The Orchid Throne: 1 (Forgotten Empires) Paperback – Import, 24 September 2019

This is what I call an EPIC romance. The Orchid Thrown is the first in Jeffe Kennedy’s Forgotten Empires series. It needs it’s own review and I’m sure the dynamics of this love story are going to change in the next one and I didn’t want it to go without saying how wonderful this love story is.If you love dystopian, fantasy romances this is a great one. While Jeffe builds a beautiful world in this book, she also gives us a slow burn to hot off the fire romance. Both characters are moving towards something, they just don’t know what or who it is. They both think it is about conquering their false ruler, but really it is towards each other. Lia and Conri are both amazing rulers in their own right, and are determined to bring down the false emperor but neither realizes how much help they need. There are forces at work to destroy them both and if they don’t find each other, all hope will be lost of stopping the tyranny. We get a taste of dazzling courts and an island paradise where the land, flora, and fauna are all connected and how their Queen is truly connected to them all. The beauty of the prose takes my breath away in many scenes and makes the world building so worth it. On top of that there are fiery battles full of death and destruction where you start to see the opposite sides of the coin. Conri is the rough while Lia is the beauty and he is the dark to her light. The lands they rule are a comparison in the same contrast.When they finally come together it is by fate they quickly figure out they need one another and must join forces. That is when the romance goes from slow burn into the fire…and I mean a hot fire. This is much later in the book so don’t be disappointed when you start reading, it will come. She lets us get to know Lia and Conri intimately before we see them together and that makes their coming together all the sweeter.Among all of this, there is lots of court intrigue and machinations on all sides to try to control the Emperor and the situation on Calanthe. It is pretty much a bunch of lies, cheating, and spying to exert dominance over Lia. She, however sweet looking, is far from innocent in the ways of the court and the emperor. Her father prepared her well for this fight requiring balance between personal preservation and preserving Calanthe for generations to come. So we get to see how smart both Lia and Conri are, one in court and one in battle. Again opposites attract is the theme in this one and she plays it up to the nth degree.There are lots of thought provoking statements made by both that continually make you think long after you put it down. If you love to be challenged and introspective after a book, this one is definitely a must read. I’m actually giving this a 5 of 5 rating because although this is book one, there isn’t a big cliff hanger and the romance comes to a head with some satisfaction for me. I feel like if I only read one book in the series it would be alright. Only I’m going to keep reading because I know it will be even better in the next books.

The Orchid Throne is the first instalment of the Forgotten Empires series and tells the story of Conrí - the Slave King who freed himself from Anure's ownership - and Euthalia - the Queen of the island Calanthe, the last remaining independent island in the empire of Anure. Together they have to face the emperor itself...in the next installment of the series since this book is just the introduction to the main fight occuring in the follow-up.Instead this book settles on character development, world building and character introduction with Con and Lia - the short terms of the King and Queen - as the narrators of the story.The story is told in a slow and somewhat delicate way. Much like the Flower Court of Calanthe is in the days. The reason lies in the characters telling the story. With Lia being forced to stay a virgin and act like an easy to be manipulated damsel and Con having to overcome his slave years in the mines which left its marks and scars on his body, mind and soul. Both fight for their freedom but while Lia tries everything in her power to protect her home and her people up to the point she would give her life up for them Con has a more direct way in freeing everyone in his way via brutal force and battles. But their destinies are woven together by fate - and Ambrose, a wizard who claims to know a way to defeat Anure. The key is the Abiding Ring - or the Orchid Ring, as Lia calls her families' insignium. In a daring try to take Calanthe Con, along with his closest friend Sondra and Ambrose, are captured by Lia. It still ends up in Cons favor while Lias world and plans are set aflame because of Con's actions but the way it is told makes it for a quite enjoyable journey.A great pro in this book are the characters. They are true, have strengths and weaknesses and if it wouldn't be for magic it is obvious that Lia and Con would likely end up fighting each other. But still their bickerings are fun to read, the frustration Lia feels at most of the times because of him is so real.As a matter of fact not much happens in the book. Court at Calanthe comes along with the Queen having to follow a complicated ritual each morning where even the colour of the dress is an important component. So there are many pages dedicated to what Lia is wearing while Con on the other hand has his whole focus on how to kill Anure and what he needs to conquer to achive this goal. These opposites crash into each other and challenge each other over dominance. And though the whole book is more of a political maneuver than anything else it is still enjoyable because the whole story takes place in a couple of weeks with a focus of a few days in the last third of the book. Making the whole story believeable to happen like that without it turning boring.So why not 5 stars if its fun to read with great characters? Mainly because the book still feels like an introduction to the more interting parts - Lia learning about magic and the Abiding Ring, Anure's revenge for the treason Calanthe dared and for Conrí's escape - with not much more. Of course world building is important, character development, too, but at some point the story has to move on beyond that. And while there are interesting and important questions at the end of the book it doesn't help the book overall in its lengths.Great idea, lovely developed characters, awesome world building but with some flaws, The Orchid Throne is fun to read and really enjoyable with a few lengths and an antagonist who remains relatively pale throughout the whole book. But still a great book.

great writing and wonderful characters.

I actually started reading the second book (The Fiery Crown) first, but quickly realized that I was missing too much backstory, so I bought and read The Orchid Throne first. Conri, former Crown Prince of Oriel, but now slave in the mines of Emperor Anure, has managed to lead a revolt of the slaves and is seeking to capture and free kingdoms that Anure captured, with the ultimate goal of killing the Emperor.On the island of Calanthe, Queen Euthalia rules the last "free" kingdom, but that freedom comes at a very high price. When she was still a girl, her father, King Gul, betrothed her to Emperor Anure as the cost of keeping the island kingdom safe. Due to her young age, the marriage was delayed. With her father dead and Euthalia now queen, she has been delaying the marriage, using every excuse possible, but Anure's patience is starting to falter.Though they do not know it yet, Conri and Euthalia are destined to meet and the results will be monumental and essentially world-changing. The book alternates between Conri and his advisors/friends leading their rebellion and trying to figure out how to exact revenge on Anure and the goings on in Calanthe, where Euthalia and her advisors are trying to fend off Anure's emissary and keep the kingdom safe.There is lots of action and intrigue and some rather significant surprises. A book well worth reading (as is the next book in the series).

What an incredible book.It's been sometime since a book has kept me up; I literally forwent a night of sleep because I could not put it down.I really enjoyed the narrative style, the back and forth POV of the main characters.It's very well written and quite addicting. I love the two sides of the same coin, so "contrasting and yet so similar" theme *chef kiss* done to perfection.There is a very good balance and charisma between the main characters.And the detailed imagry set forth, superb.It's also got this reoccurring "how are they possibly going to get out of this mess" element that kept me in suspense and made it impossible to put down.It did start a little slow at first, but, I find that a necessary component in all the best books.It paid off well in the end.Can't wait to start in on the next book of the series.