Review: The Queen's Blade (Book 1 of The Queen Blade Series)

The Queen's Blade (Book 1 of The Queen Blade Series)

by T.C. Southwell

A doomed kingdom, a young queen’s sacrifice and a killer who will bring an empire to its knees...

In a world where men share kindred with beasts, the Idol of the Beasts predicts a child who will end the Endless War after centuries of strife, but first the enemy king must die and his son be brought to the Jashimari Queen in chains…

After numerous failed attempts, killing King Shandor seems impossible, until an assassin offers to do the deed. His success places the Crown Prince at Queen Minna-Satu’s mercy, and Blade becomes the instrument of her wrath. Forged in the fires of fury, his heart died long ago in the desert kingdom. His glance is as icy as his smile is disarming, and the fires of passion will never stir his blood. He is the Master of the Dance in Jondar, the best to ever hold the title. 

Driven by hatred and with the skills of his trade, he will usher in a time of strife and pain that will live in legend, and forever bear his name. He is the instrument who can change fate. He is the Queen’s Blade.

****

4 Stars

I had to sit down and really think about why I liked this book so much. After much thought, with some sleep in between it came down to the fact that Blade, the assassin in the book, wasn't untouchable. Most books with assassins in them have them being totally untouchable, and if they did get hurt they played if off as if it was nothing. It was nice to read a book about someone that yes could kill you in your sleep, but couldn't hold his own in a bar fight.

I also really liked the concept of the familiars, I really enjoyed how when someone was described they looked some what like what ever familiar they had. Sometimes it was fun for me to try and figure out what the familiar was before being told just from the description on the person being talked about.

The story itself went in a completely different direction than I thought it was going to go in. I wouldn't have guessed at half of took place in it. And yes after a while I was able to figure certain things out, but something else would pop up to surprise me a few chapters later.

Its told from many different point of views. I can't say if there was someones head we were in more than another, everyone was pretty equal in this. Though I can say I liked being in Blades head more than anyone elses, though the Queen was a close second. 

If I had to pick one thing I really just didn't like it would be the way the book ended. All the lose ends seemed tied up, at least the important ones, and the ones that weren't I didn't expect to get anything from this book. But anyway I feel unsatisfied with the way it ended in general, the book was good enough for it to end a different way and still get readers to come back for the second one. Its hard to explain this without giving something away. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I have recommend it before and I will keep recommending it.