I love that these characters kept surprising me for nearly the entire length of the book.

Have you ever thought a story was going to go one way, and then you were completely shocked to find that you were wrong? That’s me with Kill The Queen! When the massacre took place early in the story, I thought I knew how things might progress for Evie, but she kept making choice after choice that I just didn’t see coming. She runs away, joins a troupe of gladiators, and becomes skilled at fighting before she decides that it is up to her to fix things in the kingdom and avenge the murder of the Queen. After a massacre leaves the Queen and most of the people at court dead, Evie (17th in line to the throne) escapes by using her magic abilities, which she has kept secret for her entire life. This is a fantasy story set in the kingdom of Bellona. Kill The Queen by Jennifer Estep starts out nice and slow, and builds nice and steadily as the world is laid out. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Uncertain of her future-or if she even has one-Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.īut 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. 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. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.įorced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe.

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.

Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.īut dark forces are at work inside the palace. 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. 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 Published by Harper Voyager on October 2, 2018īuy from Amazon| Buy from Barnes & Noble| Buy from Book Depository

Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep