The Movement of Rings (The Movement of Crowns Series #2) by Nadine C. Keels: A Book Review

The Movement of Rings (The Movement of Crowns Series #2)
Author: Nadine C. Keels
Genre: Christian, Fantasy
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 2013
Pages: 132
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Sequel to The Movement of Crowns

A time to remember what lies deeper than one's fears…

The Mundayne empire has seen years of prosperity under the rule of King Aud, a man of war known the world over for his ruthlessness. Naona, a high-spirited imperial servant who holds Aud's favor, occupies herself with pulling pranks on her peers around the king's estate, but the time for laughter spoils when the citizens of Munda begin to oppose increasing taxation. After meeting the princess of Diachona, Naona finds herself having to choose between maintaining loyalty to her king and becoming a personal ally of another nation. With the rise of unrest in Munda, can Naona's heart survive intact: intact enough, even, for an unforeseen chance at love with a foreign man?

My review: This sequel to The Movement of Crowns takes place in the neighboring country of Mundayne with a new protagonist. Naona is a maidservant to King Aud, a ruthless king who over taxes his citizens. When his citizens rebel, he crushes the rebellion very brutally. When Princess Constance visits Mundayne, Naona soon finds her to be a good ally. Naona must choose to be loyal to King Aud or Princess Diachona. When King Aud strikes a war with Diachona, he entrusts her with his signet ring. Naona then has the fate of the kingdom in her hands.

Naona is very spirited. She is a prankster and likes to play practical jokes in the palace. As a maidservant, she has very high influences with the royal family. The king trusts her, which is why he leaves her his signet ring. However, she constantly questions her future. She wonders if she will end up alone. Eventually she finds romance, but her past haunts her. In order for this romance to work, she must come to terms with herself and be honest with him. I found her to be a very strong protagonist. She is intelligent and observant. She is very bold and does not follow the customs of her country.

I did find the author’s world-building to be more developed than in her first book. However, it was still very complex, and there was some that I did not really understand. The author is trying to show the two religions in the book, but it was not explained much in detail. While the government of Mundayne was not elaborated, I did like how one girl had the fate of the country in her hands.

Overall, this book is about love, friendship, family, and hope. The story was slow at times, and sometimes it overburdens us with the politics and religion that I really did not understand. While the book did not really have much tension, I did like the love story. It was honest, real, and sweet. I really did like the story because of the strong-heroine. The ending was also bittersweet. I also liked visiting some of my favorite characters from the first book. Overall, this is a great sequel that lived up to the first, and the series is very beautiful. I recommend this book to fans of Christian, fantasy, and romance genres, and anyone interested in strong heroines.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

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Before the Alamo by Florence Byham Weinberg: A Book Review

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The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak: A Book Review

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World Author: Shelley Puhak Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Bloomsbury Release Date: February 22, 2022 Pages: 378 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The remarkable, little-known story of two trailblazing women in the Early Middle Ages who wielded immense power, only to be vilified for daring to rule. Brunhild was a foreign princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet-in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport-these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms, changing the face of Europe. The two queens commanded armies and negotiated with kings and popes. They formed coalitions and broke them, mothered children and lost them. They fought a decades-long civil war-against each ot

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