Reviewed By Wency

TITLE: The Engineered Throne

AUTHOR: Megan Derr

PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press

LENGTH: 346 pages

BLURB:

Lord Vellem is a man desperate for escape. His father hides from his problems in alcohol, his mother hides from her misery in drugs, and his brother fled to the relative safety of the royal palace. Vellem eventually found solace in the Royal Army Corp of Engineers, but still could not entirely escape. Then his brother provides him with an unexpected chance, and now Vellem’s marriage to the young prince of a neighboring kingdom is only months away.

The marriage promises not just a fresh start in a new land, but a challenge to his famed skills in building roads and bridges. But before he can settle into his new life, tragedy strikes, and Vellem isn’t certain he’s up to rebuilding the ruin left in its wake.

REVIEW:

When I first read the title, The Engineered Thorne, I thought there would a super wicked throne like the Iron Throne in George RR Martin’s book. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t. The title refers to the story as a whole. And I’m not going to spoil the story for you.

The story centered on Vellem de Ries, the second son of a duke. Engineering had been pretty much his life where he found solace in it. He is the colonel of the 21^st regiment of Army Corp of Engineers where their work gains them the upper hand in wars.

I find his character strong, full of compassion and love. He always say that his brother is nobler than him but I think he is much more.

Anyways, when a marriage contract was form with the neighboring country to cease the war and forged an alliance, he found a chance to start and build a new life and leave behind the scarred life he had from his alcoholic and violent father. Little did he know of treacherous plans ahead.

Megan Derr as always is the Queen of MM fantasy. I’m a fan of her work which I always found myself lost in the world she created. And the writing is great. It really complements the genre and the setting of the book.

Though some was bothered that the romance in this book is quite flat and cold. Believe me, through the first part of the book I am ready to raise a sign saying “the romance is dead.” But halfway, I started to like it. The angst was what brought my interest back and the events that followed.

The chemistry between the two main characters was kind of flat during the first meeting. Nada. I felt nothing. Not like the intense feeling between the huntsman and the prince. I don’t know how Ms. Derr does it but I found myself liking them halfway and throughout the book and I am surprise that this book has a lot of sex scenes without being overdone.

Interesting sub-characters too: Koit, Vellem’s brother and Bertin, Vellem’s apprentice.

I’m a sucker for MM fantasy-Romance set in a monarch world so I pretty much enjoyed the book.

RATING:

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