Enemy's Queen: The Aermian Feuds Book 3

After the frustrating cliffhanger of the last book, I wasn't sure what to expect of this one. It was fulfilling in some ways, but OH SO FRUSTRATING in others. Still worth reading if you've been keeping up with the series, but prepare to be on edge.

SPOILERS

First, I did not expect Sage to be in another kingdom for most of the story. She was just beginning to make some progress with Tehl, and the romantic in me was hoping to see more of that. While emotional development did continue for them separately, it wasn't quite in the way I hoped. But that's just me injecting my own hopes and expectations into the story.

Second, trigger warning for this book! It was so uncomfortable to read Sage's story. The warlord of Schythia, Zane, is a pretty complex character, but he is ultimately a very disturbed villain, and every time Sage wanted to grant him the benefit of the doubt, or sympathy of any kind, I wanted to shake her. He claims to love her, and fools her initially into believing that they are friends and he cares for her. But just as in many other controlling relationships with a dominating abusive partner, he uses loving gestures to manipulate her. She went through so much mental anguish in the prior two books that I hated to see it continue for her in this book. But more than that, Zane made me feel like Sage was at risk of losing herself and becoming a husk of a person by the end of it. It felt like she was in so much more danger in this book because she wasn't able to be as resistant and defiant to his methods. Frost did an amazing job making me feel Sage's torment.

One element I loved was how Sage saw a hallucination of Tehl throughout her imprisonment. It showed how much Sage had grown to care for Tehl, even though she hasn't really admitted it to herself until this book. And from Tehl's perspective, it was clear how much of a loss that he felt by her absence.

We finally got to see more of the mysterious Scythia! Before now, we didn't really understand what a formidable enemy we were up against, but from here on out, the danger will feel so much more palpable.

I will say, I am so worried for how Sage will recover. Another testament to Frost's writing that she made we feel for Sage so acutely.

I was a little disappointed with Sage and Tehl's reunion at the end. I wanted just a little more time with them. But lucky for us, this is not the last of the series! I'm looking forward to book 4, and I'm sure I'll devour it as quickly as I did this one.

Amid Stars and Darkness

This book was a quick read simply because I COULD NOT put it down. At no point did I lose interest. The ending is a cliff-hanger, but in a good way. It made me excited for what comes next.

It's a space romance, and thankfully doesn't get bogged down with world-building details. There's enough to give you an idea of how the world works, but the focus is on the character development. Essentially, in this alternate world, there is earth and two alien kingdoms. Delaney, our very human protagonist, in a case of mistaken identity gets abducted into space as an alien princess. Ruckus is her love interest and guard. Trystan is her fiancé, the prince from the other alien kingdom. If she doesn't successfully pose as the princess and fool her fiancé, then war will be the result, and earth will be destroyed.

The heroine is easy to root for. She's strong, but she's also realistic. She's human, and behaves like we'd expect her to, but through her challenges grows to be more sure-footed.

The real draw though is the possibility of a love triangle. Ruckus is an easy choice. He's gorgeous and protective, and so sweet. He's her foundation in unfamiliar territory. It's easy to see why she falls for him. Buuuut I'm not a huge fan of easy.

Which leads me to Trystan. *fans herself* Our protagonist hasn't fallen for him. Not even close. They're enemies, and argue constantly. He's dangerous and volatile, but saves her repeatedly even though he doesn't want to marry her. Despite her appearance as the princess, Lissa Olena, he can still see past her disguise for who she is, though he doesn't understand what he sees. He's not a white knight character, but he's not a villain either. He's got some edge to his goodness, but that makes him all the more appealing. I'm totally rooting for this character!

I'm so curious to see how the story unfolds in the next book. Lissa Olena is definitely not fit to lead her kingdom, and Delaney can't just go back to living the boring life of a human, can she?

Overall, this book was AMAZING and left me wanting to dive straight into the next!