Allegiance

Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive. 

An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return... 

Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. 

Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....

Sometimes, after I've loved a book to death, it kind of seems surreal reading the sequel. Like, are these really the characters I've grown to love in Book One? They're so...not how I expected them to be! The plot's changing too much! Am I really reading the sequel? Am I the only one who does this? 

As with Clockwork Prince, there was nothing fundamentally wrong with Allegiance. It was just a bit of a letdown after the first book wowed me so much. 

There was almost no Narian (sad face), but Steldor was around quite a bit, in all his chauvinistic glory. One thing I really liked about this book was that it showed his softer side, not just his womanizer side that made up almost all of Legacy. 

One thing that bothered me here was Alera's role. I mean, the book starts out with her coronation? Don't Queens have better things to do with their time then run away from their husbands out into the countryside, seeking the comfort of an old lover? That might have been acceptable as Princess, but I have a hard time believing that etiquette allowed that sort of thing.

My favorite character in this book was probably London. I hadn't really noticed him when I read Legacy for the first time, but he had a huge role in this book. He was really the only one - besides Narian, of course - that could keep Alera under control, and it was nice to see her meet some resistance. 

Overall: As good as the first one? No. Still pretty good? Yes. Will I read the third, Sacrifice? Absolutely. I love the world and (most) of the characters, and there's a pretty good teaser chapter for Book Three at the end of this one.