The Reclaimed Kingdom by Dana Claire Pages: 292
Published by Chamberlain Publishing House on February 14, 2021
Series: Syphon #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance
Source: eARC from Author
Under the cruel ministrations of its Queen, the Kingdom of D’Land is in peril.
With King Harrison away in foreign lands and neighboring Kingdoms unwilling to intervene, there is no one to protect the people from poverty, harsh punishment, and unreasonable rules of law – except for the Band of Brothers. Struggling with the death of her mother and the legendary Syphon powers she inherited, seventeen year old Dru wants nothing more than to escape her old life and join the motley crew of ruffians, pilfering from the rich to feed the poor and pay their taxes.
She’s able to do just that disguised as a lad, and even when her nature is discovered, nothing changes – except for the way her friend Hawkin treats her. But Dru’s new world is overturned when she and the Brothers seize the treasures of a Prince who threatens to reveal her identity. Together, Dru and her chosen family must find a way to reclaim her destiny and bring balance to the Kingdom. If not, there may be no hope left for anyone.
The Reclaimed Kingdom is the first book in the young adult fantasy Syphon series by Dana Claire. I enjoyed The Reclaimed Kingdom and I am certainly interested in continuing on in the series. At times, The Reclaimed Kingdom felt like a purely foundational novel. It allowed us to get to know the characters, get to know the world and it set up a love triangle romance. I have no idea which way the romance will ultimately go, but I wanted to forewarn you in case love triangles are not your thing. I don’t mind them, but mostly only when the partner I pick “wins”, so we shall see if that is the case here.
In The Reclaimed Kingdom we meet our main character Dru, who wants to help out her land by joining the Band of Brothers- a robin hood-esque gang that steals from the rich to give to the poor. I really liked Dru. She is feisty and strong. She disguises herself as a guy to join the crew and she quickly finds herself in a high stakes adventure involving some of the Prince’s belonging. I do hope in the next book that we get to dive a little deeper into the magic system with the Syphon powers and also with the characters themselves. I found myself wanting to get into each of the characters heads a little more, so I knew more about their motivations and what compelled them as a person. I think it would help me relate to them and understand their actions a lot better as the series continues on.
If you are a fan of quest style fantasies that feature a larger gang of characters, then The Reclaimed Kingdom and the Syphon series might be a good one to check out. It does have a long triangle and I am interested to see where it is going to go. I have a feeling that Dana Claire has a few tricks up her sleeve with the romance aspect. There were quite a few twists and turns in The Reclaimed Kingdom. Some I could easily see coming, but there were a couple that took me by surprise. Overall, this was a good book. It sets up the world and overall plot and I can’t wait to see where the story will go from here.
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win a $75 amazon gift card (INT)
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
A good start to what appears to be a great series. I love that cover!
sounds like a fun one
I love this