Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep
Gargoyle Queen #2. Fantasy. Spin off / same world as The Crown of Shards. Best read in series order, after the first series which would make this book #5.
Gemma Ridley is Crown Princess of Andvari. She attends a Trade summit where Queen Maeven of Morta enacts an old tradition where her son, Prince Leonidas must participate. Secrets, treachery and loyalties are front and center and it’s a race for the survival each kingdom and self.

You hope for the best and sigh with envy at the gift. You pray the evil is gone but know that’s a useless wish. A twist and reaction I didn’t expect but should have.
Loved this adventure and look forward to the continuation and conclusion with the next book. ( )

I adore the world Jennifer Estep built for her Crown of Shards and Gargoyle Queen series. I always look forward to reading her novels, knowing that the world-building is stellar and her characters even better. As the middle story of her Gargoyle Queen series, Tear Down the Throne did not disappoint.

I am particularly impressed that while it might seem like a formulaic romantic fantasy novel, Ms. Estep keeps me guessing. I rarely know where the story is going; in this case, I have no idea how the story will end. Maeven and Leonidas remain as much of a mystery to me now as they were when we first met them in the Crown of Shards series. Plus, I adore the side characters. Grimley is charming in his rough manner, and Reiko has her charms. I find everything about the story delightful and cannot wait to get my hands on the third book! ( )

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the previous book in this series so I was pretty excited to get my hands on a copy of this newest installment. I just love the way that I am able to lose myself in this world created in these books. I had pretty high expectations for this book and I ended up liking it just as much as I had hoped I would, maybe even more. Whenever I had to set the book aside, I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I was able to pick it up again. I found this to be a highly entertaining read.

The various kingdoms are gathered for a summit. Just as things are getting started, Maeven, being Maeven, decides to shake things up. She sets in motion an old tradition that will not only impact Gemma but could have devastating effects on Leonidas as well. This only adds to the stress between some of the kingdoms and there are a lot of different things in play for all the key players to juggle.

There was so much that I liked about this book. I loved the scenes that Gemma and Leonidas shared. They are great together and I think it is obvious how much they care about each other and how perfectly suited for each other they are. The only thing that is holding them back is the politics between their families. There was plenty of action and excitement to keep the story moving forward. I was eager to see what Milo had up his sleeve and hoped that Gemma would be able to stop his plans.

I would highly recommend this book to others. It was a very exciting book with great characters, plenty of action, and just enough romance. I cannot wait to read more of this exciting series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Harper Voyager via NetGalley. ( )

As I said about the first book in this series/trilogy (I have no clue which it will be, but my money is on trilogy), this reads more like a book for teens and pre-teens who are a bit more sophisticated. There is swearing, sexual innuendo, and one full-on sex scene. Yes, this is an adult novel, but it just doesn't read that way. Gemma Ripley - Princess - is just too naive and whiney to be and just plain acts like a child throughout most of this book.

The first half of this book is mainly a re-hashing of the first novel. The second half of this book does get better, and Gemma does grow. She doesn't grow as much as I would have liked, but I am not the author, and I don't know what's coming with the next novel. There is plenty of excitement, bloodshed, and love in the second half of the story to keep one entertained-that is, if you can get through the bland first half.

*ARC proved by the publisher Harper Voyager, the author Jennifer Estep, and NetGalley. ( )

Tear Down the Throne was another thrilling book in this epic series. Leo makes a wonderful hero and I love that he saw a little more of him and his thoughts, than previously. Gemma seemed to grow a little, as well, and was more mature and did not letter impulses get the better of her as often as in pervious books. The action was fast paced and while some was were expected, there were still some surprises. I also loved the side characters of the gargoyles and strixes. I also can't wait to her more about how Gemma officially becomes the Gargoyle Green and her mother's involvement, ( )