Book Review | Solstice of the Drowned Empire

Before Lyriana became a Soturian, before Jules was taken from Cresthaven, and before Rhyan made his oath, they shared the solstice.

Prequel novellas are hit or miss, and Frankie can’t miss. This beautiful addition to the series elaborates on Rhyan’s point of view of when he met Lyr, and how he developed feelings for her as they matured into young adults. As a plus, we get more time with our beloved Jules as we learn more about what her time at Cresthaven was like before the events that took place in Daughter of the Drowned Empire.

Here we follow Rhyan as we lead up to that magical moment on the solstice (which we all know and love). However, readers should know that this should NOT be read before the other books. Despite being a prequel, it contains spoilers for the rest of the series since Rhyan has a few secrets of his own. Besides, this installment is best enjoyed as a refreshing, more upbeat tale following the high-stakes and emotional journey followed in Guardian of the Drowned Empire.

Reading from Rhyan’s POV for the first time allows us into his headspace during one of the darkest times in his life, followed by some of his early interactions with Lyr. It does a magnificent job showing us the foundation of Lyr and Rhyan’s relationship prior to the first book, granting a better perspective of the not-lord’s actions later in the series.

If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you won’t want to miss this! Normally, I’m quite skeptical of novellas or bonus content (I don’t doubt that it’s good, I just question the relevancy or if it’s just nice to have). Also, with limited reading time, I’d prefer to focus on a full novel or another book rather than supplemental content–but Solstice is its own full work. While it expands upon a time we hear frequently about in the series, seeing it from another perspective helps develop characters in a new light while foreshadowing events that take place in Lady of the Drowned Empire and beyond.

I received a free copy of the book in advance as an ARC reader, and I write this voluntarily. If you like Frankie’s work, consider joining the ARC team and the Street Team to see behind-the-scenes shenanigans and be a part of the collective forsworn mayhem.