Rating: 7.5/10
Favorite Characters: Florencia and Akeylah
So, I’m going to review these together because, frankly, I have difficulty differentiating between the two I blew through them so fast. I basically binged them. As you can clearly already tell, these books are captivating- and kind of addicting. In these fantasy books, following the death of the only heir to the throne of Kolonya, the king’s death threatens to plunge the country into instability. However, as a final gambit, he claims three of his illegitimate daughters and declares that one of them will take the throne. However, Zofi, Akeylah, and Florencia (Ren) all have terrible secrets that could get them killed. As they begin the competition, they find that they have more in common than they thought as they struggle against a mysterious blackmailer. All three girls have amazing character development, finding their purpose as the books go on. The blackmailer reveal is not a letdown, and was definitely a surprise. This fantasy book not only heavily features a page-turning mystery, but is also colored by the beautiful relationships between the characters. The romantic relationships are beautifully written, as are the platonic ones, but the most moving and captivating relationships in the book are familial.
Bookworm's Haven 