Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Braided Fate #2
Genre: Adult/Fantasy Romance/
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: November 3, 2026
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's |
Synopsis:
CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.
TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.
KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.
As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.
I went into this book fully expecting it to be a duology, I don't know why I thought, that I just assumed. But this book is at least 70% setup for the rest of the series/next book. And when I got to the ending, with that cliffhanger, I am even more excited for this series.
TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.
KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.
As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.
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As mentioned, there is a lot of set up, and I mean a lot of set up. There are lots of hints about some "bigger picture" things. What has started what feels like an endless war, and who could've been behind it.
The three main characters all have some growth in this book, but Asher is the one who feels like the most developed character, and sadly, Jory had the least growth in this book, but I still don't feel like I really know that much about Ky as a character beyond that he's a solider who can't rest or unwind. The romance in this book has some more development beyond just smut, but I don't feel like Jory fits as comfortably with the other two as they do with each other. This is supposed to be a why choose, but Jory in the trio often feels like an after thought. Which is disappointing for a why choose.
There is a fair amount of darker themes in this book, with more of what Asher went through being revealed, and Jory thinking back on how her older brother was abusive towards her. There was also a lot of new characters introduced in this book, and that in some ways took up plot development and some character growth. This book isn't very long, under 400 pages, so I kind of feel that it could've used a few more pages to flesh out some of that.
My small complaints aside, I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read the next installment. Whenever that comes out.
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