Prince in Disguise - Review

Author: Tavia Lark

Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Format: e-Book

Pages: 298

This series. I wonder if it's just this series, or maybe I don't mind fantasy romance. Either way, I devour this book, slower than the first one. Though to no fault of the book's own. My reading time was just mostly early in the morning with breakfast, or right before bed. I fell asleep reading this most nights last week. It's super cute and I want to be wholesome, but that feels like a lie considering certain scenes. But, Bell is absolutely adorable. 

Also, I thought the fellcats in the last book, were the coolest thing ever. Ten out of ten, would pet one and lose a hand. But. But! A blinkmink. Yeah, that tops fellcats. If I ever end up in a fantasy world, I'm going to need one of those. I will even name it Bastard in honor of Bell's blinkmink.

I stand by my original statement that Julien is still my favorite Sandry brother. However, Bell is without a doubt the most adorable of all the Sandry brothers. Bell's character follows the baby sibling trope of being overprotective with zero life skills. Though thanks to a sort of traumatic experience as a child, Bell has been handled delicately his whole life. So it makes the most sense to dump in a hostile land that just a few short years ago was at war with his own people. 

He is for the first few chapters our damsel. Bell doesn't stay that way though. As the story unfolds he discovers his limits to his powers and his own personal strength. To the point you even see him stand up to Claude when she tries to wrap him back into bubble wrap at the end of this book.

I didn't dislike Rakos as our reluctant hero. The warrior who never really wanted to go to war, he just wanted to ride a dragon. I don't really think there was much character growth for Rakos throughout this story because he was a solid character from the start. He's been to war, he's seen some things, but he's not perfect. We see him make mistakes. What he does get throughout this story is kind of a purpose. Something to fight for that isn't just the King and Country. With Bell, he has something to lose and he wears that well.

We got a few more sprinkles of the major conspiracy that's circling each book's plot. I'm still not sure what's going on. To give a little bit of a spoiler I know it has to do with a mage named Cyril, dragons, and the rocks that make it possible for dragons to exist within a realm. I have no idea how all those dots come together. I have a few thoughts on the matter. Under no circumstances do I trust Claude. Though I don't think she's evil, I wouldn't be surprised if she's doing something sinister for what she thinks is the right reason. 

This was the first book where we really got to see Claude as a character, and I don't know, there's just something about her that makes me suspicious. 

Though I am very excited for Lucien and dream of riding a dragon! I so hope he bonds with one. He deserves for putting up with Julien as he does.

This was also the first book where we saw Draskora. It was mentioned in the first book as sort of a footnote that Silaise went to war them Draskora and others were dragons. In this book, we finally get to see Draskora as a place and its people, and for a small couple of scenes, it's royalty. This makes me excited for the last book in the series because there's something wrong with that family. We didn't get a good look at the chaos that is House Dire, but something is definitely hinky.

I give mad props to Lark for finding every single way to do the one-bed trope that she could: one bed, one horse, one wagon, and one dragon. Plus their both lying about several things, and I love how there are several points where there could be drama. Where either one of them could walk away angry, but they are so in love, and such adults they actually communicate. After lying about magic and backgrounds and whatnot.

But, I think that's what I like about this book. For all the tropes that Lark uses she hasn't used the 'they don't communicate' or the 'miscommunication' trope. It's fine, but I find that one frustrates me the most. Where I just want to shove them in a room and make them have a freaking conversation. So kudos for not having a break-up chapter(s).

I've already downloaded the next book in this series, and this one is an arranged marriage trope. I'm excited to Audric as a fully-rounded character finally. So far we've only seen him in big brother mode. Not much of him as a person. So I'm excited to see what kind of trouble he's about to stumble into. Sadly I think he might be the only Sandry brother not to get himself a Draskoran husband.

HAPPY READING!!