being said, this was a good book. However, it was very SLOW to start and there is a bit of a what happens next, going on. The author does have a good handle on the fantasy handle in general, however...the pacing at the beginning just seemed exceedingly slow to start. 4 stars

Not a book I would normally read, but the description was interesting. This is a fantasy romance filled with court intrigue, magic and revenge. I found the story slow to start but then parts would hold my attention. I didn’t really get a connection the the characters, they may need to be fleshed out a little more. Their development may happen in the next book. Though I’m not sure I liked it enough to continue the series, but someone else will absolutely love it.

Queen Euthalia of Calanthe, a magical isle of flowers and beautiful people, will risk all to keep her people safe from the tyrant King Anure who overthrew the surrounding countries years ago. She is destined to be his bride, but Lia has been planning for years to thwart that inevitability. Lia’s orchid ring gives her the authority to rule over Calanthe, and though magic has been banned, the Abiding Ring hides many enchanted secrets. Lia herself has had to develop a politically savvy mind and hard edge beneath all the glitz and glamour. Her elaborate dresses, wigs, and makeup are a type of armor that Conri at first, does not recognize for what they are.

Conri was raised as a prince of his Kingdom Oriel until his father was overthrown after which, he at a young age, and many of his people were sent to the mines as slaves. After escaping to lead a rebel army determined to destroy the emperor responsible for so much loss, Conri finds he needs Lia to fulfill that destiny. They have both been raised under the same brutal and harsh regime though Lia’s life appears from the outside to have been peaceful and lovely on her island. But as everyone knows, looks are deceiving and in Lia’s case, in very many ways. This beauty and beast tale of two people who would do anything to protect their people finding love in the most unexpected of places has much to offer.

As this story is first in the series, quite a bit of the story is taken up with the establishing the background and current situations of Lia and Con separately with dual first person POVs. Fans of High Fantasy will enjoy the lengthy progression while those anxious for the romance will have to be a little patient but will be rewarded for it. Readers will get to know Lia and Con quite well before they finally come together for their common cause. Ms. Kennedy’s writing always has a depth and quality to it that will draw readers in and hold them in her thrall.

Title :The Orchid Throne

Series : Forgotten Empires #1

Author: Jeff Kennedy

Pages : 384

Genre: fantasy Romance

September 24,2019

St.Martin's

Rating:3.4

Welcome to the world of Forgotten Empires from award winning author Jeffe Kennedy that begins with The Orchid Throne.


A PRISONER OF FATE


As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…


A PRINCE AMONG MEN


Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?


My thoughts

Would I recommend it? yes

Will be going on with the series? maybe

Would I read more by this author? maybe

The genre says its romance but it has a touch of fantasy to it, which speaks of prophecy,magic, beauty, and war .And while the premise does have huge potential and did in fact piqued my interest , there was times i was at a lost at what was happening because of how wordy the author has it, which means I had to go back and re read sorting parts of it , but on the other hand the world building was great and that helped some what and made me want to keep on reading it and finding out more about the island kingdom of Calanthe and its young Queen as well as its people , even though it was slow going though out the story. Another thing i liked about it was how it talked about a prophecy which also kept me reading it because it reminded me a little bit of the Lord Of the Rings. Plus another thing it has going for it is that its the first time I've ever read a fantasy romance .With that said I want to thank St.Martin's and Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

This book took a while to really engage my attention. At first, coming back to it was a chore. Like war...political intrigue...war...makeup in court...blah. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because by the end the two lead characters had fully stolen my attention.
It's not a traditional love story, which is fantastic. There is no fawning or fainting. It's two independent, like-minded people who know being together is smarter than being alone in the political upheaval. That they make a great pair feels to the reader like it does to the characters, like pure dumb luck. Interesting.

Lia, Queen of Calanthe, has spent the last few years of her life playing a dangerous game. Her island nation is one of the few who has not been taken over by the brutal Anure and his Empire. Lia is supposed to marry Anure, but she has been skillfully putting him off. She knows time is running short, and she is desperate to find a way to protect Calanthe, regardless of what happens to her. Con led a revolt of slaves against the Empire, and he arrives in Calanthe hoping to further his cause. Lia and Con are drawn to each other, but neither particularly trusts the other. Lia has to decide whether to throw her lot in with Con or give in to the Empire.

There is a LOT happening in this book. Kennedy has created an incredibly rich world, and for that reason this book has some info dump in it. Normally, too much of that bores me, but here I was fascinated. It helps that the world of Calanthe in particular is gorgeous and mysterious, making you want to hear more about its secrets. I was particularly (and surprisingly) engaged by the political games Lia must play. In many ways Con’s accusation that she has lived in luxury while people in the world are dying at the hands of the Empire is completely justified. Calanthe has been spared the cruelty everyone else experienced, and most of the residents are either unwilling or unable to acknowledge that privilege. Lia believes she's doing the right thing, but you can see the other side of that argument too. However, that safety has come largely because of Lia’s own sacrifices in recent years. She deeply understands the expectations her subjects have of her, her role on the political stage, her role as a potential wife, and how to use subtlety, charm, and ruthlessness when necessary to get what she wants. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her weigh her options, work behind the scenes, and use all her available resources to save her kingdom. She has been sheltered, but she is also very, very good at being Queen, and everything she does, she does for her kingdom, not for herself.

Con and his people have experienced a LOT of trauma (and CW for talk of abuse, torture, rape, and slavery), but somehow he is still a kind man. He is particularly sweet and vulnerable in his interactions with Lia, and it was both heartbreaking and lovely. His life has been so horrible--you just want to see things go right for him for a change. You can tell he is still growing into his role as a leader, and I can’t wait to see where he goes in the future.

I didn’t realize before I read the book that this isn’t a finished story, nor would I quite categorize it as a romance (maybe just the first installment of a romance). While Con and Lia do have some great sexual tension and do end up together (and have some very hot sex!), it doesn't happen until the very end of the book. By the end, there is some tentative trust and agreement between them, but they aren’t fully a team yet either. Really, this book is set up for the world and the conflict, but it doesn’t resolve anything. Not knowing that, I was very disappointed when I got to the end and realized there would be no resolution. That did temper my enjoyment of the story a bit.

I did love this world and these characters, though. I want to see Lia and Con grow into true partners, and I want to see how they can fight against the Empire. I will be waiting with baited breath for future books in the series.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This is one of those slower build adult fantasy romance books, but let me tell you it’s so worth it! Yes the beginning as that tad bit of world building and introducing characters and I’m guessing some foreshadowing we are all going to miss until its smack in your face. I really can’t wait to see more of this world and how its all going to play out.

I really loved Conri, like hes going to be one of my new favorite men I can feel it. The way to had to fight for his life and the people he had left. Hes a total brute, but in that aw I see softness inside you secret hufflepuff!

Euthalia was so interesting! I loved the sexual representation of her land. It’s all so open and was interesting to see esp Conris poor reaction to it all xD How she handed her being cornered by the evil king, but keeping her people her main concern. I’m so so interested in seeing how she is going to handle the court, Conri and the upcoming battles!

Also Ambrose is without a doubt such a show stealer! I loved his dry humor esp about magic and how he basically shoved Conri who had no clue about how to do anything, but fight into wooing a woman. You don’t get the romance until the end, but it doesn’t disappoint that I can promise!

Reading this book was just so great! I really enjoyed this world, it was so interesting with magic that reportedly doesn't exist, and this emperor dude who conquered and lied and was just plain awful! I can't wait to see him taken down!

These two characters were so awesome to read about! Lia was so politically savvy, I really enjoyed the way that her mind worked! She was in such a precarious position, and yeah, she was really quick on her feet. Conri was broken from what he went through in the caves, but he's strong and wants vengeance. He was also a leader, whether he wanted to or not. And the sparks between them, wow, they were intense!

Lia's in a hard position. Her land is soft, the land of pleasures. And blood can't be shed in violence, or else the land is negatively affected. And she's between Conri and the Emperor, and both dudes want to use her against the other. Yeah, that's not an easy position to be in!

So there's two things that I want for the next book. One, is a map, which might be in the finished copy of this book, but it would be really great to see where everything is located. And secondly, what did the bad guy do that lead to Lia's dad dying? I'm really curious to know!

Loved reading this book, it was such a fantastic read!

If I could take the first half of this book and edit it down by 50%, I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more. The second half of the book would’ve earned 4 stars but the first half barely 2.

The beginning was all plot with no personality. Euthalia was intolerable, a useless coward and a horrible strategist. Then all of the sudden, she changes her mind based on a very flimsy excuse and she’s much more palatable as a character but I’d have never known had I given up the book like I wanted to multiple times. I found myself skimming through her chapters but actually reading Conri’s until she improved.

The book ends rather abruptly and now I’m left wondering what exactly happened. I could condense the plot into maybe 2 sentences and you wouldn’t really miss much.

The Orchid Throne (Forgotten Empires, #1)by Jeffe Kennedy Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. That said I would give it 3 stars...it slow starting and I had to make myself read on. It was not really for me ..but that doesn't me someone else will not love it. Also it doesn't feel like a stand alone.

I ended up really liking this book. I thought it had a pretty slow start but then everything just exploded and I couldn't put it down. There is also a little mystery throughout that helped keep my attention with the discreet references. I cannot wait for book two!