This January has carried strains of deja vu… That is, virus strains. I was sick last January! Ugh. Dare I hope the last week of the month will improve?
On the bright side, feeling too unwell to write opened up a lot of time for binge-watching television and reading. I do like reading!
I am down to the “hard” letters in my A-Z challenge on Goodreads. I have U, X, Y, and Z to go still. Luckily, there’s no deadline, so I have peppered my recent reading with easy letters. ?
“Q” gave me Third Daughter (The Royals of Dharia #1), by Susan Kaye Quinn…
REVIEW of “Third Daughter”
I felt that the story was more romance than fantasy, but it manages to incorporate a fun dash of steampunk. The last third of the book was by far the most enjoyable, in spite of the heroine’s abysmal foolishness. (She was only 18, after all. Leeway must be granted.) The one thing that tripped me up and made me laugh repeatedly was the interchangeable use of the words “courtesan” and “diplomat.” I do not think that word means what you think it means… Or in this world, are the diplomats usually prostitutes? Do I detect a Freudian slip?
With an Eastern Indian inspired setting, the aforementioned steampunk, and a heroine torn between two charismatic men, there is plenty of room for fun and adventure. I liked it, but I didn’t love it, alas.
SUMMARY
Sneaking out of the palace wasn’t one of Aniri’s best ideas. But she’s the Third Daughter of the Queen of Dharia—zero responsibilities and zero royal duties. She’s just the backup daughter, in case her older sisters’ arranged marriages—to take the crown or broker an alliance—don’t quite work out. But once Aniri reaches her 18th birthday, she’ll be truly free… and then she can marry the charming fencing instructor she meets for fevered kisses in the forest.
But then the impossible happens—a marriage proposal. From a barbarian prince in the north, no less. And if Aniri refuses, the threat of their new flying weapon might bring war.
So she agrees to the young prince’s proposal, but only as a subterfuge to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t love. But once she arrives in the sweeping mountains of the north, she discovers the prince has his own secrets… and saving her country may end up breaking her heart.
This book is for you if you:
- Want to read something light and uncomplicated
- Like romance with a touch of steampunk fantasy
This book is not for you if you:
- Are looking for complex magic systems or world-building
- Know the difference between courtesans and courtiers
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Have you read this book? What did you think?
Have you read other books by this author?
Do you happen to know some good (fantasy only) books whose authors last names begin with U, X, Y, and Z? Share in the comments!