Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings

Tensions are rising and the love is growing stronger

Union by Annabelle Jacobs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this middle instalment of the Torsere trilogy Annabelle really amps up the tensions as the visit to the Elven kingdom draws close.

For our two heroes, they’re much more settled, and the exploration of their growing feelings is twisted into the narrative alongside the ceremony making Nykin officially Ryneq’s consort.

I absolutely loved everything about the Elves, the way the city was revealed is so vivid, the sights and sounds are tangible.

There’s danger of course, this time in the form of a witch testing the magical barrier and almost killing one of the elves.

And while everyone sits around waiting for the marriage to be finalised, evil lurks, bringing an end to the happy visit.

I think the pacing was just right in this, I like it when a book pushes away from the formula of a danger point at the 70% mark, here tensions built right to the very end.

Now the race is on to get back to Torsere and find out just what the bad guy has up his sleeve this time!

***

A fitting and action-packed ending

Alliance by Annabelle Jacobs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annabelle Jacobs wraps up this excellent high fantasy trilogy with a final book which is action packed and plot heavy.

Things move so rapidly from one beat to the next that it’s like being taken on a blindfolded horseback ride with only a sure hand on the reins to keep on track.

Both Ryneq and Nykin have their own journey to undertake and the pressure on each of them is immense.

There are some sad losses along the way too and my heart was in my mouth for so much of this book.

No spoilers, but I felt the ultimate outcome had a good grounding in what had gone on before, no sudden deus ex machina to save the day.

I think there was scope for perhaps a bit more after the ultimate challenge and I still have a few questions left outstanding, but no quibbles about the main arc being nicely tied up.

#ARCs kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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