The Princess of Dreams – AKA, the FINAL book in the Royals of Acuniel series has just released, but before I gush about that… I need to take a minute to tell you all about Ashton E. Dorow.

Ashton and I started publishing around the same time, with her first book, The Peasant Queen, releasing in November of 2020 and my first book, Jerusalem’s Daughter, releasing in March of 2021. It was during that time when I was taking a crash-course on how the publishing industry worked, that I first got connected to Ashton. We didn’t know each other, our books were set centuries apart, and we lived in totally different parts of the country. BUT! We were both writing with the goal of telling stories that bring glory to God. We’ve both continued to write and publish since then, and we even got the chance to meet each other earlier this year in person for the first time! I have SO enjoyed watching Ashton’s career grow and her voice develop as a writer, and I love seeing each of her milestones and book-release-anniversary posts, because every time I see her celebrating Arabella and Rowan, not only do I squeal and celebrate with her, but I remember fondly my own Shamira and Asa, and how our two author journeys began “way back when.”

If you don’t know Ashton or haven’t read her books, she writes medieval era stories full of princes, castles, beautiful princesses, and handsome knights-in-shining armor. To make it even better, each book is loosely inspired by a different Bible story.

Maybe it’s because I’m partial to finales, but this book was just beautiful, and such a fitting conclusion to this series, even if it was hard to say goodbye to this group of fictional siblings that I’ve grown so attached to over the years. This ending was heartwarming, sweet, and inspiring.

Though we’d had glimpses of Tillie’s character and hints of her romance with Lord Philip in previous books, in The Princess of Dreams, the spotlight was all on them! And oh, what fun it was to read from their perspectives! The yearning thoughts, the quiet dreams, the “what-ifs” and the wonders… It all gave me happy smiles and butterfly flutters in my heart! I loved this take on the she-falls-first trope, while Tillie patiently waits for Philip’s heart to turn in her direction. When it finally does, their love is so wholesome and pure, and you can truly tell that they are a good match for each other.

The Biblical-inspiration aspect of this story was also enjoyable, with nods to both Deborah and Jael’s story, and Tillie’s arc echoing some of what we know of Deborah in the Bible. Only instead of leading the Israelites toward victory, Tillie led the people of Acuniel. Some of my favorite scenes revolved around Tillie discovering just how God could use every part of who she was, even the parts she did not understand, to bring about His glory and plan in ways better than we could ever imagine or dream up for ourselves. All of us have gifts, and God has written unique stories for each of us with a reason and purpose in mind.

And lastly… the question I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for (though if you know me, the answer will come as no surprise) – Did I cry when it ended?

Of course, I did! Though I can cry at nearly anything (I get that from my dad, and I’m proud of it), I have to admit that this dreamy story touched my heart. I loved this family. I loved this conclusion. I loved this message.

And I’ll be dreaming of this one for a long time…

“And how dare they doubt God’s ability to aid us? Had He not allowed us to prevail in other seemingly impossible circumstances? Had He not done far more wondrous things than this in history? Parted seas, stopped the sun from moving for an entire day, allowed three hundred men to prevail over thousands, turned water into wine, and opened blinded eyes. Conquered death itself? My hands shook with indignation. Before I even knew what I was doing, I had flung open the door and limped into the Great Hall.” — The Princess of Dreams by Ashton E. Dorow

Congratulations again to Ashton on another wonderful book! You can find out more about Ashton at this link, follow her on social media, and shop her books online.