Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This takes place in the immediate aftermath of the first book. The Lannon's are imprisoned. Isolde is preparing to deal with their trial and take the throne. The other Houses are starting to return to their rightful homes and doing any necessary rebuilding. Cartier returns to his family home and finds a small child squatting there. The child is injured so he takes care of him and the boy decides to take care of Cartier by becoming his runner. Brienna has been tasked with gathering the grievances of the MacQuinn women but they won't talk to her; in fact many of the MacQuinn are downright mean to her because of who her real father is. They do not trust her or her relationship Jourdian. Brienna, finds out that the one woman who is being nice to her is another half sibling; but Neeve does not know that they are sisters, she's just a good and kind person. Brienna, Luc, Sean, Jourdain, Cartier, and Cartier's ward return to Isolde to prepare for the trials and that's when we find out for certain that the little boy is Declan Lannon's son, Ewan. His sister Keela is also in prison and he wants to save her; he tries to but the prison guard is loyal to Declan and helps him escape and he takes his own children hostage. They try to find him, but fail. Jourdain sends Brienna back home to deal with a problem, but also to "keep her safe" except it was all a ruse and she gets captured. They arrive too late. She is help captive and then when it looks like Isolde is not going to meet Declan's demands he starts torturing Brienna. Cartier et al plan a rescue and they are able to save Brienna and the children, and Cartier kills Declan. While he was torturing her Declan told Brienna that Cartier's mother was alive and it turns out we have seen her, she was the bone sweeper in the dungeon. So Cartier runs back to the palace, wakes Isolde and makes her let him into the dungeon so he can rescue his mother. Fast forward, the Lannon's get executed, except for the children because Brienna talks about how they saved her from Declan. Brienna helps Isolde plan her coronation and Isolde asks Brienna to be her advisor. The ceremony happens. Brienna returns home. Cartier rides a horse into the hall, says this is his gift if Brienna will marry him. She follows the MacQuinn tradition of making her suitors find a gold thread hidden in a tapestry; he spends hours looking and succeeds. They kiss, agree to get married, she calls him by his real name for the first time every, he calls her Lady Morgane, an that's where the book ends. This was a good sequel. It tied up some loose ends. We find out that Isolde is not the last Kavanagh like she thought. Some of Brienna's friends from the first book show up in this one. We get resolution on the Lannon issues and the crowning of a new queen. We see the Houses, some former enemies, being and working together in peace. Plus we get a conclusion to the Brienna/Cartier story. Overall it was enjoyable.