USA TODAY Bestseller! Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy … of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.
Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.
Dark forces are also at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, her immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes Evie wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.
Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s … well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.
Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…
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I am really digging the Crown of Shards series. This one had me on the edge of my seat – I needed a little magic of my own to hold on. Great world building, great suspense, and great romance. And now I want a pet gargoyle
I was lucky enough to get to read an early copy of this book and enjoyed it immensely. I loved and recommended the first book in the series, Kill The Queen, but I confess, I liked this even more. This second installment adds to the suspense, romance and world. A fast fun, summer read you won’t want to miss.
Absolutely awesome book!
This book picks up where Kill the Queen ends and Evie has so much on her plate in this second installment of the series. This is a captivating story about a young woman’s journey of love, acceptance, purpose, and discovery…while reluctantly claiming the throne. There is still plenty of ass-kicking to be done, alliances to secure, decisions to be made, as well as trying to stay alive and protect the prince. There are scheming royals, political dealings, dark forces emerging, magic and mayhem along with intense action, intriguing suspense, wonderful characters and fabulous world building to be enjoyed. And then there is Sullivan, let’s not forget him. Another complication and distraction Evie cannot afford, but when the heart is involved some stuff kind of takes a back seat, whether you want it to or not.
Estep knows how to write an engaging story with kick-ass heroines and gripping plots to keep the reader entertained. I was on the edge of my seat through most of this book. I could not turn the pages fast enough, I loved the twists and turns and surprises thrown into this story. Every time I thought I might have something figured out, Estep threw me for a loop taking it a different direction. I love books that hold my interest and keep me guessing and this one definitely does that! Protect the Prince is a fantastic read! I am ready for Crush the King!
*I received an advanced copy from the author and I am voluntarily providing my honest review. This is an awesome series and I look forward to more.
I have been provided with a copy of Protect the Prince by the publisher through Edelweiss for an impartial review. This is the second book in the Crown of Shard series and I just absolutely loved getting to go back into this world. I just couldn’t get enough of this book. It was just such a great read and I just loved getting to see more of Evie and her crazy friends. I was just captivated by this amazing tale and I just didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I’m not sure why I thought the hardest trial for Evie would be to actually take the throne because the battle to stay on the throne was constant and the threats were never ending! Protect the Prince was action packed, to say the least, and I loved getting to see Evie wield her weapons and magic again. I was told that this series doesn’t have a lot in the way of romance, so I was pleasently surprised when there were sparks flying again with Evie and Lucas. The whole ending made my heart very happy!
Protect the Prince is the second action-packed fantasy novel in Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards trilogy. The story is filled with magic, deception, death, romance, action, and strategy. Lady Everleigh Winter Blair has ascended to the Bellona throne after dispatching her deceiving and murderous cousin, Vasilia. Evie is now dealing with the royal court from the opposite side of what she’s used to – as their leader. Every minute that passes has Evie looking over her shoulder for those who want to exploit her, members who want to dethrone her, and assassins who want her dead. Regardless, Evie knows she must build alliances against the King of Morta.
Evie’s first stop in building those alliances is the kingdom of Andvari. She knows the alliance will not be easy, as the king of Andvari’s citizens were caught in Vasilia’s mass murder plot to gain the throne of Bellona. Upon another assassination attempt in Andvari, Evie discovers she may not be the only target, and everyone is in danger. Everyone must be diligent and be completely aware of their surroundings.
I love Evie’s form of magic. She discovers other aspects of her magic in Protect the Prince and she begins wondering if her magic is strong enough to be the Queen of Bellona, a Queen of the Winter Blair lineage. I have complete faith in Evie’s abilities, however. Jennifer Estep has created a very strong character in Evie. She’s had a tragic upbringing but one that allowed her to move through the kingdom and learn both the important aspects and those that were most unsavory. She was able to observe the royals, nobles, and staff, understanding how they worked, what they thought, and how they figured they would get ahead, or try to get ahead.
The romantic elements of the story soften the hard edges of danger, deception, and action. Evie and Sullivan have sort of a love-hate relationship going on and it’s the equivalent of the boy pushing the girl he likes down in the playground. They also realize they can’t move forward with their relationship because of her status and his. Most unfortunately, really, because I absolutely love the both of them together.
There hasn’t yet been a book written by Jennifer Estep that I haven’t like, and I’ve ready most of them. Her stories are fascinating, full of action, and engaging. Protect the Prince is a well-written fantasy novel with wonderful characters and detailed world building. The story played out like a movie as I read. The book has a killer cover and intriguing synopsis and I was pulled in from the start.
Audiobook review: Lauren Fortgang did a wonderful job narrating this story! The story was interesting, entertaining, & intriguing. The characters captivating. The storyline kept my attention from beginning to end.
Unleash book 3!
This is book 2 in the series, and it was just as action-packed and intense as book one – Kill the Queen. I am looking forward to see where it goes in book 3.
I am not generally a reader of Fantasy, but I adore this series and eagerly look forward to the third book. Great world-building, wonderful heroine, and a lively cast of ensemble characters.
PROTECT THE PRINCE is the second instalment in Jennifer Estep’s epic fantasy CROWN OF SHARDS series focusing on the newly crowned Queen of Bellona Queen Everleigh Blair. a young woman whose ascension to the throne is predicated on a murderous coup against our heroine’s family. PROTECT THE PRINCE should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up shortly after the events of book one KILL THE QUEEN.
The Crown of Shards series is the focus of elemental magic, magic of which our heroine is believed to have not been blessed but Everleigh’s ‘mutt magic’ is much more than anyone could have imagined. As the series progresses, Everleigh’s strengths and powers make her the target of a group of assassins hoping to destroy whomever wears the crown. With the power to ‘scent’ out emotions, as well as her ability to manipulate magic, Everleigh is a powerful Queen, indeed. With her own band of ‘gladiators’ and Lucas Sullivan, the man that she loves, Everleigh is a force unto herself, a force that is constantly tested by would-be assassins, and spurned kings and queens.
Told from first person point of view (Everleigh) PROTECT THE PRINCE follows newly crowned Queen Everleigh as she struggles to make nice with the surrounding kingdoms including Andvari, the kingdom from where Lucas once resided. Hoping to broker a deal between Andvari and Bellona, Everleigh will have to face down two more assassination attempts in her battle to bring peace between the two domains but all is not well in the kingdom of Andvari, and Everleigh is determined to discover the truth.
PROTECT THE PRINCE is a complex and detailed story line of magic, mayhem, power and control; a story of betrayal and revenge; of lost love and second chances. Jennifer Estep pulls the reader into a familiar world of elemental magic, with a strong, warrior heroine, and a band of misfit protectors who would die to protect the woman they love. Similarities to the author’s ‘Elemental Assassin’ series aside, PROTECT THE PRINCE is a captivating and spellbinding look at magic and the power of love.
Protect the Prince (A Crown of Shards Novel, 2) Paperback – July 2, 2019
by Jennifer Estep (Author)
The second novel in Jennifer Estep’s epic fantasy delivers. This series is why we love epic fantasy. Queen Everleigh is a strong character, wise in the ways of court intrigue and one-on-one dueling. And thankfully she is a grown adult who has time to mature into the role she is forced to take.
It is the court intrigue that keeps this book moving. Everleigh, Xenia, Cho, and the rest of the Black Swan gladiator troupe travels to the kingdom of Andvaria where Lucas Sullivan’s father rules. The king’s second son was killed during the massacre in the first book, Kill the Queen.
Like all great epic fantasies, there are also romance and loves – both requited and not – happening all around the palace. While these romances flavor the story, they also provide more than one red herring and more than a little tension
Fantastical beasts appear, in the form of gargoyles. And it’s wonderful in they way a giant puppy is.
The writing, oh, the writing! Ms. Estep’s Elemental Assassin series is a masterclass on urban fiction. Her Crown of Shards series is the same for an epic fantasy for adults and older teens.
I really love this series and this book in particular.
https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Prince-Crown-Shards-Novel/dp/0062797646
Loved it even more than the first book. Something to be aware of though is that this one differers from the first one by several rather adult themes being introduced, so I wouldn’t think this good for any younger than late teens. The world building is superb, expanding exponentially, yet able to keep interest the whole time. Loved the battle of knowing what the right thing to do is, it gave the story a strong feel of being real.
OMG, this was so amazing! It was everything I wanted and more.
Queen Evie has spent months working with the nobles and trying to prepare for war with Morta. A trip to Andvari to broker a new peace treaty and to gain allies doesn’t exactly go the way Evie plans. Evie and the gang are put to the test between assassins, marriage proposals, and betrayals.
As I said, I really loved this book. I didn’t think this series could get better after the first book, Kill the Queen, but I was wrong. This book gave us everything we were expecting and more. Assassins, betrayal, love, and a whole lot of tension. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in the next one, especially between Evie and Sullivan.
I adore Evie. She is such a kickass character who is kind, loving, and protective. She has grown so much since the first book, especially towards being a queen. She knows how to play the game but isn’t giving up any of her happiness for it anymore. I love that she is sticking to her morals and not letting others impede her happiness. We also see more of the Black Swan gang, especially Sully, in this one. I love how supportive they are of Evie and her decisions.
Overall, this was an amazing fantasy world with wonderful characters that I can’t get enough of. I cannot recommend this series enough.
I like the characters in the book. Jennifer Estep, often writes about forbidden love that blossoms. I found it a poor choice. For much of the two books in this series the unliked Queen maintains she is going to marry the best choice for the country, yet when the chips are down she goes after her hearts choice.
To me it would have been a richer book if the young queen were to follow her duty and marry for duty.
I liked the first book in the series well enough, but I like this second installment even more. I felt like Jennifer Estep really hit her stride with these characters and their story here.
It kicks off right on the heels of Kill the Queen. Everleigh is about three months into her reign and she has to keep her guard up all the time. No one around her really believes she is up to the job and they all want to take advantage of her. She ends up going to Andvarie, Sullivan’s home turf, to make a treaty with his father. It does not go smoothly.
The romance thread in the previous book was there, but it was very light. Here, even though the romance was at a simmer most of the time, it felt more prevalent because this was all about Sullivan’s family and how Evie’s decisions and interactions word impact him and their relationship. There is a lot of intrigue to be had, and of course, folks are trying to kill her left and right.
I thought the pacing was good. The plot was tight. And I liked the romance quite a bit. Will definitely be back for book 3.
A very good middle book in a trilogy. Stakes were high throughout — emphasised by the section titles counting the assassination attempts against Evie — and the pace was fast. Evie has some trouble adjusting to her new postion as a queen, and the job is not made easier by the constant threat of Mortan invasion. She needs allies. Unfortunately, the only one available is Sully’s father. Things become a bit strained between Evie and Sully as a result, and the way out promises heartbreak for everyone.
The book is told in Evie’s first person point of view, which tends to leave other characters one dimesional; more so in this book than in the first, where Evie made new friends and allies. Her friends were there, but they were more a backdrop than living and breathing characters. Sully especially suffers from this. There was some attempt to give a couple of characters some depth, but since they weren’t integral to the plot, it went a bit waste. I hope the cast of characters comes better together in the last book.
This second Crown of Shards novel has Evie (Queen Everleigh) adjusting to life on the throne and learning about her own powers, including the mystery of why she’s a Winter Queen. A trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari does not start well, not surprising since a slew of Andvarian royals were slaughtered in Evie’s land of Bellona. It’s also complicated by her love for Lucas Sullivan, the (acknowledged) bastard son of the King of Andarvi. She needs to make a politically advantageous marriage and Lucas brings nothing to the table except his love for Evie.
I’m enjoying this series and Estep’s writing style and I’m looking forward to the next adventure for Evie, the gladiator queen.
“I was only queen by chance, by accident, but I was queen. It didn’t matter how I had gotten here, only what I did while the crown was on my head. And that would always be protecting Bellona and her people—and fuck Heinrich and anyone else who was stupid enough to doubt me or tried to keep me from doing my duty as queen.”
I’m not sure I could’ve love this epic fantasy more.
Totally gripping read, from start to finish, I didn’t want to put it down, my only disappointment was that I have to wait for the next installment. I’m amazed, really. 10 stars!
Fantastic follow up to Kill the Queen!