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A review by leahsbooks
The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike
5.0
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I am providing an honest opinion voluntarily.
TRIGGER WARNING: captivity, gore, war, rape, slavery
After reading The Lost Queen, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. It picks up right where the last book left off - with Languoreth kept captive in her bed chamber as her husband and oldest son go off to attack her brother and his men. Her youngest daughter is in the custody of her brother, training to become a Wisdom Keeper.
The story is told from three points of view, that of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad, which allows the reader to see the story unfold from different perspectives. It does jump back and forth in time a bit, with certain chapters being told out of sequence. At first it threw me for a loop, but each chapter is clearly marked with the point of view and time period. Each character is struggling with their own issues - Languoreth is facing her feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and fear for her loved ones who are on differing sides of the conflict, Lailoken has his own frustration, anger, and guilt, and Angharad deals with the aftermath of exposure to trauma and abandonment.
It was a riveting story that I couldn't put down. I read the entire book in a single day, even as I promised myself that I would try to read it slower and make it last. The amount of historical research is incredible and comes together to make a realistic and detailed story. I could empathize with the characters and the horrifically difficult situations that each were forced to confront. The characters are realistic, well-rounded, and perfectly imperfect, making it easy to empathize with them.
There is a lot of action in the story, and it centers around war and battles. There is a lot of gore and scenes of war, but there's also a focus on healing, family, forgiveness, and nature. I love the series, the character, the setting, and feeling like I've been immersed into 6th century Scotland. I've only just finished the book and I am already looking forward to the final book in the trilogy!
TRIGGER WARNING: captivity, gore, war, rape, slavery
After reading The Lost Queen, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. It picks up right where the last book left off - with Languoreth kept captive in her bed chamber as her husband and oldest son go off to attack her brother and his men. Her youngest daughter is in the custody of her brother, training to become a Wisdom Keeper.
The story is told from three points of view, that of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad, which allows the reader to see the story unfold from different perspectives. It does jump back and forth in time a bit, with certain chapters being told out of sequence. At first it threw me for a loop, but each chapter is clearly marked with the point of view and time period. Each character is struggling with their own issues - Languoreth is facing her feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and fear for her loved ones who are on differing sides of the conflict, Lailoken has his own frustration, anger, and guilt, and Angharad deals with the aftermath of exposure to trauma and abandonment.
It was a riveting story that I couldn't put down. I read the entire book in a single day, even as I promised myself that I would try to read it slower and make it last. The amount of historical research is incredible and comes together to make a realistic and detailed story. I could empathize with the characters and the horrifically difficult situations that each were forced to confront. The characters are realistic, well-rounded, and perfectly imperfect, making it easy to empathize with them.
There is a lot of action in the story, and it centers around war and battles. There is a lot of gore and scenes of war, but there's also a focus on healing, family, forgiveness, and nature. I love the series, the character, the setting, and feeling like I've been immersed into 6th century Scotland. I've only just finished the book and I am already looking forward to the final book in the trilogy!