Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco is the sequel to Throne of the Fallen, in her Princes of Sin series. It is a sweeping romantasy that can be read as a standalone, with different protagonists and an entirely different storyline than the first book.
Adriana Saint Lucent, gossip columnist in the House of Gluttony, hates nothing more in life than the demon prince who rules their circle. Gluttony is the sin from which he draws his power, and as a result, Gabriel Axton is an overindulgent rake, at least as far as Adriana is concerned. Adriana makes sure to let everyone know in her weekly column, lambasting the prince at every turn. For his part, he seems to take a perverse pleasure in making his rival’s life as difficult as possible.
Their animosity began at the All-Sinner’s Ball a decade before, with an incident shrouded in mystery. In the present day, Prince Gluttony is facing inexplicable and dangerous behavior from his ice dragons in the north, and Adriana has picked up the scent of the story. To keep her, or any other journalist, from digging too far into the story, the prince devises an extravagant distraction in the form of a competition for women hoping to be his consort. The competition draws Adriana into his court, and sets them both on a dangerous path, paved with hidden secrets.
If it wasn’t clear enough before, Throne of Secrets is an enemies-to-lovers romance for the ages. The fiery banter between Adriana and Gabriel is unmatched. These two exude wit, cleverness, and sexual tension on pretty much every page and it is absolutely delicious.
The result of all this tightly wound tension is a romantasy that’s just slightly spicier than average for the genre, which I love, even with the slow burn. There’s a sex club that incorporates magic and kink, although the main characters only participate in a light way, and it is a wonderful blending of something commonly seen in contemporary romances in a fantasy setting.
Because this series is set in a Regency-era sort of universe, the characters use a lot of Bridgerton-esque language, which is so unique in a fantasy setting. Miss March, the main character’s pen name, is giving Lady Whistledown, and I could not possibly love this vibe more.
Throne of Secrets is even better than Throne of the Fallen. It builds and expands on the world with characters that are a joy to read. I would read hundreds more pages of these two bickering. The Regency dialogue and demonic magic make for a unique and enchanting read perfect for any romantasy lover.
Writing: 4
Spice: 3.5
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