Princess of Blood follows Servant of Earth as the second book in Sarah Hawley’s The Shards of Magic series. It continues directly from where the first book ended and as a result there will be spoilers for it in this review. This one is another taut and exciting thrill ride through a world of magic, brutality, lust, and betrayal.

Mistei is a violent and intense underground city in the world of the Fae in which there are six Houses – Void, Light, Illusion, Fire, Earth, and Blood. If humans come to Fae, they end up as servants. Kenna is a human female who carries a sentient bloodthirsty dagger that she found in a bog near her former home, a bog she travelled across to reach the Fae world. She became a servant of Earth House and secretly helped her Fae mistress Lara to complete immortality trials. When the shards of magic, ancient gods that created the Fae world, judged who was worthy of immortality after the trials, Lara lost her Earth magic for cheating by using Kenna’s help, but Kenna was judged as having passed the trials by completing all the tasks with Lara and gained blood magic. With that, she became one of the Fae. With her newfound power, Kenna killed King Osric and claimed her place as a Princess of Blood House, empty for five centuries after King Osric massacred its former inhabitants.

While Kenna gained powers, she still has to learn how to use them. And she’s disappointed (and somewhat bitter) to have discovered that the Fire Prince Drustan, while he appeared to be interested in her romantically, was actually using her for his own ends and directly caused the death of Lara’s younger brother. The only Fae who has been honest with her from the start is Kallen,( formerly known as ‘The King’s Vengeance’ an assassin for King Osric, but now freed of that duty) and member of Void House. While he blackmailed Kenna into revealing secrets of Earth house while she served there, he never hid his nature from her nor did he ever deceive or lie to her.

King Osric’s death has left a power vacuum and the members of three Houses are vying for the title of King or Queen. Osric’s relative, Imogen, the heir to Illusion House, has put forth her claim for the throne of Mistei, trying to cement herself as the obvious choice and promising not to follow in Osric’s footsteps as a tyrant but rather a benevolent queen. As such, she announces a thirty-day peace accord to allow members of the Noble Fae time to decide who they want to lead the six Fae houses. Drustan, prince of Fire House is also eager for the role of King, as is Hector of Void House, Kallan’s brother. Earth House has vowed to remain neutral, as it has in previous fights for the throne. That leaves Light House (run by a sadistic couple, Torin and Rowena, but with a small rebellious faction led by Gweneira, who supports Drustan) and Kenna’s own newly reformed Blood House as those whose support will be needed for whomever is victorious in achieving the throne.

Kenna is torn between Hector and Drustan as possible leaders of Mistei (she has no interest in giving Illusion House the chance to rule again). Drustan betrayed her personally. Hector has a dark reputation. Both have promised reforms in how humans and the underfae are treated. Meanwhile, the thirty day accord appears to be holding the peace but political undercurrents and real assassination attempts demostrate its fragility.

With few around her she can trust, Kenna is surprised to find that Kallen is becoming an important ally, offering to train Kenna in the fighting arts and to teach her about her magic and how it can be used. As the training proceeds, Kenna finds herself growing closer to him emotionally and physically. She is wary of getting sexually involved with another Fae after her experience with Drustan, but Kallen’s darkness matches her own desire for vengeance. Her support will make or break a Kingship – if she can survive long enough to cast her vote.

Since this book starts literally right after the events of Servant of Earth, I went back to reread its last few chapters before starting Princess of Blood, and while the author does a good job of explaining what has gone before, this is really not meant to be a standalone story. Knowing everything Kenna has gone through to this point is important in understanding her motivations, actions and beliefs. Like the first story, the violence is visceral and includes scenes of torture that aren’t for the fainthearted (I will confess to having to skim a few scenes; I don’t care to have certain images in my head). It’s a tense and exciting read however, and the reader never knows what is going to happen next. The worldbuilding is excellent and thorough, describing the different Fae houses, the magic systems, the different levels of the hierarchcy and the other beings who inhabit this world. Kenna’s relationship with Kallen deepens, finally leading to them becoming intimate, but that, too, is not without consequences. The action proceeds swiftly to a shocking cliffhanger of an ending that, while I suspected things wouldn’t go easy for Kenna, still took me by surprise. Now comes the agonizing wait for the next book! Who lives, who dies, who will ultimately rule Mistei – it’s all on the line as we wait for the next thrilling entry (possibly the conclusion?) in the series.