Review: Protect the Prince

Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Buy this book now! The second installment in the Crown of Shards series is fantastic. This is a must read series. This series must be read in order. Protect the Prince starts off where the first book, Kill the Queen ends. Evie is now the queen. She never wanted the job, but to protect her people from not only her evil cousin, but another invading empire, she did it. The politics and the back stabbing is more than she wants to deal with. The responsibilities as the queen is not only tiresome, but it keeps her from the man she wants to be with… a bastard prince, Lucas.

This novel is a nice lengthy one with a well-developed plot. The world building continues as we learn more about the different empires, their allies and their enemies. What I like is the continued mystery of the Winter Queen. It is as if the secrets of the Winter line is kept as a last Hail Mary when the empire is under dire threat.

Evie plays a long game to win. In this book, the readers sees the different pieces she's setting up to bring down her enemies. It may not all make sense until the 3rd book. It makes me wonder how Ms. Estep writes her books. The many intricacies and ties need to be well planned in order for it to all come together. How does she do it?

This intensely compact book is a wonderful long read yet it feels too short when it all comes to an end. The ending is a bit of a hook to lead into the next book. This high fantasy tale is highly recommended to readers who love intrigue, betrayal and the greatest love of all time.

*provided by Edelweiss