Review of The Envoy's Honor by Antonia Aquilante

The Envoy’s Honor (Chronicles of Tournai 8) by Antonia Aquilante 4*

BLURB: Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills would be necessary for a problem so personal to him and his family. A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people—the magical Talent allowing them to change into dragons—and therefore their kingdom itself remain safe. The delegation is concerned for Corentin, an Ivrian, and the man Griffen’s older brother is soon to marry. The Ivrians seem to want to drag Corentin back to Ivria for the offense of revealing their secret, but Griffen refuses to let it happen. His determination puts him into contact—and conflict—with Kirill, a negotiator for the king of Ivria who possesses the dragon Talent himself. The two clash and connect, getting closer and pulling away as they try to negotiate the needs of their people and an unwanted attraction between themselves. However, just as trust might be growing between them, a plot is uncovered and a member of the Ivrian delegation murdered. Griffen and Kirill must discover who is behind both for the safety of their countries and the people they love…and for a chance to be together.

My Review:I was given this book in return for an honest review This is best read as the next part of the Chronicles rather than a stand alone. Without reading the previous books you could end up not understanding all the nuances and secrets that are within the storyline. I've read all the others, which is why I jumped at the chance of getting to read #8, in one of the most intriguing and fascinating fantasy series I've read since first reading The Valdemar Chronicles. In fact in breadth of world building and depth of characters it is on par with those stories. Even the magic is well intergrated and understandable, as is the romance between the two main characters. I highly recommend starting on this series if you enjoyed Valdemar Heralds, Pern, Green Riders, Song of the Lioness. or any other well written fantasy series.