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Drowned Empire #3
Lady of the Drowned Empire
Blindsided by their aunt’s betrayal and stripped of the protections of their station, Lyr and her sisters’ only hope of survival is to throw themselves into the dark intrigue of the Bamarian Court. As Meera and Morgana struggle to hide their illegal magic while living amongst their enemies, Lyr uncovers long-buried secrets from her mother that may finally unlock her power.
But the Imperators are determined to set decades-long plans into motion, with Lyr’s true identity placing her at the center of their game.
As Morgana’s magic intensifies to its breaking point, she comes face to face with the Lumerian Empire’s most insidious secret—one that threatens her and Meera’s lives.
To save her sisters, Lyr must escape Bamaria with Rhyan. Though they’re being hunted by demons and tracked across borders by the Empire’s forces, they’re determined to solve the puzzle Lyr’s mother left behind. But claiming Lyr’s power may not be enough as an ancient evil returns to Lumeria.
But the Imperators are determined to set decades-long plans into motion, with Lyr’s true identity placing her at the center of their game.
As Morgana’s magic intensifies to its breaking point, she comes face to face with the Lumerian Empire’s most insidious secret—one that threatens her and Meera’s lives.
To save her sisters, Lyr must escape Bamaria with Rhyan. Though they’re being hunted by demons and tracked across borders by the Empire’s forces, they’re determined to solve the puzzle Lyr’s mother left behind. But claiming Lyr’s power may not be enough as an ancient evil returns to Lumeria.
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First published February 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 486 reviews
March 27, 2023
this is my least favourite book in the series so far (lets face it - it has to happen at some point), but its still very much enjoyable!
there are quite a few changes with this installment. new characters, new POVs, new adventures, and new setting locations. but none of that detracts from the components that were excellently established in the previous two books. you still have the same unique magic, world-building, and compelling court dynamics.
i think the thing that prevented me from enjoying this as much as the other books is just how repetitive everything feels. its not a short book, so there were several occasions where i felt like i was rereading certain scenes over again. it helps that the content is worth reading, but still. perhaps the novelty of the story (aka my obsession) is just starting to wear off just a tad bit?
regardless, this is still a great installment to the series and progresses the overall story in a satisfying way.
↠ 4 stars
there are quite a few changes with this installment. new characters, new POVs, new adventures, and new setting locations. but none of that detracts from the components that were excellently established in the previous two books. you still have the same unique magic, world-building, and compelling court dynamics.
i think the thing that prevented me from enjoying this as much as the other books is just how repetitive everything feels. its not a short book, so there were several occasions where i felt like i was rereading certain scenes over again. it helps that the content is worth reading, but still. perhaps the novelty of the story (aka my obsession) is just starting to wear off just a tad bit?
regardless, this is still a great installment to the series and progresses the overall story in a satisfying way.
↠ 4 stars
May 27, 2023
— 5++ stars ☆
i'm so fucking glad to be back in this world.
if anyone saw my updates before i started reading, y'all pretty much know this was one of my most anticipated of the year. when i tell you i was FREAKING OUT about getting the arc for this, i really was. (don't ask - i was jumping up and down too much 😂) and the fact that i got to buddy read it with my bestie, koisty? who i incidentally bonded with when i was rereading the first book of this? only made it all the more memorable. (i had so much fun discussing all our notes together, you have no idea 💕💕)
when i tell you this was an ✨e x p e r i e n c e✨, i'm not joking. you can ask about the hundred thousand messages i sent to koisty (and vice versa, tbh).
basically omg, the way i was whimpering and squealing while reading this book - i've not felt that way in some time, i swear. my thoughts were just so incoherent, but this was just EVERYTHING.
i swear, the twists in the first half killed me. i was typing down notes in every para, thinking of every suspicious thing that had happened so far 😭😩 - and then, ofc, puzzling over everything with my bestie - and we still couldn't figure out that twist in the end 😂.
the lore was brilliant. the way everything was written, the way it blended together, seamlessly interwoven - i ADORED reading every single bit of it. and i'm not gonna be talking much about the plot and twists, bc *whispering* spoilers, but. rest assured, that part was more than taken care of. i mean, it was just so lovely, the way everything came together.
each of the characters were so nuanced, so three-dimensionally written, i felt each and every single one of them. i felt Lyr's pure soul, the way she wanted to desperately save her family, Rhyan, herself from everything happening. i adored Rhyan's protective exterior, the way he always, ALWAYS, wanted to guard Lyriana no matter what. and the way i hated certain characters - it was like a burning passion inside me, raging, and wanting to kill everyone who hurt my precious babies 🥰🥺 rhyanlyr.
✨RHYAN HART✨ - i swear he killed me. legitimately, i'm wondering if he killed me with his charm or sweetness or protectiveness or what, but he did. not just him being jealous and cute at the same time, but also the way he loved Lyr so purely and wholeheartedly - it made me feel all warm inside. also Rhyan Hart, i didn't think you had THAT in you- (iykyk 😚)
Lyr. she was such a great main character, and the way she grows into everything - her magic, knowing all the things she does - is absolutely spectacular.
rhyan + lyr = love. they are quite literally, soulmates. 🤩 and this quote? explained their dynamics so very well. he fell for her as soon as he saw her, which was so fucking cute, but then he stayed so infatuated and in love with her throughout and she always lit up and shone for him gahh 😩😭🥰✨. gosh the way they soothed each other, were the balm to each other's souls, were everything to each other?? THEY OWN MY HEART NGL 🤌🥰✨.
rhyanlyr are the epitome of THE power couple. they are so hot, so endearing, so adorable, so urgent, so everything they need to be 😭🥰. and i loved it. they were the literal and physical embodiment of - ✨everything is going to shit, but we're okay because we're together - we'll face anything down together✨
Morgana. i love that we got her pov in this book, it made it all the more exciting what with figuring out everything and knowing what was going on in her mind. i swear i grew to love her so so much, her cunning, her brashness. even when she was rude and angry at Lyr, i was never mad at her bc i knew everything that was going on in her mind. (and i want to know more about what is going on between her and a certain *voice*)
that ending was cruel, at least not as cruel as i know it could have been 👀 BUT I NEED MORE. i need my fix of this asap 😭. and i'm just super ecstatic that Rhyan's pov novella is coming out soon.
tldr version, i know i rambled a lot for this: you all need to pick this series up. asap. RIGHT NOW. *insert a threatening face emoji* bc i'm too tired to do anything but type rn. if there is one fantasy series i will always rec, it is this one.
read if you like:
✦ fantasy romance with many shocking twists
✦ a love that'll leave you wondering if you'll ever find someone who'll
- comfort you through everything
- forever keep you safe
- sacrifice literally everything for you
- love you in all the different ways
- take care of you through even the most *ahem* awkward instances (iykyk)
✦ SO MUCH HURT/COMFORT (my utter kryptonite)
✦ KISSING AWAY SCARSS (also another one of my weaknesses 😭😩)
✦ dark-ish themes (check slight triggers)
i received an arc and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
31st january
the fact that the arcs dropped just before i have to go to sleep is my worst nightmare 😔 but on the plus side, only 20 hours to go to start 😍
______________________________
not me checking my insta every 5 mins to see if the arcs have dropped for this 💕 BUT HAVE THEY?? she says soonpls someone tell me i'm becoming obsessive and order me to stop
______________________________
17th december
omg idgaf I need more Rhyan and Lyr and they need to have a happily-ever -after 😭😭😭
also this COVERR!! dying it's just SO GORGEOUSS
i'm so fucking glad to be back in this world.
Hello, kitten.
if anyone saw my updates before i started reading, y'all pretty much know this was one of my most anticipated of the year. when i tell you i was FREAKING OUT about getting the arc for this, i really was. (don't ask - i was jumping up and down too much 😂) and the fact that i got to buddy read it with my bestie, koisty? who i incidentally bonded with when i was rereading the first book of this? only made it all the more memorable. (i had so much fun discussing all our notes together, you have no idea 💕💕)
when i tell you this was an ✨e x p e r i e n c e✨, i'm not joking. you can ask about the hundred thousand messages i sent to koisty (and vice versa, tbh).
basically omg, the way i was whimpering and squealing while reading this book - i've not felt that way in some time, i swear. my thoughts were just so incoherent, but this was just EVERYTHING.
i swear, the twists in the first half killed me. i was typing down notes in every para, thinking of every suspicious thing that had happened so far 😭😩 - and then, ofc, puzzling over everything with my bestie - and we still couldn't figure out that twist in the end 😂.
the lore was brilliant. the way everything was written, the way it blended together, seamlessly interwoven - i ADORED reading every single bit of it. and i'm not gonna be talking much about the plot and twists, bc *whispering* spoilers, but. rest assured, that part was more than taken care of. i mean, it was just so lovely, the way everything came together.
each of the characters were so nuanced, so three-dimensionally written, i felt each and every single one of them. i felt Lyr's pure soul, the way she wanted to desperately save her family, Rhyan, herself from everything happening. i adored Rhyan's protective exterior, the way he always, ALWAYS, wanted to guard Lyriana no matter what. and the way i hated certain characters - it was like a burning passion inside me, raging, and wanting to kill everyone who hurt my precious babies 🥰🥺 rhyanlyr.
❝Call me.❞ He gave the chain a light tug. ❝If you need me again. I don't care what hour. I'll be here.❞
I nodded. ❝Even after I fall asleep,❞ I said, my voice small. ❝Will you hold me a little longer?❞
He kissed my shoulder again. ❝I'll hold you until you're dreaming.❞
✨RHYAN HART✨ - i swear he killed me. legitimately, i'm wondering if he killed me with his charm or sweetness or protectiveness or what, but he did. not just him being jealous and cute at the same time, but also the way he loved Lyr so purely and wholeheartedly - it made me feel all warm inside. also Rhyan Hart, i didn't think you had THAT in you- (iykyk 😚)
Lyr. she was such a great main character, and the way she grows into everything - her magic, knowing all the things she does - is absolutely spectacular.
For him, she's brighter than the brightest star in Heaven.
rhyan + lyr = love. they are quite literally, soulmates. 🤩 and this quote? explained their dynamics so very well. he fell for her as soon as he saw her, which was so fucking cute, but then he stayed so infatuated and in love with her throughout and she always lit up and shone for him gahh 😩😭🥰✨. gosh the way they soothed each other, were the balm to each other's souls, were everything to each other?? THEY OWN MY HEART NGL 🤌🥰✨.
❝Mekara,❞ he murmured. ❝Mekara.❞
My soul is yours.
I reached for his face and stroked his jaw, my heart bursting as I answered, ❝Rakame.❞
Your soul is my soul.
He shuddered, a tear in his eye. ❝My soulmate.❞
rhyanlyr are the epitome of THE power couple. they are so hot, so endearing, so adorable, so urgent, so everything they need to be 😭🥰. and i loved it. they were the literal and physical embodiment of - ✨everything is going to shit, but we're okay because we're together - we'll face anything down together✨
Morgana. i love that we got her pov in this book, it made it all the more exciting what with figuring out everything and knowing what was going on in her mind. i swear i grew to love her so so much, her cunning, her brashness. even when she was rude and angry at Lyr, i was never mad at her bc i knew everything that was going on in her mind. (and i want to know more about what is going on between her and a certain *voice*)
that ending was cruel, at least not as cruel as i know it could have been 👀 BUT I NEED MORE. i need my fix of this asap 😭. and i'm just super ecstatic that Rhyan's pov novella is coming out soon.
tldr version, i know i rambled a lot for this: you all need to pick this series up. asap. RIGHT NOW. *insert a threatening face emoji* bc i'm too tired to do anything but type rn. if there is one fantasy series i will always rec, it is this one.
read if you like:
✦ fantasy romance with many shocking twists
✦ a love that'll leave you wondering if you'll ever find someone who'll
- comfort you through everything
- forever keep you safe
- sacrifice literally everything for you
- love you in all the different ways
- take care of you through even the most *ahem* awkward instances (iykyk)
✦ SO MUCH HURT/COMFORT (my utter kryptonite)
✦ KISSING AWAY SCARSS (also another one of my weaknesses 😭😩)
✦ dark-ish themes (check slight triggers)
i received an arc and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
31st january
the fact that the arcs dropped just before i have to go to sleep is my worst nightmare 😔 but on the plus side, only 20 hours to go to start 😍
______________________________
not me checking my insta every 5 mins to see if the arcs have dropped for this 💕 BUT HAVE THEY?? she says soon
______________________________
17th december
omg idgaf I need more Rhyan and Lyr and they need to have a happily-ever -after 😭😭😭
also this COVERR!! dying it's just SO GORGEOUSS
January 12, 2025
4.20!
This book took me twenty days to read 😬 but it was a good book and my slump would be the reason to blame the time it took.
Definitely the weakest in the series I would say, it's awfully slow and coupled up with long ass chapters which made it harder to read but I still found it to be veryyyyy enjoyable.
I feel like the spice in this one was a lottyt. I found morgannas povs to be okay because of that. I found her to be very spice focused but
Lyr and rhyan as usual stole the show and finally got together I mean FINALLYYYYY I was waiting for so long
The last twenty percent of the book saved it from a three star rating because it was phenomenal. I absolutely loved it! And I need book 4 right now!!
This series deserves to be hyped because it is criminally underrated.
This book took me twenty days to read 😬 but it was a good book and my slump would be the reason to blame the time it took.
Definitely the weakest in the series I would say, it's awfully slow and coupled up with long ass chapters which made it harder to read but I still found it to be veryyyyy enjoyable.
I feel like the spice in this one was a lottyt. I found morgannas povs to be okay because of that. I found her to be very spice focused but
Lyr and rhyan as usual stole the show and finally got together I mean FINALLYYYYY I was waiting for so long
The last twenty percent of the book saved it from a three star rating because it was phenomenal. I absolutely loved it! And I need book 4 right now!!
This series deserves to be hyped because it is criminally underrated.
February 6, 2023
5 Hello Kitten Stars ⭐️
WOW! This. Book. Is. AMAZING!
It completely took my breath away!
I have said it before and I will say it again, I AM FARTHER THAN LETHEA for this series and OH BOY did this instalment not disappoint. I literally cannot recommend a book (and series) more! Frankie has truly outdone herself with Lady of the Drowned Empire!
It has everything anyone could possibly want in a Fantasy Romance! There is an amazingly complex world with intricately woven lore, elaborate world-building and a unique magic system. The writing is spectacular, with the difficult-to-achieve balance of plot and character development. The story is an overall emotional rollercoaster juxtaposed with tense action scenes, multiple secrets, numerous unexpected twists, and heart-wrenching betrayals. And let's not forget the swoon-worthy forbidden romance.
Lyr is a fantastic main character and my heart broke for her as she had to work through processing her trauma and insecurities following the events that transpired in Guardian.
Rhyan is what makes you set impossible-to-achieve standards in men! He is kindness personified and has the greatest capacity to love. But he is also brave, loyal, protective, and considerate...just perfect! He has experienced so much brutality and cruelty towards him but he keeps on fighting, coming out stronger.
Something I truly loved about this book, was being able to piece together small aspects of the puzzle that were slowly uncovered as this book progressed. Using clues from this book and the previous books, I felt like a little detective with Lila as we discussed theories, possibilities and speculated where the story would go! However, nothing prepared us for that final twist!
If I can leave you with one thing just do yourself a favour and pick up this series and pick up this book! It’s an utter disservice that the series is not yet finished but with HOW AMAZING IT IS more people need to experience it!
Frankie has done an amazing job and written an amazing sequel and I cannot wait to read this book from Rhyan’s point of view...THERE ARE SOME SCENES I NEED FROM HIS MIND IN MY LIFE!!!!!
Thank you Frankie for an eARC in exchange for a review!
All thoughts and feelings are my own
⊱------------------------------⊰
IT'S HERE!!!!!
Here is me not torturously counting down the days UNTIL TODAY!
Like ACTUALLY DYING... I was basically dead until 5 minutes ago...
I am *proud* to say I am officially popping my ARC virginity with the NEXT instalment in the Drowned Empire Series!
Also helps that I have my amazing beautiful little Summer Sunshine ☀️ joining me for this ride!
WOW! This. Book. Is. AMAZING!
It completely took my breath away!
I have said it before and I will say it again, I AM FARTHER THAN LETHEA for this series and OH BOY did this instalment not disappoint. I literally cannot recommend a book (and series) more! Frankie has truly outdone herself with Lady of the Drowned Empire!
It has everything anyone could possibly want in a Fantasy Romance! There is an amazingly complex world with intricately woven lore, elaborate world-building and a unique magic system. The writing is spectacular, with the difficult-to-achieve balance of plot and character development. The story is an overall emotional rollercoaster juxtaposed with tense action scenes, multiple secrets, numerous unexpected twists, and heart-wrenching betrayals. And let's not forget the swoon-worthy forbidden romance.
For him, she’s brighter than the brightest star in Heaven.This book starts almost immediately after the events of Guardian and is by far my favourite book of the series. Frankie has an amazing talent for being able to create beautiful emotionally broken and damaged characters that do not catch a break. I am not kidding, right from the start, our characters are thrown into gut-wrenching and painful situation after situation. The villains (especially the Imperator) are so sick and twisted and sadistic; that it is almost poetic how much you just want to despise and hate him. Every scene that he was in made me viscerally angry to the point that I almost wanted to throw the book across the room because I was dealing with so many emotions and so much anger internally for how much suffering my babies had to go through.
Lyr is a fantastic main character and my heart broke for her as she had to work through processing her trauma and insecurities following the events that transpired in Guardian.
Rhyan is what makes you set impossible-to-achieve standards in men! He is kindness personified and has the greatest capacity to love. But he is also brave, loyal, protective, and considerate...just perfect! He has experienced so much brutality and cruelty towards him but he keeps on fighting, coming out stronger.
“He’s just a rope,” I said urgently. “Just a fucking rope. And you know what we do to those.”The relationship between Lyr and Rhyan is the epitome of what Shakespeare describes as love. Their relationship transforms the very definition of love. They are both willing to sacrifice the unthinkable and would be willing to go to the ends of the earth for each other! It's tragically beautiful how much emotion and passion these two feel for each other. They truly transcend the meaning of soul mate.
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a sharp breath before looking back at me. “We tear them the fuck apart.”
“Mekara,” he murmured.This book also sees the introduction of a new POV, from Morgana. However whilst I liked the different perspective her POV gave, I found it difficult to connect to her character. She felt very Nesta-esque (from the OG Trilogy), and just seemed overly angry, that I battled to see any other emotion from her. I also don't fully understand all of her motives and decisions. I am not writing her off though as seeing the journey Lyr has gone through, I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg of the plans for Morgana in the coming books.
“Mekara.”
My soul is yours. I reached for his face and stroked his jaw, my heart bursting as I answered, “Rakame.”
Your soul is my soul.
He shuddered, a tear in his eye. “My soulmate.”
Something I truly loved about this book, was being able to piece together small aspects of the puzzle that were slowly uncovered as this book progressed. Using clues from this book and the previous books, I felt like a little detective with Lila as we discussed theories, possibilities and speculated where the story would go! However, nothing prepared us for that final twist!
If I can leave you with one thing just do yourself a favour and pick up this series and pick up this book! It’s an utter disservice that the series is not yet finished but with HOW AMAZING IT IS more people need to experience it!
Frankie has done an amazing job and written an amazing sequel and I cannot wait to read this book from Rhyan’s point of view...THERE ARE SOME SCENES I NEED FROM HIS MIND IN MY LIFE!!!!!
Thank you Frankie for an eARC in exchange for a review!
All thoughts and feelings are my own
⊱------------------------------⊰
IT'S HERE!!!!!
Here is me not torturously counting down the days UNTIL TODAY!
Like ACTUALLY DYING... I was basically dead until 5 minutes ago...
I am *proud* to say I am officially popping my ARC virginity with the NEXT instalment in the Drowned Empire Series!
Also helps that I have my amazing beautiful little Summer Sunshine ☀️ joining me for this ride!
April 12, 2023
"I feel like we keep almost losing each other."
"But we keep finding our way back."
Guys, I'm speechless.
(And yeah, Richard, I know you don't believe this one bit, but humor a dear friend who likes to think she's not that predictable, please)
🐈⬛𝗟𝗔𝗗�� 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘 - 𝗕𝗬 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗦🐈⬛
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🅽🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝙳𝚁𝙾𝚆𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 #𝟹
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 - 𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙲 - 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙿𝙾𝙻𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙶𝚄𝙴𝚂
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝙳𝙾𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝚅 - 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙲𝙷𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙽 𝙾𝙽𝙴 - 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙱𝙸𝙳𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 - 𝚃𝙾𝙾 𝙶𝙾𝙾𝙳 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳 𝙵𝙼𝙲 - 𝙰𝙿𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙲𝙴/𝙽𝙾𝚅𝙸𝙲𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝙳𝚈𝙶𝚄𝙰𝚁𝙳/𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙶𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 - 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚃𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙰𝙵 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃 - 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝙰 𝙳𝙰𝚁𝙺 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 - 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙳𝙸𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 - 𝚃𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙸𝙽𝙹𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝚁𝙴𝚃 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝚁𝙴𝚃 𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙾𝙽𝙻𝚈 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝙳
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥👥👥👥/5
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼/5 (𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙾𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝚅)
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜📜📜📜📜/5
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀💀💀/5 (𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙿𝙷𝚈𝚂𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙿𝚂𝚈𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙾𝙶𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙿𝚄𝙽𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂/𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 - 𝙶𝙰𝚂𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙾𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝙸𝚂𝙼 - 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙸𝚂𝙼 - 𝙼𝚄𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚁 - 𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚁𝙸𝚅𝙰𝙻𝚁𝚈 - 𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙴 - 𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙴 - 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙳 𝙰𝙱𝚄𝚂𝙴)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5 (𝙵𝙸𝙻𝚃𝙷𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙿𝙾𝚅 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁 𝙼𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚈 𝙳𝚄𝙳𝙴 - 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚅𝙸𝚁𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈 [𝚁𝙷𝚈𝙰𝙽 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙻𝚈𝚁] - 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 𝙿𝙷𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚇 [𝚁𝙷𝚈𝙰𝙽 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙻𝚈𝚁])
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🚒🚒🚒🚒/5 (𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 𝙿𝙷𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙵𝚂 𝙺𝙸𝚂𝚂 𝙶𝙾𝙾𝙳 - 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝙳𝙽'𝚃 𝚂𝚄𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙰𝙻𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚈 𝙱𝚄𝚃 𝚁𝙷𝚈𝙰𝙽 𝙶𝙸𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝙶𝙾𝙾𝙳 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 💣💣💣/5
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐🤐🤐🤐/5 (𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴 - 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙱𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙳, 𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹/5
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: 💔💔💔/𝟱
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ❌
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼
★𝗥𝗘𝗣: 𝙿𝚃𝚂𝙳 - 𝙰𝙽𝚇𝙸𝙴𝚃𝚈 - 𝚂𝚄𝚁𝚅𝙸𝚅𝙾𝚁 𝙶𝚄𝙸𝙻𝚃
★𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦-𝗧𝗢-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🖤/5 (𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙽 𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝚃 𝙱𝚄𝚃...𝙴𝙷)
★𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚:
★𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚: 🎶𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙾𝚁𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙳 - 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝙷𝙾𝚄𝚂𝙴𝚂🎶
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
While Daughter was the start of it all and Guardian put things in perspective, Lady is not only filled to the brim with action and some of the best romantic scenes in the serise, it also and most importantly sets the basis for what I'm sure is gonna be yet another epic sequel, possibly packed with even more heartbreak than this one.
I'm seriously both eager and terrified to find out what's gonna happen next.
Lady introduces us Mallis's idea of a double POV. I'm gonna keep this as spoiler free as possible, so I'm gonna keep quiet as to whom this second POV belongs to, but I can tell you guys I loved it and thought it added something to the story.
It also gave me a heart attack, but who's counting anymore XD
I was very enthusiastic to spend more time in the company of a certain character, and I can guarantee Mallis obliged and gave me everything I needed, even if what I needed turned out to be...uhm, how do I put it. Really challenging.
As usual, I loved Rhyan and his big and very compassionate heart which, surprising no one, is equaled only by his very filthy mouth.
It definitely killed me, but I also had the time of my life with this book.
Lyr, on the other hand, was a real surprise. I've always had a soft spot for her (unlike Rhyan), but it wasn't insta-love in our case. We came a long way, and I'm proud and happy to admit she did, too. I love her character's arc so much and seeing her grow from the scared, helpless girl she was in Daughter to a fearless warrion in this one, made me appreciate her as a main character even more.
The romance was fantastic. I'm proud to report Rhyan and Lyr are stronger than ever and that their love survived all sorts of challenges, becoming even more solid than before.
True love will do that to you.
In this book, we have the chance to witness not only their emotional journey, but also the physical one. Like I said before, call me Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and let me dance alone while I think about how amazing these two are.
Plotwise speaking, this was probably my favorite because there was lots going on and I was finally able to follow the lore and backstory without a hitch. If you've read my reviews for the previous books in the series, you'll know one of my issues with these books was -aside from the long dialogue- that they're pretty confusional.
This book flows by like it's water and is definitely complete in that sense because if you were patient enought to stick around, you'll now be more familiar with this world.
I still can't believe some scenes I've read.
The twists. THE TWISTS were so good and I've seen coming maybe only one or two of them.
I was so entertained I couldn't stop reading and had to physically keep myself from doing it.
Mark my words.
I don't think I'll survive Warrior of the Drowned Empire.
"Do you get it yet? Lyr, I love you. In all your forms and all your stages. And I always will. No matter what you do. No matter what you give me."
I traced the line of his scar, my finger skimming down the contour of his cheeck and jaw then up to his lips. "What if I want to give you all of me?"
"Then I'd give you myself in return."
March 2, 2023
—✨5✨stars—
“Hello, kitten.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy
Cliffhanger: yep (but not a bad one)
Writing: 9/10
Quotes: 9/10
World building: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
My rating: 10/10
‼️spoilers below‼️
(So many spoilers. PROCEED WITH CAUTION)
———my feelings———
Dear Koisty and Lila (and Lia!),
My beautiful devil influences.
Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you for bringing this series into my life.❤️❤️❤️
But anyway, onto the review!
OH I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!
It was just perfect!!! Lyr and Rhyan are so adorable I cannot cope🥺🥺 They’re the embodiment of the “who did this to you” trope. And how they look after each other, take care of each other? *melts* SO CUTE.
Morgana’s pov was everything to me. Even though I loved her from the beginning—she reminded me of Nesta so much, all fire and anger and walled up heart—I love her even more now, and sometimes found myself wondering impatiently when her next chapter would be, because I missed her.
The world building and writing were SPECTACULAR as always, and the pacing never felt too fast or slow.
And the romance? Lyr and Rhyan are probably one of my favourite couples now, and I just can’t get over how sweet and caring they are😭❤️😭.
The spice? Ummmmm—Koisty and Lila informed me but I still wasn’t prepared for this. it was the perfect mix of passionate, hot, and sweet (I mean, except the kitten guy...I wouldn’t call him sweet...)
The ending (the dreaded cliffhanger) wasn’t actually that bad, more of a sitting staring at the book for a few minutes, instead of screaming/crying for hours.
And about the major twist... I’ve decided that I’m a fucking GENIUS. I suspected
———Characters ———
Lyr: my baby. My girl. She’s so brave and fearless, while still being the Lyr who cries and has panic attacks. She feels especially human to me (which is strange, considering she’s basically a goddess...) I love how protective she is and how caring.
Rhyan: shhdgdhsjjfjskj. Stop I love him so much😭😭. He’s so protective and sweet and just PERFECT. But he’s also a warrior, and a Vorakhand everything to me
Morgana: I loved her from the start but I love her even more now! She’s so fierce and angry but still cares deeply about her sisters. My beautiful baby.
Meera: I still don’t know enough about her, but I like her and I hope she gets a pov in the future.
Tristan: hahaha fuck off
————Quotes————
“ Me sha, me ka,Lyriana.”
“Do you get it yet? Lyr, I love you. In all your forms and all your stages. And I always will. No matter what you do.”
“My partner,” he said gently. “My heart. My Lyr. My love. My everything.”
“If I could take your pain for myself, if I could carry it for you, bear it, I’d do it. But I can’t.”
“Your enemy’s enemy is not your friend, nor your ally. Just another enemy. Everyone who is not behind your cause is against you.”
————Songs————
Like a scar -Victoria Carbol
Walk on fire -RAIGN
No matter what they say -Svrcina
Tell me where it hurts -Victoria Carbol
Never let me go -Florence + the machine
Ritual -Rita Ora
———Random extra thoughts———
I’ve become a bad influence...ehehehehee
Thanks for reading!🥰
“Hello, kitten.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy
Cliffhanger: yep (but not a bad one)
Writing: 9/10
Quotes: 9/10
World building: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
My rating: 10/10
‼️spoilers below‼️
(So many spoilers. PROCEED WITH CAUTION)
———my feelings———
Dear Koisty and Lila (and Lia!),
My beautiful devil influences.
Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you for bringing this series into my life.❤️❤️❤️
But anyway, onto the review!
OH I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!
It was just perfect!!! Lyr and Rhyan are so adorable I cannot cope🥺🥺 They’re the embodiment of the “who did this to you” trope. And how they look after each other, take care of each other? *melts* SO CUTE.
Morgana’s pov was everything to me. Even though I loved her from the beginning—she reminded me of Nesta so much, all fire and anger and walled up heart—I love her even more now, and sometimes found myself wondering impatiently when her next chapter would be, because I missed her.
The world building and writing were SPECTACULAR as always, and the pacing never felt too fast or slow.
And the romance? Lyr and Rhyan are probably one of my favourite couples now, and I just can’t get over how sweet and caring they are😭❤️😭.
The spice? Ummmmm—Koisty and Lila informed me but I still wasn’t prepared for this. it was the perfect mix of passionate, hot, and sweet (I mean, except the kitten guy...I wouldn’t call him sweet...)
The ending (the dreaded cliffhanger) wasn’t actually that bad, more of a sitting staring at the book for a few minutes, instead of screaming/crying for hours.
And about the major twist... I’ve decided that I’m a fucking GENIUS. I suspected
———Characters ———
Lyr: my baby. My girl. She’s so brave and fearless, while still being the Lyr who cries and has panic attacks. She feels especially human to me (which is strange, considering she’s basically a goddess...) I love how protective she is and how caring.
Rhyan: shhdgdhsjjfjskj. Stop I love him so much😭😭. He’s so protective and sweet and just PERFECT. But he’s also a warrior, and a Vorakh
Morgana: I loved her from the start but I love her even more now! She’s so fierce and angry but still cares deeply about her sisters. My beautiful baby.
Meera: I still don’t know enough about her, but I like her and I hope she gets a pov in the future.
Tristan: hahaha fuck off
————Quotes————
“ Me sha, me ka,Lyriana.”
“Do you get it yet? Lyr, I love you. In all your forms and all your stages. And I always will. No matter what you do.”
“My partner,” he said gently. “My heart. My Lyr. My love. My everything.”
“If I could take your pain for myself, if I could carry it for you, bear it, I’d do it. But I can’t.”
“Your enemy’s enemy is not your friend, nor your ally. Just another enemy. Everyone who is not behind your cause is against you.”
————Songs————
Like a scar -Victoria Carbol
Walk on fire -RAIGN
No matter what they say -Svrcina
Tell me where it hurts -Victoria Carbol
Never let me go -Florence + the machine
Ritual -Rita Ora
———Random extra thoughts———
I’ve become a bad influence...ehehehehee
Thanks for reading!🥰
February 8, 2024
5 ⭐️
Ms Author your brain🤯🤯 This series is FANTASTIC! I am desperate to have the next book released already. I’m on my KNEES
Ms Author your brain🤯🤯 This series is FANTASTIC! I am desperate to have the next book released already. I’m on my KNEES
March 30, 2023
"I see you. I see exactly who you are. Nothing today has changed who I see in front of me."
"And who am I?"
"My partner. My heart. My Lyr. My love. My everything."
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Morgana and Lyriana.
I liked how in this book the main focus switched also onto Morgana, making her a main character alongside Lyriana (Lyr) and giving her more POV chapters in this book. I loved to see more of the relationship between the sisters themselves as also seeing Morgana´s side to the story and her starting to form various relationships. I loved the differences in Morgs and Lyrs characters. While Lyr is brave and strong and truly a warrior, Morgs often seems even more feral and badass. I´m hoping to get even more of her POVs in future books. I still absolutely adore Ryhan. He is such a book boyfriend and definitely on that list. He never stops asking for consent, he never stops caring and he never stops in front of anything if it comes to his girl. I loved the scene where she unexpectedly got her period and he takes care of her, cleaning the sheets and assuring her everything is okay.
Regarding side characters I am a little bit disappointed that I didn´t get to see more of Meera. I feel like she got a bit lost in the background with both of her sisters being the center of this book and I hope to see more of her again in future books. Definitely despise most of the men in here. Most of them are the old, creepy kind. You guys know what I am talking about.... I really hope to get more badass women in the next book.
I really enjoyed the action scenes in this book and the stakes definitely feel high enough that the book has you hooked. The pacing was good, some parts felt a teeny bit slow but I feel like the action makes up for it. There is a good action to character development ratio and this book in the series deals a lot with the characters previous/past traumata. I like how the FMC is only slowly finding her power and has to work for it and not just has it suddenly at the ready available for her. I enjoyed the plot twist, especially the big one at the end I didn´t see coming. One thing that definitely felt awkward was the phone sex scene and it could have been left out for me. I mean this is an "middle age set feeling" fantasy book, so the "phones" are magic stones they have which they can communicate through. It definitely felt awkward and a little misplaced. Despite that scene, there is finally a bit of spice in here, so expect a smut scene.
Overall it was a great book that I enjoyed, although I felt like the second book in the series was still a bit better.
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones, grief, murder, sexual assault (not caused by the love interest), attempted rape (not caused by the love interest), mentions of an off-page rape, panic attacks, grooming, mentions of sexual abuse of a child
"And who am I?"
"My partner. My heart. My Lyr. My love. My everything."
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Morgana and Lyriana.
I liked how in this book the main focus switched also onto Morgana, making her a main character alongside Lyriana (Lyr) and giving her more POV chapters in this book. I loved to see more of the relationship between the sisters themselves as also seeing Morgana´s side to the story and her starting to form various relationships. I loved the differences in Morgs and Lyrs characters. While Lyr is brave and strong and truly a warrior, Morgs often seems even more feral and badass. I´m hoping to get even more of her POVs in future books. I still absolutely adore Ryhan. He is such a book boyfriend and definitely on that list. He never stops asking for consent, he never stops caring and he never stops in front of anything if it comes to his girl. I loved the scene where she unexpectedly got her period and he takes care of her, cleaning the sheets and assuring her everything is okay.
Regarding side characters I am a little bit disappointed that I didn´t get to see more of Meera. I feel like she got a bit lost in the background with both of her sisters being the center of this book and I hope to see more of her again in future books. Definitely despise most of the men in here. Most of them are the old, creepy kind. You guys know what I am talking about.... I really hope to get more badass women in the next book.
I really enjoyed the action scenes in this book and the stakes definitely feel high enough that the book has you hooked. The pacing was good, some parts felt a teeny bit slow but I feel like the action makes up for it. There is a good action to character development ratio and this book in the series deals a lot with the characters previous/past traumata. I like how the FMC is only slowly finding her power and has to work for it and not just has it suddenly at the ready available for her. I enjoyed the plot twist, especially the big one at the end I didn´t see coming. One thing that definitely felt awkward was the phone sex scene and it could have been left out for me. I mean this is an "middle age set feeling" fantasy book, so the "phones" are magic stones they have which they can communicate through. It definitely felt awkward and a little misplaced. Despite that scene, there is finally a bit of spice in here, so expect a smut scene.
Overall it was a great book that I enjoyed, although I felt like the second book in the series was still a bit better.
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones, grief, murder, sexual assault (not caused by the love interest), attempted rape (not caused by the love interest), mentions of an off-page rape, panic attacks, grooming, mentions of sexual abuse of a child
May 4, 2024
“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣.”
☆☆☆☆.75 (rounded up to 5)
Lady of the Drowned Empire is the third installment in the Drowned Empire series.
Lyriana and her sisters lives have officially been turned upside down. Her father is dead. Her sister has to abdicate the throne due to her condition, leaving her aunt to take the throne of Ka Batavia only for Lyriana to find out she’s been lied to her entire life. Her aunt has working with the enemy for years in order to take her spot on the throne.
No longer living a life in her control, Lyriana is expected to marry against her will, bow to her aunt while knowing the truth and plotting her revenge. In the midst of the chaos, her sisters are kidnapped and Lyriana must claim her true power to save them.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
My girl Lyriana COULD NOT CATCH A BREAK THIS ENTIRE BOOK. 😅 I was on an emotional roller coaster going from gasping, giggling and kicking my feet and even shedding a tear.
Lady of the Drowned Empire is action packed and has some of the best romantic scenes in the entire series (seriously Mallis should take her crown for the queen of slow burns). This time around we not only get Lyriana’s POV, but her sister Morganas as well which made the book all the more interesting. I think this might be my favorite book in the series so far.
I was in awe of Lyriana’s character development. She went from a scared, weak and helpless girl to a true warrior. She no longer is afraid to defend herself and those she loves, no matter what the cost. Rhyan also became so much more vulnerable in this book, which was perfect addition to his brave, loyal and quite warrior personality from the previous books. Not only that, but Lyriana and Rhyans relationship progression was so beautifully done. It was an agonizingly slow burn that always left you wanting more.
AND THE ENDING?! I was not expecting that plot twist at all. I cannot wait for Guardian of the Drowned Empire in August!
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 🫶🏻
February 7, 2023
His mouth tightened. "You called," he said simply. "I came."
What to expect:
✔️ Forbidden love
✔️ Intriguing court dynamics
✔️ Heavy topics: grief, SA, trauma, abuse
✔️ Gods/goddess
✔️ Soulmates
✔️ Betrayal
✔️ Spice
I am emotionally broken. This book actually destroyed me, pieced me back together temporarily, and then hurt me all over again🥲
I don’t even know what else to say other than it was magnificently written, and that a new standard of intensity has been set for the series. My heart was breaking for Lyr and her sisters the entire time. And then things just kept getting worse. And worse. Andddd worse. 😩 Girl can’t catch a break!
Lyr was experiencing overwhelming grief and self-deprecation through the majority of this book, and understandably so after the events of the later part of book 2. She’s been through more trauma than anyone should have to experience, and in such a short amount of time so it’s no surprise that it’s been weighing her down emotionally. I cried for her on several occasions while reading this. Frankie really allows your to peer through Lyr’s eyes and feel her devastation and hopeless at her new social status in the wake her father’s death. It was great though to see more substantial scenes of how powerful she has become despite the adversities she’s faced, especially alongside her new mantra “you’re the fire”. I’m just honestly really looking forward to seeing her get revenge on all those who tormented her in this book especially, as well as in books 1 and 2.
There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
One I'd never seen before.
"My oath, my soul," Rhyan said, his voice so full of vengeance, and power.
This man. Right here everyone. He’s mine. Ok thanks. 🫠🖤
In all seriousness, Rhyan is the glue that held Lyr together in this book. And in turn, she does the same for him. The love between them is so potent, raw and soulful that it makes you want to just jump through the page and experience it for yourself. This reverent, protective, and troubled man has met his perfect match, and honestly I will riot if they don’t get a HEA after all the shit they’ve had to endure.
“Hello, kitten.”
Morgana is a hard one for me to write about. I loved her POVs in this book. LOVED them. We learn so much from behind the scenes of the court because of her and new characters get introduced which was so refreshing. Not saying anything else though because I am leaving this as a spoiler free review!
Overall, so many secrets get revealed in book 3. So many chess pieces are moved and plays are made. But the one thing that kills me? The betrayal. I will NEVER get over it. On several fronts. I was begging at my book for it to not happen, but then it did, and now I am just anxiously waiting to know when the book 4 release date is 🙈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Thank you Frankie for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What to expect:
✔️ Forbidden love
✔️ Intriguing court dynamics
✔️ Heavy topics: grief, SA, trauma, abuse
✔️ Gods/goddess
✔️ Soulmates
✔️ Betrayal
✔️ Spice
I am emotionally broken. This book actually destroyed me, pieced me back together temporarily, and then hurt me all over again🥲
I don’t even know what else to say other than it was magnificently written, and that a new standard of intensity has been set for the series. My heart was breaking for Lyr and her sisters the entire time. And then things just kept getting worse. And worse. Andddd worse. 😩 Girl can’t catch a break!
Lyr was experiencing overwhelming grief and self-deprecation through the majority of this book, and understandably so after the events of the later part of book 2. She’s been through more trauma than anyone should have to experience, and in such a short amount of time so it’s no surprise that it’s been weighing her down emotionally. I cried for her on several occasions while reading this. Frankie really allows your to peer through Lyr’s eyes and feel her devastation and hopeless at her new social status in the wake her father’s death. It was great though to see more substantial scenes of how powerful she has become despite the adversities she’s faced, especially alongside her new mantra “you’re the fire”. I’m just honestly really looking forward to seeing her get revenge on all those who tormented her in this book especially, as well as in books 1 and 2.
There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
One I'd never seen before.
"My oath, my soul," Rhyan said, his voice so full of vengeance, and power.
This man. Right here everyone. He’s mine. Ok thanks. 🫠🖤
In all seriousness, Rhyan is the glue that held Lyr together in this book. And in turn, she does the same for him. The love between them is so potent, raw and soulful that it makes you want to just jump through the page and experience it for yourself. This reverent, protective, and troubled man has met his perfect match, and honestly I will riot if they don’t get a HEA after all the shit they’ve had to endure.
“Hello, kitten.”
Morgana is a hard one for me to write about. I loved her POVs in this book. LOVED them. We learn so much from behind the scenes of the court because of her and new characters get introduced which was so refreshing. Not saying anything else though because I am leaving this as a spoiler free review!
Overall, so many secrets get revealed in book 3. So many chess pieces are moved and plays are made. But the one thing that kills me? The betrayal. I will NEVER get over it. On several fronts. I was begging at my book for it to not happen, but then it did, and now I am just anxiously waiting to know when the book 4 release date is 🙈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Thank you Frankie for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 6, 2023
They say a story is as strong as its villains and this sentiment is proven in this series. Frankie definitely nailed her assignment with it, and especially with this book. I always think about this series by the sweet moments between Lyr and Rhyan, but the truth is, the story is brutal. When you think you saw everything, there’s always another deep punch coming.
Everything Daughter of the Drowned Empire and Guardian of the Drowned Empire were building toward started to come together in Lady, and I’m incredibly excited to see it all unfold.
The love between Lyr and Rhyan is so precious, I was so happy to see them bond deeper in this book and explore and define their relationship together.Also, no more blue balls for Rhyan finally. The way they’re always there for each other no matter what, and the respect and adoration they share, have me feeling butterflies every time. They’re the true power couple both in their past and present lives.
Morgana’s POV was a huge surprise for me, with the new angle it provided to the story and how it re-framed the plot from what we knew so far, but the betrayal that came with it was something I didn’t see coming, even though I should have expected it.
p.s.: I kind of hope we will see the Afeya realms and meet the Queen at least once. I’m curious about the tricky bastards.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (and some extra)
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (they really stepped on that gas pedal and said go)
Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Everything Daughter of the Drowned Empire and Guardian of the Drowned Empire were building toward started to come together in Lady, and I’m incredibly excited to see it all unfold.
The love between Lyr and Rhyan is so precious, I was so happy to see them bond deeper in this book and explore and define their relationship together.
Morgana’s POV was a huge surprise for me, with the new angle it provided to the story and how it re-framed the plot from what we knew so far, but the betrayal that came with it was something I didn’t see coming, even though I should have expected it.
p.s.: I kind of hope we will see the Afeya realms and meet the Queen at least once. I’m curious about the tricky bastards.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (and some extra)
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (they really stepped on that gas pedal and said go)
Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
March 21, 2024
I bow in awe
February 15, 2023
This book is a nonstop, action-packed story that will pull on your heartstrings, leave you shocked, and have you wondering who can actually be trusted.
The story picks up right after the events of Guardian of The Drowned Empire. We are quickly reminded that just because Lyr passed the previous tests put before her doesn't mean she is safe. We see her struggling with her grief as well as the new responsibility thrust on her by her deal with Mercurial. Lyriana begins to understand the gravity of who she is and who in the Empire knows about it, and how the villains we've come to know from the previous books will stop at nothing to have what they want from her.
Lyr's journey throughout the story left me in awe. I find her to be such an inspiring character while also being so incredibly real. This book dives deep into grief, trauma, and anxiety but it does it so beautifully. And in-between the moments that are sad and hard to read, we also get wonderfully tender and sweet moments between Rhyan and Lyr. We also do get the spice turned up in this book which made me VERY happy.
The way their relationship flows and changes throughout the story left me reeling. I couldn't stop my own tears from forming as they become much more deeply rooted in each other. Their romance is slow and all consuming in away that just makes you want to wrap yourself up in how sweet it is.
I love that we see them take turns being a pillar of support and offering the other a constant presence of unyielding love.
I think Frankie did such an incredible job writing out two characters that are wonderfully, perfectly flawed and are still so worthy of love and being treasured.
I also can not profess how much I love it when BOTH characters are willing to burn the world down for the other.
As far as the plot goes, you'll have some questions answered from the previous books while new revelations will leave you with your jaw on the floor. We do get another POV as well added into the story that enhances and changes the scope of the story in a new way.
I do not say this lightly, as I have genuinely enjoyed every single book in the series, but this one is my absolute favorite (so far).
And I cannot wait to see the events from Rhyan's POV when his book comes out!
The story picks up right after the events of Guardian of The Drowned Empire. We are quickly reminded that just because Lyr passed the previous tests put before her doesn't mean she is safe. We see her struggling with her grief as well as the new responsibility thrust on her by her deal with Mercurial. Lyriana begins to understand the gravity of who she is and who in the Empire knows about it, and how the villains we've come to know from the previous books will stop at nothing to have what they want from her.
Lyr's journey throughout the story left me in awe. I find her to be such an inspiring character while also being so incredibly real. This book dives deep into grief, trauma, and anxiety but it does it so beautifully. And in-between the moments that are sad and hard to read, we also get wonderfully tender and sweet moments between Rhyan and Lyr. We also do get the spice turned up in this book which made me VERY happy.
The way their relationship flows and changes throughout the story left me reeling. I couldn't stop my own tears from forming as they become much more deeply rooted in each other. Their romance is slow and all consuming in away that just makes you want to wrap yourself up in how sweet it is.
I love that we see them take turns being a pillar of support and offering the other a constant presence of unyielding love.
I think Frankie did such an incredible job writing out two characters that are wonderfully, perfectly flawed and are still so worthy of love and being treasured.
I also can not profess how much I love it when BOTH characters are willing to burn the world down for the other.
As far as the plot goes, you'll have some questions answered from the previous books while new revelations will leave you with your jaw on the floor. We do get another POV as well added into the story that enhances and changes the scope of the story in a new way.
I do not say this lightly, as I have genuinely enjoyed every single book in the series, but this one is my absolute favorite (so far).
And I cannot wait to see the events from Rhyan's POV when his book comes out!
February 28, 2024
This is my least favorite book in this series ( yes i gave it a 5....4.5) but if you compare it with the first two, you will know what I mean if you read it.
I liked everything about this book except for the pacing which is why it is not a five star read for me but otherwise it was amazing.
--->4.5
I liked everything about this book except for the pacing which is why it is not a five star read for me but otherwise it was amazing.
--->4.5
February 10, 2023
This series keeps getting better and better!!! Every addition to this series is immediately my new favorite volume, and the move from GDE to LDE was my favorite transition yet.
Lady of the Drowned Empire is proof that behind the scenes, FDM has a long and detailed story map laid out for this universe. With every volume she adds to the series, I feel more and more that FDM is luxuriating in each next step of this saga and is excitedly taking us along for the ride.
To be specific, I've said this in previous reviews, but it's increasingly clear the love and care that FDM puts into the back-end planning of this series, because her control over the pacing and detail this volume specifically is palpable. Every chapter lays out exactly what it needs to, in no rush but also not at a snail's pace. My biggest complaint with ACOMAF, in my opinion the closest cousin in the fantasy romance genre to LDE, has always been that SJM rushes Feyre's travels through the country after being locked in the Spring Court almost the entire first book. Without spoilers, we get a similar expansion of geography in LDE, but it feels very lived-in, authentic, and paced perfectly. Because of the rapid jumps between Courts in ACOMAF, I was taken out of the story and had the feeling of seeing the puppet strings SJM was pulling-- not so with LDE. I am fully enraptured in every scene and feel the proper amount of suspense and engagement in Lyr and Rhyan's next steps -- whether they are literally traveling the country, or simply planning next steps within Bamaria, I feel like I'm right along with them.
The geography of the series is not the only massive expansion LDE provides to this growing saga. Matching the pace is also Lyr and Rhyan's depth of intimacy as a couple, as well as the expansion of the mythological lore underpinning the events, and the expansion of POV characters we are hearing from in the narrative. The world is growing in several necessary and organic ways in this volume, with every story element (romance, politics, conflict) deepening in complexity with each step.
I feel like whenever the next book in the series comes, it will fully graduate to Game of Thrones-level complexity and intrigue and I CAN'T WAIT!! It's so much fun to spend time in Lumeria and I feel that with all the information revealed in LDE, it will be very interesting to reread the series from the beginning and see if I can pick up any breadcrumbs left in the first 2.5 volumes.
I remain deeply impressed with the series and will be waiting by the "purchase" button for the next installment!!
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lady of the Drowned Empire is proof that behind the scenes, FDM has a long and detailed story map laid out for this universe. With every volume she adds to the series, I feel more and more that FDM is luxuriating in each next step of this saga and is excitedly taking us along for the ride.
To be specific, I've said this in previous reviews, but it's increasingly clear the love and care that FDM puts into the back-end planning of this series, because her control over the pacing and detail this volume specifically is palpable. Every chapter lays out exactly what it needs to, in no rush but also not at a snail's pace. My biggest complaint with ACOMAF, in my opinion the closest cousin in the fantasy romance genre to LDE, has always been that SJM rushes Feyre's travels through the country after being locked in the Spring Court almost the entire first book. Without spoilers, we get a similar expansion of geography in LDE, but it feels very lived-in, authentic, and paced perfectly. Because of the rapid jumps between Courts in ACOMAF, I was taken out of the story and had the feeling of seeing the puppet strings SJM was pulling-- not so with LDE. I am fully enraptured in every scene and feel the proper amount of suspense and engagement in Lyr and Rhyan's next steps -- whether they are literally traveling the country, or simply planning next steps within Bamaria, I feel like I'm right along with them.
The geography of the series is not the only massive expansion LDE provides to this growing saga. Matching the pace is also Lyr and Rhyan's depth of intimacy as a couple, as well as the expansion of the mythological lore underpinning the events, and the expansion of POV characters we are hearing from in the narrative. The world is growing in several necessary and organic ways in this volume, with every story element (romance, politics, conflict) deepening in complexity with each step.
I feel like whenever the next book in the series comes, it will fully graduate to Game of Thrones-level complexity and intrigue and I CAN'T WAIT!! It's so much fun to spend time in Lumeria and I feel that with all the information revealed in LDE, it will be very interesting to reread the series from the beginning and see if I can pick up any breadcrumbs left in the first 2.5 volumes.
I remain deeply impressed with the series and will be waiting by the "purchase" button for the next installment!!
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2023
I was really excited for this book after I felt like Mallis had hit her stride as an author with the second one. It had felt like she was coming into herself as a writer and was able to really focus on the story line after the copious amounts of set up in the first book. But honestly, this book felt like a bit of a step back as far as writing style goes. Truthfully, I think she just tried to write too long of a book in too little time and did not have as much time as she needed for editing and fine-tuning. I felt like she over-explained or just flat-out declared things that the reader really could be expected to know, like "this happened because of THIS reason" (sorry for the terrible example, but I'm trying to go for no spoilers) when really she could have just said what happened and you would know. It made the writing feel a bit clunky and kind of removed me from the world a bit.
There was a bit too much going on in this one and the book just overall felt a bit longer than it needed to be and was kind of all over the place. It didn't feel like there was enough of a solid central story line to tie a book of this length together.
And also Rhyan just reallyyyy got to me in this one. He is too perfect to the point of being downright irritating. It kind of feels like he's just supposed to be the epitome of the fantasy boyfriend, but also has a dark, tragic past. But that dark, tragic past like doesn't reflect out on him or seem to impact him (other than to make him sad, obviously, but it's okay because he can perfectly explain all of his feelings to Lyr and then she can just tell him he's great and everything is better immediately). He just became a very flat character in this book like his only purpose is to be the perfect boyfriend (except for those three pages where he doesn't talk to Lyr) and to tell her "You doing so good, Lyr. So so good." like every three pages.
Overall, the plot twists seemed pretty predictable to me, the characters kind of fell flat and didn't have much further development, and the book felt like it was long just for the sake of being long, not because that many things really needed to happen to advance the storyline.
All that said, I am still excited to see what happens next to these characters and will definitely be continuing the series, this book just didn't feel like it quite held up to how good the second one was.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There was a bit too much going on in this one and the book just overall felt a bit longer than it needed to be and was kind of all over the place. It didn't feel like there was enough of a solid central story line to tie a book of this length together.
And also Rhyan just reallyyyy got to me in this one. He is too perfect to the point of being downright irritating. It kind of feels like he's just supposed to be the epitome of the fantasy boyfriend, but also has a dark, tragic past. But that dark, tragic past like doesn't reflect out on him or seem to impact him (other than to make him sad, obviously, but it's okay because he can perfectly explain all of his feelings to Lyr and then she can just tell him he's great and everything is better immediately). He just became a very flat character in this book like his only purpose is to be the perfect boyfriend (except for those three pages where he doesn't talk to Lyr) and to tell her "You doing so good, Lyr. So so good." like every three pages.
Overall, the plot twists seemed pretty predictable to me, the characters kind of fell flat and didn't have much further development, and the book felt like it was long just for the sake of being long, not because that many things really needed to happen to advance the storyline.
All that said, I am still excited to see what happens next to these characters and will definitely be continuing the series, this book just didn't feel like it quite held up to how good the second one was.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 2, 2023
FRANKIE!!! Where do I send my therapist bill after reading this heartbreaking masterpiece??
How do I continue after reading what I just read??
This book had it all! Adventure, Romance, amazing world building (I loved that we got to see more of the world outside of Bamaria), spice, tension, betrayal (how could you Frankie, I felt this so deeply). I couldn't put it down I was literally reading it ever free second I had. Every page had me wanting to see what happened next.
I think I went through literally every emotion know to man while reading this book, this series just keeps getting better and better and I can't believe we get several more books!
I LOVED being in Morgana's head and I was super excited for her POV chapters every time they popped up. It was so interesting seeing things through her eyes and being in the head of someone with the mind reading Vorakh.
My heart kept breaking for these characters because they've had so much taken from them and things just kept getting worse and worse and it felt like they never caught their breath before the next thing was being thrown their way.
"You called," he said simply "I came."
There were some really adorable moments between Rhyan and Lyr that had me falling in love with Rhyan even more. Rhyan and Lyr literally held each other together through this book, I really don't think either of them would have made it without the other picking up the pieces over and over again.
SO MANY things are reveled in this book but honestly it left me with even more questions and I'm still reeling! I'll be counting down the minutes for the next book in the series.
Frankie, I hope you enjoyed me blowing up your DMs along the way!
How do I continue after reading what I just read??
This book had it all! Adventure, Romance, amazing world building (I loved that we got to see more of the world outside of Bamaria), spice, tension, betrayal (how could you Frankie, I felt this so deeply). I couldn't put it down I was literally reading it ever free second I had. Every page had me wanting to see what happened next.
I think I went through literally every emotion know to man while reading this book, this series just keeps getting better and better and I can't believe we get several more books!
I LOVED being in Morgana's head and I was super excited for her POV chapters every time they popped up. It was so interesting seeing things through her eyes and being in the head of someone with the mind reading Vorakh.
My heart kept breaking for these characters because they've had so much taken from them and things just kept getting worse and worse and it felt like they never caught their breath before the next thing was being thrown their way.
"You called," he said simply "I came."
There were some really adorable moments between Rhyan and Lyr that had me falling in love with Rhyan even more. Rhyan and Lyr literally held each other together through this book, I really don't think either of them would have made it without the other picking up the pieces over and over again.
SO MANY things are reveled in this book but honestly it left me with even more questions and I'm still reeling! I'll be counting down the minutes for the next book in the series.
Frankie, I hope you enjoyed me blowing up your DMs along the way!
February 15, 2023
Frankie! Always leaving us on a doozy of a cliffhanger. I will admit, I struggled for the first 40% or so. Just moved at a slower pace for me, but totally could have been a mood reader thing. Also, the Lyr and Tristen thing pushed me over the edge. But once things picked up, they reallyyy picked up! The revelations threw me for a loop, even the ones that I knew were coming. The last half definitely made up for the first half of the book. Rhyan, ugh he’s perfect. Consent king and so patient and protective of Lyr. Who else can make “partner” sound so hot?! And the spice! For those who were frustrated that the first two books lacked in the sizzle, this book really ramps it up!! The wait for book 4 is going to be too long of a wait. I’m so excited to see where the series goes from here now that all the players are entering the game. I received and arc for an honest review.
February 5, 2023
Thank you Frankie for the eARC of one of my most anticipated releases of 2023!
A solid installment in what I think is an underrated fantasy romance series. I'm constantly amazed at the effort Frankie puts into building out the world for these books. The political and social hierarchies, magic system, and mythology of this world are incredibly complex and help make the world feel very distinctive within the genre.
This book starts essentially right where Guardian left off, and we really see the heroes at their lowest in the aftermath of the betrayal at the end of book 2. Reading the first half of this book seriously felt like a punch to the gut. The stakes have only gotten higher, and since we're only in the middle of the series, the triumph still in many ways feels a long way off.
We do finally get some big reveals that have been foreshadowed since the first book, as well as some additional twists and betrayals that even I felt utterly blindsided by.
One pleasant surprise for me was the addition of POV chapters for Morgana. Her character is so interesting to me, and I wonder if we'll also have the chance to get some POV chapters from Meera in the next book.
While the first two books were pretty light on spice (kinda comes with the territory of a forbidden romance where the main couple can't risk being caught), this one definitely does a complete 180. So if the last two books of slow burn have made you impatient, you should be happy with the turn of events in this one. Personally, I thought it leaned toward being a little bit too much, but I guess Frankie felt she owed us an apology for making us wait so long. 😂
Now the agonizing wait for the next book!
A solid installment in what I think is an underrated fantasy romance series. I'm constantly amazed at the effort Frankie puts into building out the world for these books. The political and social hierarchies, magic system, and mythology of this world are incredibly complex and help make the world feel very distinctive within the genre.
This book starts essentially right where Guardian left off, and we really see the heroes at their lowest in the aftermath of the betrayal at the end of book 2. Reading the first half of this book seriously felt like a punch to the gut. The stakes have only gotten higher, and since we're only in the middle of the series, the triumph still in many ways feels a long way off.
We do finally get some big reveals that have been foreshadowed since the first book, as well as some additional twists and betrayals that even I felt utterly blindsided by.
One pleasant surprise for me was the addition of POV chapters for Morgana. Her character is so interesting to me, and I wonder if we'll also have the chance to get some POV chapters from Meera in the next book.
While the first two books were pretty light on spice (kinda comes with the territory of a forbidden romance where the main couple can't risk being caught), this one definitely does a complete 180. So if the last two books of slow burn have made you impatient, you should be happy with the turn of events in this one. Personally, I thought it leaned toward being a little bit too much, but I guess Frankie felt she owed us an apology for making us wait so long. 😂
Now the agonizing wait for the next book!
February 23, 2023
2.5☆
You're telling me that after countless boring dialogs, repetitive descripitions and lack of actions with long term impact, in the end, nothing that Lyr did was actually relevant and useful????? I feel like this is a big "let me distract you with this messy combo until you wait for the next book when all the things that i prepared you for in the first 2 books are ACTUALLY going to happen".
I just don't like finishing a book and realizing all those pages were just a set up for the next book in the series! It feels like i'm wasting my time idk
You're telling me that after countless boring dialogs, repetitive descripitions and lack of actions with long term impact, in the end, nothing that Lyr did was actually relevant and useful????? I feel like this is a big "let me distract you with this messy combo until you wait for the next book when all the things that i prepared you for in the first 2 books are ACTUALLY going to happen".
I just don't like finishing a book and realizing all those pages were just a set up for the next book in the series! It feels like i'm wasting my time idk
February 12, 2023
Lady of the Drowned Empire is an absolute masterpiece by @frankiediane, full of heartache, adventure, romance, spice, tension, and betrayal. There was not a single word in this book that was wasted in a series that just keeps getting better and better. Every page kept me on the edge of my seat to see what happened next.
The book immediately picks up where Guardian of the Drowned Empire ends. Lyr is struggling to cope with the enormous losses she faces at the end of Book 2, while also dealing with an enormous betrayal from someone close. There were so many times when I felt myself tearing up. Frankie does a stellar job of allowing us to peer through Lyr’s eyes and feel her devastation and hopelessness for everything that happens and everything she loses. But despite all this, she becomes so, so strong in this book and works to pick up the pieces left behind and become something new altogether.
“For him, she’s brighter than the brightest star in Heaven.”
Rhyan. Can I have my own real-life version of him, please? This man is the glue that holds Lyr together in this book. But it’s not just one-way. She does the same for Rhyan. They both pick up the pieces of each other that are broken and piece them back together again. Their love is so potent and raw and perfect in every way. And I am rooting for their HEA all the way.
”Hello, kitten.”
We are also introduced to a new POV in this book: Morgana. Oooof. I loved seeing things from her point of view and we learn so much about what is going on behind the scenes and court. She is definitely more of a power player than I ever thought and I have so many mixed feelings where she is concerned. THAT. ENDING.
Overall, I cannot recommend this book and series enough. It had so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and the amount of BETRAYAL. That’s not something I will be able to get over any time soon. I cannot wait for Book 4 and to see what happens next.
Thank you, Frankie, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts in this review are mine alone.
The book immediately picks up where Guardian of the Drowned Empire ends. Lyr is struggling to cope with the enormous losses she faces at the end of Book 2, while also dealing with an enormous betrayal from someone close. There were so many times when I felt myself tearing up. Frankie does a stellar job of allowing us to peer through Lyr’s eyes and feel her devastation and hopelessness for everything that happens and everything she loses. But despite all this, she becomes so, so strong in this book and works to pick up the pieces left behind and become something new altogether.
“For him, she’s brighter than the brightest star in Heaven.”
Rhyan. Can I have my own real-life version of him, please? This man is the glue that holds Lyr together in this book. But it’s not just one-way. She does the same for Rhyan. They both pick up the pieces of each other that are broken and piece them back together again. Their love is so potent and raw and perfect in every way. And I am rooting for their HEA all the way.
”Hello, kitten.”
We are also introduced to a new POV in this book: Morgana. Oooof. I loved seeing things from her point of view and we learn so much about what is going on behind the scenes and court. She is definitely more of a power player than I ever thought and I have so many mixed feelings where she is concerned. THAT. ENDING.
Overall, I cannot recommend this book and series enough. It had so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and the amount of BETRAYAL. That’s not something I will be able to get over any time soon. I cannot wait for Book 4 and to see what happens next.
Thank you, Frankie, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts in this review are mine alone.
February 22, 2023
Wow. What a ride. Per usual, Frankie crushes it.
This book really ticked all the boxes for me. I was hoping for more Morgana and Meera, and the sisters were a huge focus of this story. I was also hoping to get more history of the Empire and the gods and goddesses that built it, and we did such a deep dive into lore that I felt super satisfied by how it developed. We got more of our favorite little tension teasers, Rhyan and Lyriana, and the attention to their relationship will never get old for me. Moremoremore!!
I will say, that we got to a point in this book where I was waiting for the shoe to drop, or the pace to pick up, and then that last 80% really kicked everything into high gear. For someone who prides themselves on being able to predict where a story is going, I got both sides of surprise and validation.
Mostly, this story made me really excited for where the rest of the series will go. I feel like I just finished Heir of Fire, and realized how big the game is, and how many players are on the board. It's as though we went from playing checkers, to playing Wizard's Chess, and I love the game being played.
Frankie always gives the right amount of question and answer at the end of each book, so I leave feeling settled and needing more at the same time. *warning* screaming OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH repeatedly is likely throughout.
This book really ticked all the boxes for me. I was hoping for more Morgana and Meera, and the sisters were a huge focus of this story. I was also hoping to get more history of the Empire and the gods and goddesses that built it, and we did such a deep dive into lore that I felt super satisfied by how it developed. We got more of our favorite little tension teasers, Rhyan and Lyriana, and the attention to their relationship will never get old for me. Moremoremore!!
I will say, that we got to a point in this book where I was waiting for the shoe to drop, or the pace to pick up, and then that last 80% really kicked everything into high gear. For someone who prides themselves on being able to predict where a story is going, I got both sides of surprise and validation.
Mostly, this story made me really excited for where the rest of the series will go. I feel like I just finished Heir of Fire, and realized how big the game is, and how many players are on the board. It's as though we went from playing checkers, to playing Wizard's Chess, and I love the game being played.
Frankie always gives the right amount of question and answer at the end of each book, so I leave feeling settled and needing more at the same time. *warning* screaming OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH repeatedly is likely throughout.
July 17, 2023
Overall: 2⭐️
Story: 1 ⭐️
Characters: 1.5 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶️
Fav characters: Rhyan Hart
Lyriana Batavia: boring, whiny, loyal. Dark brown/red hair, hazel eyes, Age: 19
Rhyan Hart: charming, funny, sweet, powerful. Golden brown hair, emerald green eyes, scar through left eye brow and eye, Age: 22
Characters:
- Harren, Meera, Morgana Batavia (Lyr’s family)
- Arianna, Naria Batavia (Lyr’s aunt and cousin )
- Aemon Melvik/ the right (Arkturion/ warlord of Bamaria)
- Romula, Tristan Grey
- Auriel, Asherah, Moriel ( gods/ original guardians of Valalumir in heavev)
Notes:
- And we are back to 2 ⭐️s. This was such a waste of time and money. Why did I purchase this book?! Because I thought after the second book the author got her rhythm. Nope. There was no point to this book
- The way Lyr was so annoying about Tristan! She never actually broke it off, was with Rhyan multiple times, professed love for each other then had the audacity to feel betrayed by Tristan? She had been playing Tristan for two years! Yes he hunts Vorakhs but he isn’t evil. She needs everything spelled out for her, yet she’s told by everyone how intelligent she is, she needed Tristan to point out how she acted certain way because she was forced to but wouldn’t accept that he was also being forced, with Naria
“We grew up in the same world. We had the same privilege. The same shackles. The same expectations. I’ve watched you cave to them again and again. And I’ve never said anything. But when I do,” he grimaced, “you look at me like I’m a monster.”
- How I felt about Lyr the first 60% of the book, Markan said it best:
“You’re spoiled, and you’re a brat. And you think you’re smarter than you are”
Then she became better towards the last 40%
- The only reason it was 400 some pages was because it repeated the same information or thought every other page! I’ve never read a more repetitive book than this
- Couldn’t stand Morgana from the beginning of this book. The way she kept snapping at people and thought so highly of herself:
“I may have lost my station, but you’re just a poor soturion born beneath the dregs of Urtavia.”
Not to mention how she yelled at people and made them tell her everything yet she kept a million secrets. Didn��t even try to work with Lyr to save Jules. Then she tricked Lyr to handover the Shard because there was something she needed. What she needed to do was important but she didn’t even care what Lyr and Rhyan went through to get it
- it’s so insanely easy to figure out the “secrets” or “turn of events” that it’s not even remotely interesting. It was obvious that the Aemon was the secret man with Morgana. After Lyr escaped prison, and Aemon ran away, it was obvious that he was Moriel
- This brings me to my next annoyance, 475 pages for them to make it to the mountaintop, get a shard only to hand it over to Morgana…that’s all that happened in this book!
- I liked how Lyr and Rhyan alternated being there for each other
Theory:
- Meera is Godess Cassarya: largest eyes of all the Guardians, the same blue as the magic Lumerians possessed. She was said to be the most observant. She was pale, with silvery-white hair
- Avery Kormac/ Jules is Hava: Her golden mane fell in loose waves down her back, and there was a fierce look in her eyes
- Devon Hart is Shiviel: cults devoted to him had formed in the north
Story:
- what story? 404 Not Found
- After Morgana’a Vorakh appeared, she heard a voice in her head telling her he knew how to stop the voices, through sex. Then he came to her room and they get together to “quiet the voices”. It’s Aemon, he’s also Vorakh and informs Morgana that the Emperor takes the Vorakh and then use them to make elixir, mind reading Vorakh used to create elixir to block mind reading. Vorakhs are also used as slaves by the emperor. Aemon wants to bring the emperor down
- Both Imperator Hart and Imperator Kormac want to marry Lyr to someone in their country. Hart told Lyr to choose someone from Glemaria and then make Rhyan return
- Naria and Tristan are set up for marriage
- Arianna signed a contract of marriage between Victor Kormac and Lyr.
- Meera and Morgana are abducted by Moriel. Kormac throws Lyr in shadow hold to “protect” her. She calls Rhyan and they travel away
- Moriel also had Marcuriel captive
- Asherah came to Lyr’s dream and told her to follow the moon instead of the star. Lyr said I know then followed the star, the start shaped key for Asherah’s tomb
- A message is delivered to Lyr to get the Valalumir shard from Glemaria in order to get her sisters back
- Lyr and Rhyan travel and fight and travel and fight and Lyr gets assaulted and almost r@p3d and they travel and fight and Rhyan was assaulted when he was young and they travel and fight
- The shard was put in Asherah’s tomb by Auriel , it can only be opened by Auriel and the shard can only be retrieved by Asherah. They figured out Ehyan is Auriel and they retrieved the shard
- Lyr and Rhyan are abducted by Moriel, who is Aemon. He can’t forcefully take the shard he offers to set Meera and Morgana free in exchange for the shard
- Aemon hadn’t been protecting Lyr, he had been keeping an eye on her and keeping her close. He didn’t care about Bamaria or it’s ruler as long as he could be near Lyr
- Marcuriels gets free because Aemon was getting weak and caused a distraction. Rhyan traveled Meera away, then came back for Lyr and Morgana. Morgana asked for the shard to keep it safe, Lyr gave it to her then Morgana put herself behind a protective spell. Rhyan and Lyr had to leave since Aemon was awakening
- Morgana wants to use the shard to bring down the emperor, free the Vorakhs and Jules. She and Aemon will bring their Akadim army to the emperor
- Lyr is Asherah, Rhyan is Auriel, Morgana is Ereshya, Aemon is Moriel
Story: 1 ⭐️
Characters: 1.5 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶️
Fav characters: Rhyan Hart
Lyriana Batavia: boring, whiny, loyal. Dark brown/red hair, hazel eyes, Age: 19
Rhyan Hart: charming, funny, sweet, powerful. Golden brown hair, emerald green eyes, scar through left eye brow and eye, Age: 22
Characters:
- Harren, Meera, Morgana Batavia (Lyr’s family)
- Arianna, Naria Batavia (Lyr’s aunt and cousin )
- Aemon Melvik/ the right (Arkturion/ warlord of Bamaria)
- Romula, Tristan Grey
- Auriel, Asherah, Moriel ( gods/ original guardians of Valalumir in heavev)
Notes:
- And we are back to 2 ⭐️s. This was such a waste of time and money. Why did I purchase this book?! Because I thought after the second book the author got her rhythm. Nope. There was no point to this book
- The way Lyr was so annoying about Tristan! She never actually broke it off, was with Rhyan multiple times, professed love for each other then had the audacity to feel betrayed by Tristan? She had been playing Tristan for two years! Yes he hunts Vorakhs but he isn’t evil. She needs everything spelled out for her, yet she’s told by everyone how intelligent she is, she needed Tristan to point out how she acted certain way because she was forced to but wouldn’t accept that he was also being forced, with Naria
“We grew up in the same world. We had the same privilege. The same shackles. The same expectations. I’ve watched you cave to them again and again. And I’ve never said anything. But when I do,” he grimaced, “you look at me like I’m a monster.”
- How I felt about Lyr the first 60% of the book, Markan said it best:
“You’re spoiled, and you’re a brat. And you think you’re smarter than you are”
Then she became better towards the last 40%
- The only reason it was 400 some pages was because it repeated the same information or thought every other page! I’ve never read a more repetitive book than this
- Couldn’t stand Morgana from the beginning of this book. The way she kept snapping at people and thought so highly of herself:
“I may have lost my station, but you’re just a poor soturion born beneath the dregs of Urtavia.”
Not to mention how she yelled at people and made them tell her everything yet she kept a million secrets. Didn��t even try to work with Lyr to save Jules. Then she tricked Lyr to handover the Shard because there was something she needed. What she needed to do was important but she didn’t even care what Lyr and Rhyan went through to get it
- it’s so insanely easy to figure out the “secrets” or “turn of events” that it’s not even remotely interesting. It was obvious that the Aemon was the secret man with Morgana. After Lyr escaped prison, and Aemon ran away, it was obvious that he was Moriel
- This brings me to my next annoyance, 475 pages for them to make it to the mountaintop, get a shard only to hand it over to Morgana…that’s all that happened in this book!
- I liked how Lyr and Rhyan alternated being there for each other
Theory:
- Meera is Godess Cassarya: largest eyes of all the Guardians, the same blue as the magic Lumerians possessed. She was said to be the most observant. She was pale, with silvery-white hair
- Avery Kormac/ Jules is Hava: Her golden mane fell in loose waves down her back, and there was a fierce look in her eyes
- Devon Hart is Shiviel: cults devoted to him had formed in the north
Story:
- what story? 404 Not Found
- After Morgana’a Vorakh appeared, she heard a voice in her head telling her he knew how to stop the voices, through sex. Then he came to her room and they get together to “quiet the voices”. It’s Aemon, he’s also Vorakh and informs Morgana that the Emperor takes the Vorakh and then use them to make elixir, mind reading Vorakh used to create elixir to block mind reading. Vorakhs are also used as slaves by the emperor. Aemon wants to bring the emperor down
- Both Imperator Hart and Imperator Kormac want to marry Lyr to someone in their country. Hart told Lyr to choose someone from Glemaria and then make Rhyan return
- Naria and Tristan are set up for marriage
- Arianna signed a contract of marriage between Victor Kormac and Lyr.
- Meera and Morgana are abducted by Moriel. Kormac throws Lyr in shadow hold to “protect” her. She calls Rhyan and they travel away
- Moriel also had Marcuriel captive
- Asherah came to Lyr’s dream and told her to follow the moon instead of the star. Lyr said I know then followed the star, the start shaped key for Asherah’s tomb
- A message is delivered to Lyr to get the Valalumir shard from Glemaria in order to get her sisters back
- Lyr and Rhyan travel and fight and travel and fight and Lyr gets assaulted and almost r@p3d and they travel and fight and Rhyan was assaulted when he was young and they travel and fight
- The shard was put in Asherah’s tomb by Auriel , it can only be opened by Auriel and the shard can only be retrieved by Asherah. They figured out Ehyan is Auriel and they retrieved the shard
- Lyr and Rhyan are abducted by Moriel, who is Aemon. He can’t forcefully take the shard he offers to set Meera and Morgana free in exchange for the shard
- Aemon hadn’t been protecting Lyr, he had been keeping an eye on her and keeping her close. He didn’t care about Bamaria or it’s ruler as long as he could be near Lyr
- Marcuriels gets free because Aemon was getting weak and caused a distraction. Rhyan traveled Meera away, then came back for Lyr and Morgana. Morgana asked for the shard to keep it safe, Lyr gave it to her then Morgana put herself behind a protective spell. Rhyan and Lyr had to leave since Aemon was awakening
- Morgana wants to use the shard to bring down the emperor, free the Vorakhs and Jules. She and Aemon will bring their Akadim army to the emperor
- Lyr is Asherah, Rhyan is Auriel, Morgana is Ereshya, Aemon is Moriel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2023
Wow oh wow!!
I don’t even know how to do justice to this book, I always feel my reviews are lacking compared to how I really feel. I’ll do my best though, I’ve been waiting for this book since I binged the first three books released. I almost jumped out of my skin when I got an ARC for it. It took me several days to read it and I felt like I read it too fast, I didn’t want it to end!
“𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯”
^ that! That person drove me crazy, I rattled my brain so much trying to figure out who this person was. Were they someone we knew, or a new character? I was shocked but not disappointed by the revelation because it adds so much to the story!!
Lyr & Rhyan together are perfection and Frankie is the queen of slow burn!! I loved seeing so much more of them together and of their journey/quest/adventure whatever you want to call it. Rhyan is 100% book boyfriend material, they way he loves Lyr and is towards her. Also how protective and fierce he is about keeping her safe.
So many things happened in this book that I’m still in shock over it. We discovered so many things that add to the story that left me with my jaw in the floor. I was always happy to see that some of the things I suspected in the other books were true!
Honestly I just can’t wait for the next book to come out because the story line is amazing. The politics, the story of the gods, how things are playing out im just here eating it up and I want moreee! I still have so many questions that I’m dying to get answers for!
10/10 recommend this book and this is a series I’m definitely rereading!
I don’t even know how to do justice to this book, I always feel my reviews are lacking compared to how I really feel. I’ll do my best though, I’ve been waiting for this book since I binged the first three books released. I almost jumped out of my skin when I got an ARC for it. It took me several days to read it and I felt like I read it too fast, I didn’t want it to end!
“𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯”
^ that! That person drove me crazy, I rattled my brain so much trying to figure out who this person was. Were they someone we knew, or a new character? I was shocked but not disappointed by the revelation because it adds so much to the story!!
Lyr & Rhyan together are perfection and Frankie is the queen of slow burn!! I loved seeing so much more of them together and of their journey/quest/adventure whatever you want to call it. Rhyan is 100% book boyfriend material, they way he loves Lyr and is towards her. Also how protective and fierce he is about keeping her safe.
So many things happened in this book that I’m still in shock over it. We discovered so many things that add to the story that left me with my jaw in the floor. I was always happy to see that some of the things I suspected in the other books were true!
Honestly I just can’t wait for the next book to come out because the story line is amazing. The politics, the story of the gods, how things are playing out im just here eating it up and I want moreee! I still have so many questions that I’m dying to get answers for!
10/10 recommend this book and this is a series I’m definitely rereading!
February 4, 2023
Mallis has done the impossible again: she's raised the bar for a strong, high-intensity, high-fantasy read. Every time I read these books, I think they can get no better, that the stakes can go no higher, and yet, they do. I'm in awe of this masterful work. My heart was broken, stepped on, mended and then remoulded. This book made me weep, laugh, smile and suffer with the characters.
If you have yet to read the Drowned Empire series and enjoy high fantasy, you should give this series a chance. If you're waiting for Lady of the Drowned Empire to be released, know that, as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely worth the wait. This series is showstopping. If you like SJM, Carissa Broadbent, Sarah M Cradit, Samantha Shannon or any other high-fantasy great, this book is for you.
The world-building is immaculate, the characters complex, the plot twists gloriously executed, and the writing sublime. If you like fantasy and romance with stunning prose and characters you grow to care for, this series is for you. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I hope that anyone thinking about trying out the series decides to read it and, hopefully, will enjoy these books as much as I did.
If you have yet to read the Drowned Empire series and enjoy high fantasy, you should give this series a chance. If you're waiting for Lady of the Drowned Empire to be released, know that, as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely worth the wait. This series is showstopping. If you like SJM, Carissa Broadbent, Sarah M Cradit, Samantha Shannon or any other high-fantasy great, this book is for you.
The world-building is immaculate, the characters complex, the plot twists gloriously executed, and the writing sublime. If you like fantasy and romance with stunning prose and characters you grow to care for, this series is for you. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I hope that anyone thinking about trying out the series decides to read it and, hopefully, will enjoy these books as much as I did.
February 13, 2023
I am absolutely obsessed with this series!
I loved learning more about the complex world, lore and magic system in this book. The world building is wonderful and I love Frankie’s writing style.
It was really interesting to get another POV with Morgana and I liked getting to see her perspective .
Also,I just love Lyr and Rhyan so much and this book gives you so many moments between the two of them.
Overall, this was a solid third book in this amazing and highly underrated fantasy romance series.
I highly recommend you start this series if you haven’t already.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved learning more about the complex world, lore and magic system in this book. The world building is wonderful and I love Frankie’s writing style.
It was really interesting to get another POV with Morgana and I liked getting to see her perspective .
Also,I just love Lyr and Rhyan so much and this book gives you so many moments between the two of them.
Overall, this was a solid third book in this amazing and highly underrated fantasy romance series.
I highly recommend you start this series if you haven’t already.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 31, 2023
my heart broke for lyr. i just can't wait for the next book!!
January 7, 2024
Things r admittedly getting crazier, so many plot twists, slow burn with lyr and rhyan, now im just sad the next book isn’t even out…………
March 4, 2024
Lady of the Drowned Empire might be my favorite of the series so far.
Lyr has really come into her own -- despite the numerous curveballs that keep being thrown her way. She's dealing with a lot, but she's starting to act from a place of power and empowerment rather than the place of fear you see in book one. It is such a transformation for her. As for Rhyan -- that man could whisk me away to the ends of the Earth. He just gets better and better. I love that Frankie continues to give us little nuggets of current Rhyan and who Rhyan was. It makes for the most delicious MMC.
The plot in this one is part political intrigue and part action-adventure -- and I was hooked. Honestly, I had a bit of a hangover after reading this one. A new POV is also introduced in this book -- and I loved the addition (something I do not normally go for). I think this new POV added a new layer to the story. It also made for the most WTF cliffhanger ending.
Lyr has really come into her own -- despite the numerous curveballs that keep being thrown her way. She's dealing with a lot, but she's starting to act from a place of power and empowerment rather than the place of fear you see in book one. It is such a transformation for her. As for Rhyan -- that man could whisk me away to the ends of the Earth. He just gets better and better. I love that Frankie continues to give us little nuggets of current Rhyan and who Rhyan was. It makes for the most delicious MMC.
The plot in this one is part political intrigue and part action-adventure -- and I was hooked. Honestly, I had a bit of a hangover after reading this one. A new POV is also introduced in this book -- and I loved the addition (something I do not normally go for). I think this new POV added a new layer to the story. It also made for the most WTF cliffhanger ending.
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