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Reviewed by Mansoor Ahmed for Readers' Favorite
Ruthless Kingdom by Cathrina Constantine grabs you right from the start. We follow Avianna Carrington, a girl just about to turn eighteen who’s spent her life hiding in the human world. Her "normal" life is ripped apart when she witnesses the brutal murder of her parents by soldiers in olive-green uniforms. She ends up hiding out on a tiny, remote island with her brother Teddy and their strict Aunt Aggie, but it isn’t long before a mysterious tracker named Harp shows up. He drops a total bombshell: she’s actually the secret daughter of King Leonidas. To protect her from the cutthroat politics of the magical kingdoms, she was hidden away, but now she’s being pulled back into Verdae. The world-building is great as you go from the thieving groups in Thistledown forest to the tension-filled castles of Verdae, where everyone from the jealous Queen Balize to the rival princes has their own agenda.
I was amazed by how Cathrina Constantine handled the magic and the pacing. It’s not just a slow burn; there are carriage chases, magical duels, and "finger-snap" spells that keep the action moving fast. The characters really have a lot of life to them. Harp, with his sapphire eyes and obvious scars, is a standout, but even the villains like Queen Balize are layered. It’s a story about heritage and betrayal, but it’s also about Avianna finding her own strength after losing everything. Living in a busy place like Lahore, I usually look for books that offer a total escape, and this one definitely did it for me. I found myself staying up way too late, turning the pages to see if she’d actually make it through the Royal Tournament. Ruthless Kingdom is a fantasy with heart and some serious "just one more chapter" energy.
