Book Review: The Amethyst Kingdom by A.K. Mulford

Title: The Amethyst Kingdom
Author: A.K. Mulford
Series: The Five Crowns of Okrith #5
Pages: 352
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

In the fifth and final novel in the Five Crowns of Okrith romantasy series from bestselling author A.K. Mulford, a young fae warrior is hellbent on winning the Eastern Court crown, but when her fated lover—and hated nemesis—Ersan enters the trials she struggles to balance the competition and the chance at love. The crown is calling her name, but can her head bear the weight when passion sets her heart racing?

Carys Hilgaard has grown tremendously through her years; no longer is she the vapid, prejudicial fae who drowned herself in wine. At least, she wants to believe that’s true. Training has kept her balanced and open-minded—traits of a promising ruler. So, when the time comes for the Eastern Court trials to commence, her mind is set on one objective: win the crown and become the people’s queen. If she doesn’t, it puts the only family she has left—her halfling sister, Morgan, and her niece and two nephews—in danger.

But the gods have different plans. Lord Ersan Almah, her ex-boyfriend and fated mate, has entered the competition, vying for the kingdom himself—and hoping it’s enough to cure his heart after losing Carys. To make matters worse, Adisa Monroe, a devious witch, searches for mind-controlling amethyst seeds and plans to attack the Eastern Court on the night of the full moon, jeopardizing the entire kingdom of Okrith.

When incandescent hearts rekindle for a second chance at destined love, Carys must learn to let her lingering past go in order to protect her kingdom, the people she cares for, and fight for hope…if not, everything could collapse into ashes.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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The Amethyst Kingdom is the final book in the Five Crowns of Okrith series, and I’m sad to see it go! It’s been such a wild, fantastic, and romantic ride, but it ended with Carys’s story, which did not disappoint. She’s been a favorite of mine in the series, and I was super excited that she was the focus of the final book.

Mulford has a knack for creating relatable characters that you want to root for, which is definitely true when it comes to Carys. She shows such tremendous growth over the course of the series and this book in particular as she goes through the trials in hopes of winning the crown. Carys is determined to improve the lives of humans and witches, and she never stops fighting for what she believes in. Of course, her ex entering the same trials against her complicates her plans.

Carys’s journey toward self-acceptance as she battles internal and external obstacles is powerful and moving and a bit emotional. She’s suffered a lot of loss, and she deals with mental health issues. Her grief and depression are relatable and realistic, and it made me feel for her. I like, however, how the author shows that women aren’t defined solely by their physical and mental health.

If you like second-chance romances, you’re in for a treat because Carys has a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance with her ex Sy. I haven’t read many books with a failed fated mates relationship, and I found it pretty unique and compelling. Carys is so angry with Sy, and they have a lot of baggage to unpack, and it’s interesting to see each of their perspectives on what happened with them. They have so much chemistry, and their banter is everything!

This was a wonderful conclusion to the series, and if you read the others, you’ll definitely love this one. It’s action-packed and exciting with an epic quest, battles for power, looming war, and a reuniting of friends (love them) and enemies. It is intense! Plus, that love story, and the friendships, messages, and representation – it’s just chef’s kiss!

If you haven’t read the other books, I highly recommend starting with The High Mountain Court. It’s the first in the series, and it will hook you from the start! Special thanks to Harper Voyager for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

• The romance!

• The characters.

• The representation.

• second chance romance
• fated mates
• forced proximity
• slow burn
• quest
• found family

A.K. Mulford is a bestselling fantasy author and former wildlife biologist who swapped rehabilitating monkeys for writing novels.

She/they are inspired to create diverse stories that transport readers to new realms, making them fall in love with fantasy for the first time, or, all over again.

She now lives in New Zealand with her husband and two young human primates, creating lovable fantasy characters and making ridiculous Tiktoks (@akmulfordauthor).

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