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Summary
Summary
Set in the magical world of Renthia, The Queen of Blood is Sarah Beth Durst's ambitious entry into adult epic fantasy. With the danger of Peter Brett's The Warded Man, heart of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, and lyricism of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, this is the first chapter in a series destined to be a classic.
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 just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.
With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness--a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it's bathed in blood.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mythopoeic Award-winner Durst (Chasing Power) launches her Queens of Renthia series with a stellar and imaginative tale. In the fantasy world of Renthia, spirits-tangible magical beings associated with the four elements-would destroy all humans if it weren't for the queen, a powerful chosen ruler who can control them. When a group of spirits destroys an outlying village, young Daleina chases them off and discovers that she has the power to potentially be a queen one day. After training for years at the academy, she comes under the tutelage of Ven, a disgraced champion (and former lover) of the current queen, Fara, and they work to make Daleina stronger as it becomes more apparent that Fara might be losing control of the spirits. Durst ably dispenses with tropes of the genre, zooming through the standard "young magician at the academy" plot to focus on Daleina's growth as both a person and a potential queen. In addition to a solid cast of characters and great political intrigue, Durst delivers some fascinating worldbuilding, and the spirits are malevolent, cunning, wild, and mysterious antagonists. Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In the first of a new fantasy series by Durst (The Girl Who Could Not Dream, 2015, etc.), a woman with apparently weak magical abilities but exceptional smarts and determination competes to rule her land.Aratay is a land where all the villages and even the cities are improbably built among the tree branches. This closeness to nature has its extreme downside, as the forest is swarming with wood, earth, water, air, and ice spirits whose deepest instinct is to exterminate humans. Paradoxically, the spirits are also compelled to forfeit some of their power to the queen they select, allowing that single human to control them all and forestall their more destructive tendencies. But is the current queen, Fara, losing that control? In spite of the queen, spirits slaughtered the village of Greytreeeveryone but the family of Daleina, who revealed an affinity toward the spirits and managed to hold them off. Years later, Daleina begins training to become one of the queens potential heirs but cannot match the magical strength of her fellow candidates. Nevertheless, her drive and intelligence attract the disgraced Champion Ven, Queen Faras former lover, who hones the young womans skills and in the process discovers Faras terrible secret. There are plenty of fantasy bildungsromans that chronicle how a plucky young woman develops her unconventional magic in time to save everyone, and those even mildly familiar with the trope will foresee several aspects of the plot. However, its rare for a tale like this to have such an incredibly high body count or to force the protagonist to make the dark choices Daleina must. The overriding messagethat great strength administered without heed for the consequences is inferior to the ability to intelligently apply a smaller amount of powerhas also been shared before, but this is a particularly effective (if bloody) dissemination. Enough substance to break from the pack; heres hoping that future volumes pull even farther ahead. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Spirits inhabit everything earth, air, fire, ice, water, trees and all they want to do is kill. Peace is maintained through the power of the queen, assisted by her champions and their trainees, the Heirs. When her village is attacked, 10-year-old Daleina displays an affinity for commanding spirits. Although her control is weak, she resolves to train to become an Heir. Champion Ven, a former favorite of Queen Fara who is currently in exile, arrives too late to stop the assault and knows something is very wrong. The queen's duty is to protect her people, and Ven suspects Fara is losing control of the spirits. Many years will pass and much more blood be spilled before Daleina and Ven figure out what is happening, and stopping it may cost them dearly. The award-winning Durst has fashioned an alluring world of magical adventure among blood-thirsty spirits and the most deadly of royal politics, the kind based on self-delusion and fueled by fear. Book one of the Queens of Renthia will appeal to fans of epic fantasy.--Lockley, Lucy Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The universe is made of living things, and spirits reside in the trees, the wind, and the water. However, the spirits are not fond of the humans who encroach on their lands and would destroy them all but for the queen, the sole person who can control the undead. Still, the queen is human, with weaknesses like everyone else. To ensure the spirits stay bound, young women who show some magical powers are chosen to attend the academy and become the queen's heirs. Daleina, who saved her family when the rest of her village was struck down by spirits, knows that her magic isn't substantial and that the throne is out of her reach. As spirit attacks become more frequent, Daleina joins with the disgraced champion Ven to figure out why the invasions are increasing. If they are unable to stand strong against the oncoming forces, their land will fall under a siege of darkness, death, and blood. The captivating -characters will draw readers into a world of magic and intrigue and keep them wanting more. VERDICT Durst, an award-winning YA author (-Vessel) and three-time Andre Norton Award finalist, presents a thrilling beginning to a sweeping series about searching for sovereignty and truth in order to save one's land.-KC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.