“My soul is full of the flames of Moscow. It’s full of the blood of Novgorod and the soiled waters of the Volga…It’s full of you, Inga…”Siberian tigers. Witch Hunts. War. Death. Tragedy and conflict rip through Russian lives. Inga and Taras, Nikolai and Yehvah fight to survive. The Kremlin grows ever more dangerous as Ivan ages and his sanity slides farther from his grasp.Inga and Taras must … grasp.
Inga and Taras must face the demons of their pasts and make choices for the future if they want to achieve the happiness that has, thus far, so eluded them.
Experience the conclusion of this epic historical romance saga. Because only Ivan the Terrible could have ended a legacy this way.
more
An epic ending to an epic story. Talk about a book hangover! I am not ready to be finished with Taras and Inga. So many emotions! A fantastic story of history, loss, love. So well done! I received a free copy for review.
Dungeons of Destiny is the final book in the Kremlins trilogy. All three books are very well researched. I admit to being frustrated with the decisions made by many of the characters and the direction the romance part of the story went. K. L. Conger brings Russia’s history to life.
This book is the third and final in the series. I’m sure one could read them out of order and still enjoy a good story, but I would strongly recommend reading them in order. These books a staged in Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. It amazes me how brutal human beings can be. This brutality is shown in detail throughout these books, but that brutality is countered by the interactions of Inga and the people she interacts with. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to these they’re books. I love the characters that have been created by the author and her ability to weave historical figures and situations into such a compelling story. This period of time was marred with the gruesome acts of Ivan and his supporters, but the “normal” person still found ways to survive. I admire the people who lives during many of the atrocities throughout history, yet found ways to be influences for positive. These characters have done that. I am also very happy with where this book ended. The narrator is good at portraying the emotions of the characters.
The end of a horrible dynasty. The story was well written and again the narrator put in a lot of bells and whistles to make the story jump out and grab your heart. You felt in the words of the narrator the sorrow and anger, the pain and remorse of the characters. You felt a father’s grief when a son departs for places unknow. A friend’s grief at the loss of friends and acquaintances at the hands of war and a tyrant. The tyrant brought to his knees for his own actions. And a love finally realized. I loved the whole series the books are well written and the narrator is on point.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from storyorigin for an honest review.
Wonderfully well written. Great story and characters are awesome. Loved and definitely recommend series.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for an honest review. I listened to Dungeons of Destiny to find out how all fared in the end of this story. Although still dark and as accurate as the author could make it, it was an ending. What all those poor people not only the main characters went through under Ivan’s reign was horrific. The madness of that man. I will not tell you how it ends except to say if you made it through the second book, hang in there and see what happens.
This story is getting Very dark and though I know the history of this Cszar is dismal I did not expect it to be this dark. I at times enjoy a dark novel but this is Really Dark, be prepared. Since the author is trying to stick as closely to history as possible it is what History recorded it as.
The end of a saga. After the harrowing experiences of the second book, this final installment felt more resigned – or maybe I was the one who was resigned. Having seen the horrors, nothing could surprise more now. The barbarism continued. Lives continued and lives ended. A small thread of hope remained woven in.
This is the last book in this series. As much as I enjoyed it, I also feel disappointed at how the story unfolds. I felt that the secondary/supporting characters were given more time in this book than the other two first book. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a lot of these secondary/supporting characters but I really wish more was spent on the two main characters but how the story was set up in this book, I don’t think it worked out. At least it felt that way to me. I could be totally wrong and the author did give an equal amount of time as she did in the first two previous book. However, the way it was set up made me feel like it wasn’t. I mean, that’s just my opinion on it. There is a lot of rich history that is covered which is really wonderful. There was something from the first or second book that finally unfolded in this one. I am glad it did since some of the other things that I thought would have meant something didn’t pan out or amount to anything as I’d thought.
If you believe in destiny and fate, then this will work out for you. I believe it too but the fact that there was a 20 year time lapse in this book, it was too much of a stretch for me. The author explained her reasoning for why she did what she did in regards to the characters. With the century this story was set during and the culture of the classes, I can understand why she had the characters do what they did. I just felt 20 years was a great lost of time, considering the life span for many in that time wasn’t that great. People tend to die younger than they do now a days.
Overall, this is a good series and I am glad I got the chance to read/listen to it and learn more about Russian history. Please do check it out.
I am voluntarily leaving a honest review. All feelings and opinion expressed are my own.
It amazes me how a bit of history can be taken and written as a fiction story purely imagined by the author and makes it alive in your head. Such is the case with this bit of history about Ivan the Terrible and the havoc and heartbreak he inflicted on his people specifically a small group of characters in Ms Conger’s series, Kremlins. I have come to know these people and felt their pain and suffering. I lived vicariously through them with all their experiences, loves, sorrows, friendships, etc. Ms Conger does an excellent job of bringing this period of Russian history to life. The world these people lived in was brought to life in my eyes with vivid clarity. This series is totally worth the read and one I can easily and highly recommend.
This probably concluding volume is YA acceptable and takes a long weekend to read. I urge you to read the earlier books before reading this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the epic sequel to Citadels of Fire and the conclusion of the trilogy, my third read from author K.L. Conger. The author does a fascinating job of depicting the evil madness of Ivan the Terrible and the effect his evil has on his country, from the upper echelon to the poorest. She has skillfully created characters whom you will care about and become invested in. I found the story extremely interesting as our characters sought to overcome the evil this man brought upon his land and its peoples. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you so much Miss Conger for sharing this amazing story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The book begins with the end of Ivan the Terrible’s massacre of Novgorod. We first see Kiril as he decides to leave that place that is meant so much death, including the destruction of his own family. As his skills as a cobbler or valuable, he becomes a camp follower as Ivan heads back to Moscow; through him, we gain insight into the mind and actions of Ivan. We meet other characters in this book, ones known to us from the earlier books of the series and new ones. In this sprawling epic, we see the effects that Ivan has on a variety of people, from the common people of Russia to generals to servants to the tsar’s own family.
Will Taras and Inga find their way to each other? What about Kiril? Will anybody try to wrest control from Ivan? Will to atrocities ever stop?
This book follows so many characters over a long period of time. We witness the effects of the tsar’s growing madness. It is at times a brutal and hard to read work due to the extreme violence that is depicted. However, the author has created characters that you can invest in that make you want to see their stories unfold. She does a good job of setting the scene so that we, as readers, feel we are there. The author appears to have done a great amount of research for this novel, even though she admits that it is not 100% true to history.
If you enjoy sweeping epics that give a fictionalized account of history’s effects on the common people as well as those in power, you will most likely enjoy this book.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2Y2R3W20ML2JX/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8
Dungeons of Destiny: A Historical Romance Novel The Kremlins Series, Book 3, The incredible, conclusion begun in Citadels of Fire and continued in Bastions of Blood. My third read from author K.L. Conger. 14-hours 42-minutes of reading/listening but seems longer as it is so detailed & entertaining. The music & the voice of narrator Cathy Burnham Martin adds greatly to the enjoyment of this excellent book! I’ll be reading more from this author no matter what pseudonym she writes under or what genre she writes in! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
This story is based on true events. This is my review for book one and the reason why I was unable to read book two or book three. I got about a quarter of the way through and had to stop reading. Not that it was not interesting, it’s just that some of the topics were too heavy and serious for me to read. It describes the fear of just existing. The stark and dark discrepancy between the working class and the ruling class. There is palace intrigue, murder, beatings, rape and other painful topics. For example, the beatings to a six-year-old and not just the strap but kicking and punching, the rape of a girl under 14. This is just too dark for me. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“I’ve learned that when you see evil in the world, you must stop it.”
Face evil and conquer it—that is a recurring theme of this book. Be it bears, wolves, Siberian tigers, or evil, maniacal rulers who run roughshod over their own people.
SETTING: Step into the court of Ivan the Terrible and view it from the vantage point of those serving him as generals, house maids, ordinary citizen and noblemen of his realm. The madness of the man increases over time, and some of his cruel acts to not only his servants but also to entire cities of his people are displayed in all their cruelty. I was impressed by the correct terminology of the advisors to Ivan, and the accurate depiction of the historical acts. While difficult to read at times, one sees clearly what absolute power does to a man with a sick mind. Woven around and through the history being unveiled to the reader, are storylines of the lives of some of his servants, lives of love left unfulfilled at times, and one in particular of love held onto over years of separation. Taras, one of the heroes (perhaps the main hero) of our story, spends this book in the depths of Siberia, where he sets up a home waiting for Inga to come to him. How he survives, fights off “monsters” of wild animals from the wilds of Siberian woods, and raises a son, forms the nucleus of this 3rd book. His interactions with the villagers shows the selflessness of a good leader, so blatantly lacking in the Tsar (and leaders in our own time). We watch as the son leaves Taras to pursue his own destiny, with our hearts breaking as it does when our own children go off to their own lives, leaving us behind. As a contrast, we watch as an insane Ivan, filled with jealousy of a imagined threat posed by his own son to overthrow his power, as he attacks and ultimately kills his own son! Inga and Taras each spend their lives fighting evil monsters, finally conquering them after losing ones they care about. When Inga conquers her monster, Ivan himself, she finally casts off the ropes of insecurity that have bound her to the Kremlin all these years, freeing her to begin her long awaited journey to Taras. Will she survive the lonesome journey to Siberia? Will she find him? Will he be willing, and free, to take her as the wife he wanted those oh-so-many years ago? This book will be one that stays with you, making you grateful for the loved ones in your life, wanting to show them your appreciation for all they mean to you. More importantly, it teaches the lesson Taras taught his son:
“It’s not the only time I’ve refused to act and watched monsters kill people I loved. …I’ve learned that when you see evil in the world, you must stop it. Often, as with a wild predator, you must kill it.”