Book Review
Title: Untoward Awakening (Book 2 in the Amethysta Trilogy)
Author: Sara Secora
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: It has been over two years since I read Throne of Lies, the first book in this series, but I remember loving it so much and feeling it was a really fresh entry to the YA fantasy genre. I must also note before I get into my review that Throne of Lies and subsequently Untoward Awakening have had a cover change which makes them more visually appealing and just plain beautiful, I would buy these books for the new covers alone. This series follows Princess Amethysta, heir to the Northwind Throne when we left her at the end of Throne of Lies, she was marrying Soren but also had some very strong feeling for Ark and I could smell a love triangle brewing. While love triangles aren’t something I enjoy, I do find that if they are done right they are intriguing and keep the reader guessing. Amethysta was also learning about her magic and questioning whether or not she is actually human, so to say I was excited to jump into Untoward Awakening was an understatement.
The prologue opens the novel with quite an ominous feel and they hint at something darker to come, this is then blended with the joyous feelings surrounding the Winter Solstice. Amethysta is enjoying her time with Soren but hasn’t progressed their relationship due to her feelings for Arkarial, she tries contacting him through their bond but can’t get through, but she hasn’t given up hope that he will return to her. This then raises the question of what she will do when she is betrothed to Soren. In Throne of Lies, Secora started the develop the type of races within her world and some minor world-building but she really amps it up in this novel, really developing Vataenya and the political systems that are going to be vital to this novel and the conclusion of the series. Amethysta seems happy with Soren but Arkarial is never far from her mind.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we get a lot of internal dialogue from Amethysta, who is struggling with the death of her mother and the loss of Arkarial but does enjoy the small, happy things in her life like the Winter Festival, but she does long to uncover the secrets of who she really is. Not a lot has happened so far other than Amethysta finding a cat she names Lady who causes a lot of trouble for the Princess, but there may be more to it than that as she comes across a child at the festival who has ginger hair and amber eyes much like her cat, after learning Arkarial is a shape-shifter of sorts, it isn’t impossible to think that this child and Lady are one and the same. Amethysta is also struggling with her relationship with Soren as the coronation preparations are beginning, she is questioning whether she made the right decision in choosing Soren as her King. From Amethysta’s internal dialogue so far, I feel that given the choice she would choose Arkarial if he returns but she isn’t going to want to let go of Soren either, meaning that she may be forced to choose one for definite sooner or later.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, something happens that forces Arkarial to return to Amethysta’s side, but they need to leave straight away to find a flower called Setyera, the problem is the flower only grows in Enyelnore; the elven kingdom and its power can only be used while the flower is fresh meaning they both need to travel there. While Amethysta doesn’t want to leave, Arkarial leaves her with no choice, it is made more difficult when Lady is a shape-shifting creature that wants Amethysta for some unknown purpose. The rag-tag group is forced to travel together now, but Arkarial is between a real strain on the relationship he has with Amethysta as they constantly butt heads about the most trivial things at times, making me rethink my decision about Amethysta choosing him.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Amethysta, Arkarial along with Bex and Kato are making their way to the Elven lands but Amethysta is being searched for by her father and his men. While she longs to return home, she knows that she can’t until they have completed their mission. The lingering dispute between Amethysta and Arkarial about killing and whether or not it is right to do is very interesting and is a dramatic change from their relationship in the first book. I understand both points of view, Amethysta believes killing is always wrong and there is always another way which is extremely naïve as sometimes killing is necessary, while Arkarial believes that killing is the safest option and that finding a diplomatic solution is a waste of time, and this is a very bitter perspective, but I get where he is coming from. By the time the group is ready to cross Chethdul’s Pass out of the Dwarf Kingdom into the south, Amethysta is becoming more and more unsure about her choices leading up to this but she is beginning to see the world differently, that everything isn’t black and white as she thought previously.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, so much is beginning to happen. The group barely make it across Chethdul’s pass in one piece but make a friend along the way. Before they head on to Enyelnore they decide to rest after their three-day walk, which leads to a rather interesting conversation between Amethysta and Arkarial. The interaction makes Amethysta question everything including whether she wants to return home and what her future holds for her. While this series is really character-driven, the development of Amethysta alone is astounding but we also get a lot of development on Arkarial which is beautiful to see as he is quite a complex character.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Amethysta sees everything coming together as the end of their journey is near but things start falling apart just as quickly. Bex is in trouble and despite her attempts to help him, he ends up leaving them behind, but she is determined to get her friend back. Shortly after getting the flower, she and Arkarial are arrested by the elves which I suspected but what happens after is interesting as the elves seem to know something about Amethysta’s necklace, but she isn’t giving up any of her secrets just yet even when her life hangs in the balance.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, everything literally explodes. So much happens and I can’t even talk about half of it because it is a mile deep into spoiler territory. All I can say is Amethysta finally learn s who she is and what she wants from her life and she isn’t going to let anyone walk all over her again. Everything that happens in Untoward Awakening sets up the climax perfectly and I just hope I don’t have to wait two years for it. The series is perfect for fantasy fans looking for a fantasy novel with a wide and diverse array of characters and some of the most fluffy and humorous moments that have ever been written. I highly, highly recommend it.
Buy it here:
Paperback: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: Throne of Lies by Sara Secora
This book was sent to me for review consideration by the author.
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