Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Publish Date: February 28, 2012
Series: Legacy #2
ISBN-13: 9780373210435
Genre: Fiction – Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | eBay | IndieBound | Harlequin
Synopsis: Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn’t help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.
An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return…
Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn’t truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge.
Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn….
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**Warning: If you have not yet read Legacy, and do not wish to read spoilers, please stop reading now. I highly urge you to read Legacy, and then Allegiance.
In Allegiance, the second book of Cayla Kluver’s debut series, we begin where Legacy left off. Alera is married to Steldor, and will soon be crowned Queen of the kingdom. Narian has returned to Cokyri, tensions between the two kingdoms are as high as ever, and the it is clear that they are both on the brink of a war. Cokyri has an upper hand this time around, with the help of Narian. But will Alera still love the boy that opened her eyes and heart? Or will she turn her back away from him forever, only to be hurt one last time?
The exceptional characters that Kluver has created are back. This time, we see different sides of every single one of them. Where I felt I loved a character in Legacy, I seemed to dislike in Allegiance. And I love that about Kluver. Her talent is endless. Kluver challenged my perceptions of my heroes and villains.
Princess Alera is still headstrong. I feel that sometimes, her pride gets in the way of the duties that she must uphold to. Alera constantly challenges how things are done in Hytanica, but I feel that is a testament of her strength and character. Alera grew as a person, and Allegiance was an emotional journey to come to terms with who she was as a ruler. Her actions weren’t acts of rebellion, but rather, actions of loyalty to her heart and love. Alera had to have hope, so she challenged what she knew and rewrote the rules.
Steldor surprised me. As much as I wanted to continue to dislike him, I actually fell in love with him. I sometimes forget that Steldor is still pretty young when Allegiance begins. He is the King of Hytanica, with expectations as high as the sky. But in truth, my imagination was his only barrier. Steldor is a loyal man, loyal to Hytanica and to Alera. The love that he showed her was the foundation of his heart. He was ready to make that leap of faith to prove his love for her.
Kluver killed me when it came to Narian. I was so heart-broken with him. And I suppose, I now know how Alera felt. He did so much to protect Alera, despite how dark and ugly it could be. He grew from his pain and moved on to the next thing to survive.
Allegiance is a fantastic historical fiction that revolves around Hytanica and Cokyri. It has the elements of a great love story, and the action of an epic war story. Royalty garnishes the story like the jewels on a dress. But above all else, the characters are unique, developed, and definitely full of personality. Kluver’s world is still filled with secrecy and enigma, a perfect backdrop to Allegiance’s theme of love and betrayal.
It’s been a while since I’ve read Legacy, so before I began Allegiance, I reread Legacy. I instantly fell back in love with the kingdom of Hytanica, and its people. There is something about Kluver’s writing that transports me to her world. I escape all inhibitions and become a citizen of Hytanica. And that is why Kluver is one of my favorite authors.
I urge you to read Allegiance as soon as possible. You will simply adore the kingdom and its citizens.