Katy Rose Pool

MASQUERADE OF THE HEART by Katy Rose Pool is a fantastic ending to a duology that melts your heart. Once you get past the self-sacrifice for your love trope, the rest of the story is exciting and full of surprises. Ms. Pool’s resolution to the many problems Marlow faces may be a little too clean, but it still satisfies as it also shows that you can’t win them all. I particularly love how Marlow truly acts her age. She is very much still a teenager making rash decisions and creating many avoidable mistakes. However, she shows her growing maturity in taking ownership of those mistakes and seeking to rectify them. At the end of the day, however, my heart belongs to Adrius, who once again is as golden, as melancholic, and as hopelessly in love as he was in the first book. MASQUERADE OF THE HEART ends Ms. Pool’s second series, and with it she becomes a must-read author for me. Her ability to create fantasy that is somehow realistic in feel despite any magic is excellent. I can’t wait to see what she has for us next!… (meer)

Long ago, the Seven prophesied that a great darkness would befall the world. The order of paladins who have kept that final prophecy are now seeing some of the harbingers that were foretold. It's time for the Last Prophet to arise, the only hope of averting the darkness and saving the world.

This is one of those sprawling fantasy epics with lots going on, lots of point of view characters, a sprawling fantasy world, and complex systems of magic and religion. The author did a good job of differentiating all of the characters and making me care about them (some more than others, of course). I didn't feel that the ending was really the ending; this is really just one big book divided into three, I think. At any rate, I dove straight into the next one. I don't love the audiobook narrator, but he's tolerable. Recommended for those who like a big chonky epic fantasy.… (meer)

Now, when I started this book I didn't know there was going to be a sequel. So, when it ended in the middle of the story I was a little frustrated. That might have affected my rating a bit. But if you go in knowing there is a sequel you will not suffer the same fate. And until the abrupt ending I was enjoying the story. I like fantasy and magic and this book has lots. I think Marlow, the main character, is well done. She is bitter, but not so bitter that you can't like her, she can take care of herself but has some cool friends to help her out, she is confident enough in herself to be different, but is not obnoxious. The story is full of intrigue, and secrets and magic and lies. There is romance too. Which usually I can do without. But here it fits into the story without taking it over. As I read, the story picked up speed and I did get wound up in it. I enjoyed watching all the threads start to come together. I wanted to get back to it to see how Marlow would work it all out. It is a fun, rather quick read. I will probably read the second one because I am involved with the characters now. And I might seek out more by Katy Rose Pool in the future.… (meer)