Royal Spy (Fate of Eyrinthia #2) by Heather Frost -- Blog Tour Review

About the Book

​A DECOY recruited to be a spy.
A PRINCE compelled to become an assassin.
A SERJAH pressured by an unwanted crown.
A WORLD covered in shadows.
 
Mere months ago, Clare was just a kitchen maid. Now, she is a decoy for Princess Serene and a novice spy, caught in the royal family's web of secrets. While journeying to Mortise to finalize the princess’s betrothal to Serjah Desfan, Clare lives for the stolen moments she has with Bennick, the bodyguard who is quickly claiming her heart. But when a notorious assassin is hired to kill her, Clare’s life and the alliance hang in the balance.
 
In Ryden, Grayson prepares to leave for Mortise with his brother, Liam. Their orders are to ignite a war between their enemies, and Grayson has been tasked with assassinating Princess Serene. It may cost his soul, but he is ready to comply, as long as he gets something in return: freedom for Mia, the girl he loves. But the more time he spends with his brother, the more he begins to wonder if Liam is what Grayson wishes he had the courage to be . . . a traitor. 
 
Desfan feels trapped. By his disapproving council, his impending marriage to a stranger, and the imminent arrival of enemy princes who may not want the peace they profess. When a dangerous drug threatens his people, Desfan jumps at the chance to rely on his swords instead of politics. But his investigation uncovers more than he bargained for—a plot that may destroy Mortise from within.
 
Eyrinthia hovers on the edge of war. Spies. Rebels. Traitors. All must choose a side.

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About the Author

Heather Frost writes mostly YA fiction and has a soft spot for tortured characters, breath-stealing romance, and happy endings. She is the author of the Seers trilogy and the upcoming Fate of Eyrinithia series. She has a BS in Creative Writing and a minor in Folklore, which means she got to read fairy tales and ghost stories and call it homework. When she’s not writing, Heather likes to read, travel, and hold Lord of the Rings movie marathons. She owns two typewriters, sings in the car, and dreams of living in a castle someday. She currently lives in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering mountains in Utah. To learn more about Heather and her books, visit her website: www.HeatherFrost.com.

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Pre-order Gift

​Pre-order Royal Spy and get an EXCLUSIVE short story from Bennick's POV! Pre-order Gift Form: https://forms.gle/uQtyD4SboRAeNBtYA
 
About the story:
 
Bennick is a royal bodyguard, prepared for anything—except Clare Ellington. THE DECOY AND THE BODYGUARD follows Bennick and Clare during their first day together, but from Bennick’s POV. Of course, things go terribly wrong . . .

Excerpt

​“By order of the regent,” Arcas boomed, “this warehouse is being seized for inspection on suspicion of illegal activity. Stay where you are and surrender your weapons!”
The smugglers didn’t seem impressed. One lifted a crossbow and Desfan dodged left to avoid the fired dart. The clang of steel rang out as the guards crossed swords with the smugglers, the sound echoing high in the lofty warehouse.
One of the smugglers bolted for a side door and Desfan ran after him. He leaped over a row of crates, rather than skirt around them. As he came down, his booted heel caught the edge of one and he stumbled—but he didn’t stop.
The smuggler had nearly reached the exit when he glanced back and saw Desfan. The middle-aged man glared, but there was an edge of fear. Even without a crown, it was clear the man knew who Desfan was. The distinctive double blades were a pretty easy marker.
Besides, after almost five years patrolling the sea, every smuggler from Zennor to Ryden knew of Desfan Cassian.
The man raised his sword just in time to meet Desfan’s downward swing.
The blow vibrated up to his shoulder. “Going somewhere?” Desfan smiled.
The smuggler only growled. He was wider than Desfan, with thick arms that bulged with muscle. But Desfan was tall and lithe, and he used that to his advantage as he fought with both swords, slowly maneuvering until he blocked the man’s path to the nearest door.
Fury sparked in his eyes and he battered Desfan’s parrying blows with more power, striking fast and hard.
Desfan ducked and spun, making a shallow slice to the man’s left side. The smuggler snarled, but before he could retaliate, Desfan delivered a kick in his back, sending the man crashing into a pile of crates. The wood buckled beneath his weight, snapping loudly as the pile collapsed. The smuggler’s legs were visible in the wreckage, but he wasn’t moving.
Desfan moved forward to check on the man, praying he was only unconscious—the kiv would want him for questioning—but movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention to a nearby table. A small shape huddled underneath. In the dim light of the lamps, it looked like a child.
He halted, aiming his swords at the ground as he moved carefully toward the table. “Easy,” he said to the crouched figure. “You won’t be harmed.”
The shadow recoiled, scrambling out from under the table and shooting up on the other side.
The boy was maybe eleven years old. Dirt streaked his face and blood dripped from his nose. He wore a torn red vest and his bare arms were marred with the beginnings of several bruises. A dark tattoo was inked around his wrist and the whole area was rubbed raw—he’d been bound recently. Bound and beaten.
Desfan’s stomach clenched. Anger rose, but he kept that out of his expression as he faced the boy. “You’re safe now,” he said. “I promise, they won’t—”
The boy threw a knife at him. The blade was so small, Desfan hadn’t even noticed it in his hand.
Desfan cursed as he dodged the knife. As he spun, the boy dove for a small crate on the floor. Before he could grab it, a dagger thunked into the wood, a breath from the boy’s thin fingers.
He jerked back, darting a look at the man who’d thrown the blade.
It was the smuggler Desfan had kicked into the crates. He was back on his feet, blood wetting the side of his shirt and his temple. He snarled furiously, already reaching for another dagger. “You’re dead, Ori!”
The boy’s battered face paled. He scrambled back from the crate, his horrified eyes stuck on the man prepared to kill him.
The smuggler hurled the second knife at the boy’s chest.
Desfan widened his stance and swung one of his swords, batting the dagger in midair so it thumped harmlessly against the dirt floor.
The smuggler cursed.
The boy—Ori—shot a look at Desfan before he spun and darted for the nearest exit.
Smart kid.
Desfan faced the smuggler, blocking his path after the boy. “Smuggling, kidnapping, resisting arrest, and the abuse and attempted murder of a child. That’s quite the list you’ve built for yourself. Do you really want to add to it?”

Review

Author Heather Frost has written a novel that readers will love and that has it all.  A fast paced adventure filled fantasy romance story filled with traitors and intrigue.  Frost is excellent and the story and characters together in such a way that readers will be sucked in from the very beginning.  Told again from various viewpoints, both main characters and side characters and their stories are deeply woven together into a fast paced tale that readers will not want to put down.  Witn plenty of twists and turns and even jaw dropping moments, this story is the perfect anxiously awaited sequel to Royal Decoy.

Series: Fate of Eyrinthia
Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: May 20, 2021
Number of pages: 467

Other books in the series:
0.5-The Prince and the Prisoner
1-Royal Spy

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​