Book Review: A Forest of Wolves by Chelsea Luna

A Forest of Wolves by Chelsea Luna

Blurb:

Prague, 1610

In a few short weeks, seventeen-year-old Mila has gone from being Ludmila Novakova, pampered daughter of the High Chancellor of Bohemia, to becoming a traitor escaping the palace at midnight in her wedding nightgown. Her country is in chaos, an army is marching from Austria, and revolution is a breath away.

Mila is caught in the middle, between the man she loves—Marc, the son of a blacksmith and a leader of the rebellion—and the murderer the Church calls her husband. Even as she flees with Marc into the heart of the resistance, where the suspicions of angry citizens make her every palace-born habit a danger, she knows he hasn’t told her everything.

But Mila is keeping the biggest secret herself: she is the heir to the throne, the daughter of embattled King Rudolf and Princess of Bohemia. The truth will turn the fury of both sides against her, leaving Mila alone to win her country’s freedom—and her own . . .

My Review:

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1610, and Ludmila “Mila” Novakova has just escaped the clutches of her new husband, Radek and is leaving the Kingdom of Bohemia, in Prague with her love, Marc, and his brother Henrik. Now a rebel and a traitor to the kingdom held in the tight grasp of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Mila is unsure of her beliefs and where her place in the rebellion will be, all she knows is that she loves Marc and he loves her.

When they arrive in the village Marc and Henrik’s family lives in Marc’s father, Petr, is welcoming to Mila – but his uncle Igor believes Mila is a spy. To make matters worse, the other rebels are skeptical of Mila and Ruzena, the girl that also loves Marc, also resides in the village.

As Mila tries to adjust to her new life outside the palace walls, Marc is under great pressure as he is named leader of his division of the rebellion. As war between the Catholics and the Protestants is brewing, Mila will need to be strong and rise to her true potential as she, Marc, and Henrik become targets of the crown. Enemies of the past are hunting them and there are people that will do anything to kill Marc and take Mila back into their possession – people with ruthless agendas.

Will Mila be able to accept her place in the center of the oncoming war? Will she and Marc be torn apart by their enemies? Will anyone be alive at the end of this rebellion?

I really liked A Forest of Wolves; it was an easy read with a storyline that kept you interested. I was not aware that this book was the second book in a series so I felt a little lost when I began reading this book when it came to the events I assume occurred in the previous book, but luckily the reader will quickly catch on if they haven’t read the first book. I loved the history woven into A Forest of Wolves, and the action and anticipation of the upcoming war keep up with the pace of the novel nicely. Having not read the first book, I wasn’t sure what Mila saw in Marc. He reminds me of the kind of rebellion leader you read about in history texts that start out with the best of intentions then with leadership and power becomes corrupt and out of control. I would have much preferred to see something spark off between Henrik and Mila. I could see that he loved her silently. Mila, as a main character, was alright. I wasn’t overly fond of her, nor did I hate her.

 I definitely would recommend this book, it’s a great historical fiction novel for young adults, but I highly recommend reading the first book first so you’re completely in the loop with the storyline. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

A Forest of Wolves is available today, Tuesday, September 13, 2016, from Lyrical Press and Kensington Books! You can find it in eBook and paperback on Amazon!