Summary
Rowan thought she had escaped her life as a prisoner.
But even in Lochlann, she is chained by the memories of everything she left behind in Socair.
Of everyone she left behind.
With her people clamoring for war, the responsibility falls on Rowan to enter into a marriage alliance to keep her kingdom safe. That should be easy, considering she’s already received proposals from half the clans in Socair.
But even with plenty of options, she’s left with no good choices.
Will she play it safe? Or will she risk everything for the kind of love she never wanted to begin with?
The kind of love that could break her.
Review
Crimson Kingdom is the third book in The Lochlann Feuds series. Rowan finally returns home to Lochlann after being imprisoned in Socair. Her perspective of the world is now different from before because of her experiences away that forced her to grow up. She left a piece of herself behind, along with some memories.
Everyone dreams of being a princess. They want a fairytale and happily ever after. Until they realize that royals are humans, too, nothing is perfect. So there are going to be negatives with positives.
Royals have responsibilities. The kingdom first before themselves. Rowan must marry to prevent a war among the kingdoms. As long as it benefits the kingdom in the long run, love doesn’t matter. Rowan must choose between playing it safe or risking everything for a love that can break her.
When I know there is a love triangle, I tend to stay away. The back and forth frustrates me. That is not the case with Crimson Kingdom. Rowan knew who she wanted. It was more to the matter of listening to her heart or her head. She is in a position where her decision doesn’t just impact herself but also her kingdom.
Seeing Rowan’s family was interesting. All of the characters, main or side, have backstories. They have depth; there is more to them than meets the eye. They aren’t flat. I understand that The Lochlann Feuds series is told from Rowan’s perceptive, but I wish there were multiple points of view. To see what the other characters were thinking and feeling. I guess that is why I tend to go for multiple points of views stories.
Crimson Kingdom was so captivating that I finished reading in one day. Robin D. Mahle and Elle Madison know how to hook you in from beginning to end. It makes you want to read the series from back to back in one go. Although I couldn’t read them that way, I’m glad the wait for Obsidian Throne isn’t that long. The Lochlann Feuds series concludes with Obsidian Throne on December 26, 2021.
