“I suppose I’ll need Jastra’s plan after all. Pity.
It would have been nice to avoid murdering anyone.”
The Queen of Sorrow concludes The Queens of Renthia Trilogy; a wonderful fantasy series and one I have enjoyed immensely. In this final instalment, the focus is on the political landscape of Renthia, and the dynamics between three very powerful women. Daleina is a queen who has settled well into her role, although she lacks the power of her predecessor. Naelin holds great power but lacks training, and her role as queen is one she never sought or wanted. The most important thing in her life is her children whose safety and well-being she puts above everything. And then we have Queen Merecot, the key antagonist in the story and who fast became one of my favourite characters. She is incredibly ambitious, humorous, and borderline sociopathic. Her intentions are slowly revealed as the story progresses and she kept me guessing more than anyone else.
I have loved following this series, and having finished The Queen of Sorrow I am sad to say goodbye to these characters. As with the previous two books, it is well-written and compelling. My favourite aspect of this particular novel were the complex relationships between the characters and uncovering their motives and intentions. I also appreciated learning more about the spirits that live throughout the lands, which added more depth and insight into their history. I would recommend this series to fans of character-driven novels and those looking for a fantasy read that doesn’t adhere to your typical cliches of the genre. The author’s note does promise an upcoming standalone novel set in the same world – this time in the land of Belene. So for those who are already fans of the series, there is something to look forward to!
*ARC provided by author for an unbiased review. Publication date: May 15, 2018.
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