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kaatzoetekouw 's review for:
Warrior Princess Assassin
by Brigid Kemmerer
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content warnings are listed below this review.
There once was a Warrior with power to light the world on fire, literally, and he was King to boot - but he really was just one of the guys. Together with his fellow soldiers, Maddox "Ky" Kyronan excelled on the battlefield. But being a fierce warrior does not his people feed, so he'd made the ultimate sacrifice by agreeing to marry a spoiled, haughty princess from neighboring Astranza, known for its plentiful crops and weather magic.
There once was a Princess with a complicated first name (so call her Jory instead), sheltered all her life, loving a boy... Enter her control freak brother Dane, who tried to pull a Viserys Targaryen by agreeing to marry his sister off to some rival nation's brute of a King in hopes of securing said King's army. not once including her in the process. Upon meeting her intended, Jory quickly saw that beneath his veryveryvery handsome exterior was a kind and empathetic personality, making him a rather great catch.
There once was a former young Nobleman, Agile might as well be his middle name (but one may call him Asher), living... well, nowhere in particular, but he regularly, stealthily visited the girl he's loved since they were kids, in a place that used to be his home, until he was exiled, their love surviving it all.
Although. Maybe not. Neither figuratively or literally. See, there was a bit of a snag or two: not only was his girl set to marry some King (and not entirely unhappy about it after meeting him), Asher's career (did I mention he was an Assassin? No?) required him to kill both of them asap. Coin toss: kill him and flee with her OR don't kill him because turns out you fancy him too... Decisions, decisions!
There once was a Princess with a complicated first name (so call her Jory instead), sheltered all her life, loving a boy... Enter her control freak brother Dane, who tried to pull a Viserys Targaryen by agreeing to marry his sister off to some rival nation's brute of a King in hopes of securing said King's army. not once including her in the process. Upon meeting her intended, Jory quickly saw that beneath his veryveryvery handsome exterior was a kind and empathetic personality, making him a rather great catch.
There once was a former young Nobleman, Agile might as well be his middle name (but one may call him Asher), living... well, nowhere in particular, but he regularly, stealthily visited the girl he's loved since they were kids, in a place that used to be his home, until he was exiled, their love surviving it all.
Although. Maybe not. Neither figuratively or literally. See, there was a bit of a snag or two: not only was his girl set to marry some King (and not entirely unhappy about it after meeting him), Asher's career (did I mention he was an Assassin? No?) required him to kill both of them asap. Coin toss: kill him and flee with her OR don't kill him because turns out you fancy him too... Decisions, decisions!
This book is GREAT. Full stop. Kemmerer has made some excellent decisions for this adult novel. First, our three main characters all narrate the story from a first person PoV, and I love that choice for this romance in particular. For me, when I read about a dynamic involving more than two people, it's important to have distinct voices and thorough insight into emotions and thought processes, and the first person perspective helps with that. Ky, Jory and Asher are all well developed, particularly when it comes to the things, the traumas, they've each been through in life, that have shaped them into fierce and (to use a descriptor of significance from the book itself) formidable people today. They are very different from one and other, which means the relationships within the throuple all have a separate background, development, emotional impact.
I love that Kemmerer decided to go MMF for this one, allowing for a bond to develop between the male leads as well. This gives so much more depth to a trio, for these characters in particular. The men couldn't be more different, but some shared experiences allow them to see and understand each other in a way Jory could never, as she's always been too sheltered. The MM element is absolutely vital and is my favorite; their bond ties them all together emotionally.
Another well-considered decision made by the author, is equality and balance between the characters: there are many assumptions made, and our characters... make some messy choices, but there is no real skewed power dynamic at the throuple's core. The journey to them reaching that particular conclusion, them learning to understand each other, is emotional: to see how these characters begin to realize they deserve to be loved. Wow. But it's also a lot of fun. There are chaotic kidnappings (that almost read like hi jinks - there's an endearing clumsiness to their interactions at times), "wait a minute" epiphanies and role reversals that keep the story vibrant and surprising all the way through to the end, even though plot-wise, not a lot happens YET. (I'll get to that in a sec, I'm not done raving about the throuple yet.)
Their mutual respect, equal footing yet conflicting roles means they often clash, but the extra perspective helps set the others straight. No one enables another, not really. Each of them have a dominance, but flavored differently. Each of them knows and shows empathy, but in ways that fit their own life experiences. There is a beautiful balance here and they grow together. Kemmerer's series is named Braided Fate, and it's seriously such an apt name. Ky, Jory and Asher each represent one of the 3 interwoven strands making one stronger braid, each part vital in keeping together the whole, but also making sure individual strands don't unravel by being snuggly tried together. They all truly need each other: none of them being able to choose one over the other is truly believable. THIS is how you write a throuple.
Their romance is slowburn, but the eventual moments of physical connection unfortunately still feel rushed (i.e. insta-lust), which for me doesn't gel with their deep emotional connection. Hence the 4 stars. But what ultimately matters most is the believability of their emotional bond, and things can only go up from here. (Pun... definitely intended.)
Obviously, the book is mostly character / romance focused and driven, and their story continues developing and being surprising all the way through to the end. But there is also an interesting plot centered around the sabotage of the alliance between Incendar (Ky's kingdom) and Astranza (Jory's). And why? A third nation, Draegonis, comes into play, but it's unclear what their role is. The book ends on questions, but REALLY good questions. We as readers get some validation, but Kemmerer simultaneously throws readers for a massive loop that will ensure even higher stakes for our trio when the story continues. I do love it when an author decides to shake things up last minute. I'm excited to read what happens next!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Voyager for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.
Following below is a list of potential (spoilery) Content Warnings:
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Mentions of past (sexual) slavery, past sexual violence/assault, past rape - some of these occurring when the victim was a minor.
Mentions of (past) fire injuries.
Physical and emotional abuse, (war) violence, past parental death, grief, murder.
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Mentions of past (sexual) slavery, past sexual violence/assault, past rape - some of these occurring when the victim was a minor.
Mentions of (past) fire injuries.
Physical and emotional abuse, (war) violence, past parental death, grief, murder.