Synopsis: "Princess Brielle is used as a pawn in a political marriage with a foreign king. An old magic surrounds Marinia and the royal family, and Brielle is thrust in the middle of a kingdom that will crumble if that power is lost. She is timid and subservient; however, she soon learns that the man she wed expects more from her.
King Dravyn bequeaths to her an enchanted dagger and forces her to train with the blademaster. Unbeknownst to Brielle, King Dravyn trusts her with defending and preserving their kingdom. But in the process, she has to learn to trust him, while battling lies and malevolent forces that conspire against both of them and Marinia.
The Queen’s Dagger dares to begin where other stories end. Join Brielle as she embarks on the journey of a lifetime. Though she was compelled to marry, find out if she can choose to love King Dravyn, and save Marinia, amidst the complexities of her new life, new magic, and new perspective of her role in it all."
My Review: This was quite a daunting book to start, it is nearly 500 pages long and gets a rather slow start. It has the feel of an epic fantasy and there is a lot of world development. I honestly didn't even realize how into the story I was getting or how attached to the characters I was until about half way through when things really started happening. At that point I really couldn't stop reading and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Though at times it felt like maybe there was a little bit of an agenda for women's rights and it did push that thought throughout the story, it was still a great fantasy to read. While I would enjoy a shorter follow up book, just because I have enjoyed the characters so much, this one is great as a standalone too.
King Dravyn bequeaths to her an enchanted dagger and forces her to train with the blademaster. Unbeknownst to Brielle, King Dravyn trusts her with defending and preserving their kingdom. But in the process, she has to learn to trust him, while battling lies and malevolent forces that conspire against both of them and Marinia.
The Queen’s Dagger dares to begin where other stories end. Join Brielle as she embarks on the journey of a lifetime. Though she was compelled to marry, find out if she can choose to love King Dravyn, and save Marinia, amidst the complexities of her new life, new magic, and new perspective of her role in it all."
My Review: This was quite a daunting book to start, it is nearly 500 pages long and gets a rather slow start. It has the feel of an epic fantasy and there is a lot of world development. I honestly didn't even realize how into the story I was getting or how attached to the characters I was until about half way through when things really started happening. At that point I really couldn't stop reading and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Though at times it felt like maybe there was a little bit of an agenda for women's rights and it did push that thought throughout the story, it was still a great fantasy to read. While I would enjoy a shorter follow up book, just because I have enjoyed the characters so much, this one is great as a standalone too.
My Rating: This was a great book, everything I could have wanted to read in a fantasy at the time. Some times you just match the right book with the right mood and it is so satisfying. I give it a rating of Four Paws!
The Queen's Dagger was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
To find out more about Merilee Andelin Saunders and her work please visit her Goodreads Page or Website.
You can also obtain your own copy in print or digital format from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
That slow start worries me but this one sounds good. The cover is lovely but looks almost like the cover of a middle grade book, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteA lot of fantasies start out slow with all the world building, and sometimes it is a huge let down but this time it was so good! Huh now that you say that it does look a little like a MG cover. Granted the characters are young but it is definitely for a much more mature audience.
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