As a child, I grew up more than a little obsessed with Eowyn in Lord of the Rings. Who can blame me, right? She was brave, she could fight, she could ride a horse, and she was niece to the King and beautiful to boot. “Forgotten Rebellion” feels like an important redemption for all the Eowyn girls out there. It’s also just a really good epic fantasy with a sweet, light romance on the side.

The Blurb:

A ruthless outlaw determined to conquer her kingdom. A courageous stranger who saves her life. She never suspected they would be the same man…

With the king bound in enchanted slumber, unrest spreads through the Seven Rivers. Outlaws ravage the land, destroying peaceful villages. Left alone to rule, Crown Princess Tahlea leads her army in defense of her people. When her efforts fail to capture the criminals, she makes a perilous journey to seek aid from a reclusive mystic. He grants her power to erase the memory of her enemy, Andevaar.

Betrayed and ambushed, Tahlea fights for her life. Captured by outlaws, she learns the attacks are only the beginning, and her entire kingdom is in immediate danger. Desperate to stop Andevaar, she casts her spell.

Bent on vengeance, Andevaar plans to conquer the Seven Rivers. Only Princess Tahlea stands between him and seizing control. But everything changes when he loses his memories. Can he abandon his past and become a new man? Or will he deny his feelings for the stubborn, courageous princess and destroy her to win the throne?

Review:

I don’t want to hype a book up with comparisons to both LOTR and ASOIAF without backing that up. This book opens with Tahlea at the palace, where she learns that she must take over control of the kingdom for the time being in her father’s stead. The first act of the novel feels akin to King’s Landing’s politics– with spies, political machinations, nefarious plots, suspicious handmaidens, unhelpful council meetings, and even kind older swordsmen. Tahlea’s kingdom is plagued by groups of outlaws raiding towns outside the city and her soldiers are having difficulty controlling the problem. While she suspects that there is more to the situation than what meets the eye, she needs to be able to prove it to save her kingdom.

Tahlea is a trained horsewoman and fighter who cares deeply for her father, her people, and for the magic protecting her land. She’s stubborn, but she actually listens to those advising her — man, did I appreciate this in a YA/NA book! Speaking of which, this is probably most appropriately categorized as a young adult novel, in my opinion. It’s a fairly clean novel, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for actual young adult/teenage readers. While there is romance, it is a low-spice/kisses only read. I would definitely classify it a fantasy book, rather than as a “romantasy” book.

Also, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. If you avoid book series until they are complete due to fear of cliffs, don’t worry here. While the author leaves room for more in this world, I was so satisfied with the ending. I do hope we see more from Toban and Mariella in future books!

Final Thoughts:

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book! It’s a captivating read, and has the best, healthiest version of enemies-to-lovers I have ever read. I loved the dichotomy of Tally vs. Crown Princess Tahlea and Flint vs. Andevaar. The “magic” in this world was unique and added to the setting. Sign me up for all future books in this series.

Rating: 1 million stars. Infinity Stars. All the stars. “Forgotten Rebellion” is one of my favorite books of the year, if not my favorite so far. This book is incredible; I can’t wait to see what A.J. has in store for the next book.

“Forgotten Rebellion” is available now on Amazon. The author has made a sample version of the book available for free, as well. Add it to your Goodreads wishlist today!

Follow me on Goodreads for all my reviews!

Thanks to the author for a review copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.