Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

The Orchid Throne is the first in the Forgotten Empires series by Jeffe Kennedy. The series blends fantasy, revenge, and romance into one fascinating read. Fans of Kennedy’s previous works will love this series, as hopefully will any new fans.

Set in a world where a bloody tyrant has taken over, only one kingdom remains untouched. And even that one the king believes he owns. But two monarchs are left to oppose him: the one he thinks he owns and the one he thought he had broken.

If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to see a revolution occur using multiple different methods and tactics, this is a novel to check out. The politics, subterfuge, and brutality are captivating, as is the world itself.

Writing

Jeffe Kennedy certainly knows how to build a fascinating fantasy world. I was initially captivated – desperate to see more of the lands described. Alongside the world was an interesting magical system that Kennedy had only begun to hint at.

The Orchid Throne was an interesting read, on the whole. The characters might have been slightly predictable, but it was refreshing to see how they handled the same enemy differently. One went with politics and subterfuge, the other with brute force.

There were a lot of pieces in motion behind the scenes as well, showing Kennedy’s experience in writing a complex tale worthy of a series. I do not doubt that minor elements hinted at in this first novel will become significant in the following works.

Development

The Orchid Throne had a lot of positive elements in it, though sometimes the pacing did vary. There were moments when the novel quickly devoured the pages and others when it felt like more of a stroll.

The worldbuilding hinted at much more to come – a promise I hope the following novels will keep. And while the character development did leave a little to be desired, it wasn’t poorly done either. Rather, it simply felt forced or predictable at a few points.

Overall, The Orchid Throne flowed smoothly and was so full of rich details that any slowing down in the pace was easy to forgive. Especially as it usually helped to set the scene or remind us of the characters’ situation.

Conclusion

The Orchid Throne was fascinating and had a lot of excellent moments within the pages. While it didn’t quite meet my expectations, I still found it to be a delightful read. And I know I’ll also check in on the next novels in the series – I’ve got to see more of the world and magical system, if nothing else.

This series will be perfect for fantasy readers looking for a little variety in their lives, as it combines several other elements. And, of course, I strongly believe that fans of Jeffe Kennedy’s will be thrilled with what she’s written here.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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