Eidolon by Grace Draven Series: Wraith Kings #2
Published by Self Publish on 2016-04-18
Length: 240 pages
Reviewing eBook from TN R.E.A.D.S.
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist 2019
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In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne.
Three enemy kingdoms must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king must raise an army of the dead to defeat an army of the damned.
A tale of alliance and sacrifice.
Please note that if you have not read the first book of the series, there are minor spoilers to that book in this review. Read at your own risk!
Eidolon by Grace Draven is the follow-up to Radiance continuing the story of Ildiko and Brishen. At the end of Radiance, a horror was unleashed by Brishen’s mother, the queen of the Kai. Eidolon picks up immediately where that cliffhanger left off with an added POV from Kirgipa, a nursemaid in the castle. As the galla ravage the castle and capital city, Brishen and Ildiko are unaware, happy and content lavishing in each other’s company. Then the news comes and their world is thrown into chaos.
Let’s start with Brishen this time. I love this Kai! He is kind, compassionate, and just a good person. You don’t see that often. Even his flaws are relatable and good. When news of his Bast-Haradis reaches him, his world shifts. Brishen is now king, a title he neither expected nor wanted. Now he must deal with the invading galla before the horde becomes too large and the survivors who seek refuge in his lands.
Ildiko’s entire world has come to a halt with the news that Brishen is now king. Unable to bear children, the rational and pragmatic part of her brain tells her what her heart doesn’t want to accept. Her marriage is over. She must leave a man she never expected to love because she cannot provide him heirs. Ildiko is in mourning for something that hasn’t even happened yet, all while trying to support her husband and be his rock. My heart broke for her. She is devastated and still putting on a queenly face to help not just Brishen but those Kai that are looking for refuge. She is strong and I love her for that!
The plot here is twofold. First Brishen must find allies to stop the galla and become a wraith king. A wraith king is not living and not dead, but somewhere in between. The galla can’t be killed, but the wraith kings are the only ones that can safely fight them and force them back to their own realm. The ritual is scary, and there is no guarantee Brishen will return. He’s unsure of himself as king, and now he doubts Ildiko’s motives. Will she stay with him or leave? The romance is the second part of this plot as it affects both Ildiko and Brishen, leaving the reader bereft and upset for them.
Overall I really enjoyed Eidolon. I love Ildiko and Brishen and seeing their relationship put to the test here is heart-breaking. This one is a faster read than the first with the plot more focused on the fantasy and action than romance. If you enjoyed the first, you will enjoy this one to. I highly recommend it for fans of paranormal romance and fantasy.
About Grace Draven
Looking for any excuse to delay in doing the laundry, Grace Draven turned to the much more entertaining task of telling stories about fantasy worlds, magic, antiheroes, and the women who love them.
She currently lives in Texas with her husband, kids, and a big doofus dog. Laundry has now been assigned to the kids.
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