A big thank you goes to the author Jennifer Estep and the publisher Harper Voyager US for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.queen.
Publication date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Language: English
ASIN: B0756FHNV7
“Summer queens are fine and fair, with pretty ribbons and flowers in their hair. Winter queens are cold and hard, with frosted crowns made of icy shards,” - Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
The cover is perfect for this book. It is quite detailed but still leaves enough room for the reader's imagination. The scenery shows the castle, which will be most important in the story.
With 'Kill the Queen', the author created an epic start to a new fantasy series. Jennifer Estep pulled me out of my really bad reading slump with this book.
The writing style is in typical, amazing Estep-manner. This book is thrilling, fast-paced, full of action and has a great world building.
The story pulled me in with just a few words and I just kept reading and reading until I read the last word in the book. I couldn't believe that I already finished it and am now hoping that the time runs fast until book #2 is published!
The characters are stunning with a wide range of character traits.
Evie, the protagonist, is quite invisible in the beginning but goes through a big change. While the story goes on, she shows how strong, caring and lonely she really is. She would fight to the death to save the ones she loves.
Sully is extremely stubborn and cares more about others than he would admit. He has some huge secrets but even with keeping them to himself he earned his respect from the gladiators he trains as he is a brave fighter with some badass skills in the ring.
In this gladiator troupe everyone is keeping some secrets but every gladiator respects the privacy of each other.
Vasilia is a spoiled princess with a very, very dark heart. She doesn't care about anyone but herself and her power. She thinks she is invincible. I disliked her from the very beginning, though I couldn't put my finger on the why straight away.
I can highly recommend this grand book and hope to hear everyone's opinions very soon! I definitely wish I could read book #2 already.
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