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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I just love Leia Stone! This is the 2nd series I am reading of hers and I can’t get enough of the stories she writes! This specific book follows Raife as he navigates king hood without his family as they were killed off my the nightfall Queen. He thinks he is incapable of loving again but little does he know, Kailani changes all of that. Read the book to see what happens with their relationship and the nightfall queen
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
A charming easy read. A fairy tale that read as a 1930's black and white fantasy movie, I swear I could see the likes of Errol Flynn playing Raife!
**A veery 'safe' read.
**A veery 'safe' read.
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-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
In Book 2 of the Kings of Avelier series, we follow Raife Lightstone and Kailana Duane. Raife was introduced back in The Last Dragon King, and I loved how this installment picked up during the same timeline as Book 1, while giving us a whole new perspective that leads right up to its ending.
I have to say, I feel like Stone’s writing really leveled up in this book. The core style and pacing are still the same—short, fast, and easy to read—but the world-building was much stronger this time around. I even caught myself pausing during certain descriptions, thinking, “Yes, I can perfectly picture this.”
Spoilers for Book 1 ahead: In the first book, we learned that Raife, King of the Elves, has a deeply personal reason to kill the Nightfall Queen—she murdered his entire family. In this book, Stone doesn’t just remind us of that fact; she gives us the weight of it. We see how it still shapes his choices, his grief, and his walls when it comes to trusting and loving again.
Kailani’s unknown abilities make her an ideal match for him. She doesn’t need him to voice his pain—she can sense it, understand it, and meet him there. Her own backstory is heartbreaking in its own right. Raised with her father’s journal warning that without training her magic would fade, she never even knew the full scope of her powers. Her need for revenge against the Nightfall Queen is just as strong as Raife’s, which makes their pairing feel natural.
I really enjoyed both Raife and Kailani as characters. Stone gave them the space to shine individually and grow together. Their histories might not be more tragic than the couple in Book 1, but they felt more relatable, which made their arcs hit harder for me.
Overall, I’d absolutely recommend this—especially to anyone who read Book 1 but wasn’t completely sold. Book 2 takes everything up a notch. I finished it in two days, and I’m still thinking about Raife and Kailani.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
The second book of the series is so so good, I loved it even more than the first one. It was so full of angst, sadness, trauma, and finally, love. Raife was such a good MMC, and I loved seeing his character develop and his walls break down. He had an incredibly rough life and completely shut everything and everyone out, but still, there was so much goodness and kindness in him, and above all, fear of not losing anybody he cared about ever again. All in all, I'm truly enjoying the series and will gladly finish all four books.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story was intriguing. The plot kept pulling me in and leaving me to wonder what was going to happen next.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes