liz ౨ৎ's Reviews > The First Prince and the Last Heir

➸ 5 stars

“Everything in my life…my role…my family…especially my illness, had told me what I can and can’t do. For the first time, I get to choose.”

thank you so much to the abrom authors for the arc!! this book was one i’ve been anticipating since finishing the first one and it was AMAZING!!!! i have never been more excited to start a book and loved every second of this!

picking up right where the first one ended, we’re immediately thrown into action and WOW was it utterly gripping. i truly can’t explain how much i love these books, these characters, and this amazing story. there was never a moment where i was bored and just when i would think i had everything figured out, another twist came that had me screaming in the middle of the night. the ending of this book?! my jaw dropped to the floor! this was such an amazing reading experience and i beyond excited for the third book!!!!

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‼️this review will contain SPOILERS for book one and book two!! please stop here if you have not read them‼️

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“The pain in his heart was more mind numbing than physical injuries.”

“He was a monster after all. That’s all the Mad King was.”

oh i cannot even explain the utter EXCITEMENT of opening this book and seeing claude’s pov starting the book off!!! this was such an amazing start and it brought back all the memories and heartache of the first book and its ending, MY MAN WAS GOING THROUGH IT! i felt the his heartbreak through the pages!!! claude is one of my favorite characters in this book and seeing him put his kingdom first and fighting despite everything he’s going through showed such strength and resilience; dagmara acting as his motivation too AHHHHHH THIS MANNNNN

“I swear by the founding guardians I will exile you if you say one more negative thing about her.”

THE WAY HES DEFENDING HER OH MY GOD HES SO DOWN BAD AND SO AM I

“He didn’t care what anyone thought.
He was a Mad King.
And Dagmara was his queen.”
HIS. QUEEN. king claude mirage i love you!!!

“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to save my wife.”

only the invisible camera in my room was able to see how much the “my wife” made me giggle and kick my feet… MY. WIFE.

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“He wouldn’t come for her. No one was coming for her. She had to save herself, as she always had before.”

DAGMARA MY GIRL :( oh i felt sick! my girl was going through it at the beginning and she stayed strong through it all, i love her so much. the way dagmara and claude were both yearning for each other OH MY GOD THE KNIFE IN MY HEART TWISTED!!!

despite the heartache and situation she was in, THIS GIRL NEVER BACKED DOWN AND DIDNT HOLD BACK!!!! oh i was rooting for her hard and cackled SHES SO FIERCE!!

“She threw boiling water in my face.”
“I hope it blisters.”

“I’ve never healed a burn before.”
“Sad excuse for a Life Gaurdian then, aren’t you?”

QUEEN.

“As with every time her health was at its lowest, she reminded herself it would eventually get better, no matter how hard it was in the moment.”

words can’t describe how strong this girl is. as someone who sometimes struggles with dizziness and has has some scary experiences in the past, i look up to dagmara and admire her strength. <3

“Martine reached out, and Dagmara fell into her friend’s embrace. The guard hugged her tightly, and for the first time, Dagmara accepted that she was finally safe. No matter how long it would last, at that moment, she was alive and free.”

“But I want you to know I’m not doing this because Claude asked me. I’m here because you’re my friend.”

a little martine appreciation here, she’s such an amazing friend and her friend op with dagmara is so sweet <3

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now let’s get into a little of the villains in this book…. AND I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY: if villain, why hot?!!! (i heavily dislike them)

“Princess, we are not supposed to be friends. We are supposed to be mortal enemies.”

a new villain was introduced and i was literally so intrigued at first (more specifically because he called magda princess LIKEE) there were so many questions surrounding this character and his intentions and oh this guy had me ANXIOUS.

“What? You don’t want to see me in person?”
“No, I’m going to see that you stay locked away and that you never get that chance.”
“What a shame. Just when I was beginning to admire you.”
“You don’t admire me. We’re enemies. You said it yourself that you wanted to kill me.”
“You can’t run from power, and neither can I. No matter if we are destined to kill each other, we might be the only equally matched souls in a millennia. Doesn’t that king of intimacy intrigue you?”

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“This is not going to fit.”
“Don’t worry, it’s bigger than it looks.”
“I’m sure you tell that to every woman, don’t you?”

OH I ABSOLUTELY LOATHEEEEEE THIS MAN(?) i thought he was hot in the first book but he did some very questionable and unforgivable things LOATHEEEE I SAY! dagmara absolutely ate him up every time too what a queen

“Do you have a mask to hide your hideous face?”

GET HIS ASS

“Fantasizing about me?”
“I’m fantasizing about killing you.”

“I love seeing you wield a blade.”
“The next blade I wield will be driven through your heart.”

we all love enemies to lovers right… HOW ABOUT ENEMIES WHO STAY ENEMIES oh the banter was literally top mf tier i was cackling every time dagmara said something

“We will never be on the same side, Sabien.”
“What a shame. We look so good together.”

there was many moments when he would say something that had me like “wait that was kinda hot” and then he’d open his mouth and i’d immediately take it back!!! oh i’ve never read about a character that makes me switch how i feel every two seconds RAHHH

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the romanceeeee <3

“You should know by now I’m going wherever you go.”

ravi and magdalena are the absolute cutest!!! ravi is the definition of “i’d follow you anywhere” AHH i love them

“He was the one that remained her sanctuary.”

“I’ve been choosing you every single day.”

“I told you I would always be here for you. Your battles are my battles, even if I’m on the sidelines.”

they had such cute moments together and are just so so wholesome I LOVE!!!

He extended his hand down toward Magda. “Still trust me?”

THE FLASHBACKS TO BOOK ONE OH I LOVED IT!!

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now it’s time for my favs, dagmara and claude <33 i do NOT apologize for how long this section is going to be and how many quotes i’ll be using because i desperately NEED to express my love for these two!!!

“I’m here for my wife.”

the “my wife” did something to me every time i swear, ANYWAYS that reunion was one of THE BEST i have ever read oh my god i was so happy, jumping with joy, tears in my eyes!!!!

“Dagmara didn’t want to be sent away. She wanted to stay with him, one of the only people she felt safe with.”

SHE FEELS SAFE WITH CLAUDE AGHHHHHHH oh these two had my heart hurting and feeling so happy at the same time

now to my FAVORITE CHAPTER….. CHAPTER 23. oh my brain chemistry actually changed after reading that and i kid you not it took me like an hour to read it because i kept rereading lines and i was actually going crazy IT WAS SO GOOD AND WILL FOREVER BE ENGRAVED IN MY MIND i literally think about this chapter all the time

“He remembered. Stairs were difficult with her health—a seemingly mundane obstacle was her worst nightmare—and now only did he remember, he had asked for a room on the first floor.”

i need him so bad HES LITERALLY SO THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERATE OH MY GOSHHHH!!!!! the way he remembered about the stairs, because OF COURSE HE DID plus all the times with the salt, shaven too, CONSIDERATE AND CARING KINGGGGG oh my gosh I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I COULD ACTUALLY CRY

“A truth for a truth?”
There was a twinckle in his dark eyes as he remembered the game. His voice wavered as he replied, “Did you ever give me the truth?”

let’s move past how that first like HURT (i love angst keep it coming) BUT THE FLASHBACKS I GOT TO BOOK ONE EEEEEEEEEEEK love love loved the deja vu and then once the game started ARGHHH i had the biggest smile on my face seeing them having a small moment of peace together

“You’re safe here.”

crying i love him

“And how does the condition affect you?”
“It… Wait—you’re not surprised?”
“No, I noticed. I was waiting for you to feel comfortable enough to tell me.”

ONE: HE ASKED OF IT AFFECTED HER.
TWO: HE NOTICED.
THREE: HE WAITED FOR HER TO FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO TELL HER.

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

“…she found herself reassured. Calm. Content.
Safe.
He had paid attention. He had seen her.”

yes he did bae that man loves you and i love you both <3

“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say you will come home with me.”

IN A HEARTBEAT IM ON MY WAYYYYYYY (this had my heart tweaking)

“Then I need to hear you say you hate me.”
“Claude—“
“You despised me once. Say it, I’m begging you. I need to be released from this turmoil. Say you hate me so much that I can think about something other than you.”
“I don’t hate you, but the world thinks you’re married to Magda. As soon as we find her, I’ll step away and leave the guardians to do what they do best.”
“I don’t care if you’re not a guardian, Dagmara.”

“Claude…”
“Then tell me you hate me,”
“You’ve ruined my life, Dagmara. Free me. Say you detest me. Otherwise, you will return to Azurem, and I won’t know a day of peace.”
“I hate you. I hate how you put your people first. I hate how resilient you are. I hate how conscientious you are and how much you see me. I loathe the salt gifts and that you learned the Azuremi waltz for me. And most of all, I hate how guilty I feel for hurting you. You deserve someone better than me.”
“Oh, Dagmara. It doesn’t sound like you know the definition of hate.”

OH THE ANGSTTTTTTT WAS TOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD i was shaking i was tweaking i was screaming! there is literally no better feeling than a book making you go through so many emotions all at once GOSH I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH.

“There was never any in yours.”

this quote changed lives (mine) the WAY i gasped, jumped up, set my kindle down, and blank stared at the wall for five minutes. OH TO GO BACK IN TIME AND READ THAT CHAPTER FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!! the WAY claude would never have done that, the WAY he got so protective of her OH MY GOD NO ONE WILL EVER COMPARE. IYKFK!!!

“I like you for who you are, Mad King and all, but yes, I can pretend to like you a little longer, Your Majesty.” A smile creased her lips, remembering the words they once shared before their first dance.”
“Shall we pretend we’re in love for one evening? Then we can return to disliking one another.”
“I can pretend to like you for one evening, Your Majesty.”
“Claude returned the smile, no doubt remembering the moment as well. He shifted even closer, his forehead resting against hers.”

DO YOU GET DEJA VU OHHHHH

“I want every second you’ll give me. It is, of course, for the betterment of our kingdoms.”

this quote. the two sentences they share together. oh i was GIGGLING every time they were mentioned, thinking back to the first book, and everything in between to get to this moment <3

“I need a chair.”
“You’re not staying.”
“It’s not for me,”
“We don’t have chairs for guests.”
“The give her one of yours.”
"I will do no such—"
“Claude started forward, ignoring the rush of in-sults. He proceeded to the closest of the nineteen, who quickly scrambled out of the way, rushing to the next council member for safety.
Picking up the oversized chair, the seams of his clothing straining, Claude muttered a half-hearted thank you before returning the chair to Dagmara. He set it on the ground beside her. "For you," he said, his gaze fierce.”

oh girl i was GIGGLING!!!! CLAUDE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!! CARING AND COMPASSIONATE KING PLEASE MARRY ME

“Why aren’t you inside?” He asked
Her thoughts answered, “Because my heart calls to yours.” “Because so can’t breathe knowing you’re hurting.”

OH SHE LOVES HIM!!!!!! THE YEARNING WENT CRAZYYYYY

“You’re a king, and I’m…”
“The woman I’m in love with.
There. I’ve said it. You’ve officially driven me mad. You, Dagmara. You and only you.”

CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMINGGGGGG?! OH HE LOVES HER!!!!!!

“I can’t breathe when you’re near me—I can’t breathe when you’re gone. You have ruined me. I can’t go anywhere with you and not desperately want to…”

WANT TO WHAT? DESPERATELY WANT TO WHAT? oh THEY have ruined me i fear i will never be the same again

“Don’t torture me with your touch. I am only a man.”

SAID THIS AFTER THE FAINTEST TOUCH MIND YOU oh i’m sick

“I can’t be cordial with a woman who holds my very being in her hands. So either tell me you detest me, and walk away now, or—“ “Or marry me. Dagmara Zosia. We will do it all over again. I will add more of my blood to your ring, I would marry you a thousand times over. But I will no longer waver in this unknown with you. I have given you all of me, and I want all of you in return. No masks, no false names, no reservations.”

“I can’t tell you I hate you, because I’m hopelessly, madly in love with you. I’m scared that as soon as I admit it, I’ll lose you somehow. Because that’s what happens to people I love. But i can’t lose you. I can’t…”
“You can’t lose me, even if you tried. I will always find you, because you are my heart, my home.”
“And you are mine.”
“Then marry me.”
“Yes.”

OH IM ACTUALLY SICK!!!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT!!!! THESE QUOTES?! SELF EXPLANATORY. they are literally one of my favorite book couples ever.

“I’m not giving your ring back, by the way, in this little interim before we get married again.”
“Then, in this interim, I will not stop referring to you as my wife—Queen of Ilusauri.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“As you wish, my queen.”

SO CUTE.

“Search her any further and tonight your friends will be searching for your corpse.”

“If you touch my wife, I’ll kill you. Don’t underestimate me.”

“Hands off my wife.”

i love me a protective man!!! OH HE LOVES HER

“I want a kingdom to return home to.”
“I will. For the safety of our people.”
“And the betterment of our kingdoms.”

EEEEEEEEEHEHHEHEHEEEEEEE

“I didn’t fall in love with you because you were or weren’t a guardian. I fell for your wit, your loyalty, your smile, and so many other things I could list that have nothing to do with magic.”

i fear i will NEVER get over them.

“Even if your magic unleashes and tears down our world, I will gladly tear it down with you if it means we can be together.”
“I’m scared,”
“I know, I was too, until I met you.”

OH MY GOD it’s been weeks since i’ve read this and writing this review has me SCREAMING again. i don’t know how to describe how much these two make me feel, just that they make me so utterly happy and im pretty sure i actually cried because of them while reading his book

“I could be a monster.”
“Then be a monster. Rip me to shreds, tear me apart if you have to. But be my monster. We fight this world together. I am yours.”

BUT. BE. MY. MONSTER. yeah i’m just going to leave that here because WOW claude THE MAN THAT YOU ARE.

“For the betterment of our kingdom… I need you to say the rest. I can’t finish the sentence without you.”

OUR KINGDOM. OUR. KINGDOM. THE WAY IT WENT FROM OUR KINGDOMS TO OUR KINGDOM RAHHHHHH (this scene has my heart beating out of my chest)

“Because I don’t say it enough, I love you.”
“And I love you.”
“Let’s go home.”

crying i love them so much!!!

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oh happy ending right!!!! RIGHT???? WRONG! oh that ending was actually CRIMINAL. the way my jaw dropped when i realized who that was and then immediately saw all the signs that were subtly always there OH THE ABROM AUTHORS ARE ACTUAL MASTERMINDS

anyways!!!! this book made me remember why i love reading. i immediately knew this was going to be a five star read before even opening the book. i love when you just KNOW!!!! the escapism, the feelings, the emotions. there is no better feeling than being so immersed in a book, loving characters, and loving a story. this series made me feel all of that and more. i am SO beyond excited for the next one!!!!