I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In Royal Ruins
by Serena Clarke
Published by Independently Published on November 20, 2023
Genres: Fairy Tales Folklore Fantasy
Pages: 196
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Author
Goodreads
Bookhype
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Appalled by his daughter’s vain and impertinent attitude, the king forces her to marry a peasant, hoping to teach her a lesson. Feeling devastated by this decree, Alora loses everything she knows and is thrust into a world she is not prepared for. The skills she learned to help her rule a kingdom have not prepared her for the drudgery of living the life of a peasant’s wife.
Larik, her new husband, is determined to help Alora and show her kindness despite her unfriendly personality. Will Larik’s example and affection towards her be enough to heal her heart of anger and grief so that she can see the beauty in the world once again? Can she let go of the past and allow herself to be loved? This is a retelling of the Grimms’ fairytale, King Thrushbeard.
In Royal Ruins by Serena Clarke, we see Alora going from her life as a princess to being a peasant when her dad marries her off to Larik, a soldier returning from war.
Will Alora stop being a spoiled brat and see the good in people?
Alora
Princess Alora once loved someone, but when that person left, Alora decided she didn’t need to feel anymore. If you don’t feel and they leave you, you won’t be hurt. Except that isn’t an excellent way for a future Queen to think, especially not liking her subjects.
Alora is a great character, and I like that her dad was tough on her by marrying her off to a peasant.
Larik
Larik is a complicated character, and I like how he still cares for Alora despite what happened to him in the war. Even if Alora didn’t deserve it most of the time, Larik had his secrets from Alora, but I liked him from the first moment he entered the story.
He is a big thorn in Alora’s side, but they are a great couple.
Four Stars
In Royal Ruins by Serena Clarke brings a fresh twist to the Grimm’s fairy tale, King Thrushbeard, and I was enthralled with every moment. Ms. Clarke is an excellent storyteller who makes me fall in love with her characters and transports me into the story.
My rating for In Royal Ruins by Serena Clarke is four stars, and I recommend everyone take a chance on it.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of In Royal Ruins by Serena Clarke.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Serena Clarke
Serena Clarke is from Sunny Southern Utah and has taken several writing classes in college. Fantasy is her passion with adventure, mystery, and romance. All her books are “Family Friendly” for young adults as well as all ages.
Serena has a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design and is a member of the Red Mountain Shadows Publishing team. She not only is an author, but also creates book covers for independent authors and edits books. She is passionate about learning and education, art and design.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 Goodreads RC
- 2024 Romance Book Reading Challenge
- 2024 Young Adult Book Reading Challenge
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