Really interesting world building. But in the end it proved too slow a start for me. Way too much info dump. And I can't stand switching between main characters. Doesn't anybody write from a single point of view anymore? I got this free in exchange for a review. DNF at 10%

I requested this book on netgalley because I liked the cover and the description, but I liked the story even more. Some of the basics are familiar - an evil Emperor has most of the world in thrall. He is being resisted by the Slave King and by the Queen of Calenthe, which is a mysterious island that has somehow managed to remain free. I especially liked getting glimpses of Calenthe, as some of its mysteries were uncovered, and I'd expect to learn more in book 2. I'm looking forward to it!

Guys. I absolutely devoured this. Fantasy Romance? YES PLEASE. This novel absolutely lived up to the hype for me.

All the mystery and hidden plot lines in this! It had me on my toes. I loved the prophetic storyline and the twists fo the characters. This author did an amazing job of bringing you into this world and building it around you. The free two chapters were Yes. They kind of jars you but in the best way. I cannot wait for more.

This book tells the story of Queen Lia and Conri, an exiled prince. Right? I told you. Already screaming for you to read it.

All the drama an all the adventure and intrigue. I fell for this book hard and cannot wait for the next one. It is one of those that leaves you ill all the possibilities in your head.

Beautiful story, beautiful cover, beautiful everything. Can't wait to see what this author has in store next.

A little slow out of the gate as is to be expected of a first book in a new series, though the story rapidly picks up speed and excitement to end right at the edge of a cliff leaving you tearing your hair out. Can't wait to read the next installment in this series.
Euthalia had done all she can to keep her island kingdom safe and the magic around her hidden in the face of a despotic ruler who forbids the presence of magic. Despite the slow unchanging rhythms and routines of her kindom the queen knows that change is coming thanks to her nightly nightmares. Even as she prepares for a status quo she is fascinated by what her dreams for tell.
Soon Conri the prince who was banished to the darkest of mines arrives at her island after various conquests. Will she be able to stand firm against her fascination and surrender him to the evil king. As the story gathers steam, with a fascinating cast of characters, it's almost painful when you're yanked to an abrupt stop. I can't wait to see where the author will take it next and how long a series It will be.

I feel like this book had so much potential. And I mostly enjoyed it, but as I sat back after finishing it, I realized all the issues with it. It follows a queen of a small island nation who has been engaged to the evil emperor since she was small. Her country is full of magic and one of the only independent nations left. We also meet the Slave King, who just wants revenge against the emperor. I liked the magic and the political maneuvering. But I wasn’t a fan of how swiftly things moved, especially at the end and how some things were so clouded in mystery and then all of a sudden, bam we know things and its like NBD. The characters were also not super well-rounded. The ending was also ridiculously rushed.

Trigger Warning: Mention of rape, torture, child abuse, & murder

Narration:
When I started to listen to this book, I was extremely unsure of the narrator, but I'm glad I decided to try the audiobook. Once I got used to Elizabeth Brook's narration, I was able to focus on the book. Though she did a decent job at narrating the book, I desperately wished for dual narrators. The narrator was not able to accurately portray which point of view she was telling, which made it difficult to follow at times. Two narrators or a narrator that could change their tone of voice would have made this book more enjoyable.

The Book:
Even though I wasn't a massive fan of the narrator, I definitely LOVED the book. The Orchid Throne was captivating. Seriously, everything about this book was phenomenal. Both Euthalia & Conri were fascinating to learn about, and I really enjoyed seeing both Euthalia and Conri's perspectives. Both characters were lovable and exciting. I couldn't help but root for them both.

The plot was fast-paced and genuinely enrapturing. I never wanted to stop reading, which made work and family events a necessary evil. The plot was complex but easy to follow. I also really loved the royal court aspect of this book. Typically I'm not a fan of the politics of the royal court, but I think it added yet another element to the book. The political intrigue truly added a complexity to this book that kept me turning the pages. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series! I have so many questions I need answers to, and I can't wait to see more of Conri & Euthalia!

I am so happy I took a chance on a new to me author & I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. FYI, I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Since I read this book after publication, I bought the audiobook and listened to it instead. I would recommend skipping the audiobook and reading the book instead. If you do read the audiobook, just go in knowing that every other chapter changes perspectives.

A good idea, but poorly executed. The problem with this book, as with others she has written, is pacing. The story drags for no good reason. The book goes back and forth between Euthalia and Conri’s points of view. But it didn’t need to. It would’ve been better with either Conri as the narrator or none at all. Because Euthalia didn’t have much going on. Her point of view was all impending doom. But her concerns were fears she had been dealing with for years, there wasn’t a feeling of urgency from her. She knew eventually her time would be up, but there wasn’t a countdown clock. There was a treat, but it was miles away and would take weeks before she would be in actual danger. Conri was in conflict, but the problem there was we didn’t get to see him fight. Instead of him and his confidants talking about how the escaped the mines and the clever ways they took over two former kingdoms before, we should’ve seen it. Even the brief battle that was there did have tense moments.

Conri and Euthalia’s meeting was lackluster. Once together their obstacles were easily overcome. At least we were spared instalove. But there were way too many pages dedicated to a love scene. Basically taking out all of the filler leaving 1/3 of it to make a good book. I will continue with this series because I do like the overall story. I just wish the editor felt confident enough to cut several pages. I’d rather fast-paced novella then a dragged on novel. Or one really good book instead of three ok ones.

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy is the start of an exciting fantasy romance trilogy that introduces a royal couple destined to fight for the survival of their peoples against a tyrant bent on their destruction.

The discovery of vurgstun, a rock with explosive properties mined deep in the volcanoes of Vurgmun, started the chain of events leading to the ascension of Anure Robho, a man whose greed expanded to encompass all the lands who encountered his ruthless ambitions. Naming himself Emperor, he cut a swath of destruction across many lands, except for one – Calanthe. Under the stewardship of Queen Euthelia the island has escaped so far unscathed, but only because she is betrothed to the Emperor. She’s been able to put off any actual wedding for years, but it’s only a matter of time before she will be forced into marriage.

When rumors of a rebellion and a man they call The Slave King arrive on the shores of Calanthe, Lia is prepared for his eventual arrival though not what he expects her to do for him.He’s been appearing in her dreams, an omen of things to come. Her concerns are for her people, not the rest of the empire. But Conri, heir of Oriel, captured and enslaved by the Emperor and made to work years in the vurgstun mines, hasn’t made it this far in his quest for revenge to be thwarted by a petite woman in the paradise kingdom. A prophesy passed on to him by a wizard portends that he will ‘Claim the hand that wears the Abiding Ring’ – and that ring, the orchid ring, rests on Lia’s fingers. Will the prophesy hold true, and will Lia and Conri take the first steps to thwarting the Emperor’s reign?

Fans of the author’s Twelve Kingdoms series will be delighted with this new series start! It’s not connected to the earlier series, but brand new in characters and worldbuilding including some interesting magic systems. Calanthe is full of magic and as Queen, Lia has a sense of the well being of all the living things on the island, including the health of the island itself. The Emperor has decreed that magic is not real and persecuted wizards so when Conri shows up on her island with his own personal wizard Ambrose she wants to keep Ambrose with her at any cost.

Conri isn’t particularly keen on tying himself to Lia, but so far the prophesy has been right on other counts. The Emperor has demanded that Lia come for their wedding and so she must carefully weigh her choices – certainly Conri, a man she can admit she is quite attracted to despite his sometimes thuggish manner appears to be the better choice.

There are several secondary characters who play important roles as the story progresses, and Ambrose provides some delightful comic relief. The banter between Conri and Lia is also quite engaging, and they do share some intimate scenes later in the story. As the first in a trilogy, Conri and Lia’s story is not complete but they are together at the end of this part and there is no cliffhanger ending. I can’t wait to continue the series! I highly recommend this for lovers of fantasy romance who like intricate but not overly complicated worldbuilding, strong characters, and exciting action packed scenes to go along with a sexy love story.

This review has been posted at Harlequin Junkie, goodreads and Amazon.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Orchid Throne" by Jeffe Kennedy. I am really torn about how to feel about this book. I enjoyed the characters a lot. I liked the comedic feel that Ambrose brought to the story. I even like the direction it was going in. I have to admit, the book was very slow moving for the first half, the second half did hold my attention more. There wasn't a cliff hanger at the end and not really anything made me want to find out what happens. I may or may not continue this series. I give this title a 3.5 star rating.

An Unforgettable Fantasy that is Fabulously Done…
Jeffe Kennedy kicks off her Forgotten Empires Series with a stunning introduction to a fantasy realm home to the decadent and beautiful tropical island kingdom of Calanthe. To outsiders and, most importantly, the vicious and deceitful emperor who has laid waste to every kingdom and eliminated every ruler but Calanthe’s, Lia, the young virgin Queen, is a beautiful bauble that is not keen or calculating enough to pose a threat to the emperor. Her finely scripted court that overseas a lush and erotic culture hides the true intelligence and intent of its shrewd leader. On the other hand, there can be no doubt as to the strength, cleverness, and revenge-driven hate in Con, lone surviving prince of the ruling family of Oriel and leader of the growing rebellion. As prophecy would have it, their destinies and goals are intertwined.

The Orchid Thone is everything you can ask for in a New Adult fantasy romance. Jeffe does a wonderful job of visually painting this foreign world and the unfolding plot. She also expertly reveals the depth of her characters in perfectly timed shedding of their various layers. Both Lia and Con are intriguing and stunning and surprising with each new revelation. The story progresses quickly because it becomes one of those books that you hate to put down. The Orchid Throne is more appropriate for an older audience because of the violent and erotic scenes, that absolutely fit with the story-line. If you are like me you would rather not read a series until it is complete, but Jeffe provides enough resolution to temporarily satisfy her readers till her next release.

As you can guess, I immensely enjoyed The Orchid Throne and found it easy to give it

Elizabethan era meets Merlin’s Camelot, The Orchid Throne is a science fiction fantasy story about Conri and his destined mate, Euthalia.
I was not initially drawn into the story. Hard to pronounce names and a lot of explanation to be drawn into this world, kept me from just mindlessly enjoying it. However, I stuck to and was glad I did. Overall, it was an enjoyable story. Both Conri and Her Highness were likeable characters. I’m interested to see if there will be more, this ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. I gave it 4 stars because I felt there could be less inner monologue. A lot of it didn’t really add anything to the story.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A glimpse into a world filled with battles, bewitchment, and love.

THE ORCHID THRONE is a tale filled with magic, love, loss, and revenge. Kennedy brings to life her fantastical characters and the intricate world they live in by grounding her story in authentic emotion and passion for a cause.

What I enjoyed so much about this book was being brought immediately into a place and time, which was equal parts fantasy and reality. There is always something so wonderful about reading of some far off land where a Queen will sacrifice anything to protect her land, a man stop at nothing to punish the emperor who wronged him, and a battle is being waged to get back what once was. This story is the start of something that could be epic.

I will say this. I didn’t love where the book ended. For me, it left me saying, “is that it?” I thought there would be more of a cliff hanger. I am not going to give anything away, but I thought this beginning to an epic romance deserved to leave us wanting more.

However, with all this said, I did like the story. I loved the back and forth between Conri and Lia as well as the interactions with all the characters we met. I can see that it has the potential to be the beginning of something great. I hope the next book will open us up further to this world we go to know.

If you’ve been missing Rhysand and Feyre, the Night Court, and the realm of Fae, The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy is for you! To say I loved this book is an understatement. I devoured it! This book has something for everyone and is a must-read for fantasy fans. Following the story of two very different people, The Orchid Throne sets up the world of the Forgotten Empires, hooking the readers with its lush fantasy, political intrigue, and steamy romance.

Euthalia is the Virgin Queen of the island kingdom Calanthe. She will do anything to keep her people safe from the mad emperor, including sacrificing herself in marriage to him. She has a plan, not a good plan, but a plan to bring an end to his tyranny. Guided by the magical orchid ring her father left in her care, Euthalia walks a fine line of keeping the emperor and his emissaries happy while planning treason in her mind. That is her waking world. Her dreams are plagued with a wolf, tearing down everything she’s ever loved, leaving her beloved island blood soaked.

Conrí is the wolf of Euthalia’s dreams. The former Crown Prince of Oriel, Conrí is now a slave in the vurgsten mines. Building an army of slaves, he escapes. Now known as the Slave King, Con wants only one thing: revenge. Revenge for his family, his people, and his home, and he will have it or die trying. A prophecy about the abiding ring leads him to Euthalia’s palace. But will the Virgin Queen help the Slave King defeat the emperor once and for all?

I loved the writing style of this one. Beautiful, vivid descriptions paints the landscape of Calanthe in the reader’s mind that isn’t easily forgotten. I felt as if I could smell the flowers and feel the warmth of Calanthe’s sun as I read. The chapters alternated between Euthalia’s and Conrí’s POV. I enjoyed this aspect more than I thought I would. They are very different, and it allows the reader to get to know the character’s separately before they are together. It also had me shipping them before they’d even met.

Overall I loved The Orchid Throne. Lia and Con are fascinating characters, thrown together by fate, and bond by their hatred of the emperor. I cannot wait to read more about their adventures and scheming. If you are a fan of fantasy and don’t mind a little romance, I highly recommend this as your next read!

This is a fantasy romance that sounded interesting, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. It moves at a snails pace, and there is just so much description of her clothing and such. It is also hard to tell whose point of view I'm reading, at least in the ARC, because the chapter headings do not denote whose point of view it is. I've decided to abandon this because I want to read something more engaging. I did give it an extra star for the world building, which I thought was good.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I felt I read half the book before I got to the plot in any serious way. The writing is nice and builds an interesting world, but there could have been more action mixed in to that from the beginning. You have to have patience, but then you do get a payout for that waiting.

as someone who loves to read, i genuinely appreciate a writer's gift of prose. the writing in the orchid throne is lush and builds a rich world filled with intrigue and glitter and dark shadows that push our leads into action, but there is no headlong rush, no sudden leap.

you have to have patience to allow this story to unravel. there is so much about fantasy as a genre that appeals to me, but i struggle so often when i read these stories. and i think i've figured out why. i don't have the patience to absorb all the information being imparted, because i would much rather get into the who and what they're doing about it.

if you stick with this, you will get there. and if you love description and world-building then this will be one hundred percent up your alley. if you don't then just be warned, it will take a minute for you to decide whether or not you want to.

**the orchid throne will publish on september 24, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
I read through this book two times in hopes that I'd be able to find the right words to convey my feelings on this story. This method did not help, and I'm still at a loss. I truly enjoyed the story (both times), and as any book does, it has its highs and lows.

We are transported to a world where magic has been deemed illegal. All the royal families have been slaughtered or taken as slaves, and the "emperor" has found a means to control the world. All the old lands are controlled by Anure, with the exception of one: Calanthe.

When the slaves revolt from Anure's clutches, the story begins.

What I loved:
Sondra is my, hands down, favorite character. The ever loyal friend of the slave king, she has a sharp wit and sassy mouth, not to mention a skill with weapons.
The worldbuilding is fantastic and I felt like I was present in the scenes: I was there after the battles and subsequent victory, I envisioned the beauty of Calanthe, and the Queen, and I was able to picture Leuther in all his smarmy "elegance."

What I didn't love:
The story took an awful long time to progress. I understand that we need the buildup for the story to take root. We need to learn the backstory to cheer for the main characters, but sometimes the scenes took forever. I understood Con's position, but I didn't really understand him (until the end).
I also knew, from the beginning, how this book was going to go.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to continue the series. I need to see Oriel avenged. I need to feel the victory of slaves over the Empire. I need to see Anure suffer.


Erica – ☆☆☆
Spoiler-Free Review

The Orchid Throne is the debut in a new fantasy series, Forgotten Empires, and Jeffe Kennedy is a new-to-me author.

Intriguing fantasy worldbuilding, surrounding political intrigue, structured beneath a monarchy ruled society, where autonomy isn't a right, even for the queen herself.

To be quite honest, I struggled at the start, as the reader was inundated with necessary information that didn't exactly flow fluidly for easy digestion. It was the introduction to the world-building, their way of life, and the characters themselves, but it was done in such a manner, that I wasn't sure I could remember it all, let alone process it. Info-dump. But I did what I always do in this situation, I just rolled with it, knowing cues within the story would spark recognition as I read further along.

While I would love to say the story flowed at a rapid rate, engaging me page after page, that wasn't the case. I've tried to explain this in other reviews and to my fellow readers when discussing books... The Orchid Throne, while interesting, it read longer than its page-length, drawing the pacing to a crawl with description, dialogue, and monologue, and sometimes redundancy. This is individualistic to the reader, whether or not they enjoy that, as some love a wordy novel, wishing to extend the journey as long as possible. With me, I felt the lack of depth of the story couldn't support the page-count.

Between the third and halfway point, the novel's pacing picked up, to where I fully immersed myself and was able to read the last portion in one sitting, no longer fearing that I'd struggle to lose myself in my quest for an entertaining escape. So if you're reading reviews, do note that eventually the pacing quickens.

Queen Lia is intelligent, calculating, and witty as she tries to avoid her fate, betrothed to an infamously cruel emperor, where she uses the guise of naivety to protect herself and her people.

The slave king and a prince stripped of this throne, Conri seeks the engagement ring on Lia's finger to stop the tyrant usurping his land. This is the intriguing setup to The Orchid Throne. There's forbidden, love-hate vibe between Lia and Conri, which is infectious to read yet borderline insta-love. While there is a ton of quirky situations at court, the romance is shipped pretty hard, not leaving much room in the heavily padded novel for plot nor character development.

Another area where I struggled is how this is dual point-of-view, where there was nothing to denote when the narrator switched, and sometimes Lia and Con sounded exactly the same, where I had to reread passages based on what was being thought or said to determine who was currently narrating. This also led to redundancy in the monologue.

I'm curious to read the next in the series, but not necessarily to see what happens next. Jeffe Kennedy and I may not be a good fit, reading-wise, and I'll discover if it was my mood during this novel while reading the next to determine if I finish out this series.

DNF at 26%

I’ve never not finished an ARC before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Fantasy romance is one of those genres that I absolutely love reading, but don’t read enough of because most fantasy books tend to be YA. When I read the synopsis for The Orchid Throne and found out that it was an adult fantasy romance, I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy. Unfortunately, I can’t bring myself to finish this boo for a variety of reasons.

I’m sure this book will appeal to other readers, but the writing style and the pacing are just not up to my standard. Jeffe Kennedy is a fine writer and I have no issues with her prose. But I simply do not have the patience for the overwhelmingly detailed descriptions of gowns, crowns, etc. The concept of this world is great, but I fear the execution is just not to my liking. The plot gets so easily lost in all the unnecessary details. There are barely any dialogues and too many repetitive monologues. I did appreciate that the book is told in dual POV, but the chapters don’t indicate whose POV we’re reading from, which confused me in the beginning. I also skimmed further into the book and found out that the hero and heroine don’t meet until 42% into the story. That’s way too late for a romance novel.

It always takes me a while to adapt to fantasy because of the world building, but the great thing about fantasy is that it almost always grabs my attention to the point where I feel completely immersed in the world. This book is already slow-paced, which is not an issue for me. But it is filled with too many unnecessary details and repetitive monologues that slow down the story even further. I simply can’t bring myself to dedicate more of time to finish this book.

As the queen of the island Calanthe you might think Euthalia is in charge of her own life but she is just as under the tyrant emperor's control as everyone else. Her father agreed to an arranged marriage between them in order to keep Calanthe's independence but it was just another type of chain. Since her father's death Euthalia has done everything in her power to keep the emperor at arm's length and to protect her people but she knows time is running out and soon she will be forced into marriage with a man she despises.

Conri was raised as the crown prince of Oriel but when the emperor invaded his country was destroyed and his people were sent to work in the mines as prisoners of war. Con has been plotting revenge for years, slowly building an army of freed slaves and taking back land from the emperor. According to prophecy if he can gain control of the Abiding Ring he will succeed in his goal to destroy the empire but the magical ring is connected to Euthalia and can't be removed until her death. Both Conri and Euthalia have similar goals but can they trust each other enough to form an alliance? And even if they do will their rebellion have any chance of success?

The Orchid Throne is the first book in Jeffe Kennedy's new fantasy romance series and it does a great job of introducing us to a new world. This is a world where magic is forbidden and those with power have to keep it hidden, a world where to defy the emperor means certain death. It is extremely dangerous for Euthalia and Conri to even discuss rebellion but fate sometimes has a way of forcing your hand and sometimes you have to take the opportunities that come your way.

As the first book in the series this book takes the time to introduce the main characters separately before they are introduced to each other. We get to know them both and see just how their lives have been affected by the tyrant emperor. Their lives are very different but they've both had their own struggles to deal with and are united by the need to protect their people against a common enemy. I love it when you get a slow build romance and that's exactly what happened here, when you're reading a series you don't want everything to happen too quickly or there is nothing to look forward to later on. This had just enough romance to keep me happy and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Euthlia and Con's relationship in future books. I also can't wait to see how they continue their rebellion against the emperor. This was a great start to the series and it's definitely left me ready for more.