I previously reviewed the first book Kingdom of Ash and Briars back in 2017, when it was just a standalone novel. I recently learned two more books, Realm of Ruins and Palace of Silver followed it, and knew I had to get my hands on them. I loved how the first book came at the fairytales that inspired it from a bit of a sideways angle, and looked forward to seeing how the author could build on that in these stories of Bristal’s descendants.

As it turns out, it didn’t take many generations for most of her family to forget what she really stood for, which was disappointing but unfortunately believable. In Kingdom of Ash and Briars, magic seems to be on its last legs, with only a few left capable of wielding it, but in Realm of Ruins it has come back tenfold, with so many potential elicromancers in Nissera there is now an entire academy dedicated to preparing them. This is where we find Bristal’s great-great-granddaughter Valory, one of the few of her cousins who has yet to enter the waters and claim an elicrin stone and with it, magical power and immortality. Valory is desperate to not only prove herself worthy to her family, but not to be left behind by them, an uncomfortable possibility when your mother and even great-uncle appear only a decade older than you, if that. But when a tragic accident leaves Valory with a destructive power she can’t control, she’s forced to leave her kingdom, and in doing so, uncovers a sinister plot to bring back a long-dormant evil that threatens not just her home, but all of Nissera.

Realm of Ruins, was an exciting story in its own right, but it was a bit of a letdown in regards to the promise of referencing Beauty & the Beast and The Little Mermaid. These stories are more tangential to the plot, and people who come looking for that alone will be let down, because we really only get to see those stories initiated rather than following them through to their conclusions. That wouldn’t be an issue if the book description didn’t mention them (even if did warn they would only be “snippets”), because the actual plot of the story is an exciting one and stands fine on its own.

Palace of Silver continues to explore the fallout of Valory’s accident, this time focusing on her cousin, Glissette, as she struggles to right the wrongs of her family, which have spread beyond Nissera and into the kingdoms of Perispos and Erdem, across the sea. We also have the POV of Kadri, Valory and Glissette’s mortal friend, which I don’t think was entirely necessary, outside of making one particular plot event feel more earned and less like a deus ex machina since we got to see it happen rather than hear Kadri tell Glissette how she did it. Palace of Silver also gets the advertised fairytales more directly tied in, with Snow White taking front and center.

In all the books, the characters are complex; in the first book they lean a little more noble, but not perfect, and you can even see where most of the villains could have been good if different choices had been made, whereas in the second and third books, you see where even the heroes could go bad as they struggle with their flaws and fears.

In terms of ranking, I would definitely say book one was my favorite by far, with two hedging out three only a little, but each book is an easy 3 stars for me, and I’d actually give the first book a 3.5. I kind of wish there was a fourth book, or that the third book had an extended ending, because I feel like the surviving characters have a long road ahead of them in terms of restoring order and trust in their kingdoms.