Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: The Queens of Renthia
Genre: Fantasy/Magic
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Edition: 368 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's
Synopsis:
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .
But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.
With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.
Set in the magical world of Renthia, The Queen of Blood is Sarah Beth Durst’s ambitious entry into adult epic fantasy. With the danger of Peter Brett’s The Warded Man, heart of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and lyricism of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, this is the first chapter in a series destined to be a classic.
But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.
With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.
Set in the magical world of Renthia, The Queen of Blood is Sarah Beth Durst’s ambitious entry into adult epic fantasy. With the danger of Peter Brett’s The Warded Man, heart of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and lyricism of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, this is the first chapter in a series destined to be a classic.
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I'd been meaning to start this series for some time now. I only vaguely remembered what I'd heard about it that made me interested in reading it, and I do prefer to go into books mostly blind so I can form my own expectations.
I really enjoyed this book, I was a little confused at first with the mentions of "a queen 200 years ago" building parts of the village in the trees. I also need to say that I read this book while getting over a head cold, so it's likely that my tired, sick, medicated brain just missed the mention of various queens over time who built different villages in the forest.
I liked Daleina as a main character. She's not the best, she does doubt herself. But she still does her best and pushes herself. I like that she is close with her family and they care about her as much as she cares about them. While I relate more to less supportive family structures, it does get old that all heroes/heroines have strained families, or no family. So it was nice to read about someone who has a family.
Ven is the other main character of the book. He fills the role of mentor. I had a hard time pinpointing how old he is, 40 or 50 maybe? I know he's at least 20 years older than Daleina because he met her when she was 10, and re-met her about 10 years later. But the way he makes choices... makes him seem younger than he likely is. He's kind of a doof when it comes to Queen Fara. He was the part of the book I liked the least. He has no reason to believe or trust the Queen, but he keeps thinking the best of her when he shouldn't.
There were a couple of time jumps in the book, that felt a little abrupt. I would've liked to see more of them at the college learning. But suddenly jumped to her being there for 5 years, and then another handful of years and we're told in passing all they've learned during that time rather than learning with her. I still don't fully understand how exactly the magic works.
The climax of the book was brutal. I am very curious of where the second book will go.
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