Tuesday Reviews: The Amethyst Kingdom by A.K. Mulford

 

In the fifth and final novel in the Five Crowns of Okrith romantasy series from bestselling author A.K. Mulford, a young fae warrior is hellbent on winning the Eastern Court crown, but when her fated lover—and hated nemesis—Ersan enters the trials she struggles to balance the competition and the chance at love. The crown is calling her name, but can her head bear the weight when passion sets her heart racing?

Carys Hilgaard has grown tremendously through her years; no longer is she the vapid, prejudicial fae who drowned herself in wine. At least, she wants to believe that’s true. Training has kept her balanced and open-minded—traits of a promising ruler. So, when the time comes for the Eastern Court trials to commence, her mind is set on one objective: win the crown and become the people’s queen. If she doesn’t, it puts the only family she has left—her halfling sister, Morgan, and her niece and two nephews—in danger.

But the gods have different plans. Lord Ersan Almah, her ex-boyfriend and fated mate, has entered the competition, vying for the kingdom himself—and hoping it’s enough to cure his heart after losing Carys. To make matters worse, Adisa Monroe, a devious witch, searches for mind-controlling amethyst seeds and plans to attack the Eastern Court on the night of the full moon, jeopardizing the entire kingdom of Okrith.

When incandescent hearts rekindle for a second chance at destined love, Carys must learn to let her lingering past go in order to protect her kingdom, the people she cares for, and fight for hope…if not, everything could collapse into ashes.

"The Amethyst Kingdom" by A.K. Mulford is a dazzling gem in the realm of fantasy literature. Set in a world where magic intertwines with politics and power, Mulford crafts a narrative that captivates from the very first page. As the final book in the series, the author does not disappoint. They give us not only a powerful, romantic second chance relationship, but throwbacks to the other books in the series as well. Carys story is not unlike the other four books. She came from wealth and power, but chose a different path for herself. One where she earned her place in life, rather than inherit it because of who sired her. Now that her halfling sister is danger, Carys makes a choice she never wanted; to fight for her place on the Eastern Kingdoms throne. She's the frontrunner considering she helped keep that Kingdom together in previous books. but the fates love a good plot twist. Enter her ex, and Fated Mate who is just as determined to sit on the Eastern throne. Add in Adisa's threats, Fenrin's alliance with her, and the beasts.. and you have an exciting story that will leave you in a chokehold until the final page. I'm sad this chapter/series is ending, but happy that I was allowed to go along on the journey. I can't wait to see what Mulford comes up with next.