Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

Kill the Queen (Crown of Shards, #1)

by Jennifer Estep

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.

Reviewed by Leigha on

4 of 5 stars

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Lady Everleigh, 17th in line to the Bellona throne, joins a gladiator troupe after surviving her cousin’s coup in this adult epic fantasy.

Were you looking for a fix before the last Throne of Glass book releases October 23rd? Kill the Queen is the perfect book to tied you over. It’s a character-driven epic fantasy full of magic, intrigue, and just a pinch of romance. Everleigh (or Evie as she comes to be called) deals with the ramifications of the murder of her entire family by her cousin, the crown princess. Evie is a bit of a wilting flower, often over looked and underutilized, at the start of the novel. Once her circumstances change, she grows slowly into a strategic, yet cautious, leader. Secondary characters are interesting, especially the handsome Sully and the lethal Paloma. Time is spent developing Evie’s romantic relationship as well as her friendships with other characters.

I enjoyed the characters, world-building, and plot despite problematic pacing. The novel’s start is sluggish, spending too much time setting up Evie and Bellona. The events described in the book’s description don’t even start happening till almost 20% through the novel. Once the ball gets rolling, it still drags a bit. The ending is suitably climatic. It nicely wraps up the current arc of the novel along with foreshadowing the sequel.

tl;dr While the plot starts slowly, it’s an enjoyable character-driven story with a woman coming to terms of her destiny.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 September, 2018: Finished reading
  • 28 September, 2018: Reviewed