by Whitney Morgan
This five-star read was on FIRE!
For almost an entire year this book popped up on my recommended page on Amazon, and when I finally downloaded it, I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed The Cold King and I always get nervous when reading other books by authors who have written one of my favorites. This was definitely worth it! This re-telling of Snow White was epic. It will be very hard to beat, in my opinion.
The Fire King was a perfect combination of witty, smart and heart wrenching. I loved all of the characters but the relationship between King Lian and Princess Katiyana was absolutely priceless.
“Well, I can see that where ever you have been hiding, dressing and acting like a lady have not been the highest priority.”
Katiyana was a perfect heroine. While there were times she was immature and complained about little things, she was fierce and she didn’t need a man to save her or set her free.
“I am not some simpering consort that is going to hang off your arm.”
She didn’t care to challenge the king or his highest-ranking officer.
“You are a grown man, not a child. Stop acting like one. If there is a problem, just find a way to fix it and move on. Your temper tantrums are exhausting and unnecessary.”
When she saw something wrong, she acted on it.
“What was that, coward?” Katiyana taunted. “I could not hear you from all the way over there. It sounded as though you were upset someone raised their voice and hand to your king, but surely that cannot be it if you are willing to allow him to do the same to a defenseless girl.”
I will admit that it took her a while to realize it rested on her shoulders alone to save her people. When she stepped into her role and accepted her duty she became stronger and better. She became a queen that was going to protect and serve her people.
I loved that the “apple” scene was different and the same at the same time. Instead of going with the traditional “girl bites apple without knowing, girl goes into sleeping curse, girl is saved by man,” it was actually really awesome. And there were two different scenes, so it was cool.
Not only did Katiyana challenge Lian, Lian also challenged her.
“You act like a country bumpkin, not a princess.”
“And you act like an angry bear, not a king!”
There were times the hostility between them grew and they resorted to hurting each other.
“Your lack of manners and ability to hold your tongue is appalling, as is your refusal to act and dress like a lady. When you are not aggravating me, you are up in the roof of all places, daydreaming. I cannot imagine a man wanting to tie himself to a woman like that.”
The fact that the king had to tell her to bathe was absolutely hilarious. (I’m telling you, I could not get enough of their banter and relationship. It was hysterical.)
A simple bath had her out of sorts.
“I am never going to be able to do this,” Katiyana whispered to herself as she dejectedly walked towards the bathing room.
She refused to call Lian her king but before she knew it, he had gained her trust and respect, much to her shock she started seeing him in a new light.
“How is our king spoken about?”
If you like re-tellings, fairy tales, Snow White, men that act like bears, strong heroines, women that do not need a man’s help or all of the above… Read this. It was beautiful, funny and amazing!
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can find it here.
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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to write. It’s been a part of who I am since I was a child scribbling away in my notebooks about characters and love and poetry and songs and ideas. I bleed stories and lyrics rather than blood.
Well, I grew up and went through a bunch of life. I became a wife at eighteen-years-old and a mom three years later. I’ve gone through difficult losses and amazing blessings, but one thing remained the same over the years; I wanted to write. So, eventually, I did!
If I’m not reading, then I’m writing and if I’m not writing, well, you guessed it, I’m probably reading.
I daydream all the time. If I look like I’m staring off into space, it’s because I’m seeing a world that isn’t really there. I’m letting characters tell me about themselves. Humor, passion, and romance is the braid that is my story-telling. I cannot have one without the other two. I may be approaching twenty-seven, but I’m beyond obsessed with the YA genre. Romance, Fantasy, and anything in between!
If you aren’t a fan of fairytale retellings, but love romance and mystery, you can check out my novel ‘Finding Home in Redemption’ on Amazon! I have the first three, unedited, chapters on my personal blog, as well as a sneak preview of the prologue and first chapter of the book I have coming out this July! While they are part of the same series, you do not have to read book one to understand book two. (Although there are secrets that are revealed about book one, it’s not critical to read them in order.)
Are you interested in reading and reviewing an ebook for free? I’m looking for ARC readers who would like to receive an ebook copy of ‘Redeeming the Darkness’ in exchange for an honest review. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, feel free to contact me by email at: whitneymmorganbooks@gmail.com
Chapter one of Finding Home in Redemption:
Prologue and chapter one of Redeeming the Darkness:
For information about Redeeming the Darkness, Look here:
https://www.whitneymorganbooks.com/redeeming-the-darkness
For information about Finding Home in Redemption, Look here:
https://www.whitneymorganbooks.com/coming-soon
For all kinds of other information about books I have coming out in the future, check out my website at, www.whitneymorganbooks.com
You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram @whitmorganbooks
Ashley O'Melia, Author 