The Affiliate (Ascension, #1)

by K.A. Linde

[Romance Schmomance]

OK, maybe it was just me, but this book made me think of CW's show, Reign, which helped me create this world in my head. I apologize if I'm way off, but I just couldn't help and think about that show ... which I use to watch!

The Affiliate was a first KA Linde book for me, so I didn't really know what to expect. I have quite a few mixed feelings about this book and I don't want to sound like I'm butchering every little thing. I felt a roller coaster of things as I got through each chapter, so I'll do my best to break things down.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story and by the end of the book, I was rather intrigued with the direction that this series will take. For some who may have had a tough time connecting with this one, I think as the series progresses, the story will just get better and better.

Cyrene, the affiliate, although the heroine was a character that I couldn't quite connect with. We get to witness different sides of her, more on that in a bit. She gains the role of being the Queen's Affiliate. And the way that I comprehended this world is that when they at the age of seventeen, they're seen/interviewed in front of the royal court to determine what their role will be for the rest of their lives (I think). I had issues with the world building, it got confusing for me.

King Edric, the man in an arranged and loveless marriage. There's a lot of flirting and deep desires between Cyrene and King Edric. And love triangles are huge NO for me, they just make things messy. There are several moments throughout the book, we get to witness the progressing 'relationship' between the two and quite a few times where I'd love to high five Cyrene for some of her decisions. At the moment, I can't say that I exactly love what's going on between them. And I don't know what the end game will be, but as of right now, I don't want them to be together. Cyrene falls a little too quickly in love with him, but she is a teenager, so I'll play that card for her.

Prince Kael, the brother of King Edric and I think I liked him more than Edric. I'm kind of at an impasse with him. In the beginning, I thought he was a grade-a douche for the way he acted towards Cyrene. But as the book progresses, I'm somewhat okay with him. I think he's just a boy that is stuck in his brother's shadow, so he acts out. I don't necessarily see him as a bad person, but who knows what will happen in the future. I'm kind of rooting for him ...

I actually came to appreciate and love Cyrene's friends, and the journey they will all take together is something I'm 100% looking forward to. Towards the end, we learn that there's so much more that Cyrene is capable of, but it's a huge mystery of what that all is. SO, her team of friends venture to find the right people to help discover her "skills".

There are things I liked and didn't, but I'm hoping the next book explains more about this world and that the characters are more developed. I love the direction that the storyline is going and can't wait to see what will come of Cyrene and her friends. There's a lot of mystery involved with this and it'll be great to see it all unfold. I was definitely intrigued with this world. I'm not giving up on this series, so I'm looking forward to the next installment!