The Deceiver: Tales of Kelnore (Royals #2) by Hannah E. Carey
- Merissa
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
@hannahecareyauthor
@authorhannahecarey
The flame of revolution has been lit in the north.
Kelnore's next emperor is preparing to ascend his throne.
An old vendetta is being reborn.
And dangerous sirens lurk in the deeps.
The Raider War is over, but Kelnore's future is far from certain. The House of Vepi is threatened from both outside and within the Imperial Court, and as Fabian prepares to ascend the throne, he finds himself faced with a fractured empire that is skittering far too close to instability. With the impending winter, the nobility of Kelnore have descended on Talekos, and a familiar name is being whispered throughout the city, with rumors that put him at the very center of the dangerous revolution in the north: Lucanus of Darnic.
As tensions flare, sides will be chosen, but who will the sons and daughters of Vepi pledge their ultimate loyalty to? And will the empire be ushered into a new and prosperous future, or will it crumble as the thousand year rule of the House of Vepi is brought to a crushing ruin?
The Deceiver: Tales of Kelnore in Book 2 in a Roman inspired epic romantic fantasy trilogy that includes low spice, slow burn romance.
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He could feel sweat building on his palms and he took two steps back, trying to make certain the shadows completely obscured him. The last thing he needed to do was to have his body rematerialize right in front of Aurelia. He let out a deep breath before he reined his magic back in. His body reappeared once more, and he silently prayed to both the gods of Darnic and of Kelnore that his sudden presence wouldn’t send her into some sort of panic. She knew he was here, and if nothing else, he could try and make sure that whoever had been sent to snoop around Cassian’s library wouldn’t find themselves confronted by Aurelia. It shouldn’t be that difficult to cajole her back to the banquet hall.
Tense silence stretched across the room before he forced himself to step out of the shadows into the moonlight. She looked up, her sharp intake of breath audible when her gaze fell on him.
“Your Grace,” she said, standing up and discreetly pushing a few pieces of parchment aside before covering them with one hand. “This is a surprise.”
“The banquet was not to your liking, Your Highness?” he asked, forcing himself not to move too quickly as he walked over to join her.
“They rarely are,” she replied with a tight smile.
He peered at the parchment she was trying to obscure. Her hand covered most of it, but he could make out a small corner, which revealed the hint of a drawing that looked suspiciously like the mast of a ship. His gaze darted back to her and she pushed the parchment even farther away from him.
“I wonder,” he slowly said, inclining his head toward the parchment, “if perhaps we are both here for the same thing.”
“And yet,” she replied, “I am the only one who was drawn here tonight for a purpose. At least, as far as I know.”
“Perhaps I’m not supposed to be here.”
Her brow furrowed as she still shielded her find. Seconds later, the door creaked again. They both tensed, and Luca uttered a quiet curse under his breath. Opes’ bones and Noctus’ teeth, could the night get any worse? Whether or not Aurelia was truly his foe, they were caught, and they were going to have to make the best of it. With only seconds to decide what to do, he slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her to him.
Her breath caught and she stiffened. “What in the seas are you—”
Out of the corner of his eye, Luca caught movement in the shadows near the doorway, followed by the muted thump of footsteps on the plush rug as someone else stepped inside. His scalp tingled, his heartbeat doubling as he fought the urge to immediately turn and face their intruder. Instead, he forced himself to focus on Aurelia.
“I believe I’m not in error when I say that I’m on the same side as you,” he whispered. “And while I’m admittedly not supposed to be in this library tonight, my curiosity got the better of me. It was a mistake, but if either of us values our lives, whoever this is needs to believe a different story as to why we’re here.”
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
THE DECEIVER is the second book in The Tales of Kelnore: Royals, and I would recommend you read The Princess first, if only to get an idea about Kelnore, its emperor, and his sons and daughters.
Once again, this story is told from multiple perspectives, and there are so many layers to it, it rivals Shrek's onion. While we go deeper into the lives, history, and current events of Kelnore, including political allies and enemies, please don't expect to have all the answers by the end of this book.
As always, Ms Carey takes us on an adventure, leading us to places we might not have gone by ourselves, and leaves us wondering just what will happen next! While I still love Pern Coen, I am loving the characters of Kelnore, even if I find it stifling, too.
A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Hannah E. Carey began telling stories as soon as she was old enough to talk and she hasn’t stopped since. As a Dysautonomia and HSD warrior, writing and her love of stories allow her to explore new places & worlds, no matter what her body throws at her. She writes epic fantasy with fierce heroines and strong romantic elements that is inspired by her love of mythology, along with women’s fiction that stars loveable four-legged companions and is inspired by her life as a horse & dog mom, her background in animal rescue, and her years of working as a certified Centered Riding Instructor. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading and spending time with her husband, horses, and dog on her small hobby farm.
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