The River Prince

Realms of Love, Book 2

De: Sheena Jolie

Narrado por: Joel Leslie

The countries of Eistrea and Hellebore were once one land, torn asunder by war. A thousand years later, the Hellebore Empire and the Kingdom of Eistrea foster peace along the shared borders of the river Adracias, united by faith in a river god and an ancient treaty signed in blood and magic.

Prince Elia of Eistrea is the youngest of four and is hated by siblings and royal parent alike. Outcast for being different, Elia suffers through abuse and scorn. Gifted with magic that leaves him hated by his father, Elia is waiting for the day he's tossed aside.

The festival of Adracias approaches, and the Hellebore Empire has sent their ambassador to Eistrea, guarded by a squadron of the Hellions, the best warriors in Hellebore. One of their numbers is Sir Merrick, a gentle warrior who notices Elia. Despite knowing better, Elia falls in love with the guard.

Yet Sir Merrick has a secret, one even bigger than the magic abilities Elia keeps hidden. When Elia learns the truth, the potential for war on a scale never seen before erupts between the two lands. Tensions rise and swords are drawn, and Elia is offered a chance to achieve his heart's secret desire and preserve a thousand-year-old peace.

©2023 Sheena Jolie (P)2023 Tantor Media

Love just love

I love this series so much. I really do I think it's amazing, and I love the first one, and I love this one. I can't wait if there's any more in the book series. Love love this story as much as I love the first one. I love this as well. I can't wait if there's more and if it isn't, it's so good, you have to give it a try. Especially if you're a gay man like me and I absolutely love these books

Lovely story, interesting world building

The romance tooth-rotting sweet, it was engaging and thrilling to listen to. It's nice to have more romance stories that are a healthy relationship, no misunderstandings, sweet and beautiful.
Sometimes it did feel a bit rushed though, especially the ending.

A Dashing Royal and a Heartwarming Ending

A dashing and protective royal rescues an enchanting but abused young man into a well-deserved happily ever after. Note: while the abuse in this series' first book, "A Solstice Prince," was referenced as trauma that happened in the past, in this book we experience the violent abuse blow by blow as it happens to the main character. It is not for the faint of heart. That was the only issue keeping this review from being five stars; the author's world building and character development continue to impress.

The River Prince

The River Prince corrects the central weakness of its predecessor by giving Elia a situation with real stakes: an abusive court, concealed magic, and a political fault line that his pull toward Merrick actively threatens. The hurt/comfort works because the suffering sits on the page this time rather than in backstory, and the slow burn finally has something to push against. The cost is structural: the opening leans hard on exposition to establish the magic system and the Eistrea/Hellebore history, and the considerable length lets the middle idle before the stakes converge. As a connected standalone it deepens the world without leaning on book one, which is the smartest move this loose series makes.