Review: A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden
Blurb:
The next seductive, sweeping, action-packed installment in the addictive Sacred Stones trilogy.
A prophecy of death. A weapon of hope. A sacrifice of love.
Arwen Valondale is sailing for the mysterious Kingdom of Citrine after the battle of Siren’s Bay. Still reeling from the loss of her mother and the shock of her newfound powers, Arwen directs all of her pain and rage toward the man who betrayed her: King Kane Ravenwood.
But Kane’s presence is unavoidable as he leads Arwen and her friends on an expedition to recover the Blade of the Sun—a legendary weapon with the power to kill tyrannical Fae King Lazarus. Their uneasy truce proves difficult to maintain, as Arwen battles her unresolved feelings, and Kane is willing to become darkness itself to protect her.
Arwen knows failure to fulfill the prophecy will seal both her own fate as well as the fates of those she loves most. But as Arwen faces creatures, foes, and magic beyond her wildest imaginings, her resolve is tested in ways she never could have foreseen.
Review:
First I want to admit that I had to go back and read my notes about Dawn of Onyx because it has been a while since I read the first of this series. But once I remembered it fully, I jumped head-first into this sequel. I have some good things and some not-so-good things to say about it, but overall I think this was a good middle book in a trilogy, the ending of which actually had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room (I didn’t, I promise, but I did think about it.)
Characters
Thrust back into the Kingdom of Citrine I at first found myself eager to get back behind the eyes of Arwen Valondale and her anything-but-easy love drama with Kane Ravenwood. She feels completely betrayed (as she should) and is reluctant to let him back in. But their mission is the same: rid the Kingdom of the evil king sitting atop his cursed throne – her magic the key to it all.
While this is a romantasy at its core, I felt myself sometimes annoyed with these two. Enemies-to-loves is one of my favorite romantasy tropes (as I’m sure it is for many of us) but the back and forth between Arwen and Kane made me nauseous at times. But thankfully (truly thankfully) this book was saved with my grace by the action-packed plot that brought me from almost dropping it off to staying for the long haul. I’m glad I kept turning the pages.
We are even introduced to new characters who add their own punch to the story, even if it is sometimes at the expense of Kane’s sanity.
Atmosphere
I have, from the start of this series, been enamored by the world-building done by Golden. A kingdom built on various sacred stones, new and exciting settings (like a kingdom in the bottom of the sea), and some treacherous trials Arwen and her friends need to get through. These aspects are what made this a series I will continue on with, all things considered.
Writing Style
As ever, Kate Golden has a unique and alluring first-person voice in her writing that keeps the reader engrossed in the story. I have been engrossed in romantasy lately, and as always will embark to tell readers when “spice” is in a book, and this one has a few open-door scenes that might not be a tasty flavor for everyone. I don’t yuck on anyone's yum on principle since I like to read a little bit of everything. But if you are in search of a clean fantasy, this is not it.
Plot
Arwen and the gang are still on their mission to take down the King of Citrine and they need a special sword to kill him – so they are continuing their hunt for it beneath mountains and in dark and rotten prison isles. While Arwen is herself a powerful piece to the puzzle, no one can do anything without the sword. While they search for it, the tension between Arwen and Kane builds to a crescendo and not even the tides can keep them apart. The intense action scenes kept me going, and while I was very eager for Arwen and Kane to reunite, the banter between them was so tense that at times I was screaming “JUST FORGIVE HIM ALREADY!” so we could get on with the story. I might be alone in this thought, but at some points the story felt stalled by their inconsistencies. HOWEVER, with that said, some really romantic things did happen between them that did make my frozen heart flutter.
Like this:
“I’m in love with you. Desperately so. The way those sailors lost at sea love the bird that guides them home.”
Yeah. Kane does have a way with words even when he has to swallow them at the same time.
Intrigue
The ending is what really has me wanting to continue on with this series – because I was SHOCKED. Talk about a cliffhanger!
Excitement
My overall excitement for this sequel is both here and there. Do I recommend this book? Yes, I actually really do because it has merits that make it stand on its own. Does it have some tropey bits? Also yes, but again I think that anyone who has read Dawn of Onyx should be eager to read this next installment because it does add a great middle for the series, and I will be reading the final book in this series because I need to know how it ends and how Kand and Arwen navigate the next obstacles that this ending presented them with.
