Disavowed

Lately I've been of the opinion that the shorter the series the better, but this one is an exception. None of these books feel like filler, and that can be hard to do when writing a series. Five books in and I'm still enjoying this series. I think it helps that three of the books are told from other points of view. It's an interesting and potentially risky way to write a series, but it works here. This time around Chancery seems to be in over her head. I'm really wondering how everything is going to be sorted out in the end. She is learning how to use the ring that she inherited from her mother. As it keeps growing in size and power with each stone that is added to it, she continues to question herself and her abilities, but she is also slowly growing in confidence. There were times I got a little annoyed with her for blaming herself for things that weren't her fault, and making some seemingly rash decisions, but she is still growing. As for the love triangle, Edam is still my favorite love interest, but now Noah has grown on me a bit. I like that he isn't pushy and is supportive, but the chemistry between Chancery and Edam is still off the charts! I swear I have no idea who Chancery will end up with. In the end, there were some important revelations in this book, and also some things that I was left wondering about. Bridget Baker's books always seem to end with a good balance of the two. As usual, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The story keeps building and your perception of characters continues to change as you read thru this series. There isn't a lull in this book. It's very fast paced and difficult to set down once you've started. I love how Chancery's relationship with Judica is developing and I also love how she incorporates the Coronavirus into her plot. It's one of those series where you want to know the end, but you also don't want it to end.

The phrase “weight of the world on her shoulders” is a figure of speech. Usually. For Chancery Alamecha, it’s her life. Only a few weeks have passed since she went from being daughter of Empress Enora, royal but never expected to rule, to becoming the prophesied Queen of Queens. She has to figure out how to fulfill the prophecy while keeping her kingdom running, searching for her kidnapped sister, and solving her mother’s murder. There’s not really time for details like wondering if she’s really in love with her fiancé or what secrets the enigmatic Noah is hiding. It doesn’t help that her claim to the prophecy isn’t appreciated by the other five rulers of the world. Millennia ago, a single chunk of staridium was broken to form seven stones, set in rings that the rulers wear. Chancery is tasked with recovering and rejoining all of these stones. Amid declarations of war, diplomatic bargaining, and not even knowing whether the seventh stone still exists, it’s a basically impossible task to keep the world from destruction as she continues her quest. For Chancery, perhaps her greatest struggle is trust. She must make alliances with other leaders and trust that they’ll support her when it matters. As she continues to pursue her mother’s murderer through new layers of mystery, it’s hard to know who is on her side and who may be conspiring against her. And even though she has faith in a small circle of friends and family, she’s not sure she can trust them to support her when she’s ready to risk everything for peace. More importantly, she doesn’t know if she can trust herself to make the right call when the whole world is depending on her. When she’s responsible for the fate of the world, does she have the courage to make the right call, and can she be sure that it IS the right call? I love watching Chancery’s growth through this series. She didn’t change from shy teen to confident world ruler overnight. She still has growing to do, but she consistently progresses. She struggles between ruling by love (campaigning for equal rights for all regardless of blood or gender) and controlling her people (forcing DNA tests and blood donations), always moving on from her failures and trying again. And as she grows in wisdom and inner strength, she is also growing in power. Each new ring she conquers gives her a new ability that no one else can wield, proving that she is the prophesied queen. When I start a series, it’s hard to beat the first book, the one where I first fell in love with characters, explored a new world, and lived through the main character as she discovered herself and her purpose. But Disavowed may be my new favorite. The action is fast-paced, just balanced by humor and pathos. The mysteries…there is enough revealed about Noah, the new rings, and the murder investigation to be satisfying while making me more and more intrigued. Watching Chancery succeed AND fail, and deal with the results of both, make me love her more. I rarely see this depth and continuous growth and development in teen fiction. Fair warning: only read this series if you’re prepared for these characters to become part of your life.