The Sunfire King by Sylvia Mercedes Reviewed

Before beginning it should be said that this review includes major spoilers from the previous book The Moonfire Bride. If you don't want to be spoiled than come back to this review after you have finished reading it. 

After finishing The Moonfire Bride the cliffhanger ending was so tantalizing that I decided I had to start its sequel The Sunfire King right away. I listened to it at a faster speed so I could finish it on the same day and man what an enjoyable rollercoaster ride it was. 

Valera has made a terrible mistake. She betrayed her husband Erolas by looking at his face by candlelight while he slept. And now she is paying the consequences. Erolas is taken from her by a strange pale queen along with his servants. All the happy memories she and Erolas shared are whiped from his mind and he is to marry his abductor. With a heavy heart Valera returns back to the human world with her sister Brielle. However, despite Brielle reassurance that she will be okay now that's she's home Valera knows she must return to the Fae world to save her kidnapped husband. If she can just find the Starglass Mirror, she might be able to find out where Erolas was taken. However numerous obstacles litter her path one of them being her Brielle herself. Can Valera convince Brielle that she is in love and not enchanted? Can she locate the Starglass Mirror? Can reach Erolas in time and restore his memory of her and save his life? And can they survive numerous perils and finally get their happy ending? Read the book to find out.

The Sunfire King is filled with action The Moonfire Bride was lacking. Valera gradually gains a good deal of confidence throughout her journey after constantly doubting herself in the past. Her journey is dangerous one but her love for Erolas is what keeps her going. It broke my heart when that the evil troll queen erases Erolas's memory of Valera in a similar fashion to the book East by Edith Pattou. It made me want Valera to save the day as quickly as possible so they could get their happy ending. For if she fails Erolas's destined fate is worse than just an unhappy marriage. 

I won't dive too much into Valera's journey but I do have to complain that it was a little longer than I would have liked it to be. Granted Sylvia Mercedes did a good keeping the story interesting but after a while I got a little impatient of waiting for Valera to reach the castle. If the book were a little shorter I probably would have been more okay with its pacing. The story also sets up the groundwork for Brielle's own book Of Wolves and Wardens and how she ends up becoming Granny Dorrel's huntress. This is all well and good up to a point but it did feel slightly unnecessary to focus on it so much. But overall these problems were ones I could mainly get passed since the experience is still worth reading about.

Overall I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's not as good as the first book which almost led me to giving it four stars but the plot definitely picks up by the end. I was satisfied by the books conclusion and overall found it a very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of Sylvia Mercedes books in the future as well.

Before I conclude this review I want to say that I read the five East of the Sun West of the Moon / Cupid and Psyche retellings in honor of my late grandfather Frank or Pa as I called him. He was a big reader himself and was always curious to know what I would be reading. He was the best grandfather any person could wish for and I dedicate this review (along with East by Edith Pattou, Sun and Moon Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George, Curse Breaker by Taylor Fenner and The Moonfire Bride also by Sylvia Mercedes) in his honor. I will always love him and carry him in my heart. Until next time.