This is the second book in this series and I think to fully appreciate it reading the first book is essential - that being said it can be enjoyed as a standalone .

Lia and Conri's marriage was initially one of arrangement , of benefit for both their peoples …………… now as they get to know one another better their feelings towards each other start to grow . But will Conri's push for vengeance put these feelings behind them and be their demise when war does reach the shores of Calanthe.
Everything is now set up for a showdown with the Emperor ……………. can Lia and Conri put their differing agenda aside and come together once and for all .
This book being the middle book in the trilogy does not do too much to take the story much further , but does give a greater perspective on the differing characters , their motives and actions .
I liked the bickering and snarkiness between the characters which added a human element .

A thoroughly enjoyable book with great worldbuilding and brilliant characters - I look forward to the final book in the series .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.....

I was not sure what I would be getting reading book 2 in this series......I liked the blurb and went from there. Well to say that it was a great read just does not cover it. I was blown away !!!. It's a story of Conri and Euthalia, two people who marry for "the greater good or should I say....their own specific reasons ". Any how both have their own little agendas and slowly they come to see that there might be something more important that their own quests.......Love.......or is it ?

Well developed plot and character development. I found myself very much immersed in this fantasy world. As every time an ending leaves me with a "what next", I find myself desperate to grab book 3.....I will just have to wait *sigh*. I absolutely will be reading the next book though !!!

Top story line and characters Jeffe !!. Many thanks for this opportunity xx

Later peeps xxx

After devouring book one I was so excited to get book two and OMG this one was just so exciting. I loved the continued story and I need the next one now!! I have loved this author since the 12th Kingdoms series and man this one was even better!!! I mean OMG this was good!!

The Slave King and The Queen of Flowers are now married. However, Conri and Euthalia must learn how to navigate their new alliance. Conri intends to use everything at his disposal to kill the false emperor. Euthalia strives to keep Calanthe and its people safe from both Emperor Anure and Conri’s thirst for vengeance. With their loyalties torn, they agree on a trap to lure Anure out of hiding. What sacrifices are Conri and Euthalia willing to make? Is there a greater threat than just Anure?
Conri shows such remarkable growth, especially emotionally. As a slave, he had to learn how to bury his emotions enough to survive to live another day. I adore Conri’s natural protectiveness towards Euthalia. They may still be strangers, yet he stubbornly keeps to his word about keeping her safe, even from herself. What I like most about Conri is his view of marriage. He has vague memories of his parents’ marriage, but Conri remembers enough to know he wants a monogamous relationship with Euthalia.
Euthalia is also showing amazing character growth. She is used to making important decisions alone, so it takes her a while to trust Conri enough in the areas she is not knowledgeable on. I like how Euthalia refuses to allow her subjects to refer to Conri by his moniker. She knows how much he hates it and insists they refer to him by either his name or as consort. What I like most about Euthalia is how she can explore her personality around Conri. Whenever in his company, she discovers something new about her personality.
THE FIERY CROWN is book two in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy-romance series, FORGOTTEN EMPIRES. The story’s pacing is quicker and smoother than the previous one. It is important to read the prior book, THE ORCHID THRONE, to understand the characters’ development and the events happening in the story. I love how this book picks up immediately where the first one leaft off.
THE FIERY CROWN is a thrilling tale of two strong-willed souls discovering what is truly important to them. I cannot wait to read more about Conri and Euthalia’s crusade against Emperor Anure.

A world of magic, an island of untold beauty, a queen like no other, a prince looking for revenge. I was soon drawn into this wonderful story and the main characters. Following Queen Euthalia and Conri as they worked on their sometimes at odds goals, and their growing understanding of each other, was delicately written. And as I began to know Ambrose better, he was almost my favorite character. The ending is not a cliff hanger, but a hint of things to come, perfect in a series.

When I saw Jeffe Kennedy’s The Fiery Crown I was intrigued and eager to read it. It didn’t take long to realize this was a series and I hadn’t read the first book. I felt I understood enough to enjoy The Fiery Crown, but I plan to go back and read The Orchid Queen. This is the first book I’ve read by Jeffe Kennedy, but it won’t be the last. Her writing is detailed, creating worlds and characters that are so well developed I could vision everything.

I received an ARC received from St Martins Press and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Having been able to read the first book was a good thing. It’s an absolute necessity and this one is a continuation right from the beginning. Some books offer a little clue to the previous, just for a memory reload, but this one doesn’t. So beware!

When I do reviews of books, it can sometimes take me a day to really think about what I want to say. When that happens it usually means I’m conflicted. I like slow burn books, not plain slow. I also like to see characters grow, even if it is just a teensy bit, but that really didn’t happen here for me.

While the premise of this book is highly intriguing, the execution just didn’t work in my favor. Manipulating characters can only take you so far.

This book took me over a week and a half to read because I just couldn't get into it, which is a disappointment. I didn't realize this book was part of a series, nothing about the cover or title makes note of this. (This was an ARC granted me by NetGalley, so it may be a resolved issue by pub.time.) That aside, I really didn't enjoy this book. The story was bogged down by the two main characters, a man and woman who apparently got married in the first book. This couple annoyed me to no end, the constant bickering then using sex to control each other. The whole relationship seemed to be put there just to have a romance. I'm still not sure what the plot was and the explanation for the female leads powers was a jumbled mess. There was one scene that could be considered action, other than that, it was mostly people talking ad nauseam. The only character that I considered to be interesting was Ambrose, but unfortunately. I won't be reading the next book in the series to find out more about him.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

Interesting story. Not having read the first books left me a bit lost at first, but grew to enjoy the characters as the story continued. I would read the earlier books in the series if I can find them.

***ARC received from St Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

The Fiery Crown in the sequel to The Orchid Throne, this book takes place roughly a week after the end of the previous book. Lia and Conri are slowly starting to navigate their way through a very abrupt arraignment that saw them not only become allies but a married couple.

Being the middle book in a trilogy there is little resolution to any of the bigger plot threads, the main being the threat of Anure. What the book does is spend a great deal of time focusing on Lia and Conri relationship and its not the easiest of interactions. Lia and Conri are two very different people who have very different approaches to dealing with the issue and spend a great deal of time bickering with each other. Normally a book filled with two characters constantly going at each other can get tiresome but these two are such great character together and on their own it never feels too dragged out or drags the store along. Why this works is even though they are two stubborn people it never felt like the conflict was going on longer than necessary. They work together, admit to each others better points and find a strategy that can work for their common goal. Even if they do have alternative ideas and may not fully commit to the others vision, I never felt like they were trying to maliciously underhand the other just to get their way. The issues were bigger than their individual egos.

There are of course other characters in this book and I liked every single one of them. Ambrose is by far my favorite, he's fun and mysterious. Its very clear that he knows more than what he is letting on, his interpretation of the prophecy was quite clever, yet it never feels frustrating that he isn't fully revealing everything he knows. Sometimes books force a character to not reveal for the sake of the plot yet the way the world and magic works it feels natural. He's not there to direct the characters simply to help guide them and the book never felt like an unseen hand was directly everything. We also got introduced to Anure in person and he was everything I thought he would be but also more. I'm interested to see where they take our final villain in the next book and cannot wait to read it.

I absolutely loved this book. The world building was wonderful, it made me almost believe such a magical island could be out there somewhere. Con and Euthalia's relationship, as it grew and evolved, felt more real and had more emotion than I see in a lot of fantasy novels. And Ambrose was hilarious. I loved the way he danced around questions and managed to never answer anything. I can't wait for the sequel.

*ARC via netgalley in exchange for agreement to review*

I LOVED this book so much and wanted to stay immersed in that world forever! It's very specifically focused on a moment toward the end of a decades-long period of strife, but the novel does a great job of slowly filling the details in so that you're not overwhelmed with a lot of information at once. The tension between the two leads as they decide whether or not to trust one another in moving against their mutual enemy felt very real, and I really enjoyed trying to guess what would happen next.

Lia and Conri are in a marriage of convenience, both looking for something to gain. As they plan for war they start to have feelings for each other. Will these feelings be their demise when war does reach the shores of Calanthe.

I absolutely loved the world building in this book. It made you actually feel the beauty of Calanthe. At times I felt like I was there. Lia and Conri were great characters. I loved how they fought and loved. I will say that I did not know this was the second book in the series. I did read it without reading book ! and was not lost. I will defiantly look up book 1 because I would like to see the history of both of these characters. It was a slow read for me at the beginning but quickly started to move fast paced. There were plenty of twists to keep you reading.

This book was great! It was so enjoyable. It was entertaining and enticing. It was full of adventure, with twists and turns!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

What a fantastic follow up to The Orchid Throne and a great second book in the Forgotten Empires series! The ending of Orchid Throne left a need to know more, and The Fiery Crown came through for me in a fantastic way! I love the pacing and how we jump into the action, keeping me engaged and totally into the plot! Action and adventure never seem to stop with sparks flying between Lia and Con, the implications of their actions, and the response of the Emporer and Calanthe.

Euthalia and Conri continue their journey, now bond to the other through a rushed, convenience-based marriage. One desires more than anything to keep her unconquered homeland safe at all costs. At the same time, the other is hell-bent on seeking his revenge on the Emporer Anure. The characters go on a life-altering journey where they must decide if a realm and vengeance are more important than the growing love for one another that neither of them expected to have.

The dynamics between the main characters molded well in this fast-paced book. We see Lia and Con where no work is required, and their chemistry is in full and hot effect in the bedrooms, but they struggle to find some semblance of a truce when not alone together. The barriers they have both set up around their lives, and hearts began to fall as threats rein down around them from the Emporer set on gaining what he desires most - Lai and the ring abiding ring. The pair must decide if putting country and vengeance first is worth losing something that might be much more important. This book ends with me needing to know how their journey continues, and I am as patiently as possible, awaiting the next installment.

At the end of The Orchid Throne, Calanthe’s Queen Euthalia grudgingly accepted an alliance with Conrí, leader of the rebellion against the Empire. The Fiery Crown opens shortly after their marriage. Lia’s former betrothed, the tyrannical Emperor Anure, is now focused entirely on capturing her and razing her island kingdom to the ground while she watches. Con and Lia have a common goal in defeating Anure, but the bedroom seems to be the only place they can agree on anything. Con wants his revenge on the despot who ravaged his kingdom and sent him and his people to die in the mines, and Lia must keep her island safe from bloodshed at all costs, or risk waking a dangerous elemental magic. Badly outnumbered and short on time, the pair learn to trust one another enough to work together and even begin to feel something more, though burgeoning emotions will inevitably make them more vulnerable to the Emperor. Kennedy’s worldbuilding is attentive and luxurious in this middle volume; the enjoyable supporting cast is fleshed out and the couple are given opportunities to spend time together and exchange confidences even in the midst of grave crisis. Readers looking for a well-balanced blend of romance and fantasy, with a gradually building relationship and ever-increasing stakes, should give the series a try.

I enjoyed the synopsis of this story and I had hopes that it would be phenomenal, but it failed to draw me in. I didn’t realize it was the second book in a series and I was so lost. I kept trying but the story seemed forced and half baked. I was disappointed by the main male character and his know it all attitude. It was also horribly slow. Not worth the time or effort.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.75 stars

This book wasn’t bad, which is why I don’t have the heart to give it 2 stars. The first book, the Orchid Throne, was on the precipice between 3 stars and 4 stars: almost a great book. The Fiery Crown, on the other hand, is on the precipice of 2 stars and 3 stars: almost a bad book.

I think my biggest issue with this book is definitely just how SLOW it was. I wish I was exaggerating when I tell you that the first action scene doesn’t start until you’re 71% through the novel. Before that first action scene, I kid you not, it’s just the same characters talking. For hundreds of pages you just dredge through conversation, after conversation, after conversation.

And usually, I’m not someone who minds a slow read, as long as there is character arcs. The biggest issue I have with this book, is that all the characters (save Sondra) remain exactly the same. You get a little more insight on what their past is, but it’s all things we already know as a reader. We already know that Con was a slave and went through horrible things in the mines, telling us more details about it doesn’t count as character arcs. We already know Lia is only half a human, telling us more about her supernatural characteristics doesn’t count as character arcs. Emotionally, and personality wise, these characters remain utterly stagnant throughout the novel. It was exhausting and just plain boring to read about these characters, I didn’t feel invested in them in any way shape or form.

My dislike for Con just grew larger than ever. He truly, in all stereotypical manners, believes that he is right and he knows the way above anybody else. Everybody who is much smarter than he’ll ever be (Ambrose, Lia, Kara) tell him that something is bad idea, and he continues through with it anyway. To the point that I don’t even feel bad for his losses, because he brought them all on himself. This man truly thinks he can outsmart EVERYONE, and becomes the biggest pain in the ass in this novel. I really don’t even understand why anybody follows him??? He’s not charismatic or funny or smart or strategic, I don’t even understand how he’s made it this far in battle?? He literally just plunged into everything headfirst, with virtually no strategy or backup plan. Everyone warns him of a backup plan, commanders and wizards with prophecies, and women who have visions of the future, try to warn him... but nOoOoOoooo Conrí doesn’t need any of them, he will just woefully ignore all their warnings and then expect us to feel bad for him when he beats himself up about having lost everything.

Sondra & Lia much like the first book, are the only bright lights in this novel that kept this from being a 2-star bad book. Sondra actually had development as a character, both emotionally and intellectually. And Lia was funny and witty and smart, everything that Conrí lacked as a leader. I also liked Ambrose, and I felt like they (they, as in Conrí) didn’t trust him enough. If I were in this novel, at this point I would wholeheartedly listen and trust Ambrose, who’s proven himself to be their best ally in this war. And yet, the idiot Conrí walks all over the man, defying him at every turn.

All in all, I will read the 3rd book. I’m curious to see how these characters will overthrow the ruler, and I love Sondra enough that I want to know her outcome. This book seriously just barely made the mark though

This is the 2nd in the series but still not the best writing by Jeffe Kennedy.  I really just don't like the characters they are not very engaging and the plot is still a little slow-moving,  just not the best writing overall.

DNF

I didn't realize this was book 2 in a series and was so confused within the first few chapters. It does not work as a standalone; I DNFed it for the time being because I need to go back and catch up on the first book.

Queen Euthalia has reigned over her island kingdom of Calanthe with determination, grace, and her magical, undying orchid ring.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Jeffe Kennedy is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book