The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine (Ravenspire #1)
Published February 16, 2016 by Balzer + Bray, 387 pp.
Summary:
A dark epic fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White, from C. J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series. Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Cinder.
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
How goes it?
The charm of retellings has yet to fade on me, and I’m always on the lookout for more (hit me with recs!), so here’s another addition to my shelves! This book is in the middle ground for me – not bad, but I feel like there is untapped potential in it.
The Shadow Queen is a Snow White retelling, following Lorelai in her quest to overthrow Irina and reclaim her place as Ravenspire’s true queen. In the neighbouring kingdom of Eldr, Kol finds himself the reluctant king when his family is killed on the battlefront. With magic-wielding ogres threatening Eldr, he needs to fight fire with fire – and the closest source is Ravenspire’s queen. In exchange for Eldr’s protection, Kol is tasked with getting back the princess’ heart. Complications arise, loyalties are tested, and Lorelai’s mardushka mettle is tested when she and Irina face each other in a battle that can only end when one of them dies.
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