July 09, 2026
„A Promise of Peridot” by Kate Golden
BLURB
A prophecy of death. A weapon of hope. A sacrifice of love.
Arwen Valondale is sailing for the mysterious Kingdom of Citrine after the battle of Siren's Bay. Reeling from shocking revelations and her newfound powers, Arwen directs all of her pain and rage toward the man who betrayed her: King Kane Ravenwood.
Kane's presence is unavoidable as he travels with Arwen and her friends to seek the Blade of the Sun, a legendary weapon inextricably tied to her fate and the future of the realm. Even an uneasy truce proves difficult as Arwen fights against her unresolved feelings for Kane, who is willing to become darkness itself to protect her.
As Arwen faces creatures, foes, and magic beyond her wildest imaginings, she must discover the secrets of her past to defeat the monstrous Fae king Lazarus. But finding the light within might mean the death of her and everyone she loves.
MY OPINION
After finishing „A Dawn of Onyx”, I picked up the second book in „The Sacred Stones” trilogy.
So… is „A Promise of Peridot” better than the first one?
Hm…
No.
It’s actually a step down from the first book.
Once again, I listened to this book, and I have to say — reading it is almost impossible. Listening is far better. I tried reading a chapter in the middle, and I was so exhausted by Kate Golden’s writing style. Also, there are so many scenes that add nothing to the plot; they just take up space on the pages. Totally unnecessary.
Kane shows a lot of patience with Arwen in this book — I’m impressed with him. But then… why introduce Fedrik? A nice guy, sure, but why put him between Kane and Arwen? Why force a love triangle here? It wasn’t needed at all.
A Promise of Peridot is basically a repetitive retelling of the first book. I didn’t find anything that grabbed me even for a second longer than usual. I was listening to it, but my face and mind stayed completely neutral. Even if one of the main heroes were to die, I probably wouldn’t react. I just don’t care about them.
Honestly, I don’t understand the high ratings for this book. Looking at this trilogy and comparing it to another one — much better — the grades feel completely unfair for the stronger books.
A Promise of Peridot is weak. Only listen to it while doing something else. But since I said “a,” I have to say “b”: here comes book number three. Fortunately, it’s the last one.