Review: The Caged Queen (Iskari #2)

Title: The Caged Queen (Iskari #2)
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 25, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Elloren Gardner and her friends were only seeking to right a few wrongs, but their actions have propelled them straight into the ranks of the realm-wide Resistance against Gardnerian encroachment. As the Resistance struggles against the harsh rulings of High Priest Marcus Vogel and the Mage Council, Elloren begins to realize that none of the people she cares about will be safe if Gardneria seizes control of the Western Realm.

With tensions heating up in Verpacia, more and more Gardnerian soldiers continue to descend upon the university…led by none other than Lukas Grey, now commander of the newly rebuilt Fourth Division base. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is determined to wandfast to her, convinced that she has inherited her grandmother’s magic—the prophesied power of the Black Witch. As his very nearness seems to awaken a darkness inside her, Elloren finds it more and more difficult to believe that she’s truly powerless, as her uncle always claimed.

Caught between her growing feelings for the rebellious Yvan Guriel and the seductive power offered by Lukas Grey, Elloren must find a way to stay true to what she knows is right and protect everyone she loves…even if that means protecting them from herself.

Review:

I loved this book! I loved The Last Namsara, so I was excited to read this sequel.

This book wasn’t a typical sequel, because it had a different plot. It was in the same world with the same characters, but there was a different heroine in this story than The Last Namsara. I loved Asha’s story in the first book, and it took a little while to get used to the new main character, Roa. She was in the first book, but not as much as in this one. This was a great way to show a different perspective of the world.

I was surprised at the ending. I thought I knew how the story would end throughout the book, but I was wrong. I was pleased with this ending, because it was hopeful.

This is a great series! I’m excited to read the next book in the series when it comes out!

What to read next:

Have you read The Caged Queen? What did you think of it?