(Crown of Shards #1)
Publication
Date: October 2, 2018
Paperback, 443 pages, Harper Voyager
Genres:
Adult, Fantasy
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.
My Review
Kill the Queen
is a mix of Ella Enchanted and Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. The
world is kind of light and fluffy, but the powers and characters are deadly.
Unfortunately, I was a smidge disappointed with this one. I
was hoping it would be darker, especially since it's marketed as an adult book.
It just felt a lot like Estep's YA Mythos Academy series in terms of overall
tone.
Also, the side characters, and sometimes even Everleigh, our
main character, came across as kind of one-dimensional. They're all pretty cool
characters, so I hope they get more background and emotion in book two. They
simply needed more grit and personality besides being Everleigh's sidekicks.
This complaint goes triple for the love interest. I wanted WAY more from that
relationship than I got.
Despite my complaints, it's a quick, fun read that did get
me out of a reading slump. So I do plan on finishing the series.
*Note: I purchased
a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.