From the moment I pressed play, I knew I was in for something special. Michael Crouch was the perfect choice for narrating Darien’s story. His voice matched exactly how I had imagined Darien—soft yet full of emotion, capturing his vulnerability and quiet strength. A great narrator can make or break an audiobook, and in this case, Crouch brought the character to life, making me love my boy even more.

The book follows Prince Darien, the shy and loyal second son, as he navigates court life and struggles to find genuine love among those who only want him for his title. While there is romance, it occasionally takes a backseat to the court intrigue and political machinations. The story feels like a condensed YA version of romance and politics—even though all the characters are adults, it still carries a strong YA tone.

The angst in this book packs a punch. At one point, it even made me cry because tragedy hits Darien hard, and he just didn’t deserve all that heartbreak. He never got a break. The love story, though, was sweet. It had a strong insta-love going on, but I didn't mind. Given Darien’s personality, I believed that he could fall in love within a week. 

The villain, unfortunately, was predictable. With so many characters displaying traits of betrayal and vengeance, the story could have offered a more complex intrigue game. The pacing was also a bit choppy in places— like after the tragedy, the plot focused solely on intrigue, leaving everything else behind until it was resolved.

Overall, this was a strong debut novel. It set out to accomplish in one book what other stories take three to achieve. While there were some predictable elements and pacing issues, the emotional depth, court politics, and Darien’s journey made for an engaging read.

*Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.