Author: Jade Juniper
Series: The Thrice Kingdom series
Genre: Fantasy/YA
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 20, 2024
Edition: Digital
Source: Received from the author for review
Pre-Order: Amazon US
Synopsis:
The Solstice Court had always felt like a dream, a shroud against the violence of the world.”
Kezerah lives in a shroud of peace. Her kingdom is fruitful, her weather fair. She wants nothing more than to escape and explore the world beyond her castle walls.
Yet, as the Soul Heir, the reincarnation of her people’s king, heavy expectations root Princess Kezerah in place. To lead her people, she must embrace her magic and maintain peace. A challenge made more difficult by the decade-long war that batters either side of her kingdom’s borders. She is expected to maintain her kingdom’s treaty to uphold peace with a show of complete neutrality. Neither the northern Kingdom of Alora nor the southern shores of Xenkesh may receive an ounce of favoritism.
Kezerah balances these duties with uneven footing, up until the day both heirs —warring brothers—of the neighboring kingdoms arrive at her Autumn court.
Each brother demands not only her allegiance but also her affection, and Kezerah must decide which path she will take to create the future she desires.
“Wake up. The Solstice Court is beautiful, but it's a dream and Elastor remains asleep rather than face the people dying right outside its walls.”
Kezerah lives in a shroud of peace. Her kingdom is fruitful, her weather fair. She wants nothing more than to escape and explore the world beyond her castle walls.
Yet, as the Soul Heir, the reincarnation of her people’s king, heavy expectations root Princess Kezerah in place. To lead her people, she must embrace her magic and maintain peace. A challenge made more difficult by the decade-long war that batters either side of her kingdom’s borders. She is expected to maintain her kingdom’s treaty to uphold peace with a show of complete neutrality. Neither the northern Kingdom of Alora nor the southern shores of Xenkesh may receive an ounce of favoritism.
Kezerah balances these duties with uneven footing, up until the day both heirs —warring brothers—of the neighboring kingdoms arrive at her Autumn court.
Each brother demands not only her allegiance but also her affection, and Kezerah must decide which path she will take to create the future she desires.
“Wake up. The Solstice Court is beautiful, but it's a dream and Elastor remains asleep rather than face the people dying right outside its walls.”
*****
I don't know how to start this review. I liked this book, I liked the diversity of the characters. I liked the setting. Even though a majority of it took place in one location, a castle, I was able to picture it. The writing is also very good, and her characters did feel like real people, most of the time.
The pacing was my main issue. Things move very slowly in this book. I was also never sure what the main plot of this book is supposed to be. There is a background plot of a war, but the majority of this book follows the relationships between the characters. Though there were a few too many, that I think was why the pacing was off some of the time. There's one chapter that follows a servant character, that was only there to give further hints of what another character is up to, and I think that maybe that hint could've been given with out introducing another character POV that isn't used again.
While I liked, most of, the characters, they were frustrating. Kezerah, the Soul Heir, and princess is a frustrating character. However, a reveal at the end of the book might explain why she was written the way she is. But she's a reckless character who does only what she wants with little regard to those around her. She is given everything she wants, but then is also expected to know how to be a leader when she's not presented with tasks that require that kind of learning. I honestly kept forgetting that she was nearly 18 with how immature she was. We meet her when she's around 12, and sometimes still acts as if she is. But She's also sheltered and that might play into why she came across as immature.
The princes from the neighboring kingdoms are equally frustrating. I did not care for Ikaika feeling entitled to Kez's affection. But I believed his attachment to her more than Ambrose's. Her and Ikaika grew up together, Ambrose knew her for, what? A couple of months tops?
But either way, I didn't really care for, or about any of the romantic elements in this book. Kez (Kezerah) and Dar's (Andarios) relationship was the only one that was believable. He wasn't in this book in the latter half as I feel he should've been. Maybe he'll be in the next books more, I hope so.
There's one antagonist character, whose motivations I don't fully understand. It's part of the big reveal/plot twist at the very end of the book, and I personally don't feel like that ground work was laid well. So the information feels a lot like an info dump, while at the same time it filled the tiny plot-holes through the rest of the book. I am curious where the story is headed. The small issues I have with this book are more personal preference than anything else.
The magic system was interesting, but I don't fully understand how it works. There's three kinds of magic, and all of them confuse me. It is likely that I missed the explanation. I am a little scatterbrained. Jade Juniper is a talented writer, and for a debut this is a well thought out book.
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