Synopsis:
A headstrong princess is entangled in intrigue, politics, magic, and romance in this coming-of-age tale set in the world of the beloved House Witch trilogy.

It’s been twenty years since Finlay Ashowan, the fabled house witch of Daxaria, first cooked up supernatural hijinks in the castle at Austice. Since then, much has changed: the royal family now resides elsewhere, a tentative peace has been established with Troivack, and the crown princess, Alina, is ready to pick the perfect nobleman to be her husband.

But Alina’s quest for her ideal consort is proving rather difficult. For one, between her father’s nerves and her own health issues, relations within the family are tense at best. For another, Fin and his wife, Annika, have returned to the castle to celebrate Alina’s momentous choice, bringing with them their fiery daughter, Katarina; mysterious son, Tamlin; and mischievous familiar, Kraken—all of whom have a penchant for finding trouble that somehow surpasses that of the house witch himself. And finally, the most politically promising suitor, the king of Troivack, is nothing less than completely intolerable.

Now, Alina must manage filial expectations, flirtatious miscues, magical misadventures, and dangerous plots, all as she struggles to find her own place within her kingdom—and understand the blossoming desires of her own heart . . .

Featuring a new generation of delightful characters as well as the trademark charm, humor, and fantasy that made readers fall in love with the House Witch series, The Princess of Potential is a captivating tale of courtly intrigue, slow-burn romance, and mystical adventure that’s perfect for teens and adults alike.

Review:
This is the type of book where it only takes so long to read because you keep coming up with reasons to pause and do something else to draw it out because you want to stay in the world as long as possible. This book is completely different from the original House Witch trilogy, instantly immersing you into characters with deep feelings, trying their best to help each other. I was a little worried that Alina wouldn’t be quite as interesting as Finlay, but while she may not be as magical, she has her own strengths and weaknesses to work on and through. I absolutely love seeing characters choose to grow and change together, and it was quite interesting to hear of the dynamic of Ainsley and Alina versus how Annika is with Katarina. Katarina is a force to be reckoned with, and I found myself falling a bit in love with all of our new characters. I quite enjoyed hearing Reese’s story, as well as his comeuppance for the way he’d previously lived.

Alina is a likeable protagonist and it’s great to see her grow, but I loved that we weren’t limited to what was going on in her per view, and that we got so much about Brendan, Tam, Kat, Annika, Fin, and even the king. Likon was quite an interesting character, leaving us with the wonder of unrequited love and whether or not it would be better actualized- much like another couple we know that went through something similar. While the characters have grown and developed further due to age and experience they all seem to have done so naturally. I quite enjoy the parental discussions between characters where they do not necessarily agree on discipline or morals, etc, especially when it was clear that they would have two very distinct ways of being/upbringing that they would need to compromise on. There are questions left at the end, but that is what we will have The Burning Witch series for, we can hope.

Delemhach is great, and you can join their discord server here, and share the angst of those cliffhangers!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯