"gripping characters and an intoxicating storyline"
Since we've last seen Eugenie Markham, a half-human/half-
gentry shaman who is now, albeit reluctantly, a faery queen
in her own right, her life continues to become more chaotic
than she ever could've imagined. What happened to
knowing that all gentry were bad and, therefore, she
needn't be saddled with this sense of guilt by not wanting
anything to do with her heritage or faery kingdom she now
rules? She killed and/or banished the gentry that did
manage to cross over to the human world and never thought
twice about it. Now as Eugenie becomes more involved in
her kingdom and is beginning to actually know them, her
black and white view of good vs. bad isn't quite so clear
cut anymore. Problems abound for Eugenie. Since becoming the Thorn
Queen, her faery kingdom has reshaped itself into her
version of the ideal world -- one resembling the southwest
US, complete with desert sands and unrelenting heat.
Unfortunately her people are quite unaccustomed to living
in such a climate and are now struggling for their very
survival. There is also the matter of local gentry females gone
missing. Some say they've just run off, while others are
saying there are more evil factions at work. Regardless of
the true reason, as their Queen, Eugenie feels it's her
duty to find out what's really happening and put an end to
it. To top it all off, two handsome men are still vying for her
hand. Well, actually, almost every man in the Otherworld
would like a shot a Eugenie since she's been saddled a
prophecy regarding her unborn son, but that's a whole other
issue. Between Dorian, the Oak King, and Kiyo, her kitsune
boyfriend, Eugenie has her hands full. Due to the prophecy
regarding her unborn son, Eugenie has decided that she can
never have children. This makes it all the more difficult
to deal with Kiyo and his ex-lover's soon-to-be baby.
Eugenie has a lot of emotional issues to deal with and with
no real friend or companion to lean on, ends up doing it
mostly alone. Kiyo and her human stepfather, who is also a
shaman who happened to teach Eugenie everything she knows,
insists it's not a good idea for her to delve more into her
untapped faery powers. But with her people struggling to
live, faery girls gone missing, and various other gentry
out to get her, Eugenie begins to see she must start
embracing her heritage and power in order to save the world
she's reluctantly grown to care about. Now, a word of caution -- and potential spoiler: this novel
does contain rape scenes. Not too graphic or detailed,
mind you, but they are there. Thorn Queen is a bit
darker than the first book of the Dark Swan series, but I
found that only added greater depth to the story. That
being said I thought Ms. Mead did an outstanding job of
dealing with the intensely emotional subject matter. Overall, I think Ms. Mead did a stellar job of continuing
Eugenie's story. She delves deeper into not only the faery
culture but also into the characters themselves. Eugenie
is still one kick-ass, smart, and gutsy heroine, but she
also has a deeply caring and compassionate side. Ms. Mead
has created one enthralling and fantastical world of which
I just can't get enough. Filled with gripping characters
and an intoxicating storyline, Ms. Mead does not fail to
deliver!
Reviewed by Mippy Carlson
Posted September 5, 2009
|
|
Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she’s also become queen of the Thorn Land. It’s hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one—except Eugenie—seems willing to find out why. Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend, Kiyo, is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty—even if it means facing the darkest—and deadliest—side of her nature… Genre: Urban Fantasy
|
