Of Stormlarks and Silence by Constance Lopez
To kill the prince, she must first kill her heart.
Princess Riona was eight when the Revonian king murdered her family and conquered her kingdom with a mysterious magic. She has spent the last decade training—and waiting for her moment to avenge them all and reclaim her rightful title.
Now that the king is ailing, Riona secures a position within the Revonian royal palace. Her goals? Get close to the prince. Kill him. Uncover Revon’s secret magic. Make the king suffer. Only then can she take back her country.
But the closer she gets to the prince, the more he surprises her with kindness, honor, and wit. He is nothing like his cruel father. Worse yet, he sees right through to her heart. When she planned this assassination, her heart didn’t factor in.
And now it’s about to ruin all her plans.
Of Stormlarks and Silence is a slow-burn clean YA romantic fantasy standalone in the Kasmian Chronicles, a series of romantic fantasy connected standalones.
Of Stormlarks and Silence is an enchanting debut fantasy romance. It is also a tale of forgiveness, something I haven’t seen tackled quite like this in any fantasy novel I’ve read before. Bitter after the murder of her parents, Ria vows revenge on the king and the mages who caused their deaths and the annihilation of her people. They will experience the pain she has felt, beginning with the murder of the crown prince, Tristan. Constantly marginalized by his ambitious father, Tristan seeks to do good for his people, to treat peaceably with foreigners, to end the age-old prejudices against magic users. His kindness to the least among his people, servants and children, touches Ria’s heart, but can it be real? When revenge is within Ria’s reach, she must decide what true justice looks like. Will she follow the path of peace her uncle advocates, seek the death of her enemies as her aunt insists, or find a third way? “How are you supposed to be wise and compassionate when your whole life has been consumed by hatred for the man who killed them?” She flinched at his words. “What else should consume me?”
“Forgiveness? Determination to find a better way than your parents’ murderer did?” Told with humor and heart, Constance spins a tale that questions how we respond to evil and injustice. We also see much light shining through all the darker themes in this book. Loyal friends. Devoted servants. Caring rulers. People willing to place the needs of others above their own. People willing to be open about their own shortfalls. It’s a beautiful story that I highly recommend to children and adults of all ages. Content warnings: A few kisses. Couple sleeps in the same room (sleep is all that happens though). Kidnapping and imprisonment on several occasions. Flashbacks to battle scenes. No foul language.
This guest post was written by Sara Lawson.
