From #1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, comes THE PRINCE, a new novella in her Wicked Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!
From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a new story in her Wicked series…
She’s everything he wants….
Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. The Prince. There is nothing in the mortal world more dangerous than him. Haunted by a past he couldn’t control, all Caden desires is revenge against those who’d wronged him, trapping him in never-ending nightmare. And there is one person he knows can help him.
She’s everything he can’t have…
Raised within the Order, Brighton Jussier knows just how dangerous the Prince is, reformed or not. She’d seen firsthand what atrocities he could be capable of. The last thing she wants to do is help him, but he leaves her little choice. Forced to work alongside him, she begins to see the man under the bitter ice. Yearning for him feels like the definition of insanity, but there’s no denying the heat in his touch and the wicked promise is his stare.
She’s everything he’ll take….
But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare that is hell bent on destroying the world and everyone close to him. The last thing either of them needs is a distraction, but with the attraction growing between them each now, the one thing he wants more than anything may be the one thing that will be his undoing.
She’s everything he’d die for….
Review:
The Prince is a novella in the universe of the Wicked series. It does not follow Ren and Ivy, however they as many of our other favorite characters from the original series are present. This is meant to be an introduction to the world and can be read as a standalone or as a companion to the original series. The story takes place after the Wicked Trilogy so fans of the series get more, and new readers get enough of the world and characters to know if they want to read the series from the beginning. I really loved it.
This follows Brighton, who is one of the side characters in the original series who we don't really get to know very well. Brighton was always taking care of her mother, so she wasn't in the thick of things. She belongs to a secret organization called The Order, they are tasked with taking out faeries who prey on unsuspecting humans. We learned in the original series that there are good fae and bad fae. The Summer Fae are the good guys, they don't feed or prey on humans, the Winter fae on the other hand are evil incarnate. Merle, Brighton's mother was attacked by Winter Fae some time ago and it has left her mind in a fragile state. Brighton has been taking care of her since she was 12, so her training to be a warrior was put on hold. Merle has one of her episodes and is found walking around the streets one evening leaving her and Brighton unprepared for the fae attack that comes for them. Tragedy strikes and leaves Brighton thirsty for revenge. She spends her days working for The Order in the office and her nights trolling fae clubs in various costumes looking for the fae who attacked her. Unbeknownst to Brighton someone else is looking for those fae as well.
Here we meet The Prince or Caden as we later come to know him. He was held captive by the Winter fae and made to do horrible things. He is trying to redeem himself and protect the fae of his court as well as their human allies. The Prince is a gorgeous, broody sort who keeps to himself. No one is able to get close to him except his brother, the other faerie Prince. He runs into Brighton as she is on one of her undercover missions to track down her attackers, but he doesn't out her as an Order member. He sees her a few days later when she is asked to let The Order know that some of the fae younglings have turned up missing. There is a delicate balance with the Summer Court and The Order, and Brighton is trying to keep the peace. She and The Prince have and instant chemistry, yet they both hold back. As the mystery unfolds surrounding the attackers and the missing young ones, the two of them continue to grow closer.
I was completely taken by surprise that this didn't exactly continue the original story. I really liked the character pairing, especially because it was unexpected. I liked that it wasn't a direct continuation but it does take place after the original and we get enough information to feed the story along. This kind of leaves off on a cliffhanger, and I desperately hope there is more! I loved the development of Caden and Brighton's relationship, they never quite develop a full on romance. I do wish we'd have gotten a little more information on the whole Aric plotline, but this particular story is a bit more character driven. Rumor has it that there will be another installment and I hope that answers our questions about Aric, the Queen, and the King.
Overall, this is a great addition to the Wicked Series. I think there is enough backstory to be read as a standalone and read this installment without having read the other three books. I'd only recommend them because they are also good, and I recommend the series as well. If you are a fan of the original series I highly recommend this.
Excerpt:
I opened my eyes, but I didn’t see the sun. I saw a form… a shape of a man. The features blurred, but I knew the man. It was him.
The Prince….
But that also didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. Confusion crept into the fuzz crowding my thoughts. Something was off. I tried to lift my hand, but my arm felt like it was weighted down. Something was wrong, very badly wrong, and I needed to remember—
Sleep.
The desire to slip away hit me hard and fast, obliterating the confusion and consciousness, and I slept. I slept for what felt like years and then I heard a steady beeping. It intruded on wherever I was, becoming so loud, so obnoxious to me, that I had to pay attention to it. A part of my consciousness zeroed in on the sound, clung to it, and I followed it back, tethering myself to the rhythm. With each passing second, my surroundings became clearer. Footsteps. I heard footsteps. Whispers. There was the sound of hushed voices. I dragged in a deep breath, and a shock hit my system. The breath hurt. Like my chest and ribs were too tight and a simple deep breath was too much to take—
Mom.
I saw her in my mind, as clear as day.
I saw her lying on her back in the darkness, her eyes wide and fixed on mine. There was nothing behind those eyes. No life. Nothing.
The beeping sound sped up.
The horrifying image of my mom faded like smoke, replaced by luminous skin and bloody smiles and taunts and…
Pools of blood. Actual pools of it. The ruby-red liquid spilled across stone, forming rivulets that ran between the spacing in the pavers. Why had there been so much blood? A vague feeling of wet warmth bubbling up my throat and choking me swept through me.
“Bri? Are you awake? Brighton?”
Jennifer L. Armentrout’s THE PRINCE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
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About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
# 1
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
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