Forsworn

Title: Forsworn (The Last Oracle #2)
Author: Emily Wibberley
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 7/10

I'd like to thank Emily Wibberley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"It’s been a year since Clio made her sacrifice to the Deities and embraced her destiny as the Oracle to save her people.

The only family she has left is a brother who wants her dead.

The prince, her oldest friend, is a king with his own agenda.

And the man who once loved her, now hates her.

All she can do is try to forget about Riece, the enemy commander whose heart she broke to save his life, as she serves the Deities. Her days are filled with Visions and bloodshed in a never-ending war against the Untouched. To add to her problems, she must pose as King Derik’s mistress to conceal her forbidden powers from the Emperor’s spies.

When Riece unexpectedly returns to Sheehan with a new and beautiful ally, Clio knows she must put him out of her mind once and for all, but first, they are thrust together into battle against a mysterious Untouched warrior with otherworldly power. To reclaim her city, she must team up with the man she hurt, the man she still loves but can never be with, and finally confront the questions about her origin—questions with answers that Clio may not be prepared to face."

***

You can read my review of the first book of the trilogy, Sacrificed, here.

Forsworn was a delight to read. As someone who's been struggling to find a plot that captivates me long enough recently, Wibberley provided me with the perfect place to dive back into books.

Clio, continuing from Sacrificed, is still the strong, spitfire, headstrong girl she was. I loved seeing how accepting the mantle of the Oracle changed her, and it was great to see her relationship with Derik evolve and change.
Most important to me, though, was see Clio flourish on her own. Yes, she is pining after Riece (and, really, who can blame her, right?), and yes, she still loves him. That doesn't stop her from carrying on with her life without him, and kicking some serious butt. It also doesn't stop her from running into his arms the second the opportunity arises. I love that, that we were able to see Clio act on her own, that she was perfectly capable - if reluctant and saddened - to live without Riece, before we got thrown back into the romance.
And I absolutely loved her relationship with Ashira. The speech at the end, about how being strong doesn't mean being hard and unfeeling was truly beautiful, and a message young girls should be told more often. You can still be feminine and be strong and independent (part of the reason why I'm absolutely in raptures over Zarae, I think haha).

Diazon was a surprise, and, while I'm glad that was sorted, I also love the can of worms he managed to overturn while he was still kicking; I'm looking forward to what this will all mean to Clio going forward.

ps: in case you were wondering, I'm in denial over Lireen. And I will never not be.