Eidolon by Grace Draven

 

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Oh this book! It tore me apart and put me back together again. Before I get too carried away, I'll do my introduction blurb. So book number 2 in Grace Draven's Wraith Kings series is Eidolon. This book continues with the focus on Brishen and Ildiko and the galla that were called into the world by his horrible mother. 

This book jumps around just a little between different groups of people. So the prologue takes place almost immediately after the epilogue in Radiance, just focused on the newest infant to Brishen's older brother and her nursemaid. There is cute banter between the nursemaid Kirgipa and the palace guard Necos. Then the galla attack and another palace guard comes in and all three are able to escape. It's a terrifying chapter and I could feel my adrenaline surge a little reading their escape. Chapter 1 jumps back to Brishen and Ildiko at home. I'm not sure if it jumps back in time a little bit, but if so it's not much. Soon the news reaches them and things start escalating. They start accepting refugees and everyone trying to escape the galla.

Despite how firm Ildiko and Brishen felt in their relationship at the end of Radiance and the beginning here, they do go through some hardships. It's believed that the rest of the royal family has passed and Brishen is now King of the Kai. He steps up and plans to keep Ildiko as Queen, however being that they're different races, children is not an option. Despite their love for each, a king needs heirs. Thankfully, as the reader, we can see updates on the young infant's progress in getting to Brishen and Ildiko and that the true ruler is still alive. However, this throws Brishen and Ildiko through the ringer as Ildiko's practical nature comes forth and knows, before it's even mentioned, that he'll need to renounce her and pick a Kai wife. She doesn't want it and will do anything to still stay with Brishen, even as a mistress, but duty keeps her firm that their relationship now has an end date. Brishen, obviously, does not like this and there is a lot of strife, misunderstandings and distance created between the two.

I was tearing up a lot throughout most of this book with both of their hearts breaking. I did love that they came to terms with everything before Brishen and the other 4 warriors and monk became wraith kings. Their love and intimate moments became less desperate. They also came to an agreement of sorts that after doing what Brishen would need to to save the Kai, he deserves whatever wife he wants. The battle of the wraith kings and the galla was so well written without taking up too much of the story and being unnecessarily drawn out. I was very excited to see Andras show up last minute, but it was weird seeing him act so different to how he was in Night Tide. 

The galla were defeated and pushed back through the portal. Brishen was able to close the portal, yet the monk was pulled in by the galla. I'm intrigued that his body is still alive, but soul is trapped in this other dimension and can't wait to see how Grace Draven moves the plot forward. The next full book is The Ippos King and is focused on Lord Pangion and Brishen's cousin Anhuset. I'm super excited to see their romance finally and hope it's similar to Radiance in that the romance is the focal point. I'm super excited to see the other wraith kings find their HEAs as well and how the world recovers. I'm not sure if there's going to be another "big bad," but I'm glad that the galla were defeated. 

I'm so happy that FaRoFeb brought cause for me start this series above others on my tbr and am completely obsessed with Grace Draven's writing. It's so eloquent and completely sucks me in. I will definitely be adding whatever books from her backlist that aren't already on my tbr to it. Plus I definitely want hard copies of these books because the covers are so gorgeous. I won't jump right into the next novella in the series since I've got the Lunar New Year Readathon first over Valentine's weekend, but I'll be jumping back into it just as soon as I can!

Have you read Eidolon yet?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Eidolon, Grace Draven, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 328 pages, published 2016