Burdened by Mist and Sorrow
Tropes: magical realm and artifacts, legendary creatures, epic quest, older and diverse characters, friends to lovers, Princess Bride-style banter, found family, sunshine x sunshine, slow burn romance, and the dog lives!
Exiled fae lord Lancelot never thought he would make it back to the Mist Lands and his ancestral home. Now that the magical realm of Avalon has ended his exile, he’s not losing out on the chance to win his throne back from his power-hungry brother, Aberlin. He just needs to convince his former ally, King Arthur, that backing Lance’s power play is the right decision. Having Lance leading House Dwyn will balance the power structure between the three fae courts, lessening future threats to Arthur’s people in Avalon.
But King Arthur and his knights are not enamored with the idea of another fae war.
Despite Lancelot helping them defeat the fae tyrant Mordred, Arthur initially refuses to provide military support. With the help of his former police partner, Gwen, Lance finally convinces Arthur to send an armed force to fight Aberlin. Progress is made to push back enemy forces until tragedy strikes.
Aberlin kidnaps Gwen. Knowing his brother’s twisted nature, Lance has only a small window in which to save the woman he secretly loves. But with the other two fae courts looking for weaknesses to exploit and his alliance with King Arthur crumbling, Lance isn’t sure who he can turn to or trust.
Now Lance is on a mission to rescue Gwen and prove to the other fae courts that he is a worthy ruler and powerful enough to rebuff their invasion. Between a harrowing rescue mission and then an epic quest, Lance must decide if he will also fight for a relationship with Gwen after her romance with the human knight Orin falls apart.
Lance is determined to not let his people suffer any longer. If Lance cannot ascend to the throne and convince the other fae courts of his power, then the Mist Lands will devolve into a full civil war. Mortals and fae alike will bleed. Lance must stop the looming conflict; otherwise, his people will be destroyed, and he will lose any chance to love the woman he so desperately wants.
What Readers Are Saying about the Book
Kindle Review
If you’re craving beautifully written storytelling, immersive world-building that grabs you from page one, anThis book had me completely hooked from start to end. Although I haven't read the first book yet, the story was still so easy to follow and I loved the characters despite just getting to know them. Gwen and Lancelot were such interesting and well-written characters; I especially loved seeing older characters and seeing Gwen struggling with perimenopausal issues was such a validating sight because you don't get to see that alot in fantasy stories. Gwen's trauma was also represented without diminishing the affect it has on her character development.
Lancelot was such a sweetheart and I loved how careful he was with Gwen, protecting her without being too overbearing. He was so attentive to her needs and actually listened to her and I loved getting to see Gwen heal with him by her side.
I'm definitely going to read the first book and cannot wait for the next one! Jaina is such an interesting character and I'm so excited for her story!d characters who feel real, this indie gem belongs on your TBR. The emotional depth, lush descriptions, characters who are flawed (in the best, most relatable way), and perfectly paced plot make this an unforgettable fantasy adventure that was difficult to put down. A.M. Ross weaves a story that’s rich in atmosphere and heart-and gives us a lovable canine sidekick! I can't wait to see what comes next!
Goodreads Review
This book was such a good follow up to the first. The depth of the characters and even the plot and the world blows my mind. I absolutely adore the characters. The storyline is very engaging and keeps you wanting to read it. Gwen is such a fierce but smart fmc, and i appreciate that about her. This series has already become one of my favorites and I really recommend it!!
Goodreads Review
Burdened by Mist and Sorrow was such a vibe! I always enjoy reading King Arthur retellings, and this story didn't disappoint. Starting with Legend of Mist and Blade, book 1 in this series, we get to know Gwen and Logan from Littleton, USA. "Partners in crime", they were police officers working together in a cozy small town. And now, we know them as Avalon Champion and Lancelot! Add Knight Orin to the mix, and you'll get this love triangle messy romance 😁
I think Burdened by Mist and Sorrow was a little darker than book 1. There's a lot of suffering and trauma, written in an impressive way, so we get to experience everything with them. We have Gwen and Lance's POVs instead of Orin's like in book 1.
The fact that the MCs were older was a big YES for me, and I loved that the author included the joint pains and the menopause concept in the Fantasy World 🤭
There were a lot of twists and turns, old and new enemies, and a fool's quest that was funny, lovely, and frightening at the same time.
This book had a HEA ending for some of the characters 👀 but the Epilogue showed us that the story continues, and I honestly can't wait to read the third book!