Title: Kill the Queen
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Crown of Shards #1
Wow, I forgot how amazing this book was. I can’t believe I have been putting off rereading it.
Lady Everleigh (Evie) has been living at the palace since her parents were killed. She is seventeenth in line for the throne but is treated now better than a servant. They only pay attention to her when they need her to fill in for events for them. But things quickly go wrong during a large family event and her life changes forever.
This was an amazing and powerful start to a new series. Everything about this story was captivating and addicting. I couldn’t put it down. We have spoiled and greedy villain, gladiators, elemental abilities, magic, shapeshifters, and of course strong heroines. Jennifer Estep excels at writing amazing and strong female characters and she has knocked it out of the park with this one.
Evie was a fantastic character. We see her change and grow stronger so much throughout this book, especially mentally. She believes she is just another cog in the wheel of royal life until it all changes and she realizes she has to step up or things are going to get worse. She is reluctant to step back into royal life but she does it to protect the people. I loved how caring she was of others and how she was always willing to sacrifice herself for her friends.
This book is also filled with some great action and battle scenes. We have the gladiator fights, training, and of course the battle for the crown. This was a wonderful and captivating world, filled with strong characters with different kinds of magic. I really love all the different kinds of ways magic can manifest in people. There is also just a hint of romance in this book and I really hope we see more development of that in the next book.
If you like fantasy then I totally recommend this book. It was fantastic and captivating and makes me remember why I love fantasy novels.
Red-Haired Ash Reads 