PRISONER OF THE CROWN (THE CHRONICLES OF DASNARIA #1)

She was raised to be beautiful, nothing more. And then the rules changed . . . 
 
In icy Dasnaria, rival realm to the Twelve Kingdoms, a woman’s role is to give pleasure, produce heirs, and question nothing. But a plot to overthrow the emperor depends on the fate of his eldest daughter. And the treachery at its heart will change more than one carefully limited life . . .
 
THE GILDED CAGE
Princess Jenna has been raised in supreme luxury—and ignorance. Within the sweet-scented, golden confines of the palace seraglio, she’s never seen the sun, or a man, or even learned her numbers. But she’s been schooled enough in the paths to a woman’s power. When her betrothal is announced, she’s ready to begin the machinations that her mother promises will take Jenna from ornament to queen.

But the man named as Jenna’s husband is no innocent to be cozened or prince to charm. He’s a monster in human form, and the horrors of life under his thumb are clear within moments of her wedding vows. If Jenna is to live, she must somehow break free—and for one born to a soft prison, the way to cold, hard freedom will be a dangerous path indeed…

Release Date: June 12, 2018

Rebel Base Books

The Chronicles of Dasnaria #1

Fantasy

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

Prisoner of the Crown is the first book in a new fantasy series by Jeffe Kennedy. While it is a spin-off of her Twelve Kingdom series, I had no trouble with the dynamics in this new series. 

I really had to take a bit of time to put my thoughts together after reading Prisoner of the Crown. Ms. Kennedy completely and totally pulled me into this story, even though it did start off a bit slow. I found myself enchanted by Jenna and her sisters and yet horrified by the way they really were kept in a gilded cage as they grew up. Yes they had all the luxuries of royals, but no freedom what so ever. 

Each of the Imperial Princesses is being raised to marry to someone who will help her father's reign continue. Jenna is the oldest of the three sisters we meet in Prisoner of the Crown, and I think her mother did her best to prepare Jenna for what was coming. Not that her mother really had anything resembling maternal instincts. I swear the only reason Jenna was even marginally prepared for the man her father picked was because her mother had been so very horrible to her much of her childhood. Yes she taught her the power of a woman, but the way she did it was barbaric at times.

I honestly wasn't prepared for the brutality from Jenna's husband. I knew he wasn't a nice person, but I honestly didn't expect him to as much of a beast as he ended up being. I honestly couldn't believe her father would allow her to be given to such a man even for political gain. While I wasn't a fan of Jenna's mother, her training did give Jenna the knowledge she needed about power to help get her make the best decisions when it came to protecting herself and removing herself from her horrible situation.

Prisoner of the Crown was a good start to the new fantasy series. While incredibly hard to read at times, I found myself completely drawn into the story and couldn't stop reading. I can't wait to see where Ms. Kennedy takes us with this series of books.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)