A Curse of Blood & Stone by K.A. Tucker is now live!
From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the second novel in her Fate and Flame series, an adult fantasy story that should be read in series order.
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Audiobook Releasing October 25th
Blurb
“I do not know how to love you and be a good king to my people.”
From jewelry thief to interloper to queen-in-waiting, Romeria flees Cirilea a traitor to all. But the yawning distance between her and Zander troubles her more than any king’s bounty on her head. While Zander may have escaped by her side, he seeks to regain his throne, and no immortal will ever welcome her as Islor’s queen. She fears it won’t be long before Zander abandons her as everyone else she’s ever loved has.
Zander sacrificed his crown to save Romeria’s life, yet he dreads what her existence means for the future of his realm. As Ybaris’s plan to destroy Islor unfurls, a more insidious threat, orchestrated by rival fates, lurks beneath the surface. He can offer his allies no honest explanation for why he protects the Ybarisan princess and takes counsel from Queen Neilina’s caster, leading those closest to doubt his wisdom—and his allegiance.
As their company aims for the Venhorn Mountains, steered by prophecy, Romeria is desperate to wield her newfound abilities to undo Princess Romeria’s treachery before the kingdom tears itself apart. But with the mortal rebellion swelling, bolstered by the gift of Ybaris’s poison, it may already be too late.
From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the second novel in her Fate and Flame series, an adult fantasy story that should be read in series order.
Review
5 stars!
Wow, what a read! The second book in the Fate & Flame series, this is an exciting, intriguing, dramatic, fun and romantic story, continuing the adventure of a woman trapped in a fantasy world – inhabiting the fae body of a woman who was literally bred for chaos. I was sucked in from start to finish, and it’s such a fantastic read.
This book is NOT a standalone, so make sure you read A Fate of Wrath & Flame before diving into this world – also a 5 star read, though for me, this one was even better! And beware that this review will be spoilery for the first book of the series (though nothing beyond what is already revealed in the blurb).
This book picks up immediately where the first book left off. Zander walked away from the throne of Islor to save Romeria’s life, and the two of them, along with their trusted guards, are on the run. Trying to unravel an ancient prophecy, they are travelling across the kingdom led by a powerful caster who is also attempting to teach Romeria about her newly-discovered powers. Their travels take them to large and small cities within Islor, which have been mostly ignored by the royal family, so they (and we) get to see first-hand the living conditions of immortals and humans outside of the capital – the people are suffering, the deadly poison circulated by their enemy is wreaking havoc, and Islor is being torn apart.
And in the middle of it all, Romeria is trying to figure out who she is and her place in her new world, and Zander is fighting for his throne, and for the life of the woman he loves. It’s a wild adventure, full of intrigue, action and romance, in a wonderfully developed fantasy world, and I loved every moment of it!
“I will need you beside me and ready to fight every stop of the way.”
I smooth my hand over his heart, my palm absorbing the warmth. “You already have me by your side.”
I love that we get to explore this world in so much more detail – the towns, the people, and the way they all connect together, we experience it all alongside Romeria and Zander as they travel. There are new reveals, but it didn’t feel as overwhelming as the last book occasionally did, with so much information unloaded. I had just finished a reread of Fate of Wrath and Flame, so I was fully prepared going into this one, remembering all of the little details, and was able to just sit back and watch it all unfold.
And this time around it’s written in dual POV, so we get Romeria’s perspective, and Zander’s, and OMG, I loved it! These are two wonderful characters – both intelligent and real, and despite the setting, and their extreme situation, I could relate to both of them. This is, at its heart, an emotional story. It’s people realising that their world is not as it seems, and finding the courage and strength to fight for what they believe is right. And their struggle to do that is beautifully written.
“I do not know how to love you and be a good king to my people … But I realize now that I will never be him if it means losing you.”
And on an even more emotional note – the last book had a hint of romance, but it didn’t really develop properly, now we get to see everything that is between Romeria and Zander, and though they’re in a really difficult position, we get to see an actual love story, and it’s so gorgeous! Playful, emotional and passionate, I loved seeing these two together. They know they have a massive fight on their hands to reclaim the throne, and for Zander’s people to accept Romeria as his Queen, but they’re in it together, and it was fantastic to see them so strong and so committed.
“I can’t live in this world if it’s not with you by my side.”
“Then that is where I will be. Always.”
There’s a great bunch of side characters with them – some that we already know and get to know better, and some wonderful new ones. All of them bring so much to the story, and there are some fantastically entertaining dynamics that keep things light and entertaining.
“Can you try not to keep up the entire camp this time?”
My cheeks burn as I grasp Jarek’s meaning. “We weren’t that loud.”
He smirks. “He wasn’t.”
I push aside my embarrassment. “Aw, it’s okay.” I reach up to toy with the thick rope of braided hair draped over his shoulder … “One day, if you try really hard, you’ll please someone that much too.”
I love this world, I’m loving this series, and I absolutely loved this book! It finishes in a good place, though the story is not over yet. That ending brings some big reveals and a twist or two, and I cannot wait to continue on.
Such a great read – 5 stars!
An Advanced Review copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
Fate & Flame
A Fate of Wrath & Flame (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo
A Curse of Blood & Stone (#2)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo
A Queen of Thieves and Chaos (#3)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google Play
A Dawn of Gods & Fury (#4)
To be released 3 September 2024
Pre-order: Amazon
About Kathleen
K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.
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