Can you hear him? The beast is coming for you. Long ago, a curse fell upon the land—a curse of forgetting and wraiths, a curse that ensured no daughters were born to the pied pipers in over three centuries. The pipers were all that stood between humanity and utter destruction, so they did the only thing they could: they stole the daughters of the nearby kingdom with their hypnotizing melodies. … their hypnotizing melodies. With the sons born from those unions, they continued to defend against the wraiths and fight the curse, even though they were slowly losing.
Larkin was one of those daughters. Stolen by Denan and married against her will, she found herself falling in love with the very man who had taken everything from her, the man who had made her a princess. Together, they discovered that she was the first woman in three centuries to possess the magic of the pipers, and therefore, the only person capable of breaking the ancient curse.
But breaking the curse means unraveling the very past the curse is intent on keeping secret. The answer lies buried in the crypts of the Black Druids, men who consider Larkin a traitor they’ll kill on sight. Embedded in the intrigues of their court, she unearths a dark conspiracy destined to hasten the destructive power of the curse—a conspiracy aimed at destroying her piper prince.more
Onto book 2. I was worried. I hate middle books. But this was just as good as the first. Geezz the action in these just gets wild! It’s been a long time since I have read and enjoyed a character in so much peril….Hunger Games was the last book like this I read. Poor girl has been covered in bruises since the first book began. I enjoyed seeing where this story would go, even tho the love story is complete I still want to read! Thats crazy talk in my world, maybe it’s because she is near peril so often there romance is still present. As a series goes on things always get heightened. This is no different but I appreciated that it was still kept on a teen level. The couple are now married, there is a couple fade to black make out scenes. There is a attempted rape that doesn’t go to far. There is talk of prostitution. There is more violence and gore and just all around freaky things( she has to stay in a bedroom with a bunch of dolls) Not cool, that’s almost worse then the zombies. The pace of this book just moves, the first was dizzying this one was a little calmer. I am going to take a break and read a nice sweet regency before I the last book. I need a breather.
Magic!
This is a voyage of discovery and learning the secrets of her ancestry and why her world is tearing itself apart. Author Amber Argyle writes wonderful fantasy, creating complex worlds and strong heroines to help resolve the issues presented. This is book two and, while meant to be read in series, actually works well as a standalone, as pertinent information from the previous volume is deftly inserted into the action to remind readers who read the first volume a while back and inform those who are just now being introduced to this world.
Cursed by the darkness with altered memories, inability to speak about the curse itself with those who are clueless, and afraid to enter the Forbidden Forest for all its inhabitants, whether the beasts or pipers – that was a life Larkin was raised in. Though entering the forest and meeting Denan changed her.
Now that she is married to the piper prince, she slowly discovers the story of the pipers – the sad and cruel history of the curse, of incredible magic, heavy losses, and the fate that awaits her, the possible curse breaker. But the path to knowledge is full of obstacles and requires many sacrifices or hard decisions, and Larkin can’t be sure whether she is ready to do what needs to be done..
Absolutely enchanting, the second book in the series was totally worth the long wait for its release. Complexity of the world building, the storylines, and the characters is on a very high level, all built with attention to details so that every puzzle piece has its exact place and precisely chosen time when to be revealed and put where it belongs.
Relationship between Larkin and Denan is very (in)tense, I’d say even dramatic, full of raw emotions and varying on the full range between anger and love. Getting to know each other, allowing themselves to let their feelings bloom leads to deepening of the mutual understanding, and gently pushing forward the dramatic, action-packed plot – the next book in the series cannot come soon enough!
Stolen Enchantress was one of the best books I read last year, and I’ve been counting down the days until its sequel ever since I read the last page; craving to know what happens next for Larkin and her friends. When I finally had Piper Prince in my hands, I finished it in less than a day, savouring every page and every word. It was everything I could have hoped for in a sequel, and more. It is a total page-turner, filled with everything I loved about the first book – the fairy-tale feel, love, family, magic, suspense, adventure, friendship and a battle between good and evil.
As always, the writing is beautiful, and it has a lyrical touch that fits so well with story. The creative and rich world-building, the vivid descriptions and the captivating plot make my own reality disappear for a while and I am transported to Larkin’s world of magical places and dangerous creatures. I truly feel like I am there, in the centre of the action, breathing the same air, feeling the same feelings and fighting the same battles as the characters.
I really enjoyed coming back Larkin’s world and continuing to follow her on her journey as she grows and evolves. She is still very loyal and caring, but as she is faced with impossible decisions, she is forced to realise that sometimes there are limits to what she can do to save the ones she loves. Is it right to save one life, if it may result in the death of thousands of others? Throughout the book, Larkin is put to the test many times. I really feel that this is the book in which she finds out who she truly is, what her strengths and weaknesses are, and comes to terms with it. She is faced with her past and discovers secrets long buried that will change her life forever. While struggling to master her magic, and the responsibility that comes with it, Larkin shows that she is a real survivor and that she will stop at nothing to save the world from the Wraiths’ darkness.
We are introduced to some new characters in Piper Prince, but for the most part we are reunited with familiar faces and are given the chance to get to know them even better. Many of them have very interesting stories of their own to tell and I really like how their stories are intertwined with Larkin’s story. The themes of sisterhood and empowerment were visible already in Stolen Enchantress, but even more so in Piper Prince, which I really enjoyed. There were some very strong moments that genuinely left an impact on me.
The battle between good and evil is even more prominent in Piper Prince than in Stolen Enchantress, and the world of the Wraiths is explored in more depth. Although the overall feeling is darker, Argyle still manages to keep a good balance between happiness and sadness. Heartbreak may be lurking behind every corner, but there are also much happiness, hope and laughter sprinkled among all the darkness.
After reading and loving Piper Prince, the Forbidden Forest series has made its way to my favourites, placing itself close to Argyle’s Fairy Queens series, which I love to pieces. I have high hopes for the final two books in the series, Wraith King and Curse Queen, and I am dying to know what will happen next. The wait is long, but I know it will be worth it. In the meantime, I will devour the prequel novella, Lady of Shadows, which will be released in June this year.
Piper Prince is the second book in the Forbidden Forest series, and it is EPIC! This series is one of my all time faves, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!!
What can I say? Ms. Argyle has done it again. This second book of her Forbidden Forest series had me in all types of emotions. Sadness because we see parts of Larkin die and Hope because it changes/grows her. Her character developments in this series is amazing and she actually transports you into the Forbidden Forest world. We see how Larkin and Denan love only grows and how they are learning to not only depend on one another but give each other space to be their own person. Words can not describe the amazing way in which women in this book hold power and how they hold their own! I honestly can not wait for the next book in this series. #Denakin4Ever <3 <3 <3
This second book in the series is just as imaginative as the first book. The author has a way of really pulling a reader into the story. This is a very suspenseful adventure story as Larkin searches for a way to protect the people from the wraiths. I don’t want to spoil the story by describing it further. I received a free copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love this book and the series. In fact, I plan to buy a paperback copy of this book to keep. I highly recommend this book.