In gaining the crown, Kennedy lost friends, her first love, and her heart.And now her throne is being threatened.In this time of turmoil, radical groups surface trying to kill her and take down the kingdom. Kennedy is forced to go undercover and penetrate one of these groups with the help of the one person she has sworn against ever seeing again.Lorcan Dragen. The one man she let in, but cannot … she let in, but cannot have.
What she has to do to save her falling reign is dangerous, foolish, and impossible. That doesn’t even come close to the truth she discovers along the way.
Kennedy’s world is flipped upside down with heartbreaking discoveries, betrayal, secrets, lies…and a darkness Kennedy won’t be able to fight.
Herself.
When lightness falls, darkness rises. Which side will win? Find out in the conclusion of Kennedy’s story.
*HIGHLY recommend to read Darkness Series prior. Lightness Saga contains story-lines, world building, and spoilers from previous books and characters. It’s highly recommended starting with Darkness of Light (Book 1) and it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
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This review MAY contain spoilers.
This book, this book, this book!! OMG! I thought that The Crown of Light was incredible, but this book was an overload of awesome! I am truly glad that I stumbled upon this fascinating world that Stacey Marie Brown has created. I want to live here. It’s official, I want my own cabin on the Dark Dweller property so I can loiter here forever amongst these characters that have taken my heart.
The romance in this book is very emotional. Kennedy and Lorcan are struggling with their separation from the last book and it is really affecting each of them. They try to fight against their need and love for one another thinking that it is best for all involved, but love isn’t so easily brushed aside. They both struggle with their feelings, but deep down their love and devotion shines through. I loved their journey and I am glad that they found their happy ending.
Kennedy and Lorcan’s characters really grow even more in this book. A lot of it is from the romance, but not all of it. Kennedy has learned to be the Queen that she needs to be. Lorcan is learning to open back up to Kennedy since closing himself off again after they separated in the last book. Their love for each other brings out the best in them. I loved seeing West in this book. And I loved seeing more of Fionna. The additional new characters from the Druid base were amusing, though I wished I could have gotten to know them more.
The plot in this book comes at the heels of the conclusion of the Darkness series. All of the events in the Darkness series impact this one and this book builds upon those plot points. It really does get thicker in this one. I loved the plot twists in this one, though I was able to guess them ahead of time because of the foreshadowing in the previous books. I think that Brown does an excellent job of weaving the plot through all of the books in the Darkness series, Collector series, and the Lightness Saga. Everything flows beautifully.
There is some more great world-building in this book while still building from the previous books. There are plenty of visual details and descriptions to make you feel like you are living in the scenes.
Overall, I was blown away by this book! Before I read The Crown of Light I was unsure if I could latch on to Kennedy’s story. Brown really made her character come alive in The Crown of Light and she kept on shining in this book. The same goes for Lorcan. I think that he is among one of my favorite characters in this world. This book will latch on to you and refuse to let loose. I recommend this series along with the Darkness series and the Collector series. This entire world is awesome and you will want to settle down here and make it your home.
Kennedy and Lorcan finally get over themselves! But not for a bit. Kennedy is runningn the Kingdom and she gave Torin back his position of First Knight. I kinda knew he would fall for Kennedy, he seems to fall for anyone who has authority over him. Unfortunately for him, Kennedy doesn’t feel the same. She does find a sect of Druids and manages to infiltrate. What’s interesting is she finds out the leader is her sister. And another thing is that they both have a natural affinity for Dark Magic, which goes against the natural state of Druids. They are creatures of light, normally. There’s a twist in this book that I definitely didn’t see coming! I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet.
I don’t know how Stacey Marie Brown’s brain continues to come up with intense, enthralling and unique plotlines, but Book 2 in Kennedy’s story is as exciting as all of her other novels. This one centers around Kennedy’s new life as Queen of Light, but her role and her tendency towards healing and helping is tested when the darkness of the hatred and violence between humans, fae and druids alike after the wall between magic and non-magic has fallen…and her own darkness. There’s quite a bit of overlap between this series and the Darkness (West included) and Collectors series, so be sure to read those first (also because they’re GREAT), and then buckle up for another international adventure with physical and mental turmoil that builds tension between species as well as characters–some romantic–leading to an epic climax and quite the lead in to the next book in this saga. My only qualm is the slightly forced-feeling love triangle (I strongly dislike love triangles) but it becomes a very minor, almost forgotten part of the tale quite quickly. I am always enraptured by SMB’s creative writing prose and her dynamic characters, but the anxiety, twists and fast pace are what prevent me from putting the book down!