The Lost Legends

The Lost Legends is one of those books that has everything in it. A princess, an evil king, pirates, a mysterious plague, and an unforgettable love story. This book never left me bored and kept me turning pages, eager to find out what would happen next.

What worked:
The twists in this story blew me away! It was written so incredibly well. The tension between the king and Shane and Adalina kept me biting my nails, wondering if they were going to be caught at some point. The entire book held this exciting sense of adventure, especially the parts about the pirates and searching for a way to break the curse. The romance between Ada and Lee was unexpected. I figured she wasn’t going to end up with her almost betrothed, but she’d said she was in love with him so I didn’t think she’d end up with another guy. I loved it that I was wrong. They had some mad chemistry together. Watching the characters try to stop the plague was fun as well. I’m eager to read the next books to see what will happen next!

What left me wanting more:
Not much! The only hangup I had was that Adalina and Lee moved a bit too quickly physically for my taste. I’m not a huge fan of sex in teen books anyway, especially where the characters aren’t exclusively together. I did appreciate that the sex was fade to black. The sex stuff was basically my only issue with this book. Everything else was completely fantastic.

The Lost Legends is an exciting plunge into an alluring world filled with danger and intrigue. Readers won’t be disappointed with this wonderful book!

See my review on cindyrayhale.com https://www.cindyrayhale.com/reviews/2021/6/11/the-lost-legends

Growing up with the stories of the Nihryst, Adalina wants nothing more than to find them and break their curse. Her brother, Shane, thinks they are just fairytales and pushes them aside to focus on being a good prince for their country. However, since their mother died, their father has grown colder. When Adalina gets caught overhearing talk of her father starting a war, she's forced to flee the castle. Her only hope is to find the Nihryst and enlist them to help stop the war.

Adalina lands herself on a ship with a witty and comedic Brienne and a brooding, handsome Captain Lee. Lee doesn't like the idea of escorting Adalina, but he accepts the job even without knowing all of the details. She's on her way to find the clues of the island the Nihryst were trapped on. While Adalina is gone, Shane discovers how bad things are in his kingdom and wants to do anything he can to make things right. Along the way, he discovers a rebel group and decides to offer them his assistance.

The two siblings are in a race to stop the war before it has the chance to start. Both make shocking discoveries and have help from their friend Philip. Even though Lee is grumpy most of the time, he is always there to help Ada when she needs it. Soon, her heart grows fond for him, but she's a princess and he's a pirate.

THE LOST LEGENDS is a story full of adventure and about following your heart no matter what others tell you. I love every single character in this story. Cait Marie does an amazing job at making you fall in love with each and every one of them. Shane is strong and cares for his kingdom. Adalina believes in the impossible. Phillip is supportive of everyone and will do anything he can to help. Lee is so sexy and loyal. After this debut, I'm excited to see what Cait Marie has in store for us next.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of fairytales, pirates, adventure, prince and princesses, and romance.

apologize if this is a long review but I have a lot to say. Going into this book, I went in with an open mind. I knew I was going to support Cait no matter what she wrote and, the biggest thing, I was going to be honest. Just because I adore Cait as a person didn’t mean I was going to let that judge my feelings on the book. If I hated it, I hated it. If I loved it, even better. And friends, I don’t know how else to say how much I loved this book. From the very beginning I knew it wasn’t going to be hard for me to throw myself completely into this story and these characters. The raw talent that Cait has spoke volumes with her story telling. The plot, the scenery, the pace, the characters — honestly all of it just worked. There were twists (some I saw coming, others I didn’t) and there was action and, my favorite, enemies to lovers. Each part of this book fit together like it was meant to be. I devoured the whole thing and every time I put it down I was just thinking about when I could pick it back up again. The disappointment that I don’t have book 2 in front of me right now is so strong. While the story doesn’t bring too many new aspects to the prophecy and immortal story, I wouldn’t change any bit of it. This is a story that doesn’t need to add elements because Cait took the best parts of these genres and worked with them to create something amazing. If you know anything about this book, it is supposed to be a retelling of Tangled. But don’t give your hopes yet for startling comparisons because this book doesn’t have too many. I was expecting more but I’m not mad that there wasn’t. We will get more of the retelling in book 2.

I don’t even know where to begin with these characters. As each on appeared, I fell more and more in love. Adalina, Shane, Phillip, Lee, Ren, Breanne… all of them are apart of me now. The interactions with all of the characters were so believable and fit the story perfectly. While a good story and good characters are essential for an amazing story, one typically shines more than the other. In The Lost Legends, both complimented each other outstandingly. The journey they each go on, even though Shane doesn’t leave the castle, really made their development work. I am glad that this was done in a dual point of view because I think it would have hurt the story so much not knowing what was happening back at the castle with Ada at sea. There are so many feelings about these characters and I honestly can’t give too much up without spoiling the story. So take my word for it when I saw you need these characters in your life.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, The Lost Legends by Cait Marie has honestly been my favorite book of the year so far and I have a feeling will remain in my top for the whole year. This book was amazing from start to finish. I loved the direction the plot went and how each situation led into the next. The pacing for this novel was perfect and never left me feeling bored or confused. Each character really brought something to this world and were a perfect fit. I would highly, highly, highly, recommend this book if you like adventure, prophecies, the fight for a kingdom, and – of course – enemies to lovers.

I have found a new favorite! The Lost Legends by Cait Marie is the first book in her series The Nihryst. I read it in one-sitting, skipping sleep to do so. When I talk about fantasy being my favorite, I’m talking about the epic adventure fantasies that take you on a journey and leave you hopeful. There is a little romance (or in some cases a lot of romance) involved with a pinch of magic. Battles are fought and won. The good guys aren’t necessarily the knight in shining armor type. These are my favorite fantasies, and The Lost Legends hits every one of those marks.

Princess Adalina is longing for adventure in her life. Her mother read her stories of the cursed immortal warriors called the Nihryst. Her entire life Ada’s studied the stories. She told her mother that she would break their curse, a curse put into place by her ancestor and tied to tarot cards Ada currently holds. After discovering the king’s plan to start war with their neighbors, Ada knows she has to stop it. Her only hope is finding the Nihryst warriors if they even exist and asking them to help her. Ada escapes her kingdom with a crew of pirates and begins the adventure she’s always longed for.

Ada’s brother, Prince Shane, is the next ruler of Detmarya, and since the untimely death of his mother which led to the king’s descent into madness, he has ruled the best he can. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” and this has never been as true as it is for Shane. He loves his kingdom and his people and will do whatever is necessary to save them. While his sister is off looking for the legendary warriors, Shane stumbles upon a disease that is killing the poor in his kingdom. With the help of a rebel faction, Shane sets the stage for Ada’s return and prays that the help she’s looking for comes with her.

Told from Shane’s and Ada’s POV, the plot moves and twists together seamlessly. It’s like having two stories in one, and I love it! Ada’s chapters focus on her hunt for the Nihryst, her interactions with the pirates, and the lengths she will go for her kingdom. Shane’s story focuses on what is happening in Ada’s absence, the king’s plans, and the budding rebellion. Being able to see from all sides of the story led to a great amount of foreshadowing. While I was able to predict a few things as the story progressed, it was still exciting and engaging. The puzzles and mysteries that Ada has to solve to find the Nihryst kept me up well into the morning hours, and I’m pretty sure my heart stopped more than once reading as Shane led a double life trying to find answers about the plague.

My favorite part of this book though is the pirates. I love them! They are such a fun crew and fully fleshed out. The captain Lee and his banter with Ada helps drive the plot. He is guarded with his feelings and keeps to himself, yet something about Ada brings his walls down. Remember how I said a little romance is a must in my fantasy? Slowburn y'all....

Overall, if you haven’t already guessed it, I loved The Lost Legends. I devoured it, there is no other way to describe it. Even now, days after finishing it, I’m still thinking about the characters and what is next for them. The setting, the world-building (which I didn’t even get into in this review but y’all it’s amazing!), and the foreshadowing all make for one epic fantasy. Also I should note, this is a debut author and if I hadn’t have known that going in, I’d have never guessed it. Cait Marie writes as if she’s been doing it her whole life, and I personally cannot wait to read more of her work. If you enjoy adventures, a little romance, and a touch of magic, I highly recommend you grab a copy of The Lost Legends. It doesn’t disappoint!