Review: Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

Kill the Queen

Jennifer Estep

(Crown of Shards #1)

Publication Date: October 2, 2018

Paperback, 443 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

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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.