Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1) by Jennifer Anne Davis: A Book Review

Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1)
Author:  Jennifer Anne Davis
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Pages: 303
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion--she's beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona--that of a vigilante--to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.

     Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.

     Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.

     My Review: At night Allyssa yearns to escape the castle to catch criminals. One day, she finds that her heroic night missions have been put to an end when she finds that her kingdom is on the brink of war, and she is forced to marry Prince Odar to strengthen their alliances. While the prince is handsome, she finds that he has no brains and quickly becomes bored with him. She instead is more interested in the prince’s squire, Jarvik, who is intelligent and headstrong. Allyssa must set her love for Jarvik aside and come to love Prince Odar for the good of the kingdom.

     Allyssa is a feisty character. She is tough, and I love how she fights the criminals. She is well-loved by her people, and I also love her relationship with her parents. They give her everything she needs. She was trained for combat to protect herself if needed. However, because she is the crown princess, she must do what is expected of her including marrying a boring idiot for the good of her empire. She is a good friend, and will do whatever she can to help her friends. I really like Allyssa because she is self-sacrificing. She is willing to put aside her happiness for the happiness of others.

     I really like Jarvik. He is a fun character. I like his conversations with Allyssa. Everytime they were together, I could not help but laugh because at first, they were both so headstrong and alike that they intensely disliked each other. However, because they eventually realize how they are similar to each other, they realize they are perfect for one another. I also found Jarvik’s relationship  with Prince Odar to be hilarious. Jarvik, Prince Odar’s squire, is everything the prince is not. He really makes Prince Odar look bad because Jarvik is intelligent, an excellent fighter, and has a thorough knowledge of politics. Because Prince Odar is not like his squire, it makes one wonder if he really is capable of ruling his own kingdom because he lets his squire runs it. Therefore, these two were really hilarious, and I found it hard to stop laughing. They made such an intriguing pair, and were a delight to read.

     Overall, this book is about family, friendship, love, and duty. This novel is filled with fast-paced action, mystery, and suspense. It is a thrilling page turner that will delight its readers from the very first page. Readers will love this great cast of characters with an intriguing plot. I have to say that I cannot wait to read the sequel! However, I bought the prequel novels, The True Reign Series (the first novel in the series, The Key, is currently available for free on Amazon) about Alyssa's mom, Queen Rema, so that I can devour while we wait. Still, I wish the sequel would come out soon!  I encourage you to read this book for this novel is such a fun read, and will definitely leave you in your seats wanting more! With this novel of Cage of Deceit, Mrs. Davis proves that I will read whatever she writes.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is the official book trailer for Cage of Deceit: