Book Review: Protect The Prince (Crown of Shards #2) by Jennifer Estep

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: Protect The Prince
   * Series: Crown of Shards #2
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: Paperback; 448
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Source: TLC Book Tours / Publisher
———————————————–
Genre: Fantasy

HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who are eager for more Evie, and more sweet, sweet romance!

Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…

Yes friends, YES! If you’re the type of reader who is always wary of the second book in a series, and whether it will be a good follow up, rest assured that Protect The Prince has you covered. After falling madly in love with Evie, Sullivan, and the whole cast of the first book, I was terrified that this second book would fall short of what I hoped for. I desperately wanted more intrigue, more magic, and I was ready for a little more spicy romance. As it turns out, I got all of that and more!

As the end of the last book reminds us, someone always wants to kill the queen. So not only does Evie have to navigate her new role as the regent of her country, but she also has to continuously thwart plots to assassinate her. Thank goodness that she’s such a badass character! My favorite part of the last story was watching Evie grow from a woman with quiet strength, into someone who could take down a whole army if it would protect those she loved. That’s the woman who is presented on these pages, and the one who we see mature even more. Being a queen isn’t easy, and Evie learns that the hard way. I loved that Estep didn’t let her fall into the role and lose herself but, rather, Evie molds that role to her personality. It was a beautiful thing.

Oh, and the intrigue! Most of this book takes place in Andvari, and that is a thing of beauty. If the last installment left you hungry for more of Sullivan and his background, here’s your chance to get you fill. I loved learning about him, his place in his home, and his family members. Where the plot could have gone very simply here, as Evie works for treaty with the king, it ended up being a whole vivid tapestry of events. There is poison, there is unrequited love, and there are trysts that will make your eyes wide and your heart beat faster. Since Estep didn’t smash romance between Evie and Sullivan into the first book, which I loved, I was actually really ready for some heat between them. It was delivered, my friends. It was delivered, and it was scorchingly hot.

It was also so impressive how much world building came about in this book, seemingly without effort. There are no large descriptive paragraphs, or information dumps. Still, magically, the world of Andvari opened up in front of me with all of its lush gardens, ornate rooms, and vast hidden spaces. It got to the point where I was so invested in the nobles, and in castle life in general, that I actually forgot for a moment that poor Evie was still figuring out why she was a “Winter Queen”. When that reveal came about it was exciting, and unexpected, and just all kinds of perfect. Everything in this book is so well woven, that it’s a joy a read.

Look, Kate Daniels has long been my favorite female character but I think that Everleigh Blair is set to dethrone her if things keep up as they are now. I love her fierceness, her deep love for those around her, and the fact that she’s willing to give up everything if it means her people survive. Estep has me hooked. I admit it. Now I’ll have to impatiently wait to see what happens next.




FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.