Dare (Foolish Kingdoms)

“I lost my voice, and it didn’t return, and I didn’t care. The evil world expected me to curl up in the corner like a seashell—silent and small and breakable—forgetting that a seashell held the roar of an entire ocean inside it. I didn’t need a voice, only my teeth and my dreams to save me.”I am sad. For all the wrong reasons. This could have been so great, with an addictive Trick as backbone, a magical island, a hate to love theme and the cruel treatment of “fools” taking center stage. It had the recipe for a beautiful and very thrilling read. If only it had been done right.I have never seen the movie, but from what I can tell this was similar to Blue Lagoon. It certainly had the same elements with a boy and a girl being trapped on an island with no way off it, and a growing attraction and curiosity of each other’s bodies. Me being a romance junkie that should have been the perfect fix. It was not. While the book was very beautiful in the way of writing, metaphors and great messages being delivered, it dragged with not much really happening. Since it took place on an uninhabited island the plot couldn’t depend on anything other than Flare and Jeryn for the plots progress. Being only the island, it’s animals and nature and the main characters the biggest focus was, or rather should have been, the developing relationship between Flare and Jeryn. That didn’t really happen for a very long time though.I could tell that the author was really sold on the idea of Isle of Lost Rain, because that was almost prioritized before the romance. Description after description was thrown out about the strange island and both Flare and Jeryn was enamored with it in their own very different ways. Instead of them exploring each other’s personalities and being forced by proximity to get to know and thaw their hate for each other, they explored the dangers and wonders of the isle. While I enjoyed the originality of an magical deserted island I got bored with it when the story seemingly was mostly about developing a relationship with the island rather than between the only characters there was.When things finally started to happen between Jeryn and Flare it was unsatisfying and underwhelming when considering their solar opposite personalities and dislikes of each other it should have been explosive in the least. The pacing took that away, because as a reader I wasn’t really allowed or given the room to experience the developing feelings between them. That development was only recapped when the story jumped in time from months to years, and it had an annoying habit of doing so throughout the book.Because of said jump in time they went from dislike to love from seemingly nowhere. There were some written out moments where I got to be there and see them work things out and learn to understand each other’s differences and those moments were great, but few and far in between. It did not help me get behind the love they suddenly had for each other. While it had been years for them, it had only been minutes for me and that is the danger in recapping and jumping in time. If not done right you will be where I am, not following the story with satisfaction and not falling in love with the relationship because it went from point A to point B without you seeing it. Their growing affection should have also shown the change in personality, but as with the love, Jeryn went from hating fools to feeling guilty and wanting to change the world for them with the snap of my fingers. It felt a bit unrealistic that he had such a big change of heart when I didn’t get to see how he had that change of heart.The book of course had redeemable qualities as well. I loved Flare’s explosive and lively personality as well as Little Knight (need I even explain why?). I loved to see Poet and Briar again, to experience their lovable bickering and Poet’s quirkiness. On the downside that also showed the lack of that quirkiness and oomph in Flare’s and Jeryn relationship, being undeveloped by the story’s many jumps. That also being why I couldn’t really see Poet, Briar and Jeryn becoming and being friends all of a sudden. The sad part is that all this could have been avoided if the dragged out beginning would have been used for this, to progress and develop all of these things naturally.Loving Trick so much I am disappointed with how Dare turned out. Perhaps my expectations were ridiculously high though. After all, I didn’t hate Dare. It had its beautiful moments as well as beautiful, if slightly hard to follow, writing. In the ending I did enjoy Flare and Jeryn together. I just didn’t love them the way I loved Briar and Poet together. Hopefully Dare was just a fluke and Lie will be just as charming as Trick was.

My heart and mind are full after experiencing this achingly beautiful love story led by richly drawn strong main characters, who possess complex but opposing motivations that inspire brave or instinctual actions. These actions create dramatic circumstances that catapult them along a unique and extraordinary path. As a reader, I am fulfilled and spent.This is how you write the perfect enemies to lovers story. And excellent fantasy. Best of all, this is how you write ROMANCE! I am so grateful for these feelings inspired by Natalia Jaster’s writing.The first paragraph in the book hooked me. Read the Amazon sample and you’ll understand what I mean. Prisoner heroine Flare’s utter hatred toward the hero, Prince Jeryn, before she even knew him, was a palpable thing. In turn, Jeryn’s contempt for Flare fuelled his actions that incited her fervent revulsion. The cycle might have continued forever, but for the “journeys”.There are many levels of “journeys” in this novel. The hero’s journey to the kingdom where the heroine is imprisoned; the journey: to a magical island; from ignorance to knowing; from hatred to love; from the comfort of the world we know to the ‘waking up’ to the propaganda ruling one's life and becoming an advocate for fighting it. Also, there’s the writer’s journey – Natalia Jaster – wow, what a brave talent.I loved the slow-burn, realistic pace of this couple getting-to-know-each other and the environment. It was easy to immerse myself in this adventure and become intimately knowledgeable of how the hero and heroine’s minds worked and I loved that the environment too played an important role in their romance. Because I knew them so well, the natural progression to a physical relationship was a wanted and welcome element to their love. The love scenes were tastefully and heart-stoppingly described without the explicit pornographic flavour modern writers find irresistible these days.And what a love they shared! They left me breathless without clichés. I have been reading romance for several decades, and I could not have predicted the path this couple’s love would take them. I hope they make cameo appearances in the forthcoming novels in this series. Bravo Ms. Jaster, you won over my fantasy-romance seeking heart as I fell in love with your characters.This was my first Natalia Jaster novel, even though it is second in the FOOLISH KINGDOMS series. It didn’t matter that I read it first as it stands alone. However, I have now read the first book in the series, TRICK (5 stars in my opinion), and believe the reading experience is enhanced if you read the books in order.The author has produced a free publication, FOOLISH KINGDOMS OUTTAKES, available on her website. It contains further epilogues or outtakes for each stand-alone story in this series. I recommend that you seek that out for a DARE further epilogue. It’s beautifully bittersweet.I highly recommend DARE (and TRICK) and look forward to more from Natalia Jaster.

** spoiler alert ** I admit, I write this review with a huge delay since I actually read the book. It is not because I would not want to review it, but because the book left very strange feeling in me.I love Natalia's lyrical style of storytelling. Also I love that she is not afraid of giving her characters disabilities, real flaws or making their relationships develop in unconventional way. I was mesmerized by Trick and that may be why I was a tiny bit-is disappointed by my experience with Dare. However in the hindsight, I know exactly why and I want to assure everyone that the book itself is definitely not bad.At first, I love the depiction of Summer kingdom, how it was different enough from the spring, yet equally well-written. I was intrigued by the trade, by the cold in Jeryn, by Flare's escape.... But then, Jeryn and Flare ended on the island and the story became so slow. I understand that this is what happens with any description of two people and one frog during several years, but thats why I was not so excited about the book during this part and that is why I read it for so long. To be fair, the slow tempo is the most logical thing which could happen and I would never wished for Flare's and Jeryn's romance to go faster or more intense just for sake of faster pace.Speaking of the romance line, I enjoyed Jeryn's arc and final actions. I almost cried when I read about the event from their childhood and I am happy that they got their happy ending, even though its in long distance mode for now (?). However I believe that this degree of freedom is exactly what Flare needed to taste in her life and it is just another reason why I like Natalia's books. Because she is not afraid to write the depth of real life diversity into them.

I did not expect to fall in love with ‘Dare’ as quickly I did with its predecessor ‘Trick’. Poet and Briar stole my heart completely and utterly and I really didn’t expect the magic to strike twice, no matter how amazing Natalia Jaster’s writing is.Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only did I fall just as hard and just as deep for Flare and Jeryn (although granted, this ‘coldhearted prince’ took awhile to win me over) this book completely enthralled me every bit as much as ‘Trick’ did before it.But I am getting away from myself again here. Lets get down to the business at hand, a review of ‘Dare’ the second book in the Foolish Kingdoms series.Flare is a mute young woman from the Kingdom of Summer who is imprisoned at a young age for being a born fool (the term given to those who suffer with madness or mental disabilities). Locked up from the age of ten, she longs for escape and a story about a mythical island captures her fancy. This is what keeps her going throughout the long years of her captivity.Jeryn is a prince from the Kingdom of Winter and outwardly is as coldhearted as that season. Winter has long been the driving force of science and medical prowess. In order to gain test subjects for medical and other scientific experimentation; he travels to the Summer Kingdom to trade fools to study.Jeryn is driven by the pursuit of knowledge and views these ‘fools’ as little more than lab rats; any sacrifice made in the greater goal of advancing medical research.Flare despises Jeryn on sight and after he selects her for one of his test subjects, she vows to finally make her escape. Jeryn finds himself drawn to Flare’s fiery spirit but wants nothing more than to dowse her flames. When Flare escapes, Jeryn determines to bring her back into the fold and follows her to the ship she has absconded with.After a storm flares up, Jeryn and Flare shipwreck on an island. One seemingly straight from the stories that Flare so loves. The two of them are forced to rely on each other for survival. Days turn into weeks which turns to months and then turns to years. Can Flare and Jeryn overcome their initial hostility of each other and will their reluctant co-operation turn to love?Well, Flare and Jeryn certainly snuck up on me and wormed their way into my heart. I loved and empathised with Flare right away. Jeryn – well he was another story! I was intrigued by him but I really didn’t like him at all at the start of the book. I didn’t see any way that he could be redeemed in my eyes yet alone how Flare could ever forgive or fall for him.However, Natalia Jaster continues to surprise me with her characterisation. Jeryn’s development and eventual redemption felt deserved and earned by the close of the novel. His romantic relationship with Flare was very different from Poet and Briar’s connection in the first book but no less swoon-worthy. Another enemies to lovers tale but their enmity had even greater hurdles to overcome. Fortunately, the island they are marooned upon allows them the chance to truly see each other. And yes, fall for each other.This is a romantic tale at heart, as well as one about overcoming past prejudices. As much as Jeryn fails to see Flare as a human being at the start of ‘Dare’ she is every bit as much prejudiced against him (though with good reason). This makes their connection feel more earned and grounded.According to the word of god; ‘Dare’ is a retelling of Blue Lagoon. I did not initially know this going into this book though looking back it does make total sense. I did have some trepidation going into this book already and knowing this ahead of time may have put me off since I was not really a fan of that movie.Reading ‘Trick’ well after the second book’s release also means I was able to move straight on to ‘Dare’ without a long wait in between. This can be a good thing but it can also be bad thing. Sometimes my love of the previous book can stifle my feelings moving on with the second; especially when the first book is so fresh in my mind. Thankfully, this did not happen with ‘Dare’.Although the pace was somewhat slower than the first book, and the romance was certainly more of a slow-burn, it was a blindingly enthralling story. It kept me absolutely gripped the whole way through.There weren’t as many side characters in this one though some old favourites do make an appearance or two! And who could forget about the valiant Little Knight? This little froggy companion is beyond adorable – and certainly stole the show in many ways!Although it was as explicit in ‘Dare’ there was still some LGBT themes.A character (not saying who!) previously has a small dalliance with a member of the same-sex and this is not treated as something to hide from or brush under the carpet. Yay for diversity!As with the first book; mental health issues are a focus. Particularly with how Jeryn develops; his growing feelings for Flare and eventual realization of his previously wrongdoings. It’s all very good stuff and makes for an amazing plot within this fantasy world, that in some ways is not too different from our own.I thoroughly enjoyed this second book and I cannot wait for more of this world (and since I’ve already read book three – it's book four which I am now desperately waiting for!) It was especially clear to me that after finishing this book, Natalia Jaster has definitely made a fan for life!

a beautiful and beautifully solitary story about an unlikely love in an uncharted place.this book touched me and made me think about how mental illness might not need to be kept hidden behind closed doors and how sand might not be such a coarse thing after all.definitely read this if you liked Trickster and also do if you have not!