Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

Title: Allegiance
Author: Cayla Kluver
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Teen!
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Summary: He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.
An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return…Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica—until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn…. 


Review: Like Legacy, the first book in this series Allegiance is filled with political intrigue, drama, and most of all: action. But unlike Legacy, all of Allegiance is filled to the brim with secrets and a whole lot of suspense. There's no boring parts in this one which makes it a fantastic sequel. 


Alera is such a strong character. She's one of the heroines you will always root for because of her desire to be more than just a women or just a queen. That's probably one of Alera's most admirable aspects but she also has wit on her side. But she definitely has her vulnerable side, which I always liked seeing because it made her more real to me.


There's a ton of supporting characters to keep track of in Allegiance. Not all of them are memorable, but the ones that are memorable touch your heart. My favorite(s) are The King of Hytanica, Steldor. Steldor has some serious problems but I got so attached to him. He's such a sweetheart. Sometimes. There's also a really special father figure in this series, Cannan, who I felt so much love for. He's literally the kindest man I have ever read about. 


There's over 500 pages in Allegiance making it a very long read. Sometimes long books drag on and on but I didn't feel that with this one. There was just enough action and intrigue to keep me hooked as a reader. And boy do things happen!


Overall, Allegiance is a stunning sequel. I'll definitely be reading the next one because this series has me hooked!


Rating:

Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Title: Legacy
Author: Cayla Kluver
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 21, 2011 (Re-release)
Source: Thanks Netgally and Publisher!

Summary: I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst.

In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.

When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.

In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

Review: Legacy was an enchanting book that, while incredibly detailed, was quite fun to read.
Legacy is detailed to the max. And while it was beautiful and nice for awhile it started to get boring after 200 pages. And there was 300 pages after that. I was impressed with the writing even if it was tiresome after awhile.

The cover of Legacy makes it look like some chic high society book. It isn't. Legacy was set in a beautiful and creative world. It was a fantasy, historical world. When Kluver described the world, I was not bored.

Legacy had a great cast of characters, even if they had some hard to pronounce names. Alera was strong, extremely determined to do right and figure things out. She was an enjoyable protagonist, but she did feel a little distant at times. There was also a slew of Elite guards and a nice love interest!

The only other problem I had with Legacy was the pacing. I didn't fully get into this book until around page 300, it just didn't have me hooked. Even though things weren't really happening something about it wanted you to find out what, eventually, was going to happen.

But that ending, now that was what Legacy was slowly and continually building up too. And I can't wait for the second book, I really need to know what happens!

With a touch of romance and tons of political intrigue, Legacy is a enjoyable book that, frankfully, could have been much shorter.

(Is Frankfully a word?)

Rating: 3.5 stars