Invictus
Esperance Trilogy #2
Heather Frost
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication date: Dec. 28, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:
She chose to trust him.
He swore to protect her.
But surviving Esperance was only the beginning . . .
Amryn never intended to betray the rebels she swore to help—or fall for the husband she was forced to marry. But when everything at Esperance fell apart, Carver became the one person she could trust. Now, she must rely on him more than ever—especially since the knights who hunt empaths know one was at Esperance. If they find her, they will kill her. Yet the threat Amryn doesn’t see coming may prove deadlier, because even though she turned her back on the rebels, the Rising isn’t done with her.
Carver has already lost too much at Esperance. He won’t lose anyone else—especially Amryn. He’ll fight to protect his wife from every threat, including the mysterious bloodstone that nearly killed her. He knows the dangerous relic must be destroyed, but first he has to get the surviving Chosen to the capital—a mission that soon turns deadly, making it clear there is still someone out there who never planned for the Chosen to leave Esperance alive.
But safety isn’t guaranteed in the emperor’s palace. Here, every action is scrutinized and politics twist every word. Surrounded by hidden enemies, ruthless assassins, and deadly conspiracies, Amryn and Carver must navigate a web of danger that could cost them everything—including their lives.
My thoughts…
The second book in the trilogy takes place in the Emperor’s Palace. Which, is kind of a death trap for Amryn since the Emperor is not only completely against empaths, but has knights at the ready to help find empaths. They just have this innate ability to sense an empath with the bone rings they wear, which have the bones from an empath infused in them. So yeah, going to the palace is not the wisest decision, but it’s also something she can’t get out of without drawing suspicion to herself.
Not only are you on the edge of your seat, waiting for Amryn to be found out, but there are rebels in the palace, as well as hired assassins who keep trying to kill the Chosen from Esperance. There were a lot of moving pieces, and new characters coming into play. So, the book didn’t feel stale like a lot of sequels tend to be. It had a good story arc to it that allows you to see more pieces of the puzzle coming together. I have a feeling I know who the head of the rebellion is, but I’m interested to know if my suspicions are correct.
This book does end on a cliffhanger, and it’s one that has me wishing the next book was already out so I could dive right in. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to focus on the next book without knowing what is happening to all the characters. The way they ended this one had me flipping pages non-stop because it was just so many moving pieces between Amryn’s POV and Carver’s POV.
Needless to say, I will be impatiently waiting for the last book of the trilogy to come out so I know how the whole story unfolds when the truth comes out that Amryn is an empath who isn’t the evil monster the kingdom has been lead to believe, but instead is the reason why the Chosen made it out of Esperance in the first place. Will they see her as the demonic evil the church has preached about, or the healer who saved them all?
Previous books from the Esperance trilogy
Esperance
