Golden Chains

All right, so I loved Golden Curse, but I LOVED this second book.

The story picks up with Etta imprisoned for having magic. Tyson and Edmund have fled Gaule for the same reason. Alexandre feels betrayed by Etta for lying about who she is, but he is also conflicted. His entire life he'd been taught that magic was evil. Now, three of the closest people in his life have been revealed to possess such gifts. Not only that, he also wonders if everything between him and Etta had only been because of the curse connecting them.

With the threat of La Dame at their border and his kingdom falling apart, Alex must decide whether he wants to rule as his father did, with fear and force, or if he should follow his heart. And Etta must figure out whether she can forgive the enemy who has stolen hers.

This book is just... I don't even have the right words. Phenomenal. I am so mad I waited this long to continue the series. (The only reason I did is because of how busy I've been. It was nothing to do with the books.)

It is so well written, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. Once I finally started it for real, I couldn't stop. I ended up reading the whole thing in like two sittings, and then I immediately started the next book.

I loved everything about this book. The plot and character development were superb. At the end of the first book, I wasn't a fan of Alex, but I was back to loving him in Golden Chains. Edmund and Tyson were still my favorite, but they were all great. The story grew so much in this book, and I loved learning more about the history and curse.

I highly, highly recommend this series! It's officially one of my favorites now, and I am so excited to read the rest of the books!

Feedback
I just… wow. What a different pace than the first novel! Right off the bat we are thrown into the dungeons with Etta as she believes Alex is the one responsible with the treatment she is receiving. Alex believes that Etta betrayed him and is refusing his requests. And so the tension between them begins. There is so much that happens in this story and it is nonstop. Betrayals are revealed and secrets are exposed. I loved every second of it, even if I was screaming at the book. Each page had me anticipating what was going to happen next. Was Gaule going to be safe? Were Etta and Alex ever going to forgive each other? Why is Camille such a b*tch? Everything about this story was perfectly set up and the different pace was exactly what this story needed.

This dual point of view was perfect. I’m so glad that Lynn decided to give us Alex’s perspective throughout this series. While Etta made me a little angry throughout this book, I love her so much. She has such a strong personality and I love how it influences her. This book she struggled a little more with the curse and how she was meant to hate Alex but she refuses to be controlled. Her character development was fantastic and I was surprised with how much more she actually developed from book one. Alex, oh Alex. I think one of my favorite things about Alex is how unperfect he is. He has a temper but still tries to see the best in everything. He doesn’t want to be King but still tries to make the best decisions for his people. His development was even more incredible than Etta’s. I loved the resolves he came to and how he is really becoming the person and King he wants to be.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Golden Chains by M. Lynn was a fantastic sequel to this series. There was so much that happened but it all flowed so nicely. I enjoyed reading through this story and the ending is really making me anticipate the next one in the series. Both Etta and Alex has amazing development throughout the story. The dual point of view was very successful for each character and really helped the pacing in the book. I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked the first one.