Political Intrgue – The Vitruvian Heir: The Awakening by L S Kilroy #TheVitruvianHeir #LSKilroy

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am blown away by this epic saga, The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy, When I read she had no intention of making this a series, I was so surprised. I guess the characters kept talking, telling her they had a lot more to say, and boy do they ever.

The political intrigue and betrayals had my head spinning. The world grew larger, new characters made an appearance and I was lost, reveling in the treachery. I don’t know who to trust and I hope Lorana is up to the task. She really doesn’t have much of a choice, fate or destiny be damned.

Stepping back in time to the 1800s is sickening. No women’s rights. Child slavery…To think there are those that want to keep it that way shows their fear. That to keep control, they have to step on the neck of the peasants…and anyone else that gets in the way of what they want.

How far is too far when trying to save a people?

I love that the characters are individuals, walking to the beat of their own drum in their personal life, yet stepping outside themselves, willing to sacrifice their life in the service of what they feel is right.

I am able to compare the events in The Vitruvian Heir to our own current events and see TOO MANY similarities. I love when I find novels that speak to me on a personal level, opening my eyes to possibilities, good and bad, in fiction and reality. I am so invested in the characters. I fear when they fear. I weep when they weep. I love when they love.

I read for hours, not wanting to quit…for anything…I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

At the end are Book Club Discussion questions.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“Once again, Kilroy has swept us right off our feet and into the richly imagined world of Vitruvia. This second installment of the series is positively dripping with palace intrigues, unforgettable new characters, and masterful world-building. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to step inside a truly magical imagination, just pick up this series, turn the pages, and get wildly, deliciously lost.”

– E.E. HOLMES, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GATEWAY TRILOGY , THE GATEWAY TRACKERS SERIES , AND THE RIFTMAGIC SAGA “If you find yourself attracted to a villain, it doesn’t mean that you are one.” With the fate of Vitruvia resting in her hands, young Lore has decisions to make. And one of her first is to strike up a deal with none other than Ursula, her former mentor and current prisoner. Now that the country has once again made contact beyond its borders, the fledgling empress finds herself invited to an annual summit in Orsia where she’ll take her place among the world’s most powerful leaders. But what awaits her there is far more dangerous than anything even Ursula can prepare her for – or Avery can protect her from. Meanwhile, back in Vitruvia, Sawyer and the formidable vigilante, Lucy Shaw, try to keep a more sinister force at bay. From faraway palaces and a mysteriously alluring foe to a traitorous uprising and fierce new allies, see what happens when a young woman steps into the role she’s both doomed and destined to play.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Teen, Young Adult
  • 372 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published July 7, 2023 by Little Tree Press
  • Series: The Vitruvian Heir, Book II, The Awakening

ABOUT L S KILROY

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” – Dorothy Parker

L.S. Kilroy is an irreverent sort of person who likes to write about things. Growing up an asthmatic only child in a neighborhood of geriatrics, she made friends with books at a young age because she had to – luckily, she also really liked them. Early exposure to the classics fueled her own writing. At fifteen, a man in a bookstore asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, “Writer,” without hesitation.

Writer is a title that has driven her both personally and professionally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Merrimack College and a Master’s degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. By day, she’s a communications professional; by night, she’s an award-winning indie author.

She lives in a rural community in Massachusetts with her husband, stepson, and three naughty cats. Aside from writing, she loves being creative in the kitchen, belting out show tunes, traveling, throwing epic dinner parties, reading, and scouting out vintage finds at consignment shops.

Website / Patreon / YouTube / Instagram / Facebook / Spotify

MY L S KILROY REVIEWS

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The United States Is No More – The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy #TheVitruvianHeir #LSKilroy

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“I want everyone who reads this book to become a rebel.” L S KIlroy

The Vitruvian Heir: The Unraveling (The Vitruvian Heir Trilogy, Book I) by L S Kilroy is one of those books that gets my heart pumping and my blood boiling. I love a book that gets me wound up, wanting to reach through my ereader and punch someone. LOL

We have wonderful illustrations.

L S Kilroy released an enhanced version of The Vitruvian Heir, Book I in 2020, the original was released in 2015. She made it a trilogy because current events made her characters demand it. 🙂

It may seem like we have a triangle going on, but as I read on, everything became clear and I saw the true relationship between Lore, Gideon and Fallon. It’s complicated is an apt description.

I love how L S Kilroy wove current events into her book, rolling freedoms back, making women second class citizens…or worse…Victorian standards that have people giving up any decision making they had, towing the line, becoming robots, fearing for their lives.

I had wondered if The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy would be a good fit for me, but decided to give it a try. I never know where I will find that hidden gem, and I found it in The Vitruvian Heir. I quickly became involved in Lore’s life, feeling her desires and confusion. Her need to be herself. Of course, I knew she would have to be part of the rebellion, but how it would come about was the mystery.

Lore wondered how things could have went so backwards, and I think we only have to look at current events to see how. Vitruvian is what used to be the United States in 2164. Their were brutal wars, famines, illness, tornadoes, decimated crops, endless natural disasters and an emperor.

There are book discussions questions at the end and we have a fabulous epilogue that makes me eager to get my hands on Book II, The Vitruvian Heir: The Awakening.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Welcome to Vitruvia.

In a nightmarish future, one girl holds the key – to rebellion. Society has regressed to Victorian standards and patriarchal dominion. Women have slowly lost their rights. And Lorelei Fetherston, an aristocrat with a forbidden talent for writing, inherits a powerful legacy that can set her free. Though running from her wedding to gentle Gideon, a childhood confidante, is a risk that may not be worth taking.

But this isn’t her only dilemma. Her heart has always been with Fallon, the brooding ward of the current emperor and heir to the Vitruvian throne, and she’s finding it harder to resist his melancholy charms.

Will she escape to carve out a new life or accept her role as a dutiful wife? When her free-spirited friend, Sawyer, comes to her one night in grave danger, Lore is forced to make a fateful choice. In the bordering nation of Hopespoke, women are free. And, according to legend, an enigmatic woman runs a squadron of lethal debutantes and is always on the lookout for new recruits.

From mysterious woodland strangers and underground clubs to spectacular fêtes and a clandestine rebellion, discover what happens when their worlds collide.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Steampunk
  • Format: 242 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published: January 5, 2015 by Little Tree Press
  • Language: English
  • Series: The Vitruvian Heir Trilogy

ABOUT L S KILROY

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” – Dorothy Parker

L.S. Kilroy is an irreverent sort of person who likes to write about things. Growing up an asthmatic only child in a neighborhood of geriatrics, she made friends with books at a young age because she had to – luckily, she also really liked them. Early exposure to the classics fueled her own writing. At fifteen, a man in a bookstore asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, “Writer,” without hesitation.

Writer is a title that has driven her both personally and professionally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Merrimack College and a Master’s degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. By day, she’s a communications professional; by night, she’s an award-winning indie author.

She lives in a rural community in Massachusetts with her husband, stepson, and three naughty cats. Aside from writing, she loves being creative in the kitchen, belting out show tunes, traveling, throwing epic dinner parties, reading, and scouting out vintage finds at consignment shops.

Website / Patreon / YouTube / Instagram / Facebook / Spotify

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!