Blog Tour: Lost Princess (Kingdom of Cymmera Trilogy Book 2) by Dani-Lyn Alexander: A Book Review

Lost Princess (Kingdom of Cymmera Trilogy Book 2)
by Dani-Lyn Alexander
Release Date: 10/13/15 Lyrical Press 
Synopsis: Ryleigh Donnovan’s life changed forever the day she met Jackson Maynard, a Death Dealer, and followed him home to the kingdom of Cymmera. Now she is trying to care for her sister while saving a realm she knows nothing about...

     Jackson has reluctantly accepted the throne of Cymmera, in place of his father. But his world is in turmoil, the kingdom under constant threat of attack. Worse still, Jackson suspects there is a traitor among his court. A powerful prophet has suggested a way to protect the realm, but that solution may drive Jackson and Ryleigh apart forever... 

     When a magic relic goes missing, Ryleigh has no choice but to journey in search of it. When Jackson discovers Ryleigh is missing, he must make a choice that will either claim their destiny, or bring an end to the only home he’s ever known.

     My Review: Lost Princess is the sequel to Reluctant Prince. Jackson is now King of Cymmera, and Ryleigh is his future prospective queen. Yet, not all is happily ever-after because there is still danger. It is suspected that within his court is a traitor.  In order to protect their realm Ryleigh agrees to go on a mission to recover a magic relic, keeping her mission secret from Jackson. When Jackson discovers her gone, he goes in pursuit to find her.

     Because I was disappointed in the first book, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Lost Princess. This is because the author seemed to fix her mistakes in the first novel. There is more character development to both the characters, Ryleigh and Jackson. Ryleigh grows in this book. She is strong, determined, and must rely on herself. She is also more mature. Jackson is insecure because he feels that he does not live up to his father. He is also trying to come to terms with his fate.

    Overall, this book is about friendship, love, courage, and family. There were a lot of cool scenes in this book, my favorite being Ryleigh riding a dragon. I absolutely adored the cliffhanger ending, and I love Ryleigh’s last line in the novel. This ending is setting up for the final trilogy. If that is the case, then Ryleigh is definitely a woman you would not like to mess with. I loved the expanding world-building of Cymmera. The characters are fleshed out, and I felt that there is more build-up to their romance. There is a lot of tension between Ryleigh and Jackson in that they do have their rough moments, but eventually they make up for it. The book did start out slowly, but it picks up when Ryleigh goes on her mission. Lost Princess is definitely better than Reluctant Prince, and the author has shown massive improvement in her works. Because of Lost Princess, I am looking forward to reading the last book in the trilogy. I recommend this book to anyone interested in epic fantasy with dragons, perilous quests, royalty, and magic.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy Links: 

Amazon, Nook, iBooks

Excerpt:

     The soft brush of something against the carpet outside Ryleigh’s bedroom door intruded on her restless sleep. Her eyes shot open. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest. Blood rushing in her ears drowned out whatever sound had woken her. With the Kingdom of Cymmera at war, even though she was in her own realm, human traitors or monsters could attack from anywhere at any moment. Goose bumps rushed across her skin, prickling her nerves. The memory of savages invading her home taunted her.  

     Wait. There it was again. The slightest whisper of something brushing against... something. She slid quietly from the bed, got caught up in the blankets, and almost lost her footing. She bit back a curse, untangled her foot, and grabbed the baseball bat from beneath the bed. Although she had her choice of weapons now—sword, bow and arrow, flail, axe— the bat still felt the most comfortable in her hand, the most familiar. She switched off the small bedside lamp. No sense backlighting herself when she opened the door. She’d be an easy enough target if something waited out there.  

     She tiptoed across the bedroom, pressed her ear against the door, and held her breath. The rhythmic pounding of her heart slamming against her ribs masked any sound that might come from the hallway. She blew her breath out slowly, careful not to make any noise, and gripped the doorknob. 

     No good. Her hand was too slippery. She wiped her sweaty palm on her pajama pants and tried again. Turning the knob as soundlessly as possible, bat held at the ready, she eased the door open, just a crack at first, and peered into the dark hallway. 

Book Trailer:





About the Author:

      Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping--especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She's an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate. Visit her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

Giveaway: