Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst

 

415 pages, Hardcover

Series: The Queens of Renthia (#3)

May 15, 2018 by Harper Voyager

Fantasy /own

This was a chore to finish. I liked book 1, book 2 was not as strong, but I still wanted to try 3. And 3 was an utter disappointment. I wanted to dnf, but since it was the third I tried my best.

I hated everyone.

The spirits should just eat everyone!

Srsly the bad guy! Whatever

Nope nope nope

Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home—a hope that seemed doomed when neighboring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realized, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life. And then Naelin’s children are kidnapped by spirits.

Nothing is more important to her than her family, and Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed. Blaming the defeated Queen Merecot of Semo for the kidnapping, Naelin is ready to start a war—and has the power to do it.

But Merecot has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbors. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all . . . or plunging the world into chaos.

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst

Series: The Queens of Renthia (#2)

Format: 358 pages, Hardcover

Published: July 4, 2017 by Harper Voyager

Fantasy

Own

I finally finished another print book. I think I have to blame my phone, you scroll away and no time to read.  

Gonna make it short, just happy to have read a book ;)

This is a horrible world to live in, spirits everywhere that wants you dead. And one woman trying to control a country so they do not all die.

And the queen is dying, and they need a new one fast.

Horrible world, so freaking scary to live in. It has to be said.

I liked Naelin who we meet in this one. She is older, she has kids, and she does not want to power that can make her a queen. 

I liked it. I will def read the next one cos damn this poor country and now more bad things are happening.

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

And those spirits want to kill you.

It’s the first lesson that every Renthian learns.

Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people.

Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that’s all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin’s ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife’s ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves.

But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he’s certain he’s done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen’s power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything.

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 03-19-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

Fantasy YA

Thank you Harper for this review copy

My Thoughts
Well this was a horrible place to live! Poor people! There are spirits everywhere, and these spirits hate humans and wants to kill them all, niiice. The only thing that holds them in check is the Queen of the land and heirs. But no one controls the wild ones so they can just go and kill you like that.

But that is not the worst in away, not for the main character. See if you magic you have 3 choices. Hide it as long as you can. Get sent to this hellish island where spirits will try to kill you for a month and if you survive you get to be an Heir, and fight spirits until your end days. Or be a Silent One and never see your family again. Oh this system sucks!

Was this YA? I mean it did feel like YA, but at the same time she gets married. She has a great relationship with him, and there is no romance. Oh you know me and YA ;) But yes I loved the interactions between her and her husband to be. They loved each other. No other people in sight. SO double worse for her to show her powers and be sent away from him.

I really liked this world, it is one crazy world! I did not know that her previous series was set here too, but on the mainland? Since this was the islands. I would like to read those too. As this one was a stand alone and truly worked like that. But hey if there is more then I am in.

I liked Mayara. She wanted to survive, but she was also a nurturer as we will see, and not great on her own. All good things in a way, you will see. There is danger and fighting, lots and lots of fighting, and death.

Final thoughts.

I liked it

Narration

She did well with female and male voices. If to be fair the only male voice was the hubbie, and this evil Lord for a few sentences. This is a very female driven book. But she made great effort to show the differences in their voices.

I also liked the spirits voices and esp the old ones.

Blurb

Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.

To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.

They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aide the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.