Review: Kill the Queen

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Buy this book now. Ms. Estep creates another fantastic world with intricate world building and complex characters. When it comes to how magic worlds for characters, Ms. Estep's different series all have similar designs. The look and feel makes it very comfortable to switch from one series to another. It also makes a reader kind of feel like all these series are tied together in some way that is not quite visible yet. Is this all one universe and just different places in the world? Will there be cross overs? Things to ponder.

In this latest series which is a must read, Evie aka Lady Everleigh is the unwanted orphaned cousin. The story starts out a bit slow and gives a nice background of how Evie is where she is today. She's the country bumpkin with no value to help Vasilia, her cousin to gain more power. From trusting child thrust into a pool of blood thirst piranhas, Evie is stabbed in the back and sliced through her gut over and over again. Evie does have a plan and once she's collected enough money, she will leave and have her freedom. This will be far away from the Queen and her cruel sadistic cousin. Before Evie can execute her plan, terrible things happen and this start our young Padawan on her quest. This quest is ordered by a Queen who never gave her a second thought. Will Evie be able to carry out her Queen's dying wish? Maybe...

This epic journey is everything I love about high fantasy. There are trials and tribulations where friends become enemies. Where people are not whom we think they are. And where secrets can be the death of a promising hero. Was there anything in this story which surprised me? No. Every quest, feat and challenge, I anticipated ahead of time and it resolved just as I expected. Did it detract from my enjoyment? No. I love every single one of the trials. I loved the addition to detail and mostly, I felt good because not only did the story go as I expected, I was rewarded with a better feel for how Evie would mature. I am team Evie all the way and I can't wait to see how she takes on her next challenge.

From a character perspective, Evie is one of the types of female I like. She is modest and she thinks with both her heart and her head. She isn't perfect yet she tries so hard. She is the underdog who is always picked last when it comes to games. This doesn't discourage her. And this doesn't make her any less kind to those less fortunate than her. Her experiences make her appreciate others better and see from a perspective that will help her be an amazing Royal. Her journey in this story is just the start and I am so excited to see how this world continues to unfold and what other plots are aimed to take her down. There are also dark secrets about her parents' death that I want revealed and to see if my guesses are accurate.

This is the kind of young adult story that appeals to me and is hard to find. There are no emo drama lamas. Instead it really is a story about a child forced to mature and become an adult. With each new experience which includes awesome fight scenes, she becomes stronger and more knowledgeable. This kind of writing style is what I wish more YA books would aspire to be.

For those who enjoy royal intrigue and one ups-manship, this story is appealing and for you. This young adult fantasy is recommended to everyone. It is magical.

*provided by Edelweiss