A RIVER OF ROYAL BLOOD is dark, twisty, and fierce. From the first pages, author Amanda Joy immerses you in the history, culture, and magic of Myre. In this kingdom, multiple daughters born to the ruling queen must compete and kill to become the heir. Seventeen-year-old Eva was born with the rare magick of blood and marrow, the magick wielded by Myre's founder, the infamous Queen Rania. Her older sister Isa has the power of persuasion. When considering it, both magicks are terrifying but Eva believes her magick is evil and bad.
Through Eva, we learn of the different people in Myre - humans, fey, bloodkin (akin to vampires), and khimaer. The latter belonged to the first ruling class of Myre but after a human uprising, they now are forced into essentially concentration camps and have little to no rights. Joy does an excellent job through Eva considering what the rights of individuals are, who chooses who deserves those rights, and I think most importantly, how the system can be changed. Eva, who has been marginalized by her mother the queen, believes in genuine allyship and vows that if she can survive her sister, she will make life better for the khimaer.
I don't want to give too much away but A RIVER OF ROYAL BLOOD has so many elements that make it a strong and exciting high fantasy: a fully realized world, a protagonist fighting against injustice, magick lessons, a romance, and an exploration of complex family relationships. There were a few parts in the narrative that felt slow but overall, I couldn't put it down. Several MAJOR twists will leave readers impatiently waiting for the sequel. A must read.
Through Eva, we learn of the different people in Myre - humans, fey, bloodkin (akin to vampires), and khimaer. The latter belonged to the first ruling class of Myre but after a human uprising, they now are forced into essentially concentration camps and have little to no rights. Joy does an excellent job through Eva considering what the rights of individuals are, who chooses who deserves those rights, and I think most importantly, how the system can be changed. Eva, who has been marginalized by her mother the queen, believes in genuine allyship and vows that if she can survive her sister, she will make life better for the khimaer.
I don't want to give too much away but A RIVER OF ROYAL BLOOD has so many elements that make it a strong and exciting high fantasy: a fully realized world, a protagonist fighting against injustice, magick lessons, a romance, and an exploration of complex family relationships. There were a few parts in the narrative that felt slow but overall, I couldn't put it down. Several MAJOR twists will leave readers impatiently waiting for the sequel. A must read.