Kill the Queen - (Crown of Shards Novel) by Jennifer Estep (Paperback)

About the Book

"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"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

The thrilling first novel in the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when an unlikely member of the royal family suddenly becomes a contender in a clash for the crown . . .

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 combat, 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.

Review Quotes

"Quick-moving plot and characters that jump off the page... Estep finely balances a confident tough-edged personality with an inner life filled with doubts and emotions," - Publishers Weekly on Poison Promise
"A knockout... lots of vividly depicted battles, a high body-count, and high-octane escapes worthy of a James Bond movie keeps the pages turning." - Booklist on Poison Promise
"Filled with death-defying feats and sweeping emotions..." - Publishers Weekly on Black Widow
"Truly one of the best long-running urban fantasy series you can find." - RT Book Reviews (top pick) on Unraveled
Praise for the Elemental Assassins series:
"A raw, gritty, compelling walk on the wild side." - Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series
"Jennifer Estep's Kill the Queen is the fierce, feminist kick-off of a great new fantasy series... a sweeping, addictive adventure with a tiny hint of romance that will leave readers clamoring for more of this universe as soon as they reach the last page." - Culturess.com
"imaginative..." - Wall Street Journal
"Kill the Queen rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn't write it. More please!" - Jeffe Kennedy, RITA(R) Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind
"Entertaining." - Publishers Weekly
"Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN." - Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
"KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen." - Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Estep starts an exciting new fantasy series full of magic, fierce women, and revenge." - Booklist
"KILL THE QUEEN starts out with a bang...one of the most entertaining reads I've done this year." - Night Owl Romance