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Seven Ways to Kill a King
By Melissa Wright
YA Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 264 Pages
August 10, 2020
Summary
She was born a princess. They made her an assassin.
One was an accident. Two a coincidence. By three, they would know. It would be harder, but I would avenge my mother’s death. These kings would pay that price.
Seven cities make up the Storm Queen’s Realm, each of their self-crowned, murderous kings are one of Princess Myrina’s marks. The treasonous curs may have banded together to share a stolen throne, but soon they will fall.
They thought her dead, killed in the massacre. They thought their rule secure, but Myrina of Stormskeep has awoken. With the help of her loyal bloodsworn, the shadow princess of will have her revenge.
For fans of The Witcher and Game of Thrones—a new princess set on vengeance is here to steal your heart.
My Review
SEVEN WAYS TO KILL A KING is a story about a girl who has been a princess in hiding and her journey to retake the kingdom from its usurpers. It's full of likable characters, daring heroics, danger, a bit of magic, and a sweet romance. Definitely recommended to fans of YA fantasy!
I loved the whole premise of this story about a girl who would do anything to set to right her kingdom and put her sister on the throne that belongs to her. I enjoyed the mystery behind the characters as their personalities and backgrounds unfolded throughout the story. It was easy to cheer Miri and Cass on as Miri tried to right previous wrongs. I came to love them both, as well as the light romance that began to grow between them. I appreciated that the romance was not the focal point of the story and that it naturally developed. It first began with their childhood friendship, but became complex during Miri's hiding and then Cass being bloodsworn to protect her. There wasn't ever this overriding romance to what Miri was attempting. It's woven through the story and grows, but the focus was on Miri's mission.
One thing that can be a bit frustrating in fantasy sometimes, particularly in YA, is that things can feel too easy or unrealistic. Wright does not fall into this issue in this story. Miri is young and not as challenged nor experienced as she really needs to be to do what she is attempting to do. She has a guard, but because of the state of things, they have to try to stay unnoticed. She can't travel with an army or anything. It's all about networking and subterfuge. Even then, Miri's inexperience shows and she doesn't do things alone. She can't. She is constantly challenged and always in danger and not everything goes right. I appreciated that this story didn't make her the all-glorious hero. It also wasn't about her being all powerful, but fighting against those who are stronger, more magical and more powerful than she. I figured things out fairly quickly, but there were still so many twists and turns. I would have liked more development in the climatic last challenge, but the ending more than made up for it. Totally a swoon-worthy moment and perfect for these characters.
My only complaint would be that I just wanted more. I wanted more explanation, particularly as to how the bloodsword and magic worked, and no skips in the story when the characters were travelling - or at least a bit more of a transition. I also wanted things a bit more drawn out toward the climax, as I said. None of these really affected my enjoyment, except that I just wasn't quite ready to leave this world and wanted to be immersed in it even more.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I seriously loved reading this! I loved that it was a standalone, which is still rare these days (especially in fantasy). Great characters, an intriguing plot with all the feels, plenty of danger and action, and a sweet romance made for an excellent read. I'm excited to see what comes next from this author!
Content: Some violence and innuendo, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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Ends September 17, 2020
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