My name is Thalia Clairmont and I am heir to the throne of Vyronas. A title that was unknown to me after the love of my life, Bastien Dunne, had me stripped of my memories and sent me through the veil into another dimension. He maintains it was for my protection after my parents were killed and our kingdom was overthrown, but I see it as a betrayal.
Overwhelmed by my feelings of both love and anger for Bastien, I quickly understand that things aren’t what they once were. Vyronas is at war and an evil sorceress has claimed my throne by casting her blood magic to subjugate my people. With my memories returned, I realize Bastien isn’t the man I once loved and has instead become a distant, hardened warrior whose heart is as cold as ice.
My magic alone cannot defeat the blood sorcery, so I delve into the deepest shadows to find a way to regain control of my kingdom. Can I defeat evil without succumbing to the darkness? And will Bastien and I be able to reclaim the love we once shared? I am the Shadow Princess and it’s time for me to reclaim my throne.
The Shadow Princess is a standalone second chance romance with a fantastical flourish within The Chronicles of the Stone Veil series.
AMAZON (in Kindle Unlimited) | STORYGRAPH | GOODREADS
The Shadow Princess Review
I didn’t realize that Sawyer Bennett wrote fantasy romance until she released this series, last year. It really was soooooo good and it ended up being a top favorite series, so of course, I was excited to be getting a standalone in that same world.
Thalia and Bastien’s story was everything that I needed and more. A second chance romance, which is my absolute favorite because hello, angst. And you’ll get plenty of that especially since their relationship from the beginning is a bit of a complex one.
I thought it was a great dynamic with Thalia being whisked away to Wyoming for several years with zero memories of her formal life. And with her safety on the line, Bastien needs to bring her back and help her restore their kingdom.
Once she gains her memories back, she’s dealing with everything like it was the day her world completely flipped, only to come head to head with near indifferent Bastien. The man she loved and thought she was going to marry. There are a lot of things they need to work out and you can’t help, but hope that they’ll realize the infinite love they had for one another.
Oh … my … heart … could not handle these two! I just wanted to shake some sense into Bastien. Regardless of what he feels toward Thalia, his loyalty is to his kingdom and will do anything for it.
With Thalia already being an amazing and strong character, we do see some growth from her that I loved. She really comes into herself and shows she’s exactly what her kingdom needs. And she knows her worth and refuses to let anyone bring her down, Bastien included.
I simply devoured their story and we see some familiar characters as well as met some new ones. AND, it has been confirmed that we’ll be getting at least four more stories from this world.
If you’re a fan of Bennett’s contemporary, absolutely give her fantasy romance a chance. It’s an absolute gem and everyone needs to be adding it to their TBR.
TW: sexual assault
Vale of Stars Series Review
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Chronicles of the Stone Veil Series Review
The first 5 books of this series must be read in order, one couple and HEA guaranteed by the end of their story.
Check out my review for this series | here
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It sounds like this delivers on the angst. I’m not familiar with the author but I’m happy it was a good one!
She mostly writes contemporary specifically hockey romance. I’d give this series a go, if you’re up for it.