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The Fiery Crown (Forgotten Empires Book 2) by Jeffe Kennedy
The Fiery Crown
Forgotten Empires
New Adult, Fantasy Romance
St. Martin's Paperbacks
May 26, 2020
Kindle, Mass Market Paperback, Audio Cd
400
WILL THEIR LOVE STAND THE TEST OF TIME
Queen Euthalia has reigned over her island kingdom of Calanthe with determination, grace, and her magical, undying orchid ring. After she defied an empire to wed Conrí, the former Crown Prince of Oriel―a man of disgraced origins with vengeance in his heart―Lia expected the wizard’s prophecy to come true: Claim the hand that wears the ring and the empire falls. But Lia’s dangerous bid to save her realm doesn’t lead to immediate victory. Instead, destiny hurls her and Conrí towards a future neither could predict…
OR TEAR THEIR WHOLE WORLD APART?
Con has never healed after the death of his family and destruction of his kingdom―he’s been carefully plotting his revenge against his greatest enemy, Emperor Anure, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Lia’s spies gather intelligence suggesting that Anure is planning an attack against Calanthe, Con faces an agonizing choice: Can he sacrifice Lia and all she holds dear to destroy the empire? Or does his true loyalty exist in the arms of his beguiling, passionate wife―’til death do they part?
A feast for the imagination…
Jeffe Kennedy’s The Fiery Crown, the next installment of The Forgotten Empires Triology, offers the second course in her aesthetically rich tale of romance and intrigue. The story picks up a week after the ending of The 
Orchid Throne [this review may contain spoilers for book 1 The Orchid Throne – read first before continuing]. While the marriage of Queen Euthalia and Conri was initially an arranged alliance for strategic purposes, they have quickly found that their sexual chemistry is slowly prying open the iron doors of their hearts. This budding connection is disconcerting for Lia and Con, who have kept their true thoughts and emotions hidden deep within carefully crafted facades, and concerning in that any personal attactments might derail their long plotted plans. The marriage also accelerates the trajectory of their inevitable collision with the ruthless Emperor, who has vowed to stop at nothing to claim Euthalia, the last true ruler of the land, as his own and utterly destroy the slave king and his rebellion. 
Jeffe lays out a sensual and intriguing feast for the imagination in both the plot-line and presentation of each book in the series. Feasts are an age old tradition that one author describes as the consumption of an elaborate meal that many times includes entertainment. They are usually brought out in courses with each more impressive than the last. The Fiery Crown gives the reader a heart racing story with its building conflict as well as the blossoming sexual relationship between Lia and Con. Each book, chapter, and page builds the world and characters into a delightful experience. Jeffe’s artistic skill in painting word pictures captivates your imagination with epic visions on a grand scale. She wields words like the wind; one minute it might be a gentle breeze caressing your check and the next a raging storm that scatters branches across the yard. I found myself going back and rereading her wordsmithing out of pure admiration for the craftsmanship she displays. 
The Fiery Crown is so thoroughly captivating and entertaining, you will have a hard time putting it down once you start.
Normally, I prefer books over movies as a way to experience a story. I love being privy to the intimate thoughts of characters and I have a vivid enough imagination that I love to come up with my own mental renderings of the people and places. However, I would love to see The Forgotten Empires series presented on the big screen in the style of The Lord of the Rings cinematography. Queen Euthalia’s elaborate and refined image and her carefully orchestrated tropical island court juxtaposed with Con’s untamed and raw masculinity in a tale of passion and vengeance would make for a truly captivating movie.
The Fiery Crown, book two of The Forgotten Empires series, deserves 
plus a few more!! If only book 3, The Promised Queen, was scheduled for release before the summer of 2021.
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
