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ashley_apairofreaders's review
5.0
Lady of the Drowned Empire might be my favorite of the series so far.
Lyr has really come into her own -- despite the numerous curveballs that keep being thrown her way. She's dealing with a lot, but she's starting to act from a place of power and empowerment rather than the place of fear you see in book one. It is such a transformation for her. As for Rhyan -- that man could whisk me away to the ends of the Earth. He just gets better and better. I love that Frankie continues to give us little nuggets of current Rhyan and who Rhyan was. It makes for the most delicious MMC.
The plot in this one is part political intrigue and part action-adventure -- and I was hooked. Honestly, I had a bit of a hangover after reading this one. A new POV is also introduced in this book -- and I loved the addition (something I do not normally go for). I think this new POV added a new layer to the story. It also made for the most WTF cliffhanger ending.
Lyr has really come into her own -- despite the numerous curveballs that keep being thrown her way. She's dealing with a lot, but she's starting to act from a place of power and empowerment rather than the place of fear you see in book one. It is such a transformation for her. As for Rhyan -- that man could whisk me away to the ends of the Earth. He just gets better and better. I love that Frankie continues to give us little nuggets of current Rhyan and who Rhyan was. It makes for the most delicious MMC.
The plot in this one is part political intrigue and part action-adventure -- and I was hooked. Honestly, I had a bit of a hangover after reading this one. A new POV is also introduced in this book -- and I loved the addition (something I do not normally go for). I think this new POV added a new layer to the story. It also made for the most WTF cliffhanger ending.
shadowmaster13's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kweppler's review against another edition
5.0
The books just keep raising the stakes and blowing up my expectations! I loved the new POV from Morgana & the development of gods/goddesses. It did take me a bit to piece together who Moriel was but omg when it was CONFIRMED I screamed!
readsbymoonlight's review
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
jinxei's review
5.0
For him, she’s brighter than the brightest star in Heaven.
Lady of the Drowned Empire picks up immediately where Guardian left off in the aftermath of betrayal where Lyr and her sister lives are now in disarray.
First, thank you Frankie for delivering after all this slow burn and tension for several books. All of the buildup finally explodes into what we have all been waiting for over the course of the series and it was hard not to scream and kick my feet in delight. However, I found it perfectly balanced with the story and just seasoned it nicely.
Frankie is an expert when it comes to story and world building. The court dynamics and intrigue actually has me interested in the politics of the world instead of feeling bogged down with an overload of information. Each twist and turn and betrayal is executed so beautifully leaving you feeling as if punched in the gut and unable to breathe. I knew the stakes were high, but the wait to the next book might actually kill me.
I loved the new POV and felt it expanded upon the story and information as opposed to overloading it.
As usual, I’ll be here dying for the next addition and begging Frankie for an earlier release.
Thank you as always to Frankie for an ARC to review.
Lady of the Drowned Empire picks up immediately where Guardian left off in the aftermath of betrayal where Lyr and her sister lives are now in disarray.
First, thank you Frankie for delivering after all this slow burn and tension for several books. All of the buildup finally explodes into what we have all been waiting for over the course of the series and it was hard not to scream and kick my feet in delight. However, I found it perfectly balanced with the story and just seasoned it nicely.
Frankie is an expert when it comes to story and world building. The court dynamics and intrigue actually has me interested in the politics of the world instead of feeling bogged down with an overload of information. Each twist and turn and betrayal is executed so beautifully leaving you feeling as if punched in the gut and unable to breathe. I knew the stakes were high, but the wait to the next book might actually kill me.
I loved the new POV and felt it expanded upon the story and information as opposed to overloading it.
As usual, I’ll be here dying for the next addition and begging Frankie for an earlier release.
Thank you as always to Frankie for an ARC to review.
_kathyxo's review
5.0
4.5 ⭐️ only bc it was getting a bit repetitive. They just kept getting hurt and then caring for each over and over again lol. Buttttt the change in pov’s was so good and the ending was AMAZING!!!
“Hello, Kitten”… why was I immediately obsessed. I needed more than what was given!
Anyways the book was great as usual. The only thing is I wish it was a bit more fast pace? Maybe bc the events in this book felt repetitive but I just need more to happen.
“Hello, Kitten”… why was I immediately obsessed. I needed more than what was given!
Anyways the book was great as usual. The only thing is I wish it was a bit more fast pace? Maybe bc the events in this book felt repetitive but I just need more to happen.
rebareads27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aprhodes's review
5.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Main Character: Lyr. Goodness, just when you think she can't go through more, she goes through it in this book. I love her and wish I could keep her safe from everything bad that happens to her in this book, just like a certain soturion.
Love Interest: Rhyan. Seriously, this author ruins all other book boyfriends for me. Has there ever been a better character? He's kind, he's supportive, and he's emotionally intelligent. He always asks for consent and always gives Lyr agency. I don't want to spoil all of the good scenes, but if you liked the picnic scene in the last book as much as I did, there are many more scenes like that in this book.
Romance: The romance is heart-wrenching as always. There are so many emotional highs and lows, and my heart ached with their yearning. There is so much depth to this relationship, and I love seeing it grow and change over time. At the core, these two people love each other, but they still struggle to be together because of external circumstances and inner demons. I think this stage of a relationship can be hard for an author to write, and I'm very grateful she did not break them up just for artificial tension. Instead, we get to see them together, being supportive and loving partners even during tough times.
Relationship Status at Book End:
Tropes:
• Bodyguard Romance
• Forbidden Romance
• Reincarnation
• Twists & Betrayals
• The Spicy Scenes We've All Been Waiting For
What Worked for Me:
Main Character: Lyr. Goodness, just when you think she can't go through more, she goes through it in this book. I love her and wish I could keep her safe from everything bad that happens to her in this book, just like a certain soturion.
Love Interest: Rhyan. Seriously, this author ruins all other book boyfriends for me. Has there ever been a better character? He's kind, he's supportive, and he's emotionally intelligent. He always asks for consent and always gives Lyr agency. I don't want to spoil all of the good scenes, but if you liked the picnic scene in the last book as much as I did, there are many more scenes like that in this book.
Romance: The romance is heart-wrenching as always. There are so many emotional highs and lows, and my heart ached with their yearning. There is so much depth to this relationship, and I love seeing it grow and change over time. At the core, these two people love each other, but they still struggle to be together because of external circumstances and inner demons. I think this stage of a relationship can be hard for an author to write, and I'm very grateful she did not break them up just for artificial tension. Instead, we get to see them together, being supportive and loving partners even during tough times.
Relationship Status at Book End:
Spoiler
In love, fully committed, although they must keep their relationship secret from most.Tropes:
• Bodyguard Romance
• Forbidden Romance
• Reincarnation
• Twists & Betrayals
• The Spicy Scenes We've All Been Waiting For
What Worked for Me:
shainna619's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5