Genres: NA Fantasy, New Adult, Fantasy | Release Date: 30 July 2023 | Series: The Stone Circle Series | Series Book: #2 | Indie Author | Review
“You are the light to the darkness.”
Ophelia Wells Langley
Overview:
A huge thank you goes to Ophelia Wells Langley for letting me read an e-ARC of The Stone Circle Queen! The sequel to The Borderlands Princess, this NA fantasy blew me away with what was unleashed on Sorcha. And no word of a lie, I liked this beautiful book even more than book one! So let’s give you an overview…
Sorcha has finally awoken from the deadly slumber the High King wreaked upon her, but a war looms on the horizon. If Sorcha can defeat King Achill, the country will have a chance at lasting peace… But to do this? Sorcha must become the Earth Fae Queen, and a sacrifice must be made. The Goddess’ bargain is a steep one, and only Sorcha can make this decision. Can Sorcha become a queen and save her people? Or will this sacrifice take everything from her and cause her ruin? Is it even possible to be a human-born queen?
Happiness Boost:
There’s hints of Arthurian legend and Sleeping Beauty within The Stone Circle Queen, with an enchanted sleep and the ladies of the lake making an appearance! Do I love that we get this? Absolutely! Tie that in with fated mates, the fickle ways of the fae, and a determined FMC? Anyone who wants an intense and emotional story will fall in love with this book. Ophelia has truly outdone herself with this NA fantasy.
It’s no secret, I love heroines who have to struggle through incredibly dark times. And it was a near-constant barrage against Sorcha within The Stone Circle Queen! There’s so much to face, and Sorcha has to do a lot of this without her mate by her side. That takes a lot of strength, even though her self-doubt was high. I love how Ophelia makes Sorcha so relatable, even as we’re swept away with her epic quest.
The respect and *love* with which Ophelia writes about the natural world? Only the best kind of books do this! I know they’re big names, but I was getting hints of C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and Cornelia Funke’s Inkworld trilogy. Readers are embraced by nature within The Stone Circle Queen, and I absolutely revelled in it. I’d happily stay longer in this realm, I really would!
Downside:
It was a little bit of a jolt to realise that a whole year’s passed since Sorcha’s been awake, but honestly the story picks up so quickly from that point on… I absolutely love it!
Final Thoughts:
The Stone Circle Queen by indie author Ophelia Wells Langley is the perfect conclusion to her NA fantasy duology, The Stone Circle Series. Did I thoroughly enjoy the first book? Yes. But did I love this sequel even more? I really, really did! Love what you’ve heard from my review? Just click on the link below to pre-order yourself a copy! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can pre-order The Stone Circle Queen via this link: Amazon
