TITLE: Kill the Queen
SERIES #: Crown of Shards #1
CHARACTERS: Everleigh Blair Winter
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
NARRATOR: Lauren Fortgang
RUN TIME: 13 Hours & 4 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: October 2, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.
In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.
But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.
Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.
But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.
REVIEW:
Long Live the Queen!!!
What a wonderful wonderful first book in a series. I was hooked from the very first page of this book. I love Everleigh (aka Evie)!! She is awesome, tough and not willing to give up even when the odds are 100% against her. I can’t wait to see how much she grows in this series. And Sully oh man I sure hope I know where Ms. Estep is taking him :D.
As with all first books there is a lot of world building but Ms. Estep is extremely talented at keeping the story from getting bogged down by all the information you are getting.
I had the great pleasure of listening to Lauren Fortgang bring Jennifer Estep characters to life. This was my first book narrated by Ms. Fortgang. I really enjoyed the way that she handled each character. I look forward to listening to more books narrated by Ms. Fortgang.
Just remember someone always wants to kill the Queen.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased an audio copy of this book to listen to. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
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