The Forgotten Queen by Kortney Keisel

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 424
Series: Desolation #4
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: Sep. 27, 2021
Rating:

Synopsis:

She’s trying to remember. He’s trying to pretend.

Sydria Hasler is a blank slate. After a tragic accident, her images of the past have vanished. All she wants is to get her memory back and return home—wherever home is. But the more she rebuilds her past, the more she wants to fight for a future with King Marx. Too bad it’s all a sham.

King Marx McKane has never cared about anyone or anything, especially being king. When his father forces him to marry a mysterious woman, he starts taking things seriously. The only way out of his arranged marriage is to pretend that he’s falling in love with his wife. This charade might end up being the most reckless thing Marx has ever done. Is he willing to sacrifice his life and his kingdom to set Sydria free?

Can their fake relationship lead Sydria and Marx to their genuine selves, or will deception cost them their freedom? 

Review:

Fair warning there are spoilers if you haven’t read the first books of the series.

Everything personal to her was blank, not even a shred of a memory or a past.

If you have read the book before this then you know who Sydria is before the revelation that is in this book. Seran is still alive. The book starts nine months after the last book.

I think Seran and Marx are my favorite couple. I wonder which Kingdom is next. There are at least two or three books I think that are supposed to be next. I can’t wait until they come out.

The Stolen Princess by Kortney Keisel

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 366
Series: Desolation #3
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: April 26, 2021
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

She’s falling for a man she hates. He’s betting on her trust.

Princess Mykaleen Adler would do anything to save her dying father. But, when she’s kidnapped by a rival kingdom’s commander, her devotion wavers. Developing feelings for her enemy could destroy her future and her kingdom. Unless her charming captor is the one person telling her the truth. 

Drake Vestry’s focus is on finding King Adler’s deadly weapons. Unfortunately, the only way to the weapons is through the king’s daughter, who happens to be the most distracting and entertaining assignment he’s ever had. Gaining the princess’s trust might mean losing his heart forever.

She’s fighting for her kingdom. He’s committed to his mission. Can they find their way together, or will broken trust be the most destructive weapon of all?

Review:

If you have read the previous book, then Drake is a familiar face.

This isn’t a love story. This is an adventure.

I like Myka. She’s hilarious and I found her to be relatable besides her bad judgment. The banter between Myka and Drake is great. I love a haters-to-lovers story. The bickering always seems better. I don’t know why I have that preference.

You don’t shoot someone just because you’re offended.

I had so many pop culture references that would automatically come to my head. Examples: It’s a flesh wound. Monty Python and the Holy Grail “Tis but a scratch”. Like at any moment, he might lay down on his side and prop his head up, accentuating his biceps and solid chest. Titanic “Draw me like one of your french girls”.

The ending has me in a freaking mess. Like what in the smell! Oh I can’t wait for this next book. I need answers.

The Promised Prince by Kortney Keisel

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 476
Series: Desolation #2
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: Jan. 12th, 2021
Rating: 4

Synopsis:

He’s promised to another. She’s promised to forget him.

Eighteen-year-old Renna Degray is hopeful about love and her future after a chance encounter with a handsome stranger. Until she discovers who the mysterious man is—the Prince of Albion, betrothed to Renna’s stepsister. Now Renna must try to keep her feelings for the prince in check. But he’s not making it easy. The prince is charming, funny, and impossible not to fall for.

Trev has no room for mistakes. He must marry the princess of New Hope and secure the marriage alliance along with his future as king. The safety of his kingdom depends on it. Duty and honor never bothered Trev before, but love has a way of changing everything.

In this post-Desolation world, the Council of Essentials controls everything, including the prince. Is love more than a negotiation?

Is love essential?

Review:

This one was funnier than the last. The connection between Ezra aka Trev and Renna is cute. I love the silly banter and the free talk they have.

At first, the pain was suffocating, but I guess after so many years, I’ve just gotten used to it. Grief sticks with you—it changes and shifts as you grow, but it never leaves you.

Renna’s mom is married to the king of New Hope. She has been living at the government center building for the last four years. She has been trying to deal with the death of her father and living with her stepsister who everyone likes.

Usually, Renna didn’t know what to say to Seran. They were so different. Renna was free-spirited and out of control—most of the time, anyway—while Seran was calm and composed. Compared to Seran, Renna often felt immature, even though Seran was only a year and a half older. Plus, Seran was a princess. A gorgeous princess.

On the way to Albion, they stop at Renna’s old farm where she lived with her mother and father. Renna sneaks away to the pond she used to visit when she was with her father. She has a run-in with the prince. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know he is the prince. Unfortunately, for him, he doesn’t know she is not the princess he’s arranged for.

Like the first book, this is a quick read. I flew through it. How could I not with the cute banter between Renna and Trev?

The Rejected King by Kortney Keisel

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 324
Series: Desolation #1
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian
Published: December 1, 2020
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis:

The king hired her to find him a wife. She fell for him instead.

Marriage is the only thing that can save King Davin’s most-hated reputation. And to make things worse, Davin hired the one girl he’s most attracted to, but her social class makes her an impossible choice for his future.

Emree Dutson has one goal: raise the king’s approval ratings so she can get a permanent job at the castle. Falling in love with the king wasn’t part of the job description. Now her feelings for him are ruining everything.

Will Davin risk his crown for love?

Review:

Davin and Emree are really adorable. The flirt through book recommendations. How cute is that?

The problem with warning signs was they made a person want to disobey them.

North America is divided into seven different kingdoms. Davin is the king of Enderlin. Enderlin has a tradition of the Promenade, which is how a king chooses his bride. Emree is hired to be the director of the event. Just one little problem…

That’s how the world worked—ruling class married ruling class and working class married working class.

I love the build-up of the relationship between Davin and Emree. At first, I didn’t realize how much this sucked me into the story until I was halfway through the book. I didn’t read the second book description so I thought the Promenade was going to extend the full length of the four books. But that isn’t what happened.

This is an adorable, fast-paced read. I technically could have finished it in a day, but over the weekend I wanted to read something else.

The Royal Games by Jamie Sanders

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 250
Series: A Game of Crowns and Lies
Genre: Scifi, Dystopia
Published: August 13, 2021
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Once in a generation, the young women of the Unified Territories of Palias are given the opportunity of a lifetime:

The chance to become a princess.

It’s an honor Kaia Luvaryan has no interest in competing for. In the aftermath of the Great War, huge swaths of what was once the United States of America are uninhabitable. Every day is a struggle to survive.

But Kaia doesn’t want to leave her family or her best friend Finn behind—not even for a chance at winning Crown Prince Dominic’s hand in marriage. Life in her home territory of Hilora is hard, but at least it’s hers.

Her life. Her choice.

Until, suddenly, it’s not anymore.

Branded a criminal and sentenced to a punishment that amounts to death, Kaia is given only one way out.

She must compete in the Royal Games… as a spy for the Queen of Palias herself.

Perfect for fans of The Selection and The Hunger Games. Dive into this story of intrigue, danger, romance, and deception!

Review:

In the future, the city of Hilora is ruled by the royal family. The story starts off with our heroine working a job catching rats at a bakery. She wishes she could work as a baker herself but she can’t due to not being authorized to work a government job. Living arrangements aren’t the best. Pre-war buildings (as they are called) are turned into apartment housing. While some people live in these others have to live in plywood boxes on the sidewalk. The city is overcrowded.

My family is luckier than most. We have a two-bedroom apartment from the pre-war days, passed down through five generations.

The story is based in the post-war United States. Life as we know it changed dramatically. Point in case, dogs are no longer man’s best friend and they hunt dogs for meat. I about cried at that. The people don’t leave the city after decades. The war changed much.

It seems that once people were eliminated from the landscape, nature began to thrive again.

While trying to help her family, Kaia is caught. But the Queen makes a deal with her. If she enters the games and becomes a spy, the Queen would help out Kaia’s family. Kaia takes the offer. She has nothing left to lose. She is doing all this for her family.

I expected to see a worn-out face, a tired look in my blue-green eyes. I didn’t know I would look so determined, though. Almost hard. A warrior who can face the world head-on without flinching.

It was a slow start. But it definitely picked up. What sucks the most is that the second book isn’t out yet. I figured it would end where it ended but I didn’t expect how that ending was to come about.

I also got a strong Hunger Game vibes in certain areas. I hope the second book comes out soon. Along with however many books after that. This may be a trilogy. That’s how most of these kinds of series seem to go. I do hope that the second book will come out soon.

Endings by KM Shea

My edition: Kindle Unlimited Complete Series bundle
Pages: 296
Series: King Arthur and Her Knights #7 Final book
Genre: Historical, YA, Fantasy
Published: March 23, 2017
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Britt has finally settled into her life as King Arthur. Her knights know who she really is, her lands are peaceful, and she has friends and a family she loves. But all of this is threatened when Rome, led by Emperior Lucius, invades.

In order to repel the Romans and assure Camelot’s survival, Britt must achieve Merlin’s greatest ambition and unite all of Britain. Will she succeed, or will she fall on the battlefield?

Review:

Such is the unfortunate burden of a time traveler. You ar blessed – and cursed – to stand between two times and two very different groups of peopl who love you. Yours is not an easy road.

The feels!!! That ending had all the feels. I even teared up. That was a better ending to the story than I thought would happen. I was scared of the ending because I felt as if I would hate it.

The opposite happened indeed. I loved it. It made me so happy and sad at the same time. I knew some things had to happen, but I didn’t want them to happen. And I don’t know what to start next. This was an end to a good series.

I would say, my biggest complaint is that the books weren’t drawn out more. Relationships built up more. I wish the books were all this long or even longer.

Endeavor by KM Shea

My Edition: Kindle Unlimited Complete series bundle
Pages: 106
Series: King Arthur and Her Knights #6
Genre: Historical, YA, Fantasy
Published: Nov. 23, 2015
Rating: 3.5 STARS

Synopsis:

Only a few weeks have passed since Britt—or, as most know her, King Arthur—was outed as a girl. Britt’s relationship with her knights is strained and precarious, Lancelot is mucking up everything from tournaments to questing, and Merlin starts to act strangely when a beautiful girl named Lady Vivien comes to Camelot.

Can Britt reclaim her knights’ loyalty? Will Merlin finally realize how much Britt means to him?

Review:

It is now out to her knights. She is a woman. Britt is trying to get her knights to be normal around her again. Some are still hurt by the deception but she is trying her best to show them that she is still the same king.

Since I don’t know the real story of King Arthur it is hard for me to follow when names from the tale are revealed. But I do want to know what is going on and if Britt will ever have a friendship with Lancelot or Mordred.

Enlighten by KM Shea

My edition: Kindle Unlimited Complete series bundle
Pages: 126
Series: King Arthur and Her Knights #5
Genre: Historical, Fantasy, YA
Published: June 11, 2015
Rating:3.5 stars

Synopsis:

It took Britt two years to be crowned King of Britain, raise Camelot, and establish the Round Table. It takes only a moment to bring everything crashing down on her. With the reveal of Britt’s biggest secret, her true identity and gender, comes the revelation that her knights might never forgive her. While Britt flees for the safety of London and her knights wallow in anger at Camelot, help comes in the most unexpected of forms.

Review:

This picked up. I love where the story is going. Though I don’t know if indeed a romance will blossom or not.

I still don’t care much for Lancelot. I like Britt the more I read about her. I wonder is Merlin going to start understanding his feelings? Guess I will find out in the next book.

Embark by KM Shea

My edition: Kindle Unlimited Complete series bundle
Pages: 105
Series: King Arthur and Her Knights #4
Genre: Historical, YA, Fantasy
Published: Jan. 27, 2015
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

With the long awaited arrival of the Round Table, Britt introduces questing and a code of honor to her young knights. While Britt tries to sneak off on the first Order of the Round Table quest with Sir Gawain, King Pellinore, and the newly knighted Sir Tor, Merlin receives word of a threat against Britt’s life coming from the north.

Tensions are high with Sir Lancelot acting as a general pest, Sir Kay’s determination to swaddle Britt in safety, and Merlin’s complete failure to see Britt as anything more than a trusted friend.

Can Britt survive the upheaval and establish the Round Table as a place of honor and chivalry?

Review:

Britt has been in England for a year and a half now. She is ruling and she is preparing for the round table to show up and preparing for the oath for not only her knights to take but herself.

Another plot in her life is starting. She is trying to deal with Lancelot and Guinevere being in the same place. Plus she is starting to get closer to Merlin.

This book seemed to be more of a filler than anything else but every series needs a filler.

Embittered by KM Shea

My edition: Kindle Unlimited Complete series bundle
Pages: 101
Series: King Arthur and Her Knights #3
Genre: Historical, Fantasy, YA
Published: Feb. 1, 2014
Rating: 3.5 STARS

Synopsis:

Peace rules in Camelot, and Britt is satisfied with her life as the stand in for King Arthur. Or she was, until Lancelot shows up. Britt is forced by Merlin to welcome the young knight into her courts, and life goes downhill from there. King Leodegrance ,a close ally who also happens to have the Round Table, which Britt dearly wants, is attacked by the foul Duke Maleagent. Unwilling to abandon her ally and let the Round Table slip through her fingers, Britt rides with a party of knights to Leodegrance’s lands in hopes of providing help.

Unfortunately the Round Table proves to be less than impressive, King Leodegrance is not the man Britt thought him to be, and, worst of all, Guinevere has set her romantic ambitions on Britt’s King Arthur persona. Leodegrance needs a champion to fight Maleagant or he will be ruined, but does Britt really need to do battle on behalf of a greedy man and his daughter whom Britt knows will bring ruin to Arthur and Camelot?

Review:

I wasn’t as much of a fan. But I love how Britt hates both Lancelot and Guinevere. She even told Guinevere to her face she was stupid and worthless.

But I wonder what is going to happen now after that ending. I don’t trust some of the people and I feel like they are going to be out for Britt’s blood.

I guess the adventure must go one.