Member Reviews

Sarah henning write such beautiful powerful words. I’m beyond excited to see how the adventure continues

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I loved this sequel in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky series, in which Luca came into his own, and his and Princess Amarande's love continued to thrive. Intrigue abounds, and I cannot wait for the next entry.

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I enjoyed the first book in this series but think I liked this one more. well written, beautiful cover and full of action, adventure and political intrigue.

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This fell short for me. I felt like there were two many plot twists, when the author could've just stuck with one plot line and it would've been better. I felt like I was just being pulled back and forth with whiplash from the twists and turns. Also I just never felt the connection between the character so the romance just wasn't it for me. It's okay not everything can hit the mark for you.

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I will review this book properly once I have re-read the first in the duology however currently I am still excited to read but just don't have time to give to it properly at the moment.

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If you tell me something is inspired by The Princess Bride, I am all for it! I loved The Princess Will Save You, so I was very excited when I got approved to read this one on Netgalley! It did not disappoint! We are introduced to some new characters, while our old loved characters are thrust into their new roles. I really enjoyed that it was more action packed. And, while the story is based on the love of Amarande and Luca, the romance isn't front and center. The balance is great. All in all, I really enjoyed this continuation, and I can't wait to read part 3!

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A great follow up to the first. This has non stop twists. A lot more political moves in this story and at times it did not seem as fast paced. I think I missed the romance in this one. I wanted a little more swoon. That being said this was still a really strong sequel and I am so excited to dive into book 3 in 2022. I love a strong female MC and this is a must recommendation for my students.

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THE QUEEN WILL BETRAY YOU is a heart-pounding sequel to THE PRINCESS WILL SAVE YOU. There's no doubt in my mind. With lots of action, adventure romance and betrayal, we see Ama and Luca's story continue to unfold as they seek to reclaim their thrones and stop power-hungry queens from taking over the Sand and Sky. You can't help but cheer for the unwavering love between Ama and Luca. I really appreciate how the romance, while central to the plot, to be sure, is not THE central thing. Both have independent characters and storylines of their own, which I find to be an element that really bolsters my love of both this book and the two of them as an OTP. I loved seeing both Queen Ines and Queen Geneva in the hot seat as villains and how we have all sorts of different kinds of women vying for power and who all will go to their own extremes to get it in a world that would deny them it. I loved seeing more of Taillifer as well! He and Amarande's banter and frenemy dynamic was a lot of fun. There's lots of feminist themes in this one just as there were the first and fun little homages to the Princess Bride that I also really enjoyed. While I can't say that this book gripped me the same way that TSWSY did, it was still a really great sequel and I remain a fan of Henning's writing and can't wait for book 3!

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As Amarande and Luca part ways, Amarande returns to her kingdom only to discover that she has been declared dead, that her mother - the runaway Queen - has returned with a brother she didn't know about and has installed him as king. Rescued from the tower in which she has been imprisoned , the princess and her arch enemy, Taillefer, embark on another adventure to reunite with Luca, and save the kingdoms from a pair of evil queens, bent on taking over everything.

While just as exciting and action packed as ""The Princess Will Save You,"" ""The Queen Will Betray You"" was full of back story connecting all the pieces needed for - most likely - book 3. Lots of characters to keep track of, while age appropriate for middle school the number of sub plots and the age of the characters and number of sub plots fits this better to a high school library. "

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game of thrones meets the princess bride and this time the stakes are higher!! i love these characters and this world. they all have my heart. an incredibly written series for Ya Fantasy fans

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I don't want to write to much a spoil since this is a sequel to the first book. I really like the relationship development between Luca and Ama. I enjoyed the action and princess bride vibes I get from the book. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives. The world building is great and the plot is great. It has a ton of twist and turns and will keep you on your toes. If you like a lot of adventure, great world building with love mixed in then this is the story to check out.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book has the elements of a great sequel. A well-done and expanded world, a more fast-paced plot, and a deeper look into the story. It was a great story, and couldn't help but love the characters. You got a better sense of the world and customs in it, and you quickly became more invested in the story and its characters. Even the villains were captivating characters, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 4.5/5 stars.

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this was a stunning follow up to the first book in this series! with a fast pace that didn't feel like the story was dragged out with growth on the world building and just well done character development on their arcs. luca's character in particular was a standout on how far he's come and the depth we see in him on not just being the love interest. though there were some rushed elements and parts, the relationship dynamic between luca and ama had my whole heart. i was most captivated by how much political intrigue this one had compared to the first and enjoyed it quite a lot.

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Wow this one was even better than book one. We learn more things and go deeper into this world. I so need the next book to this one now because that ending was killer. But at least this time I remembered that this wasn't the last book in the series. If you were a fan of book one then you are going to love this continuing story.

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This was a great sequel! I cannot say much without spoiling, but I think that this series is only going to get better with the next installment. I thought the pacing was good but the characters really stood out to me in this one. I'm so happy to see their development going forward!

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In this sequel to The Princess Will Save You, Amarande and Luca have finally been reunited but they have to separate again. Amarande must reclaim her kingdom from her newly returned mother and brother. Luca goes to reclaim his own birthright that he has just discovered. Along with their cast of friends, Luca and Amarande must face two Queens in their quest to conquer the kingdoms of The Sand and Sky.

This was an intense sequel! There was a large cast of characters from the last book. Since they were all separated for most of this book, each chapter followed someone else in a different area. It reminded me of Game of Thones, in the way that each of the characters were on their own quest in the world but they all related back to the same goal of conquering all of the kingdoms.

The one thing that was a little confusing was that everyone had secrets. This also reminded me of Game of Thrones, because each character had different motivations than what they showed everyone else. It got a little confusing when someone was hiding their real reason for doing things. It also made the story intense and suspenseful when so many people were lying, but it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was on which side.

The Queen Will Betray You is a great sequel!

Thank you Tor Teen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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After Amarande managed to run away after killing the prince that imprisoned her, she went back to her kingdom to take care of the issues she left behind. She’s devoted to convincing the council to change the law and make her the queen of Ardenia. However, she didn’t expect that she was announced dead and her newly found brother is on his way to be crowned as a king with her mother by his side. Instead of a warm welcome, they tried their best to hide her from people’s eyes to keep her status as dead. Closed in the cell like a criminal, she didn’t want to let them win without a fight. To her rescue came a boy who she would never expect to see ever again: Prince Tallifer. She put her hate to the side and let him take her out of this place and help her to find a way back to her loved one Luca. However, what she doesn’t tell him is that Luca as a lost prince is preparing his people for the rebellion against the War Lord.

Review:

I’m always scared of reading the sequel to a good book because I’m scared of being disappointed. It happened to me so many times, so I was worried it would happen with this book as well. However, with such a cliffhanger that we were left with at the end of book one, I couldn’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next. I would never suspect Ardenia’s council to announce the death of Amarande, just to make her newly found brother a king. I know that they were very desperate to avoid the risk of not having a righteous ruler, but this went a little bit too far for my taste. Firstly, they wanted to marry her off, and then they preferred to announce her death rather than allow her to sit on the throne. But this wasn’t the worst thing that happened. When Amarande found her way back to the castle, they were so welcoming that they locked her up to make sure the people wouldn't find out about her being alive before the coronation. How cruel they can be to the girl that they were supposed to protect with all their might. I was grateful that at least her brother was seeing it differently. From the beginning I had the feeling that he came to Ardenia because he wanted to get to know his family, not to take the throne. It was all his mother’s plans.

I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was Prince Tallifer rescuing Amarande, and freeing her. I would never think that this book will be more about them working together. I was sure it will be mostly focused on Amarande’s relationship with Luca but the author nicely surprised us. I was very happy to be able to learn more about Prince Tallifer. He's a very complicated and complex character. I couldn’t forgive him for what he did to Luca, but it let me understand his actions better.

Luca’s part of the story was also very interesting. Seeing him in the new position as a king presented us with the great character development his character needed. Before he learned about his heritage, he was a kind of soft character without any purpose and goals. The only thing that he could think about is serving Amarande and taking care of his horses. Of course, there’s nothing bad about it, but I needed him to see that he can do more and that she’s not the center of his world. I love the fact that he is the missing prince, and that he’s motivated to save his people. They were waiting for him for years, preparing for his return. I admire how much belief and trust they have in him. I hope they will manage to get their lands back and live the peaceful life they deserve.

I would like to thank Netgalley, TorTeen, and Sarah Shenning for providing me with a copy of this book. I cannot wait to find out what will happen next! We need a good ending to this story!

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My favorite type of narrative... Multiple log! This type allows the reader to really feel what the character does. Not a bad book but could've been better. I love that it's based on the princess bride

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The Queen will Betray You, sequel to The Princess will Save You continue to not disappoint. It was a fast-paced but well written continuation to Princess Amarande’s story. I specifically enjoyed how the book took a larger focus towards the adventure part of the plot. While the romance is good, I am always a sucker for more than just a forbidden love story. As with the princess will save you, it’s sequel continued the vivid backdrop and magical settings of the kingdom. The queen will betray had some twists and turns that kept you on your feet, and rigorously turning each page to find out what would happen next. Sarah Henning did a great job of expanding the story and building on the characters we were already rooting for.

Speaking of characters, I am so happy Luca received more of a story and voice in this the sequel. I honestly really enjoyed seeing more of Luca than just as Princess Amarande’s love interest. There was an added depth to his story that made him a more powerful character. He complimented Amarande so much more because of it. With Amarande , we continued to get that fierce, determined protagonist that many of us are always rooting for. If you want someone that is loyal and when thinking, thinks about everyone she loves, Amarande is that someone. Along with the two main characters you get a sprinkle of a lovable yet evil character in Tallifer – believe me when i say I didn’t want to like Tallifer, but ultimately they warmed up to me.

Overall, The Queen will Betray You is a sequel that brought all the missed moments of book one into one magnificent story. It is a story I would definitely recommend.

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The first installment of Kingdoms of Sand and Sky was really amping up at the end. However, the second installment seemed to lack some luster. Based off of The Princess Bride (which I have not fully seen), this is a story unlike the norm "knight saves the princess".

Being told from many different perspectives, the reader really "feels" the challenges and emotions from all sides of the spectrum. Some characters who initially felt manipulative and evil still have a soft spot in my heart: Taillefer. By being immersed in the backstory of each character, the reader can relate to struggles that the protagonists experience.

The immersed in the landscape really set the tone for the novel. Each kingdom had its own story and culture that I really enjoyed learning about. Not only that, but the reader is able to experience the motivations that each culture hopes for, why they find the other kingdoms as threats, and the sense of oneness for those like-minded.

The Queen Will Betray You is an immersive story about love, family, and the morally gray. Readers who enjoy The Princess Bride, fantasies about adventure and love, and a good plot twist will enjoy this book.

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