Phera Ylir Mdana may have entered the infamous and prestigious Rynish marriage games but her goal is not to win the prince’s heart. Phera is there for her true love Rochelle, whose parents denied her proposal due to politics. Phera is sure if she wins the games, she will prove her worth as their daughter-in-law. Although she somewhat successfully juggles maintaining the audience’s favor while concealing her relationship and winning the increasingly difficult challenges. More than her pride is at stake as she notices something deeper and far more sinister brewing under the crown’s nose. 

Phera befriends Prince Dominic and with the help of Rochelle and Phera’s ally Hespin they begin to uncover the secrets lying in plain sight. But long-standing tensions reach a boiling point as they find themselves in the heart of a rivalry that is determined to end in bloodshed. Can they prevent a war while finding love and maintaining their facade? Or will politics and hatred win out in this magic-filled fantasy competition? Find out in, The Duchess of Kokora. 

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. The humor surprised me as Phera was incredibly witty and her comebacks were hilarious. I was also very nervous about a lesbian being written by a man but this was done well. The plot was enticing and flowed with the pacing. There were no obvious plot holes, the dialogue was natural, and the relationships had depth. I didn’t skim or get bored and the magic system was easy to understand. The writing was a little wordy but overall it painted a nice picture of the events and characters.

All in all, this is a solid read. It starts strong and carries the reader through magical duels, adventures, and scheming. From creating icy wonderlands with secret lovers to sprinting through burning buildings the action never stops. If you like sapphic fantasy with political strategy and quick-witted humor, you are in the right place. Happy reading!

TW: Anxiety, attempted murder, blood, bones, death, lesbiphobia, misogyny, poisoning, PTSD, war, and violence. 

Thanks so much to Prbythebook and Nikhil Prabala for sending me this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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