Kill The Queen tour - book review and giveaway

The thrilling first novel in the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when an unlikely member of the royal family suddenly becomes a contender in a clash for the crown . . .

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 combat, 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.

Release date: October 2nd, 2018

My review: Lady Everleigh Blair is a royal way down the line and is happy not to be in the spotlight. Her "mutt" magic is ridiculed and ignored. When Princess Vasilia viciously assassinates the queen and all others who could inherit the throne, Evie is thought to be dead. Evie's secret immunity to magic helps her survive and she joins a gladiator troupe. There she tries to become a warrior and harness her abilities. Yet while she would prefer to go back to her parents' land and live a quiet, comfortable life, Vasilia is terrorizing the country and prepping for war against an innocent nation. Evie cannot avoid the spotlight any longer. She must challenge Vasilia and kill the queen.

A spectacular start to the dark fantasy romance series, Crown of Shards. I was hooked right away with the first line. A massacre? I have to know what happens! I wasn't disappointed. The world building is phenomenal. We don't get overloaded with long chunks of history or explanations for how things work. The world is unveiled slowly as the story progresses, seeing everything through Evie's eyes. I was fascinated by the magic system and all the possibilities it could hold.

Evie is a strong protagonist. I sympathized with her immediately. Hurt and grief had her wanting to remain unnoticed in the shadows, but necessity brought her out. I loved how she grew, and what steeled her for the immense challenges she had to face. I also loved the great cast of characters, particularly the various powerful women. Gladiators, magiers, masters, and mutts. Paloma and Lady Xenia were my two favorites. As for Sullivan, I melted for him as much as Evie did. Yet I very much liked that the romance didn't overshadow anything.

I cannot wait for more in this series. I highly recommend it to all fantasy fans.

Preorder the book:

Amazon * B&N * Books-a-Million * Google Play * iBooks

Meet the author:

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series. Kill the Queen (book #1) will be released October 2nd.

Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. Get updates through her blog and her newsletter.

Enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway