Four weeks ago, I joined a reading club where we read The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee, a fantasy romance novel. Initially overwhelmed with excitement, my enthusiasm was slightly dampened upon noticing that my copy was slightly damaged. The book’s outer design was beautiful, but it lacked a map of the book’s world. The illustrations, while lovely, took away a little from the joy of letting one’s imagination run wild. The story follows Nyra, a princess without magic, who flees her cruel father and joins a rebellion. Hiding her true identity as Princess Verena, she navigates life with the rebels and meets Dacre, the suspicious yet protective son of the rebellion leader. As Nyra trains and bonds with the rebels, she must decide whether to reveal her identity and fully commit to the rebellion.

I appreciated the uniqueness of the characters’ names, but character development was an area where the book fell short. Nyra’s struggles and growth felt superficial, and the supporting characters, including Dacre, failed to leave a lasting impression due to their one-dimensional nature. The world-building, while vivid, often came at the expense of pacing and borrowed heavily from familiar fantasy tropes without adding a fresh twist. The themes of good versus evil, friendship, and the pursuit of knowledge were present but not explored meaningfully.

During reading, I was a little disgusted by the way the romantic engagements commenced. The “Enemies to Lovers” trope felt weak, with more focus on lust than genuine romance. Overall, The Veiled Kingdom struggled to stand out in the fantasy genre with its predictable plot and familiar elements. Despite its shortcomings, the book left me eager to find out what happens next in the series. I almost insisted, in horror, that the Bookcircle send us all the second volume, as it simply cannot end like this. Overall, I believe the entire world and plot could still be improved.

Rating: Good, but very predictable.
Spice Rating: The rating indicates that the book has a noticeable level of steamy, detailed romantic scenes

(To read the full review come visit my blog)

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