Disavowed by Bridget E. Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Some violent and bloody fights, but not much detail.

 
Chancery may be the youngest ruler of the Evians, but she won her first battle. Thanks to her success, the powers ruling the rest of the Earth are aligning against her, and her supporters’ demands grow with every passing day.

Her days of hiding are over…

A five thousand year old prophecy and a dull black rock ruined the life Chancery planned for herself. As she navigates the roiling waters of ancient prejudice, assassination, war, and refugees, she discovers how deeply unprepared she was to assume this unwanted role.

But standing tall makes you a target.

She isn’t alone, but everyone around her is working an angle. Noah’s missing, Edam’s planning their wedding, and the rulers of the Evian nations watch her every move like hungry panthers ready to pounce. A prophecy may have led her to this point, but the rest is up to her. Can she locate the true threat amid the school of red herrings? And what price is she willing to pay to prevent the threatened catastrophe?

Lately I've been of the opinion that the shorter the series the better, but this one is an exception. None of these books feel like filler, and that can be hard to do when writing a series. Five books in and I'm still enjoying this series. I think it helps that three of the books are told from other points of view. It's an interesting and potentially risky way to write a series, but it works here.

This time around Chancery seems to be in over her head. I'm really wondering how everything is going to be sorted out in the end. She is learning how to use the ring that she inherited from her mother. As it keeps growing in size and power with each stone that is added to it, she continues to question herself and her abilities, but she is also slowly growing in confidence. There were times I got a little annoyed with her for blaming herself for things that weren't her fault, and making some seemingly rash decisions, but she is still growing.

As for the love triangle, Edam is still my favorite love interest, but now Noah has grown on me a bit. I like that he isn't pushy and is supportive, but the chemistry between Chancery and Edam is still off the charts! I swear I have no idea who Chancery will end up with.

In the end, there were some important revelations in this book, and also some things that I was left wondering about. Bridget Baker's books always seem to end with a good balance of the two. As usual, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.