Book Title: Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets #2)
Author: Jennifer Anne Davis
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Description from Goodreads:

While traveling to Fren, Allyssa and Odar are hijacked by a ruthless assassin who divulges a stunning secret that changes everything.

Trying to come to terms with this newfound revelation, Allyssa is taken to Russek and delivered into the hands of a malicious and twisted royal family. She finds herself an unwilling pawn in a risky political game that will either end with her death or the annihilation of her beloved kingdom. Unsure of where the lies end and the truth begins, she must survive the brutal family and escape the fortified castle, all the while coming to grips with her feelings for Odar.

In a kingdom filled with darkness, Allyssa enters a game where one wrong move means death, secrets hide around each corner, and it will take every ounce of cunning she has to survive.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

After reading the title and synopsis, I was somewhat afraid to start the second book in the Reign of Secrets series. All that promised darkness stood in sharp contrast to the first book, which was more of a swashbuckling adventure and romance. However, given the cliffhanger ending at the end of book one, I was eager to dive in.

Cage of Darkness picks up immediately following the events of Cage of Deceit. Allyssa and Odar find themselves kidnapped by a more-than-capable assassin who spirits them off to Russek, the very kingdom threatening to invade Emperion. Once the group arrives in Russek, we unsurprisingly learn that Allyssa’s parents’ former enemies — exiled Emperions Eliza and Jana — are alive and well. Jana now rules alongside King Drenton of Russek, and Jana’s daughter Shelene is Odar’s former betrothed. Hard yikes. Jana has her eyes set on taking back Emperion and she waffles between wanting to use Allyssa as a pawn and wanting to seek revenge on Allyssa’s parents by killing said princess. Like I said, it’s dark.

At first, I was afraid this book would be dark for darkness’ sake. The initial threats of sexual assault and rape really scared me as the reader, so I can only imagine what Allyssa was going through. In that sense, Davis does a masterful job of conveying the seriousness and urgency of the situation. However, once Allyssa is locked in the dungeon and subject to torture, it became easier to suspend disbelief. I truly felt for Allyssa, but the torture plot point was… odd. Really, this was a time for Davis to either commit or move things along, but neither happened.

Allyssa is kept in the dungeon for weeks. Color me confused because she spent most of that time sitting, reflecting, and regaining her strength. I suppose we’re to assume Odar is trying to find a way to break her out but he never acknowledges that was the case and, if it was, he certainly wasn’t successful. Why do you continue to suck so much, Odar? What good are you as a comrade? He may have grown on me by the end of Cage of Deceit, but that goodwill is quickly relinquished when he proves himself to be largely useless in Cage of Darkness.

Meanwhile, Jana and Eliza claim to hate Allyssa with the passion of a thousand suns and yet… the torture is pretty mild? Taking into account that Allyssa is still only sixteen and a Crown Princess, maybe her enemies are being cautious or sensitive, but if so, their actions completely contradict their venomous words. What Allyssa goes through is rough — she’s cained and has her finger nails ripped off — and I don’t want to dismiss her trauma. Allyssa’s actions and reactions come across as realistic. It’s the villains that I don’t understand. They confine her to the dungeon for weeks only to have her tortured a couple times? Why? Do they really want her dead? Do they have some other master plan? They get real murdery by the end of the book so I guess they were joking around, but they really missed their opportunity to kill Allyssa the first go-round.

Eventually Allyssa is released from the dungeon and instead given to the Crown Prince of Russek, Kerdan, as his plaything. This is where the book begins to pick up as Allyssa finds a surprising ally in Kerdan. And let me tell you, after the insufferable annoyance that is Odar, Kerdan is a huge breath of fresh air. He’s capable, strategic, and has a soft side that most of Russek never gets to see. There’s an instant understanding between Allyssa and Kerdan, as if they’re cut from the same cloth. Kerdan offers to help Allyssa escape if she helps his coup to usurp Jana and the princess Shelene, taking back his rightful throne.

Allyssa continues to impress me as a protagonist. She has so much inner strength and such a sharp mind. I love watching her build relationships with people — she tends to see people for who they are beneath their masks, allowing Allyssa to form deep and meaningful connections. These alliances strengthen her (and vice versa), but she always manages to save herself through quick thinking. Like the people of Emperion, I would totally root for Allyssa as my future queen. Here’s hoping the sequel has far more Kerdan and far less Odar because I am in it for the long haul. If like me, you’re a fan of Buffy Summers, then I think you’ll find the Reign of Secrets series right up your alley.