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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
If you prefer the light and fluffy, fast-n-furious side of romance with the hint of a fairy tale retelling, you'll likely enjoy this instalment of the Andari Chronicles more than I did. I was really down with the whole slow-burn/court politics of books 1 and 3, and the twisted creativity of 2. This one feels like a different series, albeit it has many references to past characters without prior knowledge of might leave you a bit confused.
We're reunited with Brenna Seagrave, now a countess as well as a spy, and she's not best pleased by her newfound privileged life. Her brother Kyril's off abroad with his wife, her remaining brother is an ass, her supposedly scheming father's missing, and to top it off, every man at court seems to have set his eye upon her hand in marriage. Brenna needs to get away, and when her estranged mother asks her to come to stay, she (sort of) jumps at the chance. Even if the woman consented to give her away at birth, maybe they can kindle some kind of relationship... Ha! A nosey neighbouring lord, a familiar assassin and a whole heap of trouble await.
I so wanted to like Brenna, but felt like we never really got to know her well, nor any of the side characters. There's more time spent telling than showing when it comes to interactions, and then more time spent inside characters' heads as they discuss with themselves how they feel. I was hoping for another [b:Traitor's Masque|28193548|Traitor's Masque (Andari Chronicles, #1)|Kenley Davidson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560296803l/28193548._SY75_.jpg|47951865] when it came to the relationship between Brenna and Louise, but there are very few scenes between them to flesh things out. The romance similarly doesn't get much time to grow. It felt too fast and forced into being. I guess I also just didn't get the characters; why were these spies and assassins so chatty with each other, sometimes in public? They seemed in the dark about each other's existence, but were very quick to divulge everything.
This felt too fast and straight forward. I was so hoping for one of those big Andari Chronicle twists that made the tweaked retellings so original. There is a sort of twist regarding the characters more than the fairy tale, but I found it was rather confusing and more reliant on us caring about previous characters not present in this book. The setting didn't feel as fleshed out. I wanted everything to slow down and build up more like some of those earlier stories.
Sorry Brenna, I guess your story wasn't one for me.
We're reunited with Brenna Seagrave, now a countess as well as a spy, and she's not best pleased by her newfound privileged life. Her brother Kyril's off abroad with his wife, her remaining brother is an ass, her supposedly scheming father's missing, and to top it off, every man at court seems to have set his eye upon her hand in marriage. Brenna needs to get away, and when her estranged mother asks her to come to stay, she (sort of) jumps at the chance. Even if the woman consented to give her away at birth, maybe they can kindle some kind of relationship... Ha! A nosey neighbouring lord, a familiar assassin and a whole heap of trouble await.
I so wanted to like Brenna, but felt like we never really got to know her well, nor any of the side characters. There's more time spent telling than showing when it comes to interactions, and then more time spent inside characters' heads as they discuss with themselves how they feel. I was hoping for another [b:Traitor's Masque|28193548|Traitor's Masque (Andari Chronicles, #1)|Kenley Davidson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560296803l/28193548._SY75_.jpg|47951865] when it came to the relationship between Brenna and Louise, but there are very few scenes between them to flesh things out. The romance similarly doesn't get much time to grow. It felt too fast and forced into being. I guess I also just didn't get the characters; why were these spies and assassins so chatty with each other, sometimes in public? They seemed in the dark about each other's existence, but were very quick to divulge everything.
This felt too fast and straight forward. I was so hoping for one of those big Andari Chronicle twists that made the tweaked retellings so original
Spoiler
(that the mother was trying to kill Brenna and was so easily caught without any real on screen espionage was a bit... sad)Sorry Brenna, I guess your story wasn't one for me.
The spy who loved me
Brenna is a delight in this book. The intrigue is cleverly done and the ending is absolutely perfect. A romp throughout.
Brenna is a delight in this book. The intrigue is cleverly done and the ending is absolutely perfect. A romp throughout.
I know what I'm getting with the Andari Chronicles at this point, but it's always delightful to see how Davidson will pull it off this time. They are all unusual, creative, and very loose retellings of fairy tales. This one is a retelling of Snow White, but... barely.
The main character Brenna, first of all, is not especially beautiful. She's not a princess, either--she thinks she's a long lost countess, though in a previous book in this series, she was a supporting character who was a spy, and very good at her job, too. She finds court doesn't suit her at all, and she's trying to adjust to her new identity. Meanwhile, someone apparently wants her dead... and she thinks it might be the woman she's just discovered is her mother. Her mother is obsessed with her own youth and beauty, and is trying to snag the "prince" (who isn't a prince, though he does have a title) for herself, though she isn't aware that he, Rom, is actually also a spy.
Brenna, meanwhile, has to flee for her life, pretending to be a bar maid and living with some down-and-out women (in lieu of the dwarves). Her "mother's" ultimate reason for wanting her dead feels a little forced, but it doesn't matter--the structure of the fairy tale itself is reason enough. Brenna is definitely not a damsel in distress, and it turns out this is the very quality that makes her so attractive to Rom.
Like all the stories in the Andari Chronicles, this too ends happily ever after. They're all light reads, entertaining, and clean, which I definitely appreciate!
The main character Brenna, first of all, is not especially beautiful. She's not a princess, either--she thinks she's a long lost countess, though in a previous book in this series, she was a supporting character who was a spy, and very good at her job, too. She finds court doesn't suit her at all, and she's trying to adjust to her new identity. Meanwhile, someone apparently wants her dead... and she thinks it might be the woman she's just discovered is her mother. Her mother is obsessed with her own youth and beauty, and is trying to snag the "prince" (who isn't a prince, though he does have a title) for herself, though she isn't aware that he, Rom, is actually also a spy.
Brenna, meanwhile, has to flee for her life, pretending to be a bar maid and living with some down-and-out women (in lieu of the dwarves). Her "mother's" ultimate reason for wanting her dead feels a little forced, but it doesn't matter--the structure of the fairy tale itself is reason enough. Brenna is definitely not a damsel in distress, and it turns out this is the very quality that makes her so attractive to Rom.
Like all the stories in the Andari Chronicles, this too ends happily ever after. They're all light reads, entertaining, and clean, which I definitely appreciate!
This delightful entry returns us to Brenna and gives us an update on how things have been going for her since she returned from Caelan, and we also get some updates on others involved in that earlier mission. Despite the dark machinations at play, there is a lot of fun intrigue at foot too. Very enjoyable!
Of all the books so far in this series, this one is the most heavy handed with its fairytale symbolism to the point that some of it seemed forced. Brenna’s constant inner dialogue and self discovery was also very heavy handed which started to grate on me as the book went on.
I will say Rommel is my favourite of the love interests so far (forgive me, Kyril) but probably because he reminds me of my husband—disclaimer: being threatened with a knife should not be turn on, but we stan a supportive king.
I will say Rommel is my favourite of the love interests so far (forgive me, Kyril) but probably because he reminds me of my husband—disclaimer: being threatened with a knife should not be turn on, but we stan a supportive king.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved Brenna and her strength as the FMC, her wit and presence are great! She and Rom made a great pairing. I felt that the writing/ story felt rushed. It's almost half the length of others in this series and felt it which was unfortunate. A fun read, just wish it had been fleshed a bit more in keeping with the others.
Intrigue, romance, and clean
Great characters - no damsels in distress (at least not really), fun banter, and falling for personalities and their capabilities. I love stories with great plot lines, interesting characters, no doormats, and that are clean. Highly recommend
Great characters - no damsels in distress (at least not really), fun banter, and falling for personalities and their capabilities. I love stories with great plot lines, interesting characters, no doormats, and that are clean. Highly recommend
I really enjoyed this story. This is my favorite so far in this series.
Content: clean- some violence, a couple swear words
Content: clean- some violence, a couple swear words
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Despite all of the deceptions, intrigues and attempted murders, this book felt very monotone somehow. So much so that this pacing made me lose interest and I almost abandoned the book early on. I only finished it because it was short, but I skimmed through some of the middle.
There is also a significant competence scale issue — threats to the heroine's life are the book's biggest stakes generating plot point, yet she is positioned early on and in one of the previous books as very competent, self sufficient and capable of evading all sorts of threats and disarming her attackers with ease. So the basic plot mechanics didn't quite work in this book either.
The romantic plot line is better than in the Shadow and Thorn, but much weaker than in the first two books of the series (#1 and #2)
It's a fuller sorry than the original, but not a retelling I liked.
There is also a significant competence scale issue — threats to the heroine's life are the book's biggest stakes generating plot point, yet she is positioned early on and in one of the previous books as very competent, self sufficient and capable of evading all sorts of threats and disarming her attackers with ease. So the basic plot mechanics didn't quite work in this book either.
The romantic plot line is better than in the Shadow and Thorn, but much weaker than in the first two books of the series (#1 and #2)
It's a fuller sorry than the original, but not a retelling I liked.
Enjoyed it
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I loved the banter. It was witty and had me laughing several times.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I loved the banter. It was witty and had me laughing several times.