THE PROMISED QUEEN - Jeffe Kennedy
Forgotten Empires - Book 3
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ASIN: B08FZ78666
ISBN-10: 1-25019-435-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-25019-435-0
May 25, 2021
Fantasy Romance

The Island of Calanthe

In the last book THE FIERY CROWN, Conri retrieved his wife and queen Euthalia's (Lia) dead body from Emperor Anure's powerful wizards in the realm of Yekpehr. On the ship escaping back to Lia's Island of Calanthe, the wizard Ambrose brought her back to life.

On the way back to her home, Lia doesn't remember what happened and is very weak. Her connection to Calanthe's island magic as tied to the creature below the island is gone. Conri tells her he loves her, but Lia tells him with her death their marriage bond broke. She also knows she and Conri will eventually be forced to separate. If he ends Anure's reign, he will become the king of his father's realm of Oriel. Conri will still do whatever it takes to protect his Lia and work to gain her love and trust. It will be an ongoing battle. The second battle he must make is to return to Yekpehr, the seat of Anur, and free his sister Rhéiane, the other realms' ruling families that Anur captured, and to kill Anur. Before he can leave he must make sure Lia will be safe. Calanthe has problems the creature below the island is wreaking havoc on the island with storms and erosion. Not only is the island in peril but also the island's inhabitants.

This is the last book in this series, and it is as enchanting as the previous volumes. The relationship between Conri and Lia has changed just as things have changed between Lia and Calanthe. Moreover, both characters change dramatically in outlook both internally and externally becoming more accepting of themselves. Author Jeffe Kennedy has created another intriguing, imaginative, and alluring story fantasy-romance enthusiasts will want to read.

Robin Lee

The Forgotten Empires series was such a pleasant surprise for me. This conclusion was well done and tied up loose story ends well. I was surprised by a couple things I didn't see coming. I love that each book in the series had at least one reveal I hadn’t expected.

The romance was a little less in this book since so much of the story was concluding the major arc of the story over the three books. I think it was done well and I was pleased with how everything wrapped up. Not too much can be said that isn’t a spoiler!

The Promised Queen was a whirlwind conclusion to a very interesting journey! Lia and Conri have come such along ways from the first book and their relationship reflected their tumultuous trip, especially in this final book. I loved the individual character growth and their second chance together. My one complaint would be that the final showdown with Anure was a bit of a let down. Although the decision was understandably justified, I was expecting something with a little more oomph.

I received an advance reader copy from the St. Martin’s Press/Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is the concluding book to this entertaining fantasy series by the Author - I would recommend reading
the previous books first to set the characters in place .

I love this final book in which Con and Lia work together to plan their attack on the Emperor Anure and defeat him once and for all - despite Lia's struggles with the pain of her capture , her efforts to rehabilitate Cleanthe , she looks to the future , one with Con .
This is a great ending to this exciting and adventurous fantasy series , with characters who draw you into their lives ...... a man and a woman who love each other totally ....... and wonderful worldbuilding.
There is just enough left at the end to give the Author leave to perhaps return to this world again in the future - if so I will be in the queue to read more

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

*Review will be posted on my blog on 5/6/21*
**4.5 STARS**
I Liked:
*This is the perfect conclusion to a unique, romance fantasy series. I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t even think I’d remember what happened in book two but wow, it took off right away and it transported me back to Lia’s world and the cliffhanger of book two.

*Lia’s transformation from dead to her every potential is inspiring and beautiful. She becomes what she is meant to be and embraces all her orchid uniqueness! Lia is Calanthe. We also learn more of how she was born/created which is so cool.

*Conri, I love him. He really is a wolf, so rough around the edges compared to Lia’s control and regal manner. I love how they are complete opposites but they compliment each other so well. Conri is a wing-it kind of lone wolf and Lia reminds him help sometimes is okay.

*I love the world building but Conri and Lia’s love story is just the best to me. They will be added to my favorite book couples for sure! I love their insecurities but how they both work things out, most Conri who is so persistent and will fight for her for always. Their wedding vows at the end made my heart melt. I love them. Also, there is a very sexy, hot scene in the night court, it’s erotic but tastefully done!

*The supporting cast is great as well and we get a very happy ending.

Random Notes:
*Triggers: memories of torture

*I felt like the fight with Anure was just a tiny bit anti-climatic? I was expecting more when they confronted him, but Conri and Lia did debate about how much of exacting vengeance was enough (okay so I wanted Conri to hammer him haha). But that’s okay, Lia was right and I think it was a very just ending for Anure though.

*We get to find out more about Ambrose’s role in this prophetic destiny about Lia.

Final Thoughts:
This series got better with every book that came out, culminating to this wonderful conclusion in The Promised Queen. I was swept away in this lush world of Calanthe where Lia rules with a fair hand. I fell in love with Lia and Conri who fight for each other and the lands that Anure stole from other royals. I was inspired by Lia’s transformation to accept all the different parts of her and be the person she was destined to be. If you like an enemies to lover’s romance story set in a lush fantasy world with a Queen who is a bit more than human, this one may be to your liking.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Promised Queen from NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the third book in the Forgotten Empires series and I just loved getting to reenter this world. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I absolutely love this story, and hope that there is more to come! Con and Lia kept me on my toes in this story filled with love, laughter, angst and action. As they worked together to plan their attack on Anure, their relationship took many different turns. Lia struggled with the pain of her capture but learned so much about herself and her power along the way. I have always routed for them and I wasn't disappointed with this book. I always love a happy "ending" but there is so much left to learn about the lost kingdoms as their kings and queens come home.

The Promised Queen is a satisfying conclusion to the Forgotten Empires series. I enjoyed every twist and turn of this story. In the end, it's about a man, a woman (sorta), their love for each other, and their love for their land. I'll miss Calanthe, but I'll REALLY miss those scenes from the night court.

I absolutely loved this series and am sad to see it end but grateful for how well the story came together. The third books takes off right where the second ends, We follow Lia and Con’s POV while Lea rehabilitates Cleanthe and herself from her injuries, physical and mental. What I loved most about this book is that we see Lia and Con’s characters mature and learn their truths. Jeffe Kennedy did an absolute wonderful job tying up the knots in the story and ending it well. I am always worried when reading the last book, bc it can be a hit or miss and The Promised Queen is definitely a hit!! I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy was the perfect ending to the Forgotten Empires Trilogy! Lia has been revived and rescued by Conri and is back on her beloved Calanthe. As she regains her strength a plan is being created to return to defeat the Emporer Anure once and for all. But will Anure be able to take the hand with the Abiding Ring? He tried before, unsuccessfully, will he be able to do it the next time they meet?

A fascinating finale to an exciting, adventurous series that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final page. I love this series and will reread it over and over. The world that Ms. Kennedy created is so vibrant, so visually compelling and so real that you feel that you can step into the pages of the novels and be there. What I would give to spend a day on Calanthe! The gardener in me just swoons, thinking about it!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is an amazing love story, of a man and a woman, and a woman and her land. After an extremely painful failed battle in The Fiery Crown, with the Queen taken prisoner, The Promised Queen starts with Lia and Calanthe, her land, badly damaged and barely surviving. Lia returns to Calanthe, after being tortured to death and then brought back to life after her body was recovered. She struggles find the will to live; Calanthe is tearing the island apart, thirsting for blood and destroying the land while wizards are battering at the island. It seems more than Lia can handle.

I loved this story of hitting rock bottom and finding the strength to fight back. Con has realized how much he loves Lia and struggles to help her. Lia is only a shell of her former self, saying her roots are dying. When Con intuits her need for blood, he willingly feeds his blood to Lia and she starts her road to recovery. Lia and Con are strong willed and stubborn; they struggle to agree what actions to take next. It doesn’t help that they look at solving problems so differently. She’s a planner, he prefers to think on the run. I enjoyed seeing Lia relax and stop hiding behind all the makeup, wigs, and over the top outfits. I liked that Lia finally is showing people her true appearance, dressing more casually but still strikingly beautiful. And now that they both really know each other and realize their love, it was fun watching their interactions. We get to really know the mysterious wizards Ambrose and Merle, and to better understand the other major characters. I can’t imagine a better way to wrap up this trilogy, so many questions answered and so many problems solved. It was a perfect ending to the trilogy

I received an ARC received from St Martins Press and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Such a great wrap up to this series. I loved seeing the relationship between Lia and Conri blossom, though I despaired at the beginning because she was so cold and walled off. He is patient as hell. I also enjoyed Sondra more in this book, I though we saw more of her personality and dry wit. We did get a little of Ambrose's and Merlin's story, and I can't help but believe there will be offshoots to this original series, with the ancillary characters getting their own HEA. This would be great because hopefully we would get to meet the new flower baby. Loved this book and Author.

Woohoo! And the story that started with The Orchid Throne comes to an end... An expected and satisfying end with unexpected twists and turns in the plot. I didn’t see THAT one coming, but it’s rare a writer in these days that can keep you turning the pages wondering about the characters, their intentions and what will happen to them, given the amount of predictable plots and endings that we are used to.
Read this series. You’ll enjoy the story of Lia and Con, of the friends that helps them and how they grow in their journey and comes to terms with their nature and themselves.

I loved reading this book! I've really enjoyed this series, and I was really anticipating seeing how it would end. And it didn't disappoint, it was a thrilling read, and it was an amazing end to this series. And I'm just so glad that I read this book and this series!

I basically devoured this book. After the ending of the previous book, well, I had to know what was going to happen next, with Lia, with Calanthe, as well as dealing with Anure. I really enjoyed how it all worked out!

There was a good deal of relationship drama and building blocks, between the whole "Con could be king" and that he'd had to spend the majority of his time in his country, and she in hers, well, it wouldn't work that way. Plus there's Con's need to get revenge on Anure, even at the cost of his own life, which isn't contusive for the couple to have a future together! So that was fun to read.

I loved that we got answers in this book, of Lia and her mysteries. Of why Ambrose and Merle were the way that they were. I do have a question or two about them, though, as to how they got into that situation in the first place, though!

Reading this book was fantastic, and it was a wonderful end to the series!

An enjoyable conclusion to the series, where both Con and Lia each have to forge their own path to save everyone from the false king. Con has much guilt over what happened to Lia and realizes his love for her. Lia is suffering and does not know how to stop it, for it is affecting Calanthe and the wizards are relentless. Lia realizes she loves Con, but knows he must reclaim his own kingdom and she cannot leave Calanthe. Lia and Con are both stubborn, but they will need each others strengths to defeat the false king. They will need help from their friends to remove power from the false king. But there are a few secrets among them, some that are surprising and shocking. It becomes a battle to outwit the enemy, but at what cost?
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an amazing series. Like the other books I couldn't put it down. It had excitment, suspense and intrigue aplenty.

The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy, published by Saint Martin's Press, is book three and the fianl book in the Forgotten Empires Trilogy.
Lia has had weird dreams for a long time. Conri is a human man who cares a great deal for her. To save their world she needsto use her magic, both need to travel an untraditional path in their lives. The Promised Queen leads through a fantastic pnr world, takes the reader on a breathtaking journey.
The story picks up immediatedly where the previous book was left off and it took me a minute to get back into the story. I recommend to read the books in order.
TPQ is agreat read, well written, unputdownable, 4,5 stars.