Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn't her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon by forced into a loveless marriage for political gain. Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people. But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can't possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won't let them stay apart. Kiera Cass brings her signature sparkling romance to this beautiful story of star-crossed lovers and long-held secrets.
I read and reviewed an e-ARC of this novel. Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!
At its core, A Thousand Heartbeats is about relationships. While it takes place in a fantasy world riddled with secrets and cover-ups, the strongest themes are the ones closely related to relationships—family, friendship, love—and thus the most compelling characters are the ones that readers build relationships with too. To start, Annika and Lennox both have best friends and loved ones. Annika's relationship with her brother, Escalus, is one defined by unconditional love and respect. However, her relationship with her family is much more complicated, due to the recent events of her mother's disappearance. Her father, determined that Annika marry strategically, risks alienating himself from his daughter. Annika's familial relationships take the stage in her chapters, making one wonder how the monarchy will proceed with this much inner strife. This is one of the novel's more compelling plot lines as well: how will the throne be passed down, and who is worthy both in name and in character to receive the responsibility of a kingdom?
On the other side of the forest, Lennox doesn't fare much better. He already is alienated from his family: his father died long ago, and his mother has chosen to ally herself with their cruel leader, Kawan. Lennox, determined to prove himself to Kawan and his people, agrees to a mission that will most certainly fail. Except, it does. Lennox finds himself with a set of true friends for one, include Blythe and Inigo, as well as Griffin and Aldrik. It is through these friendships that Lennox never expected that he comes to understand a part of himself he'd never been able to before. Cass is able to craft Lennox's arc in such a way that it would be possible without Annika's interference, making the moment when these two come together all the sweeter.
Of course a Kiera Cass romance wouldn't be complete without the romance. This is an interesting one, though. Lennox and Annika don't actually spend all that much time together. This may make some readers balk, and exclaim that they really wouldn't be able to fall in love in such a short amount of time. I would agree, except for how Cass is able to truly make the most out of Lennox's and Annika's time together on the page. Cass falls back on familiar moves (trapping characters in small spaces, utilizing familiar tropes of power and battle to push characters further together or farther apart) in order to craft the chemistry between Lennox and Annika, and it works in just the right way to make their romance an entertaining one. Who doesn't love a happily ever after? The fun of A Thousand Heartbeats was in the journey, no matter how cheesy or bloody or slightly predictable it was!
A Thousand Heartbeats is a standalone novel with an ending that ties up all of the loose ends. However, I do hope that doesn't mean the end of Cass's forays into writing about royalty. Until we hear more book news, you can find Kiera online at www.kieracass.com. You can find more of my reviews of Kiera's work here.
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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