FAVORITE QUOTE:
“She picked up her shovel and resumed digging, faster this time, ignoring the silent headstones observing her like stiff, hunched spectators. Why did people always try to cover up death? Make it pretty, or clean? Everything died, in its time. Everybody went away. Far better if you didn’t try to pretend otherwise. Far better if you didn’t care at all.”
A couple of years ago, I read Regency and Regicide by a new-to-me author, JJ Fischer, and loved it. So, when The Heart of the King by JJ Fischer inched its way to the top of my TBR pile, I was thrilled. I had heard a lot of good things about the book, and it didn’t disappoint.
The opening chapters balanced the world-building with enough action to keep my interest piqued. What really resonated with me was how the story depicted the enemies-to-lovers arc, making me experience a wide range of emotions. At first, Rigan and Corcoran annoyed me. She was sassy, and he was spinelessly following orders. Ugh. Given the circumstances of the plot, that was understandable.
About midway through the book, I found myself liking them and disliking everyone else. The shift was so subtle I hadn’t noticed it until one scene had me biting my fingernails. Fischer does such a great job of sprinkling banter and deep conversation throughout the book.
The story’s suspense, romantic tension, and mystery were intricately woven together, with the well-paced action serving as a foundation for the complex relationships and political machinations. From the outset, I understood that not every query would be resolved in the inaugural book for the series, yet the conclusion offered sufficient closure while hinting at future developments. Looking forward to the next one. Highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers!
Click on the book cover for the synopsis and purchase link.
About the Author
Jasmine’s writing dream began with the anthology of zoo animals she painstakingly wrote and illustrated at age five, to rather limited acclaim. Thankfully, her writing (but not her drawing) has improved since then. She is a clinically-trained psychologist but no, she cannot read your mind. When she isn’t killing defenseless house plants, Jasmine enjoys devouring books, dabbling in floristry, playing the piano, eating peanut butter out of the jar, and wishing it rained more often. Jasmine is married to David, and together they make their home a couple of hours’ north of Sydney, Australia, where they live to satisfy the every whim of their ginger overlord cat, Simba.
Devoted Steps 