The Du Lac Princess - Mary Anne Yarde

When I first came across the Du Lac Chronicles a few months or so ago, I was immedeately hooked. I quickly read the first two full length books and the novella. When I heard that there was a new installment due out, I couldn't wait to read it. Fortunately I got my hands on an advanced copy, so I didn't have to.

The Du Lac Princess

The multi award-winning series The Du Lac Chronicles continues:

War is coming…

The ink has dried on Amandine’s death warrant. Her crime? She is a du Lac.

All that stands in the way of a grisly death on a pyre is the King of Brittany. However, King Philippe is a fickle friend, and if her death is profitable to him, then she has no doubt that he would light the pyre himself.

Alan, the only man Amandine trusts, has a secret and must make an impossible choice, which could have far-reaching consequences — not only for Amandine, but for the whole of Briton.

My Review

I really love this series. The first two books were fantastic and this latest installment lived up to them. Armandine and Merton both believe each other to be dead and this leaves them not knowing where to turn or what to do. 

Merton is a shell of his previous self and all he can think about is getting revenge on Phillip. He is no longer the warrior that he one was, he is a cripple, unable to hold a sword let alone fight with one. He tries to make his way to Brittany and finds on the way that perhaps life isn't as hopeless as he may have first thought.

Armandine is friendless, left behind in Brittany. She find that with barely any contact with people that she can trust, she finds herself questioning all that she's believed and not knowing if people are really as they seem to be or not. 

At the same time, the Du Lac Brothers are all trying to establish how they now relate to one another and if they can work together. Alden and Merton are both dealing with so much guilt that it is pulling their close relationship apart. Non of the brothers really want anything to do with Budic. Newly arrived Garren is struggling to find his way back into his family and to earn their trust.

I love the complexity of the characters in this book. They all have many dimensions and solutions to problems are not always simple. They don't overcome their immediate problems and find themselves completely whole and happy. 

I don't know what's going to happen next in this series, but I'm looking forward to reading the next book and finding out.