Daughter of the Drowned Empire

De: Frankie Diane Mallis

Narrado por: Stefanie Kay

Cleopatra meets Fourth Wing in this romantic fantasy series with forbidden romance, political intrigue, and slow burn spice.

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#1 in Historical Fantasy
#1 Greek and Roman Myth and Legend
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Lady Lyriana Batavia is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria: a position of wealth and privilege, but not safety. Bamaria falls under the rule of the Lumerian Empire, survivors of a celestial war whose island sank in the Drowning. Now all Lumerians submit to the Emperor and his strict laws about magic. He decides what magic can be practiced and what powers remain forbidden. He decides who will die for possession of forbidden magic.

Lyr's own cousin was executed for wielding the wrong kind. And for years, Lyr has sworn to protect her older sisters, helping them conceal their own illicit magic.

But when Lyr must participate in the ceremony that reveals her power, she uncovers something else entirely. Something that means banishment from the Empire.

Faced with death in exile, and leaving her sisters behind, Lyr has no choice but to accept a deadly contract. She has seven months to train as a warrior and pass the Emperor's brutal test of strength, without magic.

But when she's forced to train with Lord Rhyan Hart, the man she's secretly loved since she was a girl - a feared warrior in exile himself, forbidden to her in every way - she's in danger of losing far more than her family, life, and country.

Rebel forces, and an invading army, are destabilizing Bamaria, just as her family's secrets threaten to reveal themselves.

Surviving the training, and saving her sisters may mean sacrificing her own heart.

©2022 Frankie Diane Mallis (P)2024 Frankie Diane Mallis

Reseñas de la Crítica

"DAUGHTER OF THE DROWNED EMPIRE by Frankie Mallis is a breathtaking and sumptuous fantasy romance that had me kicking my feet, gasping for air, and blushing from the first page to the last. One of my favourite reads of the year!" —Elizabeth Helen, author of Bonded by Thorns

Pretty Good

Felt like a fairly good start to something. I'm interested to see where this goes, and enjoyed the story over all. This really feels like a prologue book with all the set up, a bit like how ACOTAR feels like a prologue to ACOMAF. Still the magic and world are cool, and I love the different feel the setting gave me.

This is your new obsession

It's been a few weeks since finishing this and it's occupying so much of my brain. I can't stop thinking about it and my desire to find out what happens next is overwhelming. I hope this comes out on audio quickly after the release date.

This was a really interesting read. It's like a weird retelling of the myth of Atlantis with some Divergent/Hunger Games vibes. Throw in some magic, political intrigue and forbidden romance and you've got this book. My biggest issue was the world building and characters. There seemed to be a lot characters with duplicate names or similarly sounding names. At least on audio I found myself confused more often especially at the beginning with the names and world building. The world is complex and there are multiple kingdoms and politics that make things somewhat more confusing. This book is also heavy on the world building. The plot can seem slow at times and it takes a while to get going, however I didn't mind that too much because it provided a lot of backstory and insight into character development.

The romance is sweet. There's a bit of a love triangle going on, *sigh* I guess... However, I'm not sure the OG love interest is a true love interest. He's more useful to the MC so she keeps him happy and puts up with his "attention." He's a pretty selfish boyfriend and gives off Tamlin vibes. The actual love interest is a nice mix of childhood friends to lovers then enemies to lovers then trainee/trainer trope. However, is he swoonworthy ❤️‍🔥 And all the damn tiktoks of this book rekindle my love for Rhyan over and over. Speaking of tropes...

🛏️ One bed
🩺 Taking care when injured
💢 "Who did this to you?"
And more...


This book isn't really spicy, however I see spice in the future books for sure. There's some suggestive cuddling but it's not what I would call spice.

Also, you may want to check trigger warnings. This book is violent and discusses topics such as domestic abuse which might be harder for some readers to digest. But it's really limited and more suggested than described.

Be aware this book ends on a baby cliffhanger and right as things start getting exciting. I'll be waiting patiently for the next book to come out on audio 🙏

Overall,

Story⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 🚫
Audio Performance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

unfulfilled potential

I found myself getting annoyed at the MC A LOT. There's too much repetative inner dialouge, and she needs to grow up. I was hoping for her to evolve through the book, but no. Maybe in the next? Don't think I'll continue the series. I liked Rhyan, and am curious on his story. I did NOT like all the similar names, and how many times can one repeat the full title of the MC in a book?!Here's a potential in the world and in the plot, but I must say this was not a very good start to the series for me.

Best new fantasy series!!

This is a must-read for fantasy fans. If you love Sarah J. Maas, download immediately! I love that this story takes its time, letting Lyr experience the growth and heartbreak that makes a coming-of-age story so satisfying without rushing her journey. This series is lush and exciting, emotionally intelligent, and so detailed it feels tangible. Bravo Frankie!!

Wonderful, compelling book!

Loved it so far, and from the setup I am looking forward to the next book too

Wow!!! I’m in love!

The “who did this to you?” moment!!! Swoon! And the voice actor said it perfectly, beyond perfectly! I love the main character Lyr, I am so in love with Ryahn, and the world that this author has created is so beautiful and well put together! I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten through an audiobook faster, I just couldn’t put it down!

Exceptional!

This is truly a breath of fresh air from the usual fantasy story. Amazing action and romance intertwine to tell a brand new story that is breathtaking and wonderfully read by the narrator.

“Hello Lover!”

Firstly I don’t often write reviews but sometimes the mood compels me and phew am I compelled.
Ok so first the positives… there are so many it’s hard to wrangle them all. The unique story stands among the boldest of these positives. Lyr is a strong character that thinks she’s weak. I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow in this series. Rhyan, oh high lord Lord Rhyan Hart, Heir Apparent to the Arkasva, High Lord of Glemaria, Imperator to the North… you mean king of consent and not in a cheesy super obvious over the top way. It was in a I respect you and your strength but let me help you kind of way.

Now issues I had and others may not find to be such an issue. This is the first high fantasy novel I’ve listened to in a looong time and sometimes the words like Batavia and Bamaria, forsaken and forsworn were a little too similar without the glossary that’s in the print/ebook. I wish I could have found the glossary on the author’s webpage or anywhere but I couldn’t. As a result the first few chapters I spent trying to figure out what some of the terms were. Once I got my vocabulary sorted I was hooked on this book.

Give this book a chance, Im so glad I did now on to book 2!

Whimpy Sounding Main Character

The story was pretty good. I like the characters. But the narrators voice makes me crazy. The main character sounded pathetic, weak, and on the verge of tears the entire story. I don't think it was the author's doing. I think it's how the narrator choose to portray the main character.

So constantly, as I'm trying to enjoy the story, I'm cringing from the constant bursts of whining. And it was unnecessary. Most of the time the author hadn't written any words to make that whining tone necessary.

it was ok

Meh. Interesting world and concepts, but really slow plot that was pretty anticlimactic. I was pretty disappointed with the ending. Didn't care for the narrator that much. Good enough to listen all the way through.