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marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
A good continuation of the story although just as cheesy and a bit outdated as the first one. Overall, a fast, easy and fun series to read.
I received an ecopy of this through Netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this through Netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.
raven168's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I really want to give this book a higher rating because after about half way thru or so, the story got really good. But the thing that just can't let me give it 4 stars was Ryleigh. She was so aggravating for so much of the story. I understand her reasons for most of her decisions, I really do. But that doesn't mean that it didn't tick me off. I just felt like she was being such a spoiled, selfish brat. And it was mostly Jackson that suffered for it. Even when she took charge of things, she was constantly whining about it and wanting Jackson back mostly so that she could put it all on him and run away to go back to the human realm.
I felt really bad for Jackson many times here. He wasn't exactly ready to rule the kingdom and without Ryleigh by his side he's distracted and unable to do what is all required of him. I did like seeing when his temper got the best of him though. It just made him seem that much more realistic.
Mia undoubtedly has gotten stronger. But even so it really seems like Ryleigh can't stop treating her like a child. Which, if I were Mia, would kind of bug me. Isn't she, like, 16 now? Sometimes it seemed more like she was 10 with the way she was treated.
Ryleigh and Mia have been staying in the human realm and Ryleigh seems content to stay there for as long as she can/wants. While all Jackson can think about is her and how he needs her by his side. When something happens where she's staying, she has no choice but to go back to Cymmera with him though. Things are not peaceful there for long. When something goes missing from Ryleigh's rooms and she's sent to retrieve it on her own, everything falls into place for the bad guys. Ryleigh is ill prepared for what happens to her, but she eventually finds a companion that was pretty freakin' cool. While she was missing, Jackson was trying to decide what's most important for him to do. And in doing so could have easily lost everything. Things go from bad to worse for him, but it also leads to him finally acknowledging what was given to him by his father to make him the best king he could be. Things most definitely seem hopeless to him at a point, but Ryleigh has finally decided to step into her role as queen and take charge to rescue him and Mia who was also taken. It's hard for her to ignore all the things clearly marking her as their queen when they all seem to fall into place. And I was thrilled that by the end she finally accepts this and decides to stay there with Jackson.
It was painfully obvious to the reader who the traitor was, so it was frustrating when nobody realized it. Especially when Jackson even would have suspicious thoughts just to easily dismiss them. But at the same time, it's easy to see how those close could be so blind to it.
Jackson does something incredibly stupid at the very end that I don't quite get why it was in the story. There was no way at all that it could have gone well for him and, to me, it didn't really add anything to the story. Especially when it could have gone so wrong. But we do know where the story is going to be leading and I am looking forward to getting more.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
I really want to give this book a higher rating because after about half way thru or so, the story got really good. But the thing that just can't let me give it 4 stars was Ryleigh. She was so aggravating for so much of the story. I understand her reasons for most of her decisions, I really do. But that doesn't mean that it didn't tick me off. I just felt like she was being such a spoiled, selfish brat. And it was mostly Jackson that suffered for it. Even when she took charge of things, she was constantly whining about it and wanting Jackson back mostly so that she could put it all on him and run away to go back to the human realm.
I felt really bad for Jackson many times here. He wasn't exactly ready to rule the kingdom and without Ryleigh by his side he's distracted and unable to do what is all required of him. I did like seeing when his temper got the best of him though. It just made him seem that much more realistic.
Mia undoubtedly has gotten stronger. But even so it really seems like Ryleigh can't stop treating her like a child. Which, if I were Mia, would kind of bug me. Isn't she, like, 16 now? Sometimes it seemed more like she was 10 with the way she was treated.
Ryleigh and Mia have been staying in the human realm and Ryleigh seems content to stay there for as long as she can/wants. While all Jackson can think about is her and how he needs her by his side. When something happens where she's staying, she has no choice but to go back to Cymmera with him though. Things are not peaceful there for long. When something goes missing from Ryleigh's rooms and she's sent to retrieve it on her own, everything falls into place for the bad guys. Ryleigh is ill prepared for what happens to her, but she eventually finds a companion that was pretty freakin' cool. While she was missing, Jackson was trying to decide what's most important for him to do. And in doing so could have easily lost everything. Things go from bad to worse for him, but it also leads to him finally acknowledging what was given to him by his father to make him the best king he could be. Things most definitely seem hopeless to him at a point, but Ryleigh has finally decided to step into her role as queen and take charge to rescue him and Mia who was also taken. It's hard for her to ignore all the things clearly marking her as their queen when they all seem to fall into place. And I was thrilled that by the end she finally accepts this and decides to stay there with Jackson.
It was painfully obvious to the reader who the traitor was, so it was frustrating when nobody realized it. Especially when Jackson even would have suspicious thoughts just to easily dismiss them. But at the same time, it's easy to see how those close could be so blind to it.
Jackson does something incredibly stupid at the very end that I don't quite get why it was in the story. There was no way at all that it could have gone well for him and, to me, it didn't really add anything to the story. Especially when it could have gone so wrong. But we do know where the story is going to be leading and I am looking forward to getting more.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
anabbesteves's review against another edition
5.0
*Book aquired through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Ryleigh Donovan is not only a Princess of Cymmera but she's also fated to be it's Queen, the only thing that's strange is that her "boyfriend", Jackson is it's King and that scares her.
Trying to understand a Kingdom that's entirely new to her while also taking care of her sister and working on her relationship with Jackson.
When a magic relic disappears Ryleigh has to go out and search for it leaving Jackson alone in his new position as King of Cymmera. Jackson finds out she's gone and want's to go out and search for her, but can he leave his kingdom and home to search for his heart?
I was so glad this book came out (and that I was able to read it early) because I really wanted to see what the future had in store for Ryleigh, Jackson, Mia and their friends.
This book had the exact mesures of excitement, delusion, loss and happiness making it a very pleasurable read and keeping me excited! The Kingdom of Cymmera is getting even better than before and the characthers are faced with true dilemmas and have very real problems that make you connect with him and feel like you are one of them once again.
The sci-fi-ish aspect of the book, with the parallel universe is standing out even more and the magical aspect keeps giving it amazing qualities that allowed the author to create awesome creatures that steal your breath away!
People who love magical adventurous with a love interest and a tastefull dose of reallity will certainly love this book and, if you don't like the things listed before, you can always give it a try!
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt/2015/10/lost-princess-kingdom-of-cymmera-2-by.html
Ryleigh Donovan is not only a Princess of Cymmera but she's also fated to be it's Queen, the only thing that's strange is that her "boyfriend", Jackson is it's King and that scares her.
Trying to understand a Kingdom that's entirely new to her while also taking care of her sister and working on her relationship with Jackson.
When a magic relic disappears Ryleigh has to go out and search for it leaving Jackson alone in his new position as King of Cymmera. Jackson finds out she's gone and want's to go out and search for her, but can he leave his kingdom and home to search for his heart?
I was so glad this book came out (and that I was able to read it early) because I really wanted to see what the future had in store for Ryleigh, Jackson, Mia and their friends.
This book had the exact mesures of excitement, delusion, loss and happiness making it a very pleasurable read and keeping me excited! The Kingdom of Cymmera is getting even better than before and the characthers are faced with true dilemmas and have very real problems that make you connect with him and feel like you are one of them once again.
The sci-fi-ish aspect of the book, with the parallel universe is standing out even more and the magical aspect keeps giving it amazing qualities that allowed the author to create awesome creatures that steal your breath away!
People who love magical adventurous with a love interest and a tastefull dose of reallity will certainly love this book and, if you don't like the things listed before, you can always give it a try!
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt/2015/10/lost-princess-kingdom-of-cymmera-2-by.html
liferhi_inspired's review against another edition
5.0
Lost Princess is the second book in the Kingdom of Cymmera series, and I high recommend that you read the book in order to get the full enjoyment out of them.
While the YA genre is not normally my thing, I have really enjoyed this series. With no sexual content in this book other than a couple small make-out scenes, it's great for fantasy readers of all age.
During the Reluctant Prince, we learned that there was at least one traitor within the Kingdom of Cymmera and there is hint of yet another. During the Lost Princess, all of the traitors are finally ousted and the fight to gain control over Cymmera has begun. All of the characters that you loved in the Reluctant Prince are back and better than ever. For me one of the flaws with Reluctant Prince was that they treated 14y/o Mia like a fragile child, however she begins to blossom in this book and we see her in a new light.
This story is easy to read, action packed, and entertaining. Ryleigh is finally understanding her role in Cymmera and at Jackson's side. If you thought that she was strong during the first book, she really comes into her own in the Lost Princess.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions*
While the YA genre is not normally my thing, I have really enjoyed this series. With no sexual content in this book other than a couple small make-out scenes, it's great for fantasy readers of all age.
During the Reluctant Prince, we learned that there was at least one traitor within the Kingdom of Cymmera and there is hint of yet another. During the Lost Princess, all of the traitors are finally ousted and the fight to gain control over Cymmera has begun. All of the characters that you loved in the Reluctant Prince are back and better than ever. For me one of the flaws with Reluctant Prince was that they treated 14y/o Mia like a fragile child, however she begins to blossom in this book and we see her in a new light.
This story is easy to read, action packed, and entertaining. Ryleigh is finally understanding her role in Cymmera and at Jackson's side. If you thought that she was strong during the first book, she really comes into her own in the Lost Princess.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions*
umbreen's review against another edition
2.0
I received a digital edition of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Let me begin by saying that I didn't realize this was the second in a series when I requested it. I suppose things made sense without reading the first, but I probably wouldn't have requested it if I knew it was the second and I wouldn't normally have read it without reading the first. The next thing I have to say is that I did not finish this novel. I read about a third of the way through and had to stop. I will be using this review to explain why I stopped.
To begin with, I will say that I thought the premise was interesting. The description of the story made me excited to read it at first.
My main complaint was with the two main characters, Ryleigh and Jackson. From what I saw, Ryleigh is completely useless. All she did was complain and cry about things she didn't seem to really understand in the first place. As for Jackson, he is hot-tempered in the most unattractive way possible, and he seems to make a big deal about how nobody understands his struggles even though he never actually seems to do anything. (Again, I only read a little more than a third of the way through, so maybe he changes?) He also came across as slightly abusive and misogynistic, and I doubt that was what the author intended. None of the side characters were particularly interesting.
The writing itself is okay. It didn't do much to keep my interest, but there wasn't anything particularly bad about it, except maybe that it was on the simplistic side. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I haven't read the complete novel nor have I read the first in the series, and I thought it deserved the benefit of the doubt. Aside from that, I thought the premise of another realm that kills people in the human world in order to make them into their own soldiers and the other fantasy aspects in general were very creative and interesting.
Personally, I didn't feel like completing it was worth my time, but I could see how other people enjoyed it.
Let me begin by saying that I didn't realize this was the second in a series when I requested it. I suppose things made sense without reading the first, but I probably wouldn't have requested it if I knew it was the second and I wouldn't normally have read it without reading the first. The next thing I have to say is that I did not finish this novel. I read about a third of the way through and had to stop. I will be using this review to explain why I stopped.
To begin with, I will say that I thought the premise was interesting. The description of the story made me excited to read it at first.
My main complaint was with the two main characters, Ryleigh and Jackson. From what I saw, Ryleigh is completely useless. All she did was complain and cry about things she didn't seem to really understand in the first place. As for Jackson, he is hot-tempered in the most unattractive way possible, and he seems to make a big deal about how nobody understands his struggles even though he never actually seems to do anything. (Again, I only read a little more than a third of the way through, so maybe he changes?) He also came across as slightly abusive and misogynistic, and I doubt that was what the author intended. None of the side characters were particularly interesting.
The writing itself is okay. It didn't do much to keep my interest, but there wasn't anything particularly bad about it, except maybe that it was on the simplistic side. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I haven't read the complete novel nor have I read the first in the series, and I thought it deserved the benefit of the doubt. Aside from that, I thought the premise of another realm that kills people in the human world in order to make them into their own soldiers and the other fantasy aspects in general were very creative and interesting.
Personally, I didn't feel like completing it was worth my time, but I could see how other people enjoyed it.
my_expanding_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Lost Princess. It was a really great continuation of the story started in Reluctant Prince. In fact, I enjoyed it slightly more than the first book.
Lost Princess begins almost exactly where Reluctant Prince finishes and the action starts just pages in. It's great! There's no dragged-out build-up. You are thrown right into the story and because of this I only put it down once and only because it was so late. The suspense was just brilliant!
Once again the story is told via the alternating perspectives of Ryleigh and Jackson. Therefore, we continue to see the whole story as it progresses as Ryleigh and Jackson spend a lot of time apart during Lost Princess. This also makes it harder to suss out who exactly has betrayed Jackson by working alongside Kai. Although, I did have it narrowed down before the big reveal.
Lost Princess is a fairly fast paced read with lots of action. There were also plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. Some plot lines aren't completely tied up and there is a slight cliff-hanger however I'm sure these will be handled in the nest instalment of the series.
I did once again really enjoy the characters. Particularly Ryliegh and Jackson. Ryleigh really does come “into her own” and accepts her role in Cymmera. She can be quite a fierce leader as not only can she be strategic but she also really cares about people.
Jackson is still struggling with his father’s death as it has only been a few days (I thin) however he is getting there slowly. This, to me, shows that he is "only human" (for lack of a better term as he is immortal). I really felt for him in terms of the betrayal and his confusion as he doesn't know he to trust.
I also liked that Ryleigh and Jackson clashed quite a bit in Lost Princess. It shows that they aren’t the perfect couple and there will be instances when they will have to agree to disagree. I think it also shows how little they actually know each other too.
However, as I said in my review of Reluctant Prince, I do wish there was more description. It would fill the story out a bit more and the world building would be so much better for it. Even so it is still a pretty cool world/dimension.
I would definitely recommend the Kingdom of Cymmera series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with a dash of romance. However, I believe "hard-core" fans of fantasy could be let down by the lack of description but it's still a really good read.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in the series and will definitely be keeping my eye out for more by Dani-Lyn Alexander.
I received a copy of Lost Princess via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
Lost Princess begins almost exactly where Reluctant Prince finishes and the action starts just pages in. It's great! There's no dragged-out build-up. You are thrown right into the story and because of this I only put it down once and only because it was so late. The suspense was just brilliant!
Once again the story is told via the alternating perspectives of Ryleigh and Jackson. Therefore, we continue to see the whole story as it progresses as Ryleigh and Jackson spend a lot of time apart during Lost Princess. This also makes it harder to suss out who exactly has betrayed Jackson by working alongside Kai. Although, I did have it narrowed down before the big reveal.
Lost Princess is a fairly fast paced read with lots of action. There were also plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. Some plot lines aren't completely tied up and there is a slight cliff-hanger however I'm sure these will be handled in the nest instalment of the series.
I did once again really enjoy the characters. Particularly Ryliegh and Jackson. Ryleigh really does come “into her own” and accepts her role in Cymmera. She can be quite a fierce leader as not only can she be strategic but she also really cares about people.
Jackson is still struggling with his father’s death as it has only been a few days (I thin) however he is getting there slowly. This, to me, shows that he is "only human" (for lack of a better term as he is immortal). I really felt for him in terms of the betrayal and his confusion as he doesn't know he to trust.
I also liked that Ryleigh and Jackson clashed quite a bit in Lost Princess. It shows that they aren’t the perfect couple and there will be instances when they will have to agree to disagree. I think it also shows how little they actually know each other too.
However, as I said in my review of Reluctant Prince, I do wish there was more description. It would fill the story out a bit more and the world building would be so much better for it. Even so it is still a pretty cool world/dimension.
I would definitely recommend the Kingdom of Cymmera series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with a dash of romance. However, I believe "hard-core" fans of fantasy could be let down by the lack of description but it's still a really good read.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in the series and will definitely be keeping my eye out for more by Dani-Lyn Alexander.
I received a copy of Lost Princess via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
eloiseinparis's review
2.0
Unfortunately this book was not an improvement from the first. I prefer a stronger female lead and more supportive male lead.
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