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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars!
AHHHH! This cliffhanger.
I have to say, this book was iffy. I had issues with the pacing at times, and truthfully it felt a teensy bit repetitive. BUT… I love Rhyan, and I love Mercurial, so they partly redeemed this story for me. Same as the first, the ending really picks up and leaves you with a massive cliffy. The wait is going to kill me
AHHHH! This cliffhanger.
I have to say, this book was iffy. I had issues with the pacing at times, and truthfully it felt a teensy bit repetitive. BUT… I love Rhyan, and I love Mercurial, so they partly redeemed this story for me. Same as the first, the ending really picks up and leaves you with a massive cliffy. The wait is going to kill me
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is just as good as the last, but there's not a ton to celebrate within its pages. I kept expecting that we'd see Lyr come into her power, or for something to happen that gives her a bit of justice against the Imperator or Bastardmaker.
Instead, we're given even more torture and torment. And don't get me wrong, it's <i>fantastic</i> torture and torment (in that it's written well and makes you LOATHE the scumbags responsible), but this book moves slower than I'm used to when it comes to development. In any other trilogy, we'd have seen the 1st love out of the picture by now. There'd have been some major progress with the main character and their previously undiscovered power. We might have even gotten a bit of justice for some of the horrible shit that happens in the previous book (and in this one)... Instead, we're just piling on more and more heartache for our girl and her (real) beau. And honestly... the first 3 quarters of this book can sometimes get repetitive to the point where I couldn't necessarily tell you whether they happened in book 1 or book 2.
We're still watching Lyr pretend to be interested in Tristan for the majority of this book, even while her and Rhyan are growing closer. As I said in my review of book 1, Tristan doesn't seem like a bad guy, exactly. But I don't like how much time we have to spend with the two of them.
We're also seeing Lyr spend a ton of time training. Which is great, but there's not a significant enough change to her character arc to justify spending upwards of 300 pages on it.
And it's not until 1 or 2 chapters from the very end of the book that anything game-changing is actually discovered, both about who the bad guys are and about who our FMC truly is. It really just feels like a LOT of reading, for 2 simultaneous revelations at the very end of the book.
All of this might sound negative...and I know for some people it'll be frustrating. I was frustrated. But I also devoured this book. So while I might not have gotten the plot-progression I was expecting, I didn't regret the time I spent within these pages... do with that what you will.
Instead, we're given even more torture and torment. And don't get me wrong, it's <i>fantastic</i> torture and torment (in that it's written well and makes you LOATHE the scumbags responsible), but this book moves slower than I'm used to when it comes to development. In any other trilogy, we'd have seen the 1st love out of the picture by now. There'd have been some major progress with the main character and their previously undiscovered power. We might have even gotten a bit of justice for some of the horrible shit that happens in the previous book (and in this one)... Instead, we're just piling on more and more heartache for our girl and her (real) beau. And honestly... the first 3 quarters of this book can sometimes get repetitive to the point where I couldn't necessarily tell you whether they happened in book 1 or book 2.
We're still watching Lyr pretend to be interested in Tristan for the majority of this book, even while her and Rhyan are growing closer. As I said in my review of book 1, Tristan doesn't seem like a bad guy, exactly. But I don't like how much time we have to spend with the two of them.
We're also seeing Lyr spend a ton of time training. Which is great, but there's not a significant enough change to her character arc to justify spending upwards of 300 pages on it.
And it's not until 1 or 2 chapters from the very end of the book that anything game-changing is actually discovered, both about who the bad guys are and about who our FMC truly is. It really just feels like a LOT of reading, for 2 simultaneous revelations at the very end of the book.
All of this might sound negative...and I know for some people it'll be frustrating. I was frustrated. But I also devoured this book. So while I might not have gotten the plot-progression I was expecting, I didn't regret the time I spent within these pages... do with that what you will.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
As the second installment of the daughter of the drowned empire series, this book kept me hooked until the end & I can’t wait for the next book. I loved Lyrs growth between the first book & the second and can’t wait to see where she goes in the rest of the series. The tension between Lyr and Rhyan is top tier. The Egypt/Roman influence on the book is clearly felt & is really interesting. If you enjoy books with forbidden romance, slow burn, who did this to you, taking care of wounds, forbidden magic, secret society, and a smart fmc who isn’t a damsel in distress this book is for you.
Frankie has done it again. Once more I was held spellbound by her writing, captivated by her characters and plot. Guardian of the Drowned Empire continues to build on the tension between Lyr and Rhyan as they navigate threats and challenges from the Emperor, the rising rebellion, and the mysterious Afeyan that keeps popping up. Guardian keeps you on your toes, with plot twists that have you RUNNING back to book one to see if the clues were hidden there. For fans of Sarah J Maas and young adult fantasy, add this series to your "to read" list. It will shortly thereafter be added to your "favorites" list.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.