TITLE: The Bride of Lycaster
AUTHOR: Perci Jay
SERIES: Lycaster
SERIES ORDER: 1
PUBLISHED DATE: 05/13/2023
GENRE: Romantic Fantasy/Romantasy
RATING: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
CW (from Author's Note): alcohol abuse; anxiety; accidental death; attempted self-sacrifice; attempted murder; blood; death of a family member; depression; emotional manipulation; fantasy violence; grief; familial abuse; implied intimate partner abuse; misogyny; post-traumatic stress disorder; sexual assault by proxy; sexual threat; sexual content; victim-blaming; violence.
BLURB:
When you are brought up to be only a bride, you are nothing until you are married. Then someone else decides what you are.
Serafina Ravenwood is a liar. Caught between bloodthirsty giants destroying her homeland and a cruel Duke who shatters her family, Serafina only has one option to survive—marry the heir to the Dukedom of Lycaster. Serafina spends seven years charming and deceiving him into securing her place as his wife. As her promised marriage was within her grasp, a notorious half-giant known only as “the Beast” crushes her plans.
But the half-giant is only the beginning. She learns the glittering life of Lycaster’s court is nothing more than a world of beautiful lies. To survive in the endless labyrinth of deceit, Serafina must become more than just a bride. She will shed her white dress and transform into a plotter, a lover, a manipulator, a rival, and an assassin—or else her fate is sealed.
The Bride of Lycaster is the first book in the Lycaster series, a heart-wrenching romantic fantasy full of magic, twisted fairytales, and dark family secrets.
MY REVIEW:
I read this book because of a Threads post I had read from the author. I liked how the author was able to poke fun at her own book/characters, and the tropes got me interested. I didn't know what I was in for but man, Perci Jay managed to suck me into this story! I started reading this in KU, but then bought the audiobook so I could listen while I worked because I needed to know what happened next! I laughed (literally shook my office chair from laughing so hard), cried, swooned and gasped. Ali Dane and Henry Kramer were phenomenal narrators! It's a single person POV so it was mostly Ali, but Henry provided the male voices whenever they had speaking parts.
I loved Serafina! I loved that she stayed true to herself. I'm not usually one rooting for people who lie and manipulate their way through life, but I felt like I understood why she did what she did, and I admire her bravery for doing it. I also admire her courage for admitting when she was wrong.
Riyan...sigh! Riyan's story tugged at my heartstrings. He just wanted to feel like he belonged. I loved the bond he had with Serafina. I loved their banter! Banter between a couple is one of my kryptonites.
The ending... all I can say is damn you Perci for doing what you did!! But also, I can't wait for Book 2 and finding out what happens next to Serafina and Riyan in the Lycaster series!
Also, thanks for popping my romantasy cherry, Perci lol.