This was a complete immersion into a fantasy world, the descriptions and world building were spot on. I enjoy stories that suck you in and make you really picture a new place.

What a surprise this one was! I wasn't sure what to expect since this was my first read by the author, but I really appreciated the originality Ms. Kennedy put into the plot. A lot of fantasy storylines tend to run together with overused tropes and predictability. The Orchid Throne does rely on the forbidden magic trope you find in so many but beyond that it was a refreshingly unique story. Admittedly, you have to be patient in the first half because the pace is excruciatingly slow for a good, solid chunk. It took me much longer than it should have to push through the beginning. Euthalia and Conrí meet around the halfway point which is when the action and dialogue intensify and pull you firmly in.

The island kingdom of Calanthe is ruled by the cunning Queen Euthalia. Deliberately cultivating a naive and frivolous persona, she secretly outsmarts those who underestimate her. Her home is famed for their licentious Flower court, but even more so for being the sole kingdom under Emperor Anure's vicious rule to remain standing. It's the last sliver of pleasure and excess when the rest of the world has suffered destruction and horror. This privilege was won with a deal with the devil of sorts when her father promised her hand in marriage to Anure in exchange for Calanthe's preservation. You would expect royals to marry for duty or advantage, but this bargain that was struck had a sour smell to it when you think about the fate of so many other previously flourishing kingdoms and their inhabitants.

No one was exempt from Anure's wrath, no matter their station in life. Royals like Conrí, former Prince of Oriel were sent to the mines at Vurgmun where they were enslaved until their bodies gave out on them. Con's fear of death eventually whittled away, and in its place was a bloodthirsty need for revenge. He doesn't see himself as a "King of Slaves" or a leader to look up to despite the many victories with his band of rebels. He simply fights because the alternative would be surrendering to the shackles once again, and his freedom is not something he's willing to lose ever again. Even if he never gets the chance to bring Anure to justice, at least he could say he fought until his dying breath for it.

I really liked Con right from the start. He's been through literal hell and back and though he's undoubtedly brutish and unpolished, he's honest and affectionate with those in his inner circle. Sondra and the wizard Ambrose constantly busted his balls which was thoroughly entertaining. Ambrose especially was my favorite! I could just picture the twinkle in his eye as he joyously flustered or confused everyone around him. Ambrose joined forces with Con to bring a fated prophesy into being. The addition of his magic is a welcome advantage, as well as his guidance in locating the Orchid ring that they seek. Euthalia and her magic family heirloom may be their only chance to defeat the emperor for good.

I enjoyed the romance between Lia and Con. Though it felt a little rushed from enemies to affectionate couple, it didn't necessarily feel unrealistic. Lia was backed into a corner and was forced to make a difficult decision with him, but once she did, she was in 100%. She was determined to give him support, honesty, and loyalty. Even when they were enemies, she gave him respect and acknowledged his humanity which bumped my opinion of her up quite a bit. The first book in a fantasy series tends to be a little slower, so I think the next installment in the Forgotten Empire could prove to be a much more consistent pace. If you like fantasy with revenge, court intrigue, bloody battle scenes, and a dash of romance, this one will be for you. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series takes us next!

This is my first book from this author, and I think that if you are a fantasy romance fan, Jeffe Kennedy is a great choice to check out! 

This fantasy combines political intrigue and clashing kingdoms with a slow-burn romance to top it off! 

The world-building took a chunk of the book for me to really become invested, and there were moments when I felt antsy for something more to happen. But when it did, I was hooked! 

I am excited to see where these characters take us in the sequel. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars due to the slower beginning BUT it doesn't disappoint in the second half!!

This is a romance but with very rich fantasy and so much more.

An emperor has taken over all kingdoms and enslaved them. Mercilessly. Only one kingdom still remains relatively free, and that because they went for peace and passive relations from the first moment the emperor landed on their shores. The cost, among other things, was the hand of Calanthe in marriage. When her father dies, she is now queen of her country and has no intention of giving the emperor any more control of her island than he already has. But she walks a very difficult line. Conri is known as the King of the Slaves and leads a rebellion against the emperor and needs the ring Calanthe wears to win. When they meet, more than sparks fly.

Fantasy fans will enjoy this world. It is rich, layered and full of battles and intrigue. At the same time, it is a romance. Right away, it's clear that the hero and heroine are destined for each other. While sparks fly and romantic tension builds, there is so much more going on. The Emperor is ruthless, and Conri and Calanthe have much to protect as they try their best to defeat the powerful man. It's layered, and it's deep.

This is a heavier read, and while there is quite a bit of action, some parts drag a little. The first chapters have quite a bit to introduce...this is a rich world...but that pushes the pacing a bit back. It is, however, interesting and does set a wonderful stage for everything to come. The rest flows mostly very well, and the writing weaves smoothly. Some of the dialogue drags out a little long, again trading a quicker pace for more depth. As an action fan, it wasn't quite what I'd hoped, but the story still is very well done and draws in. It will be interesting to see where the rest of the series leads.

First off this is an adult fantasy so make sure you keep that in mind going into this novel. We have a land that has been forbidden the use of magic. One ruler who has a strangle hold on the empire and one piece of it that is steeped in magic and mystery. The ruler of Calanthe Euthalia and holder of the orchid ring staves off the power hungry Anura who she is promised to marry.

Euthalia wears make up everyday, wigs, and upholds many traditions that keep her people grounded in the belief that they will be safe from the evils of Anure. I would of like to have found out the reasoning behind the elaborate makeup sooner then we did but i see why the author did not share it tell the very end.

Their are lots of secrets to be found in the pages of this story, the land of Calanthe has been forgotten in what it holds in power and it may just very well be the downfall of the power hungry Anure.

I think the author did a wonderful job of sharing the relationship between Euthalia and Conri in the end it was a sweet passionate and a pleasure to read. Their are adult themes in the book but they were tastefully done. I not much one for having a lot of romance in a story but sometimes if it done right it works. I am enticed to see what comes next in the Forgotten Empire series.

4.5 Stars
After reading a bunch of reviews I was a bit worried before I began The Orchid Throne. I was afraid it would be slow, with too much world building (is that really a thing?), and not enough story. I am so,glad that the I gave this book a chance because it was wonderful! The world, the characters, the story, the romance and especially the writing were fabulous. I love that both Euthalia and Comri were such strong characters, both so committed to the survival of thier world. And while the outcome is predictable, getting there is a rich and lush journey. This was a great start to a new series, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next book!

It’s the classic trope for a young adult novel. There’s Queen Euthalia who holds a family heirloom that guides her while doing what she feels is right for the people of Calanthe. Then, we have Conrí, a former prince that wants to overthrow the emperor while needing that same family heirloom to do so. What could possibly happen when these two come face to face?

It’s one of my favorite tropes among many. Kind of like an enemies to not-so-much-enemies type of thing. Naturally, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. Also, that cover is stunning.

Euthalia was a wonderful character. There aren’t many young adult books out there where the main character is already a queen. Normally, readers watch her grow into a queen. So, I liked that aspect of the book. Euthalia has a strong heart and will for her people, even if she does keep some secrets. However, she’s a smart girl and not like some other fantasy characters that still hang around in literature and act dumb or like a damsel in distress. That trope needs to just die. Jeffe did all of us a solid with Euthalia’s character.

Conrí is the other main character. This guy has been through a lot. His kingdom was destroyed and he was sent to the mines to mine the one thing that killed his family. That’s pretty brutal. Naturally, Conrí and the others have had it, so they plan to take over and right the wrongs their own way. He is definitely a character to watch in this series. I don’t think I liked him as much as I liked Euthalia, but there is something there that I want to hold on to. His background is tough and I think Jeffe did a good job of building that.

Speaking of building, Jeffe did great with world building. It’s so tricky to get it right because it’s the basis for a reader to get sucked into. Jeffe has a center called the Abiding Ring, which is the orchid part that we see in the title. It’s obviously connecting Euthalia and Conrí, but I’m sure we have more to learn as the series progresses.

What really got me is the ending. I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s that kind of ending where you sort of expect it to happen but you still can’t believe it happened and it just ends up making you want more.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to love the book as much as I did. There were moments that were kind of slow, but Jeffe knows how to tell a story that still keeps a reader on their toes. I can promise you that I’ll be eagerly awaiting book two to find out what happens next.

It had been a while since having read this author so it was refreshing to me to get into one of her novels. This one took me away right away into a world where the discovery of these Empires was just one of the things that pull you in. This was a fantasy of high caliber that wove its magic in front of you. Lia and Con will sizzle leaking over into you as you read their tale. The emotions that are buried in this come alive as your eyes light onto them. OH the passion that vibrates the pages giving the fuel to keep on turning. Oh and the darkness and evil will make you shudder. Fortunately for me I began this at the beginning so I won't miss a one.

I'm not a frequent reader of fantasy novels, but this story unexpectedly drew me in even if the storyline is fairly predictable. The characters do have hidden depths and there are enough intrigue and reveals of unexpected to keep you entertained. The romance aspect also comes in at latter part of the story so those who are hoping for steam will be satisfied as well. There are hints of future adventures, but the story is not a cliffhanger and ends happily. Voluntary and honest review after receiving ARC (advanced reader copy).

*I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

What initially drew me to this book was definitely the cover. It’s gorgeous. And I was really excited to start. But full disclosure, it’s a slow start. Slow enough that I struggled to push through at one point, but glad I did.

This fantasy romance follows Queen Lia and Conri, the Slave King. What I enjoyed is their interactions. They’re both well thought out characters and were fun to read.

I look forward to the next part of their journey.

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy is a fantasy romance and Book 1 of The Forgotten Empires. This series is off to a good start with an interesting storyline and world that the author has created. I was very captivated by the characters and their nuances. Although slow at times, this is usual for a first book in the series so I didn’t mind all the details. A story full of political tension, magic, action and romance. I’m looking forward to the next in this series.

This is the first book I have read by Jeffe Kennedy. The Orchid Throne was almost the first book I ever DNF because it is very slow moving. I really enjoyed the writing because it’s so descriptive and the author does an amazing job with building suspense and anticipation. I am a fan of YA books and I read wide variety of all genres and I felt this had no romantic element to it except really briefly. I have to say it’s beautifully written though and even though it’s not my cup of tea, I’m sure this book is going to have fans of all ages. The writing in itself is just so good and the character development is as well. Beautiful cover art. I just would have liked better flow in the book and more action and more love- but that’s just my little opinion- I’m sure you will receive lots of love.

After the death of her father, Queen Euthalia continued to do her duties for the throne. She didn't agree with the way things were and when a dream leads her to believe that change is coming she readies herself.

Conri is fighting for a new world, to right the wrongs. He needs Lia's ring to overtake the man who is set on ruling for himself not everyone. Will he be able to do right by the people or is he doomed from the start?

This was intriguing. A bit slow int he beginning but i thought written in a way that you could visualize. I wasn't sure how Conri and Lia would get on together as they are polar opposites. I would be curious to see what happens in the next book. Good start to the series.

This book took a while for me to get into because the beginning was a bit slow. However, I found it a normal pace for a fantasy book. Not everything makes sense at the beginning and that is ok. I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the book as well. Fantasy romance is a small genre and I truly wish there were more of books like this. The book really picked up towards the end as everything finally came together and I can't wait for the next book in the series. It's worth a read if you are ok with a slow beginning and are ok with world building being slowly built up instead of massive info dumps. It's worth the payoff at the end. Also, the descriptions of things are beautiful. The lush descriptions match the beautiful cover. This is not a book to pick up if you want a fast read.

3.5 rating

I was excited to read The Orchid Throne. When I read the blurb, I thought to myself: “I am going to like this book.” I mean, it had the two genres I love the most: Fantasy and Romance. Now that I have read The Orchid Throne, I was a bit disappointed. It fell short of my expectations.

The Orchid Throne starts slowly. It creeps along. There were several times where I wanted to swipe to the end of a chapter because it was that slow. I understand that the author was world-building but still. Once Conri and Euthalia met, the plotline got going. By the end of the book, it was moving along quite nicely. But, the slowness of the first half of the book did put me off.

I wished that I could have connected with Euthalia more. But it was hard to. A big part of me not being able to connect with her was the usage of the royal Us, Me, We (etc.) as part of her dialogue. It drove me nuts reading that. I did like the glimpses of the woman underneath the facade, though. The woman that peeked through was a tough cookie. But that was overshadowed by the games she was forced to play.

I did like Conri. I felt that he was more fleshed out than Euthalia. He was upfront and honest with his end game. He wanted to kill the Emperor. He didn’t play games or deal with court intrigue. He wanted to get there and get it done. And in no way did he want anything to do with the prophecy.

I wish that more information was given on Ambrose, Sondra, and Tertulyn. I was fascinated with Ambrose, but so little information was provided about him. He was shrewd, and everything he did was part of a grand plan. Plus, he had a crow as a familiar, which I loved. Sondra was Conri’s right hand. She was a strong woman who had been through a lot in her life. It showed both mentally and physically. I liked how she brought Conri down a peg or two during the book. Tertulyn intrigued me. I have a couple of suspicions about her, but nothing was confirmed in this book. I can’t wait to see what the next book will bring with her!!

I will say that I have never had a favorite villain before. But the Emperor Robho might be one. He doesn’t make a physical appearance in the book, but his presence was always there. He was feared and hated by Conri and Euthalia. Euthalia feared his letters. Which makes me wonder, what will he be like in person? If his letters were enough to strike dread in Euthalia, the real deal must be terrifying. And I can’t wait to read it!!!

I wish more time had been spent explaining what the Abiding Ring did and why it was so crucial that Conri gets it. There was a primary blanket reason, but I believe that Ambrose is hiding something. I did find the ring fascinating. The way it responded to Ambrose was telling. As was the way it responded to Conri.

The romance angle of the book was “meh” for me. Conri and Euthalia did have some insane chemistry. But that didn’t translate to hot sex scenes. Unfortunately, the first sex scene was awkward and uncomfortable. That set the tone for me. The rest of the sexual encounters seemed the same way for me.

I liked the fantasy angle of the book. But a lot of what was going on with Euthalia was released too late. But to keep it until the end of the book? I didn’t like that.

The end of The Orchid Throne was exciting. None of the storylines were ended. I am interested in what will go in book 2.

This is my fair and honest review in return for this ARC. I am not a magic/wizard kinda woman but this sounded interesting so I gave it a go. Now I can't wait for part 2!!! Wow, really loved the writing and story and characters and...well, EVERYTHING.

It was a bit of a battle to get through, it was really dragging for most of the book until the very end. That's where we learn a bit more about Lia and that's when thing got super interesting especially about who she really is.

It honestly felt like not a whole lot was going on. I did like Kennedy's writing style, but dragged at slow pace for most of the book. The book is littered with so much detail about their world and the different empires, but it didn't necessarily help with the plot development. I would have love to see more of magical and fantasy side of the story. I, personally, didn't mind the romance aspect, but there honestly was much of one either. Just at the tail end of the story.

It's a HFN for Lia and Con since everything is very new between them. I wanted to love this book so much, but it wasn't for me.

The Orchid Throne is the first book in a new series by Ms. Jeffe
Kennedy, fantasy author extraordinaire. And for a first book, it
definitely delivers in the worldbuilding, overarching theme and of
course characters that readers can get on board with. The Orchid
Throne, being a first book, usually carries a heavy burden of making
sure that the reader will be back for the next books in the series.
Be not afraid because you will be looking for that next one as soon as
you get a whiff of its availability!

Readers are first introduced to the person sitting on The Orchid
Throne, the queen of Calanthe, Euthalia. Oh and she also happens to
have been affianced to the Imperial Emperor, the destroyer of all
kingdoms, Anure. It wasn't her idea, she was a child then but her
father had to to keep their own kingdom safe from said evil emperor.
The next chapter introduces us to the next protagonist, who was
currently destroying another kingdom annexed by Anure and is now being
"liberated" from him by none other than Conir. Known as The King of
Slaves, Conir along with his band of not so merry men, have escaped
from slavery and has vowed to destroy the emperor at all cost. They
had nothing to lose for everything they were and everything they had,
especially family, was taken away from them. They mined the precious
mineral that made Anure invincible but now it was theirs and Conir
intends to destroy evil emperor with the same thing he used on them.
But first, he needed to wed the Queen of Calanthe.

The pacing seems slow but you can acknowledge the brilliance of how
every plot device and set up was done to give you a thrilling story
line which you can't really predict where it was headed. Both Con and
Lia are pawns of fate but now they're given a chance to actually buck
that and steer their own course but it had to be as a power couple.
There is no romance, there is definitely attraction of the physical
kind but you can appreciate that there was no insta anything between
these two. They were the leaders of their respective people and for
them they did the right thing. Still there were a lot of tidbits
thrown in, to keep readers invested and interested to find out what
happens next and I am definitely looking forward to finding out the
next chapter in Con and Lia's story.

I was initially drawn to The Orchid Throne because of the stunning cover and then the blurb sucked me right in. It is the first book in a new fantasy series. I tend to find the first books in new series to move a little slower because they have to focus on world building, setting up character descriptions, and so forth. That carried through with this book as well. I felt like the first portion of the book moved slowly and at times I couldn't tell if it was Lia or Con narrating the chapter because it wasn't indicated in the ARC.

However, about midway through, I hit my stride and figured out the setup and flow of the story. From that point forward, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It took me a bit to warm up to the heroine, Lia because initially she seemed quite pretentious. However, as the story progressed, I began to better understand why she had to do the things she did. I actually ended up really liking her character by the end of the book. She's admirable and a worthy leader of her people. I also really liked Con's character. He is the most unlikely barbaric Slave King with a sensitive heart. There's so much to him that I feel we will continue to unravel into the next book. In addition, Ms. Kennedy created a fabulous group of secondary supporting characters and lent a sense of humor to the story at various points.

Overall, I found this novel to be an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the series which is due out in 2020.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Orchid Throne
Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Genre: Fantasy Romance Drama
**RECEIVED ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW**
I have a horrible confession: I have had this book for some time and started reading it numerous times only to toss it aside with lack of interest after less than a page read. BUT...after I finally sat down and struggled through the horrible character and place names the story got really good.

I mean you have action, old world court politics in a fantasy realm, magic, and societal wrongs we face in our own world even today. And it is interesting to see how the characters navigate their world and their own feelings. In the end this book is written with feeling, passion, magic, and even humor. You will love the bird Merle. I am looking forward to book number 2. I am sorry it took so long to read.