Another Review at MyShelf.Com

The Queen of Blood
Queens of Renthia #1
Sarah Beth Durst

Harper Voyager
September 20, 2016/ ISBN 9780062413345
Fantasy

Reviewed by Jan Fields

 

The people of Renthia are dependent on the spirits who make crops grow and cooking fires burn. But the spirits hate the humans and kill them when they can. Thus, the people depend upon the one person who can control the spirits completely: the queen. And the present queen of Renthia seems to be one of the most powerful of all. But things aren't right in Renthia. People are dying. And the queen may have secrets that her people could never guess -- secrets that kill. I really enjoyed the way the author handled the "spirits," who seem to combine all the qualities of elemental spirits and fae and demons into one interesting collection. I also enjoyed the depth of characterization. The author took very seriously the goal of giving every character something to want. The conflicts felt real and are sometimes heart-rending. One of my very favorite things about the book is the balanced description of the sexes in Renthia. This is a society where all people really are seen as quite equal and that's refreshing, especially in fantasy novels. Some of the big surprises at the end weren't particularly surprising to the reader, though they were compelling to watch unfold just the same. From the very beginning, you could guess what at least part of the end would be, but that didn't keep the journey through the story from being interesting. A new interpretation of some old fantasy tropes that made the whole book feel surprisingly fresh. I liked it. I'll watch for the second book with eagerness.

Reviewer Janis Fields is the author of over two dozen books for children and adults including Threads of Deceit, Ghost Light Burning, Wellspring of Magic, and Emerald Dragon.
Reviewed 2016
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