Well, I know that there will be people that disagree and I'm okay with. I really hate that I didn't like not only this book, how this series is going. Maybe it was because I read the Crown of Shards series first. I will won't ever know. All I can tell you is that while I read this book is that I compared FMCs and I found Gemma still lacking.

In the first book, I thought, 'Hmm, how can this girl call herself a spy if keeps getting found out by everyone and doesn't even really know anything about being a spy?' It's a joke and unbelievable, so unbelievable I thought there was no way she would still pretend to play spy in this book. Lo and behold, she is doing it again in this book. *eye roll * l

This might be the best book of the entire series, and that's saying something. Full of action, adventure, and dare I say... the romantic tension between Gemma and Leo. Gah.... I just wish Gemma would get out of her own head and fight her own issues for that man.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was mostly set at the Summit, where the leaders gather to bury grudges and enemies. Though this was a fast paced story, I enjoyed the growth and frustration the characters went through. There were moments I was pleasantly shocked with, and parts I really wanted to see how it would affect the future, but that’s what book 3 is for. There’s a lot going on in this story,but there’s also a lot to look forward to- I want to see how that romance will play out and how this will all come together.

4 Hearts
SJ, Romance Junkies

In TEAR DOWN THE THRONE, the second installment of Jennifer Estep’s Gargoyle Queen fantasy series, Crown Princess Gemma Ripley continues to fight against an insidious foe with plans to use tearstone weapons to conquer her kingdom. To that end, she continues to collide with handsome Prince Leonidas–son of her crown’s enemy, Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta.

(Note: readers should start with book one, CAPTURE THE CROWN. And though not necessary, the precursor series, A Crown of Shards, is outstanding and introduces little Princess Gemma and her world.)

At a summit with several surrounding kingdoms, Gemma is up against Queen Maeven and battling wits with Prince Leonidas, who is sly but not inherently evil, and who constantly keeps her on her toes as she’s attracted to him but doesn’t trust him.

Gemma and Leonidas have to work together to stop a plot to fracture the royals. Throw in their gargoyles and strixes, an assortment of clever and funny secondary characters, and a roiling plot that twists and turns, and the story is a delight that truly entertains.

The only issue with this story is that Gemma continues to make unwise decisions that get her captured or put her in danger, and Leonidas seems to always be there to save her. But the story is still fun even with a princess not quite living up to her potential. I just expected more from her after the last book, which I truly enjoyed.

A fun, fast-paced read with likeable characters and a rich fantasy world, TEAR DOWN THE THRONE is not to be missed!

Leonidas is the last person Gemma wants to see. Like a fool, she believed his lies. Like a fool she fell for his smile and the way he seemed able to read her thoughts. Like a fool she believed he was able to see into her soul because his feelings were becoming as strong as her own. Like a fool she believed he would make the right choice. Until he betrayed her. She still bears the scars of that betrayal on her heart and her body, and he is the last person she wants to see strolling into her kingdom with his traitorous family.

And then he does the unthinkable. He submits himself to The Gauntlet — a brutal courtship ritual. He swears to Gemma that he is doing it for her sake, that he has done everything to protect her. That he will always do what he can to keep her from harm. That he is risking death and destruction for no other reason than to prove his loyalty and love. Gemma can’t be certain if he is an instrument of destruction, subject to the insidious plotting of his murderous family, or a man whose feelings for her are just as confusing and overwhelming as hers are for him.

They must learn to trust each other enough to navigate the twisted games of dominance and dominion ripping through the royal families. They must learn to trust the strength of the ties between them - bonds that defy the expectations and wishes of their families.
I adored the second book in the Gargoyle Queen series, and look forward to finding out if these star-crossed lovers prevail against all of those who want nothing more than to separate them.

A huge thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, the author and Paper Myths for my advance review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Who doesn't love a good novel filled with vast world building, well developed characters and a badass female leads?
Tear Down The Throne is a sequel in the Gargoyle Queen Series, highly recommend to fans of SJM, Holly Black and Kel Carpenter!

Ahhhh soooo goooood!!! I love it when the sequel is even better than the first book! That is what happened for me in this case!

The second book takes place a few months after the events from the first book when everyone is going to the Annual Summit in neutral grounds to discuss a proposal from Queen Maeven. She invokes tradition to try to bring together enemy kingdoms by proposing her son Leonidas and Gemma Ripley marry to bring their kingdoms together. They disagree and so then she proposes another tradition called the Gauntlet where it allows Leonidas to go through a series of three trials to win Gemma's hand in marriage. Gemma does not think he will do it, and is surprised when he agrees to it. The concern that no one realized is that if he fails, it will mean his death. While the Gauntlet is occurring, Gemma and Leonidas are also still trying to find out what Milo is up to with the tearstone and begrudgingly(at least on Gemma's part) team up again to find out Milo's true plans, and also who is trying to sabotage the Gauntlet and get Leonidas and Maeven killed.

This was such a great sequel! Gemma grew sooooo much in this group and I knew my patience would win out in the end. I really liked her a lot more in this book, and I love her beautiful friendship with Reiko despite everyone trying to come between their friendship, as well as her and Leo. In the previous book, I would get frustrated with how no one seemed to care about being a team. None of the kingdoms seem to even care about the others, and I'm hoping that these kids will make changes since they are all becoming allies, maybe their parents will learn too and stop being traditional.

The romance was once again my favorite part of this series. Gosh it is sooooo good and such a slow burn! I am just rooting for Leonidas, still such a beautiful person with such a big heart. And what Gemma does at the end of this book, let's just, say I was VERY impressed with her and VERY proud of her! We also get to learn a lot more about Reiko and her past and her kingdom and family. I was happy to learn more about her since she's one of my favorite characters in this whole series. We also learn a bit more about Delmira and I'm hoping to still learn more since I don't think I fully understand what her powers are and I want to know or understand more.

This was such a fantastic sequel, and I loved the end of it! I so look forward to the third book and I don't know how I will be patient and wait for it! Thank you to Paper Myths, the author and NetGalley for the free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Solid 5 star read for me!

Jennifer Extep excels at world building in her different series and this one is no exception.

This is an action packed, fast paced book with strong descriptions of likeable heros and despicable villians.

5 stars = Outstanding!

I loved this! This was a start to finish read for me. And when I finished, I was ready to start over again. The characters and world building are fantastic as always with this series.

Newcomers definitely should read book 1 first. And while I think you *could* start with this series and follow along fine, I would *recommend* reading Crown of Shards series first for all of the pieces to fall easily into place. (Language, sex)

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/05/07/tear-down-the-throne-by-jennifer-estep/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

3.5 hearts

I loved the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/228476-crown-of-shards" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Crown of Shards</strong></em></a> trilogy.   As with any urban fantasy or even other types of series, I prefer to read in order and have the full world building and character backgrounds.  The first trilogy had the main character of Everleigh Blair, this next trilogy (?) is about Gemma Ripley.  Some of the things I said in my review of  <strong>Capture the Crown</strong> are still true.
<blockquote>The  <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/288989-gargoyle-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Gargoyle Queen</strong></em></a> is a continuation, but a full 16 years later.  Gemma Ripley is now grown.  However, Gemma still has fears and doesn't know how to control or use her power effectively.   She still feels very young. I tired of her repeating her past, her guilt, her shoving down her power and being a little too daring.</blockquote>
Gemma continued to annoy me a bit.  She is learning, and does develop in <strong>Tear Down the Throne</strong>.  I still feel like she is immature for her age, takes many risks without the preparation in skills and strategy.  Why does she not learn to better use her magic and power?  She also doesn't seem to realize that any rumors and leads may be a trap and chasing the bad guys may mean running into a larger group of bad guys.

The setting here is in a border town, where all the kingdoms have come for the Summit.  The event is a regular trade negotiation meeting.  There are rules to keep it safe for participants but of course, there are those who don't follow the rules. Morta is a key example, so the Morricones are not well liked or trusted.

I wanted to love this book and I did enjoy reading it.  Leo continued to be an upstanding guy and in spite of his horrid family, he made every effort to prove himself to Gemma.  His mother is a piece of work. His brother and fiance are disgusting.  I do like Delmira though.

Gemma did make some progress in utilizing her powers as she found herself in dire situations.  But best of all, she decided to be honest with herself with how she felt about Leo, and was open about those feelings.  She also showed the maturity to be kind and save others' lives, even if they haven't done the same for her.

I do look forward to <strong>Conquer the Kingdom</strong> next year. I am excited to see Leo and Gemma working together with a bit more strategy and planning.  I hope Milo gets what he deserves.  I love the gargoyles and strix.  I can't wait to see Violet have the entire gargoyle population in her thrall!

Tear Down The Throne is the second book in the Gargoyle Queen series and so far thi0s has been a great series! The action and the suspense has definitely continued into this book! The world that Jennifer Estep has created in this series is one I absolutely enjoy! A book that i can get lost in is always the best! I like reading about the relationship between Gemma and Leonidas. They were some of my favorite senses. I definitely can't wait to see where the next book will go and what is to come for Gemma and Leo!

I read this as soon as Harper Voyager provided me with a free ARC on Netgalley. I honestly read this in about a day. I couldn’t put it down!

Tear Down the Throne is a deeply delightful addition to the Gargoyle Queen series. The second in the series, this novel picks up right where the last left off. The kingdoms gather at a summit to discuss trade agreements, but things quickly get complicated when Maeven throws down a challenge.

I loved seeing the romance develop naturally between Leo and Gemma. We also get more insight into Gemma’s family, including her deceased mother, and other supporting characters.

Jennifer Estep quickly became a favorite author of mine when I picked up the first novel of the Elemental Assassin series, Spider’s Bite. I highly recommend reading the Crown of Shards series before starting this one — you’ll be hooked immediately.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4262546698

In the second book of The Gargoyle Queen series, Tear Down the Throne, Jennifer Estep has created a truly magnificent sequel. The first book, Capture the Crown, left readers wanting more, and the author delivered. Packed with danger, treachery, and lust, Tear Down the Throne has everything. And it’s not for young readers. In fact, it’s the kind of hot romance that borders on erotic.

Gemma Ripley is the crown princess of Andvari, and her magic is strong but unpredictable. When she saved the life of Prince Leonidas Morricone, she had no idea it would bind their lives together with common goals and a dangerous attraction. In Capture the Crown, Gemma is kidnapped and tortured, but escapes with the help of her gargoyle. She returns home broken in body and in spirit, and missing Leo's presence. His magic is the same as Gemma's, and they share a long history of saving each other's lives. If he wasn't a Morricone, Gemma might not fight her feelings for the prince.

Leo's mother orchestrated a royal massacre sixteen years ago, killing Gemmas uncle in a devastating spectacle young Gemma had been forced to witness. His brother, the Crown Prince, was the one to torture Gemma and leave her hands and back scarred. Leo himself has betrayed Gemma too many times for her to ever trust him. Despite all that, their fates seem intertwined, and their chemistry is undeniable. Worse yet, Leo’s mother seems determined to tie the two star-crossed royals together in some plot Gemma cannot uncover. For that reason alone, Gemma fights her desire and swears she will never marry a Morricone.

Tear Down the Throne is action-packed, filled with twists and turns, and absolutely swoon-worthy. I enjoyed it even more than the first book of the series, and purchased the audiobook the day the book debuted, I recommend both versions of the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC to review.

Tear Down the Throne is the second book In the Gargoyle Queen series. Princess Gemma brings all her talents, both as a spy and a magical royal, battling wits with Queen Maeven. Whose son is determined to break barriers and win the hand of the woman he loves

The first book of the series was so enjoyable. So I was excited to continue the adventure of Gemma and Leo. Sadly, it didn't hold up to the level I was hoping for. Gemma ran hot and cold through, and I wanted to shake her whenever she started bemoaning her feelings. That said, I was happy with the last quarter of the novel and plan to read the third book in the series.

I was late to the game reading Jennifer Estep, but have devoured her last few series/trilogies. The Gargoyle Queen series is set in the same world as the Crown of Shards series and I am having a blast reading them. They are filled with suspense, traditions, magic, creatures, royalty, kingdoms and forbidden romance. This is a trilogy, so the romance is a slow-burn and worth every page. This trilogy should be read in the order of its release.

Gemma Ripley of Andvari is a powerful mind magier and in attendance at the trade Summit, with her father, King of Andvari. Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta is in attendance. Also in attendance are her sons; Milo, who is always plotting and badly injured Gemma in the first book, along with Prince Leonidas, another mind magier like Gemma. The two have a history and some heated moments.

When these royal kingdoms get together, you get political intrigue, assassination attempts, plotting and more! Queen Maeven invokes an arcane tradition known as the Gauntlet. It causes quite the commotions. Without spoilers, I will say it involves the house of Morricone and the house of Andvari. There are tasks to be completed that will end in death or a marriage. Eep!

I love the world, the creatures like the gargoyles and secondary characters like Reiko, Dominic, and Rhea. The villains are delightfully wicked and you’ll want to throttle them. Milo and his fiancée are despicable. Maeven has blood on her hands but is quite clever.

The romance was swoon-worthy even if Gemma drove me nuts with her concerns over the houses. We see progress as events force growth and realizations. The events helped establish trust and see beyond the house colors.

Suspense, battles, action and plotting kept me engaged and the characters make these tales memorable. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep is the 2nd book in her Gargoyle Queen series. I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep, and I couldn’t wait for Tear Down the Throne; I am happy to say I am loving this series.

Tear Down the Throne picks up where it left off in the last book, with Gemma back home in Andvari. Gemma has recovered from her injuries (scars still remain), which her evil enemy Milo inflicted on her. But nothing stops Gemma from continuing spying on Milo, as well as Maeven, to learn what they are up to; especially with Milo’s use of the tearstone. Gemma always has her friend Reiko, who is also a spy, with her when they investigate; I really liked how close Gemma and Reiko were. Slowly, Gemma learns to use her magical powers, which begin to increase.

The annual Summit is upon us, with all royals from various kingdoms gathering to make trades. Gemma knows she will come face to face with Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta, as well as her evil son, Prince Milo, and Prince Leonidas (the man she truly cares for), whom she feels betrayed her during her capture. Determined to ignore Leo, Gemma knows this will be heard, as they both have strong feelings for each other; the caveat is that they are both from warring kingdoms. I really loved Gemma and Leo together, and prayed they would find a way.

Queen Maeven is up to her old tricks, and invokes an old tradition that threatens the fragile truce between all other kingdoms. This will also push Gemma and Leo closer together, even if she continues to deny her feelings; they begin to work together to try and see what Milo is planning, to destroy his mother, and assume control of Morta, and all kingdoms, including Andvari.

What follows is an exciting, tense, wild last half of the book that had me on the edge of my seat. Gemma was an amazing heroine, as she continues utilize her growing power, especially against another dangerous enemy. The wild crazy climax was a thrill a minute, with all their lives in danger and me holding my breath to see if she would survive. At one point near the end, with her life on the line, Gemma rises up with help from her loyal gargoyles and friends. To say too much more would be spoilers. I will say this was non-stop action from start to finish, with magic, mystery, political intrigue, suspense, mystery, and some surprises along the way.

Jennifer Estep has given us another fantastic story, filled with, magic, mystery, betrayal, espionage; as well as a slow burn romance that beings to opening move forward. Tear Down the Throne was so very well written by Estep, which is no surprise, as I love all her books. I cannot wait for the next book. If you enjoy fantasy, you need to start reading the Gargoyle Queen series, which you should start with the first book, Capture the Crown.

TEAR DOWN THE THRONE is the second instalment in Jennifer Estep’s adult, GARGOYLE QUEEN dystopian, fantasy series, a spin off from the author’s CROWN OF SHARDS series. The Gargoyle Queen trilogy focuses on the secondary characters originally introduced in the Crown of Shards series. This is twenty-nine year old, Andvari Princess Gemma Ripley, and Mortan Prince Leonidis Morricone’s story line. TEAR DOWN THE THRONE should not be read as a stand alone as some of the events in the current time line are as of a direct result of the events in book one CAPTURE THE CROWN but the author does recap some of the history and background using memories and reflections.

SOME BACKGROUND: Sixteen years earlier, Gemma Ripley lost everything including the ability to control her magic the day Queen Maeven declared war on her family, killing her mother, and destroying her heart in the process. As Gemma’s ‘mind magic’ becomes more powerful than she could have ever imagined, our heroine struggles to forgive and forget, knowing she will one day have to destroy the people who destroyed her life, including the man that she loves.

NOTE: If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from first person perspective (Princess Gemma) TEAR DOWN THE THRONE continues to focus on Princess Gemma Ripley as she tries to uncover the truth behind the mining and disappearance of the magical ‘tearstone’ in Mortan territory. Weeks earlier, working as a spy, Gemma went undercover in enemy territory but found herself imprisoned and tortured by the Mortan family, a direct result of betrayal by the man she once loved, Mortan Prince Leonidis ‘Leo’ Morricone. With the approach of the yearly Summit, a gathering of Royal families and Kingdoms, Gemma knows she will have to face her torturers and the man she once loved but our heroine will be blindsided when Queen Maeven demands Gemma enter into a marriage with her son Leo, a marriage that would unite two powerful Kingdoms. When Gemma refuses, Maeven invokes the ‘Ungerian Gauntlet’, a series of challenges that will prove her son Leo is a worthy suitor but Gemma suspects Maeven is sentencing her son to die, a ‘legal’ murder to be enacted in front of hundreds of people. All is not well within the Kingdom of Morricone, as not only is Gemma a target of several assassination attempts during the Summit but so too, is Queen Maeven and Prince Leonidis. Meanwhile, Prince Leonidis’ brother Crown Prince Milo, who is a prime suspect in the numerous attempts of assassination against our story line heroine, has been conducting a series of experiments, years of experiments that will directly affect someone close to the Ripley family. What ensues is Prince Leonidis attempts to win the Gauntlet as Gemma begins another investigation into the attempts on her life, and Queen Maeven’s desire to invoke the Gauntlet, only to realize betrayal comes from more than one Kingdom, and from within, as well.

Once again , the world building is intricate, complex and detailed. The story line and premise is familiar and similar to the author’s CROWN OF SHARDS series, as well as her ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series including the use of ‘elemental’ magic, corresponding characters and history, powerful metal and stones, violence directed at the story line heroine and her family; Gemma’s rag tag team of warriors and friends, and the evil Maeven and her dysfunctional family whose goal is to ultimately rule and take over every territory and Kingdom, while destroying Gemma and everyone she loves.

As per my previous review, there continues to be an overwhelming use of the words purple (71 times) and violet (54 times) pertaining to the Mortan Kingdom’s Royal colors, eye color, and world as a whole.

TEAR DOWN THE THRONE is another intriguing story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is captivating but the ongoing use of real world / modern day vernacular is distracting; the characters are charismatic, magical and powerful including fellow spy and dragon shifter Reiko Yamato, gargoyles Grimley (Gemma’s familiar), Fern and newcomer Otto, and strixes Lyra (Leo’s familiar) and Violet; the romance struggles in the face of betrayal and issues of trust; there continues to be no perceived palpable or discernible sexual attraction between our story line couple but saying that, dystopian and urban fantasy ‘style’ story lines do not necessarily focus on the love connection or romances which are often behind the scenes or tertiary to the main story line, although there occasionally is a ‘love match’ for the leading characters.



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I was so excited to receive a copy of this as I loved the Mythos Academy series so much I didn’t even know she had released more books but once I found out of course I had some catching up to do with Capture the crown and when I say this series has not disappointed I can’t wait for the next one. If you have the time to check out this series you will love it!
Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc.

Tear Down the Throne is the second book in the Gargoyle Queen series by Jennifer Estep. A story full of action, suspense, and excitement will keep you turning the pages. This is an exciting read with great characters, plenty of action, and just enough romance. I cannot wait to read more of this exciting series.

The second installment in the Gargoyle Queen series, Tear Down the Throne continues with Princess Gemma reuniting with other kingdoms, namely Queen Maevan and her nemesis Prince Leonidas, at the annual Summit. Queen Maevan makes things interesting when she issues a challenge of sorts—but to what end?

While Capture the Crown was such an enjoyable read for me, Tear Down the Throne grabbed hold of my attention until the last page. I love this world and the characters within it. Seeing Gemma continue to grow into and define her role as Princess (and escape her nickname of Glitzma), as well as try to work out her feelings for Leo, all while trying to figure out Maevan’s long game left me breathless with anticipation. Everyone had secrets and it was a challenge to figure out who was trustworthy.

If you enjoy political intrigue, possible enemies to lovers, romantic inclinations all wrapped up with an epic fantasy bow, then Tear Down the Throne is for you—just remember to start with Capture the Crown first!

Special thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.