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An Imposter with a Crown by Jordan Rivet

Fantasy. 300 Pages. 4 Stars

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Synopsis:

Mica Graydier would rather confront an assassin than attend a ball.

As the full-time imposter for an imperial princess, Mica must face simpering ladies, overeager suitors, and the occasional assassination attempt. But her biggest challenge is getting along with Princess Jessamyn herself, especially when the princess refuses to end their imposter charade and take back her crown.

When a strange man appears in Jewel Harbor with too many Talents and an incurable case of madness, Mica vows to find her old adversary and end his schemes for good. But she and Jessamyn still share a single face, and as their purposes diverge, their friendship will be stretched to the breaking point.

Mica wants to serve the empire, but that task is getting harder–and it may require the ultimate betrayal.

Two missions. One face. An empire on the brink of war.

My Review:

Well, this sequel was quite a bit more…complicated…than its predecessor. Honestly, I’m hovering between four and five stars, but I’m choosing to give the book four because I was a little disappointed by the end. (I try to reserve five stars for absolutely, positively stellar books, and though my issues are minimal, I can’t say this is one I’m absolutely elated with. I’m a little conflicted.)

The plot certainly thickens, so to speak, and I enjoyed the read. It was intriguing and definitely a bit of a page-turner (more so than the first one, in my opinion). At each development, I wanted to know more; I wanted to pick up the next clue, the next puzzle piece, so that I could force them together and see the big picture. The story line wasn’t as much of a mystery as the first one, though it still made me want to piece things together. I suppose I was more interested in how things would unravel themselves than what exactly was going on, if that makes sense. I liked the political developments, both in the country and outside of it. They contributed to the divisiveness in the book and I was drawn in by that. I am eager to see how everything turns out for our cast.

Speaking of cast, it was lovely to narrow it down a little. I felt the nobles were much more manageable this time around! I’m sure it’s because there were fewer of them to manage, but still. Furthermore, I was positively ecstatic to see Emir! I loved the relationship between him and Mica and I soooo want more of it! Caleb has my heart and soul, entirely, so there isn’t much more to say about that! And I am very invested in his future! The dynamic between Jessa and Mica was…interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about it, honestly. In book one, we started to unpack Jessa and her character began to unfold. In this book, it was almost like we saw too much of her. What I mean is, I’m not quite sure I liked what I saw! Hahaha! More than anything, I think by the end of the book, I was disappointed in her. Mica made fewer mistakes this go around, which shows growth from book one. She stood even more confidently for what she believed in and seemed to openly grasp what she had to learn from those around her, including Jessa. She’s still fiercely loyal, and yet, still conflicted about enough things to make her real.

I feel like, no spoilers, but I feel like the author made a few moves at the end that felt like a cop out to me, regarding both a few characters and a plot move. It’s like she wrote herself into this massive corner, built up this complicated climax, and then…wasn’t sure how to handle it gracefully? Or…it wasn’t choppy or anything. I just felt…slightly disappointed. (Honestly, it may just be my disheartened reaction to Jessamyn. I just…thought there was more to her. But there is a book three, so maybe there’s still hope.)

The setting continued to move swiftly and vastly as in book one, exposing us to even more of the vast empire this time. I look forward to seeing the setting continue to expand in book three as we move into enemy territory. The book is very well-written. I only caught one issue in the writing. It was compelling and the author definitely knows how to balance tension and release!

As for content, there’s no foul language. There’re a few moments of romance, but nothing more passionate than a kiss. There is a bit of drinking, but no drunkenness. There’s also a bit of violence, but nothing extremely graphic. There are some thematic materials here, regarding human rights, and questions about whether or not the ends ever justify the means. Just as with the last one, I’d probably recommend this for mid to late teens.

More:

The Empire of Talents Book 1 is The Spy in the Silver Palace (4 Stars)

Book 3 is A Traitor at the Stone Court (4 Stars)

I have rated and reviewed the above on Goodreads. Click the links and scroll down to learn more and see more reviews; mine is among them.

This trilogy must be read in order!

On GraceBought

If you missed it, check out my thoughts on the previous book below and stay tuned for thoughts on the final book in the trilogy next week!

The Spy in the Silver Palace