Review: Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

Bride of the Shadow King
(Bride of the Shadow King #1)
Sylvia Mercedes
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: March 15, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

A shunned princess. A reluctant king.
A marriage that could save both their kingdoms . . . but destroy their hearts.

Though she is the oldest daughter, Princess Faraine lives in the background, shunned from court and kept out of sight. Her chronic illness makes her a liability to the crown, and she has learned to give place to her beautiful, favored younger sister in all things.

When the handsome and enigmatic Shadow King comes seeking a bride, Faraine is not surprised that her sister is his choice.

Though not eager to take a human bride, King Vor is willing to do what is necessary for the sake of his people. When he meets the lively Princess Ilsevel, he quickly agrees to a marriage arrangement.

So why can’t he get the haunting eyes of her older sister out of his head?

When disaster strikes and the marriage alliance is compromised, Faraine suddenly finds herself forced to take her sister’s place . . . regardless of her new husband’s desires. Can she find a place at Vor’s side as his queen? Or is his heart forever closed to the woman who deceived him so cruelly?

Passionate and alluring, Bride of the Shadow King is an arranged marriage tale with dual point-of-view (his and hers). It’s perfect for fantasy fans looking for a touch of spice to go with the sweet in their next swoony, slow-burn romance.

 

Faraine may be the oldest daughter to the king, but she is an outcast. Her god’s gift (special powers bestowed upon her at birth) is to feel all the emotions around her and to share emotions to others. During her hand-fasting, the emotions built up so much inside her that she wound up being sick all over her suitor. Thus, ending any talks of alliances between the two kingdoms. Which left Faraine shunned and sent to a convent. However, now it is her sister’s time to wed to build an alliance, and her sister is not cooperating. So, Faraine is sent home to talk her sister into fulfilling her duty. Only, she’s attacked on the journey back home and is saved by some fae folk. Once they get back to her kingdom, she soon learns that the man that saved her, and whom she’s been traveling with, is none other than her sister’s suitor.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the idea of various creatures, magical powers, and just the world overall that the author created. King Vor was a great character. He’s half human, half fae and I think that his human side really gave him more humanity and made him a well-rounded character. Sure he battled some of his darker side, but he was always balancing between the two. Faraine was also a great character who has struggled with quite a bit due to her god’s gift. However, it’s those hardships that formed her into the strong person she is. While I was disappointed in some of her decisions, I still thought she was a good character overall.

If you’re in the market for a fantasy novel that has an underlying tone of romance, give this book a read. I look forward to reading the next book since I feel like the romance will finally bloom into being the forefront of the story.

 

 

 

One Thought on “Review: Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

  1. First I’ve heard of this but it sounds good.

Jump in on the discussion: click on the notify button below to follow along

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Post Navigation