The Wraith Kings series by Grace Draven is a fantasy romance series that consists of three major books and a couple of side stories. The series follows the story of Ildiko, a human noblewoman, and Brishen, a Kai prince who belongs to a non-human race known as the Gauri. Wedded for political utility, Ildiko and Brishen have to carefully navigate their new bond, tiptoeing around the culture shocks, and the antagonism from in-laws.
I started at the beginning, of course, with the first book in the series, "Radiance."
I judge books by their covers. So right from the image, I could see that this would be a romance novel and it would have some spice in it. The cover felt a little cringy to me. I mean, the dark-skinned muscular guy with his large arms wrapped around the pale lily-like lady. Questionable. But I'm too into reading to let a clichƩ cover stop me.
I powered past the cover, and I was really glad I did.
I enjoyed Grace Draven's writing. That's it. That's the sum of this entire article. I will pick up a Grace Draven book any day, anytime. The words easily jumped off the page and formed images in my mind. The plot was straightforward—a little predictable, yes—but the pacing was rhythmic, and the romance urged you to follow it to the end.
Character development is the core of the "Wraith Kings" series. The main characters in the first two novels, Ildiko and Brishen, do not find each other attractive, which is odd for a romance novel.
In fact, the two main characters are of different species—humans and Gauri— who think the other is frankly repulsive.
Yeah.
But Draven grabs hold of this premise and takes off with it. The unconventional pairing allows her to create a relationship built on respect, trust, and plain friendship. Brishen and Ildiko learn to appreciate each other's inner qualities, and that appreciation gradually blooms into hot physical attraction. At the end of "Radiance," we are treated to a strong and quiet love, where the characters somehow find beauty in their partner's "odd" looks.
For the rest of the series, Draven continues crafting and expanding her fantasy world, building on the prejudice and distrust between the species, and using the clash of societal norms to push the story forward.
Book two contains the big conflict, a fight between undead demons and the living. The resolution of the conflict came at great cost and unsurprisingly, the theme of "Eidolon" is sacrifice and genuine love.
Book three, "Ippos King," picks up after the war with the galla is over, introducing us to a different world and a different couple. The cultural misgivings remain the same, however.
Here is a quote from book three: "Sha-Anhuset had ever been forthright in her opinions regarding humans. They were hideous to look upon, possessed strange customs, and suffered from questionable culinary preferences. More than once, Serovek had choked down laughter at her obvious revulsion for human expression and behaviour."
"Ippos King," I felt was slower-paced than its predecessors. This may be because of its position in the series. Post-conflict books tend to be a bit slow as they often depict a world in recovery. Still, seventy pages went by before any noticeable twist or turning point.
Overall, I was pleased to read this series, and I truly enjoyed the depth of the characters.
A note to anyone who wants to read this series, the "Wraith Kings" series is not a fantasy novel series with a romance subplot but a romance novel series which happens to take place in a fantastical world. Don't get it mixed up.
If you want to know more about a fantasy novel with romance as a subplot, I'll be reviewing the "Ember in the Ashes" series by Sabaa Tahir next week. I have also recently read "Gaslight Hades," another novel by Grace Draven. I might write a casual review about the novel and what I expect from the series later this month.
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