The Queen of Blood follows the story of Daleina, a young girl with the power to control malevolent spirits that threaten the land of Aratay. Despite her lack of natural magical abilities, Daleina is determined to protect her family and the people of Renthia. As she trains at the Academy to become an Heir, Daleina forms strong female friendships and embarks on a treacherous quest with her companions to confront the ambitious and dangerous Queen Fara. The book showcases a unique fantasy world where spirits are omnipresent and humans must navigate a delicate balance to prevent destruction.

The plot of The Queen of Blood is driven by Daleina's journey from a humble forest village to becoming the Queen of Blood, a title she earns through courage, resourcefulness, and a relentless desire to protect her loved ones. The writing style is described as engaging and fast-paced, with elements of tension that keep readers hooked from the beginning. The book features themes of empowerment, friendship, and the struggle against corruption, set against a backdrop of a world where spirits and humans coexist in a precarious balance.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Deleina as a relatable protagonist who embodies determination and growth, and supporting characters that display strong female friendships.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is clear and engaging, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the world while avoiding distracting elements.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a young girl's journey to master the art of controlling deadly spirits in a dangerous world ruled by these entities, emphasizing her determination and growth.

Setting:

The setting is richly constructed in the land of Renthia, where enormous trees and spirits dominate the environment, creating a unique and dangerous backdrop.

Pacing:

The pacing begins slowly but accelerates as the story unfolds, maintaining steady tension, though some time jumps might disrupt the flow.

Don’t trust the fire, for it will burn you.                   Don’t trust the ice, for it will freeze you.                   Don’t trust the water, for it will drown you.                   Don’t trust...

Notes:

The Queen of Blood is the first book in The Queens of Renthia series.

The story is set in a dark world ruled by spirits that want to destroy humanity.

Humans live in a constant struggle with six main spirits: fire, ice, water, air, earth, and trees.

The protagonists primarily includes Daleina, who learns to control the spirits to protect her family and community.

Daleina is depicted as a relatable character who works hard despite her average abilities, challenging the trope of the all-powerful hero.

There are five queens, each controlling spirits within their territorial borders to safeguard humans.

The novel includes a mixture of various themes including magic, politics, and female empowerment.

Ven, a disgraced champion, trains Daleina and has a complicated past with the current Queen, Fara.

Daleina's journey involves attending a magical academy and training under mentors, reminiscent of a boarding school experience like Harry Potter.

The story showcases strong female friendships, emphasizing cooperation among women rather than competition.

Merecot, another student at the academy, is a strong character with a complex personality, making her significant to the plot.

Bayn the wolf is a loyal companion to Daleina and adds charm to the story.

The series has crossover appeal for both young adult and adult fantasy readers, despite being primarily marketed for adult audiences.

The book contains themes of growth, resilience, and the harsh realities of adulthood, including violence and the struggle for power.

From The Publisher:

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…

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still only human, and no matter how strong or good they are, the threat of danger always looms.

Because the queen's position is so precarious, young women are specially chosen to train as her heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Meanwhile, the disgraced champion Ven has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. When Daleina and Ven join forces, they embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness-a journey that will force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land…before it's bathed in blood.

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1 comment(s)

lulareviewla

Loved It

8 months

The Queen of Blood was a great book.

Our main character, Daleina, wasn't the most powerful person in her classes. She wasn't naturally gifted with immense power. She worked hard for every inch of progress, and tried her best while also being kind and helpful to those around her.

I appreciated reading about a character who was not the brightest star in the sky.

The world this book is set in is beautiful and scary at the same time. Being surrounded by powerful beings who want nothing more than your death is not a peaceful way to live, but the people in this world live in it anyway.

I can't wait to read the next book!

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The Queen of Blood

Sarah Beth Durst

Book 1 in the series:The Queens of Renthia