Published: September 20, 2022
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Series: The Five Crowns of Okrith #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 368 (Paperback)
My Rating: 4.0/5.0
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Gripping and action-packed, The High Mountain Court is an adrenaline-filled, high fantasy with fae courts, powerful witches, and a diverse cast of characters.
A red witch in hiding…
Thirteen years fleeing witch hunters and the looming threat of death. Nineteen-year-old Remy knows she is possibly the last red witch alive, and she is determined to stay that way. The Northern Court King has slaughtered her home court and placed a bounty on red witch heads.
When four fae warriors enter her tavern refuge, Remy tries to flee, but her magic isn’t strong enough to stop a fae prince on a mission. The handsome Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom wants to stop a war with the Northern Court before his kingdom befalls the same fate as Remy’s. He needs a red witch and Remy may be the only person alive who can help him. Can she really trust Prince Hale? Can her fallen court be resurrected from the evil clutches of the Northern Court King? For the chance to save herself, her people, and help defeat the Northern King, Remy must put her faith in Hale and his companions on a dangerous quest to find lost relics.
The High Mountain Court is the first book in the thrilling fantasy saga, The Five Crowns of Okrith. Expect danger, intrigue, and thrilling passion as Remy journeys to save the kingdom she holds most dear.
I’ve had this on my TBR since seeing it in my recs while it was still self-published. Well, about the time I wanted to finally read it, it was picked up by Harper Voyager and re-released so I got an eARC. I was really hooked on this from the first chapter because it has all the elements of a cheesy fantasy romance that I just can’t get enough of! I know I just featured this in my Currently Reading yesterday, but I couldn’t help but to zip right through this.
Remy has been in hiding for 13 years, ever since her home was destroyed by the Northern Kingdom and a bounty was put out for red witches. Red witches have power over physical objects, making them one of the most dangerous types of witches, and Remy must maintain mastery over her power every second so she doesn’t reveal her true nature. She and her brown witch guardian Heather and her friend Fenrin have kept a low profile working in backwoods taverns, but when four fae come into their tavern and recognize Remy as a witch they flee into the night. Fortunately the fae were friendly and were searching for a red witch that was rumored to be in the area to help them look for two powerful magical objects that will help unseat the evil king of the Northern Kingdom.
What plays out is an excellent adventure with some nice twists and turns and a nice fluffy romance. There’s a surprising amount of peril involved, so it’s definitely a story with risk and action involved without the certainty of an entirely happy ending. I also really enjoyed the romance aspect, as while it was instant attraction, it wasn’t insta-love and didn’t have those awful miscommunication issues that so many romance plots rely on for drama. The cast of both main and secondary characters had great rapport and if you like the inner circle in A Court of Thorns and Roses then you may like this too! Overall, I thought this was really fun and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I’m definitely planning to pick up the sequels. At this point, I think there are plans for five books total, and the third book will be released in October 2022.
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