On the eve of the battle that will decide the realm of Telrus’s fate, Katrien takes a hard look at her prospects. A mere legionnaire, she and her spear will be at the fore in the morning, facing off against the Demon Lord and his wretched army, and it’s all but certain she’ll perish in the fight. But if the end of the world is mere hours away, there’s no reason not to hook up with her handsome, dedicated battle partner, Emory—despite any antifraternization policies their centurion may have in place.
Only the world doesn’t end the next day. Instead, an insufferable prince raised in hiding comes out of nowhere with a plucky band of heroes, defeats the Demon Lord, and seals the rift to the hellish plane. The realm is saved. The war is over. And Kat suddenly has a lot more future than she knows what to do with. It’s a future that could include Emory. . . . if only he weren’t so set on staying enlisted in the very army Kat was unwillingly drafted into.
And while the Demon Lord has been destroyed, peace is still a long march away. When Kat inadvertently catches the eye of the prince, she, Emory, and the rest of their motley unit are pulled to the fore of the formation—and the heart of the danger—as the army embarks on one last campaign. The mission: laying a road as a foundation for the prince’s future rule. The real mission: scouring the last of the Demon Lord’s servants from the material plane.
As Kat and Emory work to secure a lasting peace, they’ll have to decide what they want their futures to look like—and if there’s room for love at the end of the road.
A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace by Emily Skrutskie will be published June 24, 2025. Del Rey/Random House provided an early galley for review.
I am always willing to dive into fantasy novels, but this one also hints at a strong amount of romance as well (part of the new romantasy trend, perhaps?).
I liked where the author starts this tale, giving us some of the personal drama right out of the gate. Skrutskie then throws us right into battle with a painstakingly accurate portrayal of combat on the front lines. While this is not something that overly appeals to me as a reader or writer, I can appreciate her accuracy and skill in conveying that to the audience.
The challenge, for me, was caring about the conflict. We barely met a few of the members of the military squad only to be thrown into the center of the conflict with some Demon Lord and his hordes. I didn't feel a lot of stakes in it. It took the arrival of the prince for me eventually find a character to latch on to (and that was only because of his personality, not any of qualities). I just found that I didn't really care what happened to these characters or their world; I wasn't invested.
For the right audience, I suspect this one will click.
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