EXILE by Anne Osterlund

Title: Exile
Series: Aurelia #2
Author: Anne Osterlund

Summary

Aurelia has been exiled by her father after refusing to marry the man he selected for her. Though she isn't sure if her refusal has lost her the throne, Aurelia is finally free.  Now she is traveling across Tyralt with a group of guards and Robert as her guide, determined to meet her people.  

Though Aurelia seems to believe she's safe, Robert thinks otherwise.  He knows that Aurelia was born to be a leader, that she has the natural ability to connect with people, and that Melony isn't likely to allow Aurelia to live.

As they continue their journey, Aurelia learns that her kingdom is very different than she imagined, and that there is a lot of evil and danger that the people face every day.  And Aurelia is the crown princess, which means she is in even more danger than she imagines.

My Impression

I loved  this book.  Aurelia has become an even stronger person than she was in the first book of this series.  Though she has always been a pretty independent character, Aurelia made the decision to not have her life decided for her, and that she will not allow fear to make her into a coward.  She also has to accept the betrayal of her sister and the death of the man who tried to kill her at her own hands, both which she struggles to admit are not truly her fault.

There was also more development in the romance between Robert and Aurelia. For a majority of the book they are alone on their journey, which means they have to learn to trust each other completely in order to survive, especially Aurelia who is used to being in charge.  I liked being able to see from both characters' perspectives as they try to navigate their friendship/romance and determine what their true feelings are for the other person.

This book also showed a better look at Tyralt and the political situation that has developed as a result of the king's rule.  There are treaties that have been broken, laws that are not being enforced, and invasion that all make it seem much more important that Aurelia eventually becomes queen.

One problem I had with this book (which is more a problem with the publisher) is that the book ends in a sort of cliffhanger.  It is clear that there is much more to Aurelia's story, but as of now there is no third book to be published.  I know this is a book I will re-read many times; I just wish I could see where Aurelia goes from here.

Why I Picked Up This Book

After reading Aurelia, I wanted to see what happened to Aurelia and Robert.  I really hope that Anne gets the opportunity to continue their adventure, because their journey is far from over.  I want to know what happens next!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
My Rating: Five Stars

AURELIA by Anne Osterlund

Title: Aurelia
Series: Aurelia #1
Author: Anne Osterlund

Summary

Aurelia Lauzon is the next in line for the throne of Tyralt. Though she loves her kingdom and her people, the last thing Aurelia wants is to be forced into a political marriage and kept in the castle.  She doesn't like the court games and the rules that come with being a royal, she would much rather be free to travel the kingdom.

It's clear that Aurelia is destined to be a great ruler, especially to her childhood friend and son of the king's former spy, Robert Vantauge.  It has been four years since he last saw Aurelia and he moved with his family to the frontier, and though he is glad to see his friend again, his visit is more than just a chance to catch up.  Someone is trying to kill Aurelia, and Robert has been assigned to investigate who is responsible, all while keeping Aurelia ignorant of the danger she's in.  But Aurelia isn't one to sit around and let someone else solve her problems, and she will risk a lot to help Robert uncover who is determined to kill her.

My Impression

Aurelia is definitely a character I felt I could connect with.  She is clearly strong-willed and has her own opinions how to best run Tyralt, ones that sometimes stray from tradition.  She is not afraid to defend her people and she is wants to be able to understand them.  As the book goes along, it is nice to see that Aurelia's confidence and will is somewhat bravado, and that she has to put on a facade to hide her insecurities and self-doubt.  I liked being able to see the multiple dimensions of Aurelia's character, and how she makes the best of her role as Tyralt's future leader, even when parts of it don't appeal to her.

This book follows both Robert and Aurelia, alternating between the two characters so the reader knows things that one of the other characters may not know.  I liked the alternating perspectives because it added to the depth of both characters.  At the same time, since both characters had no idea who is trying to have Aurelia killed, there was still plenty of suspense as Aurelia and Robert work together, and occasionally alone, to catch the murderer before they succeed.

I also like that the mystery is pretty tangled.  Robert and Aurelia have multiple suspects for who might be the one trying to kill Aurelia, but I wasn't able to guess who was really behind the entire thing until Robert and Aurelia did.  I liked that I was kept guessing and that I didn't feel like the characters were missing the obvious.

Though I really liked getting to know the characters and the suspense of the attempted assassinations, I wanted a bit more action to really go off of.  The main villain is faceless until the very end, and there were only a few moments in the book where I was really on the edge of my seat.  I would have liked to see a bit more of the dark side of the politics in Tyralt, as well as more about the mysterious Outer Realms, which Tyralt refuses to accept immigrants from.   Very little is said about the places outside of Tyralt and their relationship with Tyralt's king.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I've always loved reading fantasy books, and I am always on the look out for fantasy books I haven't read.  I discovered this on Goodreads, where it was recommended based on other fantasy books I read.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars