Kill The Queen - My Review

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

I received an e-arc copy thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins!

To be released: October 2, 2018
Series: A Crown of Shards Novel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Adult Epic Fantasy

Goodreads Summary 

Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance. In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten. But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre. Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move. But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen. 

I enjoyed reading about Lady Everleighs experience at Seven Spire palace and her growth as a character with Serilda Swanson's troupe of gladiators. It was quite formidable how much she changed, and I couldn't put the book down. She loved people in general and fought hard to save her country because she was the Winter Queen. Her friendship with Paloma had me in tears. It was so kind and genuine. She learned how to fight from always getting knocked down and beaten, to winning death matches, gladiator fashion, with a sword dagger and shield in an arena! You go, girl! Baking and Dancing were tasks she thought were useless but proved to be critical and useful for saving her life.

Lady Everleigh was good at playing the long game with the opponent.

Crown Princess Vasilia is the daughter of Cordelia, the Queen of Seven Spire and the kingdom of Bellona.
Vasilia is a powerful Magier with a black heart.
When her mother Cordelia invites noble guests from Andvardia to negotiate peace, Vasilia massacres the lot of them and kills her mother and injures Everleigh. Everleigh has magic but keeps it a secret. She is immune to magic and can smell it a mile away. Everleigh gets thrown out of the palace when blasted by Vasilia's lightning and falls into the river below.

Before Cordelia dies, she makes Evie promise to save Bellona. Everleigh is a Blair and the only living true heir to sit on the throne and therefore must defeat Vasilia before she spreads her vicious and evil attacks and dooms Bellona for good.
Cordelia also tells her to find Serilda Swanson for protection. Now the adventure begins, and she travels with the troupe of friends and gladiators to some distant land risking life and limb in perilous snow storms only to be captured and made to dance the Tanzen Freund of some sort. Lol, that was a little silly, but it all made for a fun read. I enjoyed it.

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About the author

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. In addition to Kill the Queen, Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Black Blade, and Bigtime series.

Website: https://www.jenniferestep.com