Valley of Bones by Diane E. Samson

Valley of Bones (Gems of Fire #2) by Diane E. Samson

Release: February 15, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Diane E. Samson
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon , B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Princess Anna is left to rule Sunderland as regent when her father, brother and her presumed fiancé Jack ride to battle devouring creatures in Jack’s home kingdom of Oclen. She must establish herself as a strong leader with the Sunderland council and a neighboring king who brings along two handsome princes to negotiate an alliance.

Trouble erupts as outlining Sunderland villages are attacked by pillaging marauders and the council loses confidence in Anna’s leadership. As Anna waits in trepidation for word from her father’s army, all she hears is silence. Her scouts never return. When the reports of a coming horror reach Anna, she forges an unlikely alliance and forgoes her father’s long-standing policies against gems of power. She trains Sunderland’s remaining soldiers to fight with gems. She’ll lead them to battle to rescue her family and the one she loves.

But first she must survive the treachery brewing in her own court.

About the Author:

Diane E. Samson grew up on acreage just north of Kansas City, Missouri, with horses and dogs in the backyard. She later pursued her love of words and earned a degree in magazine journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After graduation she worked as a reporter, managing editor, freelance writer and in public relations. After moving around the country, she’s recently returned to the Kansas City area where she lives with her husband, children and golden retriever.

She’s written fiction off and on her whole life. Gems of Fire is her first series about a girl traveling a journey of self-discovery in a world of powerful gems, supernatural forces, epic battles and of course, handsome heroes.

Valley of Bones Review:

“Valley of Bones” is a lovely continuation in the series, where we see the power of gems, mysterious creatures, with gripping adventure and lots of drama.

In my review of the previous book, “Gems of Fire,” I had mentioned that the book focused more on the plot than the characters. However, in ” Valley of Bones,” I feel the author rectified that, and I loved the character development. The author beautifully blends the action and adventure with the drama of the characters, and it was so entertaining to read. The author also retains the elements from the first book, where I liked many moments, like Anna trying to uncover the secret of the gems or when she and Klaus fight the creatures.

However, more than the adventure, I enjoyed the drama between the characters. Anna is terrific in the lead again as we witness her risking her life for fierce battles. Also, Anna goes through quite a lot of stress as she handles her new role of leading the council. She is not sure if her decisions are the right ones, and it was interesting to see how she navigated through this.

The author also progresses nicely with Anna’s romantic life. There is a lot that happens between her and Jack in the story. It was interesting to see how the dynamics shifted and made me go through conflicted feelings as well. I missed Jack as we don’t see much of him here. Moreover, the author spices the tale when she introduces characters like Mikkel and Zac. The author also focuses on secondary characters like Bart, Abigail, Klaus, and Captain Thrane. I particularly liked Klaus and found him memorable.

Overall, “Valley of Bones” is a beautiful continuation, and I look forward to reading “Mountain of Flame.”

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win signed copies of all three books, a purple gem necklace, a $25 Amazon gift card and three bookmarks, US Only.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Valley of Bones (Gems of Fire #2) by Diane E. Samson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!