'The Exiled Queen' Seven Realms #2 - Cinda Williams Chima

‘The Exiled Queen’ Goodreads Synopsis –

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret. Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen. Everything changes when Han and Raisa’s paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

‘The Exiled Queen’ Novel Review –

I can officially say that I will forever be under Cinda Williams Chima's spell. I have been trapped by her writing and this series will never disappoint me. ‘The Exiled Queen’ is the second instalment to the ‘Seven Realms’ series and has an overall rating of 4.34/5 stars. After reading ‘TEQ’ I have decided to rate the novel 4/5 stars.

During this novel both main characters, Han and Raisa, separately head to Oden’s Ford to attend the military camp and the Mystwerk House also known as the academy for wizards. Both attend for separate reasons but soon learn that both were never meant to be there, a lot of drama ensues, and I’m as hooked as ever on this story.

My most favourite part of this novel was the unravelling of Han and Raisa’s meeting. I felt so much love for both of the characters because they could have been such a cute couple. But Raisa had to be that character that could never tell the truth, therefore leading to some complicated situations between the two.

If you’re interested in politics and conspiracies this novel is made for you. Personally, the romance was in the back while the fantasy and magical elements were the main focus.

I must say the main reason for not giving this novel 5/5 stars was because of Raisa. Her character slipped from being so strong in the first novel to suddenly caring who would fall in love with her next. I felt like she never really acted like a future ruler and this, for me, began to ruin some of the scenes within the novel.

All in all, as a huge fan of this author and this series I highly encourage any reader to give it a shot. In all circumstances negatives can always be over looked by the positives. ‘TEQ’ is such an addictive read!