Someday I am going to get to this one! The first two books of this series remain some of my favorite things to recommend, and I am full of regret that I haven’t had time to go back and continue the series.

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

4 stars

Content warnings: discussion of child abuse, narcissistic mother

I adore this series and its fun, high-energy, queer takes on fantasy. However, I have to say that this particular instalment disappointed me a little. It's much more slowly paced than the previous two books, and it forms a direct sequel to the first book, following heroines Adale and Esofi after their first two years of marriage. Emotional problems are at the forefront here, and while they're well-explored, they're a little less enchanting than the combination of adventure and new romance in the first two books. Things move slowly, as is realistic with realisations about one's inner self, but I would have liked a much stronger plot thread than 'Esofi tries to avoid her mother' given how exciting the first two were. It's also an uncomfortable book to read while pregnant, as it focuses heavily on attitudes to pregnancy and parenting, including negative feelings about them, but I appreciate that's an issue with my timing and not an issue with the book itself!

Overall, it's nice to see Esofi and Adale again (and we get a glimpse of Book 2's heroines too!), but this won't go down as my favourite in the series. I'm looking forward to the next book, though!

4.5 stars!

I was so proud to see that the few minor issues I had with the first installment of this series were completely absent here. Not to brag but I KNEW IT and I love seeing that I was right about the writer's potential.

So, our main characters Esofi and Adale got married and are now in an established relationship and dealing with their dragon son and with the political repercussions of The Things That Happened in book one. Of course Esofi's mother, who is a fucking abusive bitch, enters the picture and stirs trouble. Plot happens, they're still gay, the MCs from book two have cameos and they're also gay, everything's good, the end.

In all seriousness, I loved how this book dealt with pretty much everything. I knew it was going to be tough to read because of the abuse that Esofi went through her whole life and because she was forced to deal with her mother again. I wouldn't say that any of that particular plot line was, strictly speaking, pleasant to read, and it didn't offer me personally any sort of closure because of the particular abuse dynamics here, but I know it will help another victim of abuse out there, and I'm so glad.

I don't usually care for established relationship conflict in most cases, but here I thought it was done so well and so delicately. I'm really grateful to Effie Calvin for giving this couple their well-deserved sequel and exploring things we usually don't get to see in get-together romances.

I don't know what else to say except that I loved this and that I'm going to pick up book two as soon as I can (yes, I know, I suck, but in my defense this was perfectly understandable without having read book 2 since it followed the couple from book one, okay).

The Queen of This is is a fantastic book that pulls you in and the descriptions are rich in detail. I loved the characters and storyline. There is nothing wrong with this series or The writing. A must read.

Okay, So I might have the unpopular opinion here: while this third installment has a lot going for it: the world building, complex topics, and a genuinely sweet romance that sees our leads grow, I do not think this is that strong an entry into the series. It's a really slow build up to some great scenes in the middle half of the book, almost as if the author thought we had to see a lot of struggle within the characters relationship before the external force is pushed on it. I understand for Adale (who is still struggling with her self worth) to be worried and suspicious of Esofi's secrecy around her heritage and the kingdom of Rhodia.

This is a continuation of the first book, The Queen of Ieflaria, where we pick up just under a year after Princess Adale and Princess Esofi are married. They are raising a baby dragon while dealing with different cultural norms and the conversation around providing the Kingdom of Ieflaria with an heir. We also see Paladin Orsina and the Goddess Aelia from Daughter of the Sun, when both pairs have to team up for a bit near the second half of the book.

What is great about this fantasy, is both Esofi and Adale are dealing with their own problems that we saw in Ieflaria and haven't been resolved once the young women fell in love and got married. I know it sounds contradictory, but hear me out: The focus on Esofi's and Adale's mental health is both what makes this book so good, and what is frustrating about it. These young women have as much going for them as they have working against them, and all the magic or adorable dragons can't fix it, but darn it, there are times where it drags.

Esofi's arc is probably the stronger of our two leads, as we get to see the effects of past childhood trauma on an adult (or young adult). We know Esofi had a boogeyman - we just didn't know it was her own horrific mother. Gaelle is not just a typical, hard noblewoman from a harsh land, she embodies some of the worst types of abusers. And she doesn't limit it to her children or family members, either. It's no wonder Esofi made the choices she did.

I thoroughly enjoyed elements of this book, but wished that some of them were just framed a little differently. Overall, though, I enjoy this series so very much. Calvin still has some issues with pacing, but her themes are not usually covered in high fantasy. I can't wait to see what else she has in store.

4.25 Stars. I am happy to say that I am on a roll of good fantasy books lately. This is the third book in the Tales of Inthya series. I’m excited to see that this series just gets better and better with every book. Calvin is really hitting her stride and I can’t wait to see what will come next. While book one and two can be read in any order, I do recommend reading both books before this third installment.

After given the egg of a dragon to raise, Adale and Esofi find themselves parents to a baby dragon. The problem is no humans know how to raise one so information is sorely lacking. When a dragon comes to offer a treaty of peace, Adale and Esofi must decide if learning more about dragons would be worth risking their lives.

Book one, The Queen of Ieflaria, starred Princess Adale and Princess Esofi. Book two, took place in a different part of the world and starred Orsina, a paladin (knight) and Aelia, who is goddess. This third book brings both pairs together. It was a lot of fun to read, and my new favorite of the series. Both Adeal and Esofi have really grown from the first book, while Aelia who is my favorite, is as delightful as ever.

I do have to give a slight trigger warning. Since these books can be read by young adults or adults, I do have to mention this book does address the subject of child abuse. You don’t actually witness any, but you do see how it affects a character that is now grown, because of the abuse she went through as a child.

I could not be more excited for the next book in this series. If Calvin stays on this roll we are all in for a treat. I was not blown away by the first book, but book two and now this book have both been great. I love this world Calvin has built and I highly recommend this series to fantasy fans.

I love this fantasy series! Calvin somehow manages to balance really high-stakes international politics with a really low-key domestic feel.

The Queen of Rhodia takes the action back to the settings and characters from the first book, The Queen of Ieflaria, adds in the characters from Daughter of the Sun and send them off on a grand adventure to negotiate with dragons. In this instalment, Princess Esofi has to figure out which is scarier, the fire-breathing monsters or her visiting mother.

I really liked the way the characters developed in this one. Esofi and Adale's relationship is lovely and seeing them as an established couple, raising their dragon son, was wonderful. I really liked that bringing Queen Gaelle over gave us an insight into Esofi's childhood upbringing and really fleshed out her character. The two sets of protagonists were kept separate in the previous two books, so it was great to see them all come together in this instalment and see the way the different personalities and skill-sets played out.

I loved the development of the dragons in this book. In the first book, they were dangerous and animalistic until the very end but in this book, Calvin gives us a much closer look. The culture of the dragons is really rich and thought out, and I liked that she gave them a variety of personalities. Baby Carinth is absolutely adorable and I loved seeing him interact with everyone. I want to squeeze him!

The conflict between dragons and griffins, or the mysterious elven threat that keeps Rhodia busy, could have been delved into a little more but I'm hoping this series is going to continue for a good while so I'm happy to leave threads hanging. Having all these conflicts and complexities adds a wonderful depth and believability to the world-building.

A must-buy series.

I read the first in this series after seeing a post about it on Instagram and I'd been hoping that there would be more in this universe about Esofi and Adale. I haven't read the second book, as I wasn't aware of it until seeing this one, but I will be going back to read it! Esofi and Adale have become some of the characters that I'm most fond of and it was lovely to catch up with them and see what had happened since their engagement.

There is a good range of important issues, such as those of gender and sexuality, and the impact of bullying by trusted, familial figures, addressed in this book, but the one that really struck me was how it handled the expectation that women should have children and embrace motherhood on society's timetable. Esofi and Adale are young in their marriage and already nearly everyone around them expects them to produce an heir, whereas they are content to focus on raising Carinth and are equally apprehensive about motherhood, if sometimes for different reasons. That they did not bow to this pressure and instead continued to decide for themselves what defines a family, while actively talking about their concerns, was wonderful to see. It's also great to see a world in which everyone's sexuality and choice of gender is just accepted and that not even the antagonists ever use anything of this nature against other characters or comment negatively on anyone's choices.

I adore Esofi and found her mother to be a truly hateful character in her treatment of her. How Gaelle has emotionally manipulated her - and her other children - over the years becomes more evident and revolting as the novel progresses, explaining a good deal of Esofi's behaviour and her worries that Adale might not actually want her, but is only doing her duty. Esofi is not weak, and it is not a case of Adale taking charge and her decisions away from her, though she does take action to protect her from Gaelle and herself when she deems it necessary. It's more that their strengths complement each other and they step in when they see that the other might need support. I loved that Adale frequently reminds Esofi how much she loves her, especially because it is not done in a fawning manner, but simply to remind her that she is loved and wanted and she sees her strength, when Esofi has spent her life being torn down to conform to precise expectations.

In short: this series is one of my favourites and I really hope that there are more books to follow!

I have absolutely loved this book ! I mean what could have gone wrong : two married princesses raising a dragon has everything to please me. I loved the relationship between Esofi and Adale and how they not always agreed and how different from each other they were but also how much they loved each other. I've read every book from this series and I still find this very enjoyable to have some fantasy where pansexuality is the norm and where asexualiy/aromantism and transidentity can be discussed.
The whole plot with the dragons was so interesting and I kept wanting to know more about this part of the story. I can't wait to read more of what the author has planned for this world !