REVIEW: Haven (Chronicles of Warshard #1) by Katherine Bogle

Haven by Katherine Bogle
Series: Chronicles of Warshard #1
Published by Patchwork Press on 10th March 2017
Pages: 208
Source: *Received from Patchwork Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Princess Haven was never meant to be Queen. 

Her immortality has saved her time and time again, but when the last of her royal family dies at her feet, she is next in line to rule a nation on the brink of war. With no formal training on how to be Queen, Haven must rise to the occasion with the help of her best friends, and personal guard, or risk losing everyone she has ever loved. 

With war to the west, and no escape to the east, the evil tyrant Kadia sets her sights on the six kingdoms. Haven's neighbors are quick to fall under the swords of Kadia's shadow soldiers, leaving a sea of bodies and a clear path to Haven's only home. Haven must make a choice; take her people and flee to the foreign Republic across the sea or lead a last stand against a powerful dictator.
Wow. Haven really was not what I was expecting. It was raw, dark and emotional; and I really enjoyed it. This is definitely a case of don't judge a book by its cover, I was expecting this novel to be a lot lighter than it actually was.

Princess Haven has now been made Queen, it was unexpected, but after Kadia murders her whole family, the immortal Princess Haven is left to protect her people and kingdom. But as Kadia moves ever closer, Haven must begin training to protect her people and the other kingdoms, before she is the only one left with Kadia.

Our main protagonist Haven is a brilliantly likeable protagonist; Haven was strong and powerful, yet kind and compassionate. What Haven had to go through was shocking and awful, but she uses those experiences to help others and drive her to save them. Haven also used her immortality to help save and spare the lives of her people, she showed bravery and strength, and is a character that will be admired by the reader. Our antagonist, Kadia, made a big impact. Usually with villains, you remember them when reading, but afterwards you forget them. But I am still thinking about Kadia now. She was such a disturbing and vile character, who subjected people to horrendous things, including when she wanted to test the lengths of Haven's immortality. It was so disturbing and dark, yet you wanted to carry on reading to ensure you saw Haven save her people. These characters really made the novel come alive, helping the reader to become immersed in the world.

The plot of Haven truly shocked me. It was very dark and disturbing at times, and one felt like the visualisation really brought this novel to life, you couldn't help but imagine the scenes occurring, many of which made you go all cold. There is certainly a very serious side to this novel, but there is a lot of action including sword fighting and magical beasts. There was also a great focus on female empowerment, which will truly appeal to the reader, and it was explored brilliantly, especially because of the environment they were in. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, and one cannot wait to see how the plot progresses in the sequel!

Overall, Haven was a pleasant surprise, and I cannot wait to read the sequel Savages and the prequel Fyre.

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