To Reclaim a Kingdom and To Reforge a Destiny are books one and two in The Red Wood duology by Claire Butler.
Brielle and Henri are royalty by birth and expected to one day rule their separate kingdoms, Henri the Northern Kingdom and Brielle the Southern, but their fates are changed when they are conquered by a foreign ruler and forced to seek sanctuary in the cursed Red Wood.
Brielle is determined to reclaim her kingdom, whereas Henri doesn’t care. Can they trust Citric, Eve and the rest of the people from Alkhiem who have given them sanctuary?
In the beginning Brielle really irritated me, she was so unlikeable I wondered how the author was going to redeem her character, but thankfully she did. Brielle had the most character growth in these books and by the end of the second book she is no longer a spoilt princess but a strong leader with a kind heart.
Henri also had a lot of adjustments to make throughout these books as he started off a self obsessed boy with a lot of demons but grew into a brave, loyal man who put others before himself.
I had a love/hate relationship with Eve, but she grew on me as her storyline developed and I came to understand her motivations, as I did with Citric who is an intriguing and charismatic leader of the people of Alkhiem.
I enjoyed the fast pace of this series, the hint of magic, the slow burn romance, the growth of the flawed characters, the plot twists I didn’t see coming… but most of all I loved the sentient nature of the ancient woods; the mist rolling in, the fungi changing colour, the way the foliage changed and the tree trunks twisted and grew when it sensed an enemy approaching. It was perfection!
“𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘸.“
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Publisher: Page Turner Publishing
Format: paperback
ISBN: 9780645794830
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Here’s the synopsis
Two fallen kingdoms. Two fates intertwined. Who will rule?
A princess by birth and soon to be Queen by marriage, Brielle is eager to fulfill her great destiny; to rule the Southern Kingdom the way she rules her infamous ladies’ court.
A prince by birth and soon to be King, Henri also has a great destiny; to rule the Northern Kingdom, a fate he resents and resists at every opportunity.
When both kingdoms are invaded and conquered by a foreign ruler, Brielle and Henri’s fates change. Forced to flee for their lives, their only sanctuary is the cursed Red Wood, rumored to be filled with vengeful spirits, lost souls and blood magic.
Surrounded by enemies and betrayed by those closest to them, both will have choices to make. Who can they trust? What will they fight for? And what are they prepared to sacrifice to reclaim a kingdom?
What Caz Read 