Review: The Blood of Queens by Alex C. Pierce

Blurb:

What happens when you take a thief and a con-man, that everyone thinks is a monster, and make him captain of the Queen's personal bodyguard?

Gossip, treachery, and paperwork... So much paperwork.

Ren's appointment as Warden, the Queen's personal bodyguard and head of her security has created something of a stir in the walled realm of Lenmar. Opposition to his mere presence within the Crystal Palace is high, and old schemes and rivalries are kindled anew as the tension builds between the nobility and the factions pushing for change.

Ren just wants to keep the Queen safe, solve the mystery of his mentor's disappearance, and figure out why, Haim, who'd saved his life and been his accomplice on more than one occassion, was avoiding him.

An attack on the eve of the Moon Festival, when the Council of Nobles is set to convene, provides the spark to ignite a chain of events that threatens the very foundations that have kept the people of Lenmar safe, and puts everyone Ren cares about in danger.

Review:

Following on the heels of The Blood of Crows, I jumped right into this sequel. Once again I did admire the cover, but overall the biggest hype that I had was to continue the incredible story that I experienced in the first. It picks up shortly after the first one, with just a little bit of time that had passed in between them. I was excited to be back with Ren and his group of friends, while navigating the twist that had ended the first book. It was different as this one is much more political than the first, as the characters are now fully involved with the main leaders of the kingdom. There are still elements of the heist feeling that are scattered between the new elements of being in charge of the Queen’s guard. The political elements are essential and are the driving factor to what has happened in the story so far. I will say that it is a much slower pace from the first novel that may not be to the liking of all readers. It did not bother me and it feels like the first one as it comes closer to the ending of the novel.

The strength of the novel is most definitely the main character of Ren. He still has the roguish feel and the skills that he has learned from the streets. The reveals of who he truly is weigh heavy on his mind and it was refreshing to see the mental stress from the responsibility he now has. It felt realistic and the choices were made with a thought to how the consequences could be felt by all those around him. I did like how he was able to interact with a group that did not have the page time in the first novel and they are all solid entries as side characters that can become favorites to many. They all find the important parts to play as the story progresses and I enjoyed their moments as they came about. I have already mentioned the pacing and I do believe that this is because of the political focus of the novel. It is hard to maintain such a breakneck pace as was experienced through the majority of the first novel without it feeling like a carbon copy. I do wish that I had learned more of the political nature of the Queendom from the first novel so that I could understand more of the twists and turns of the political machinations that happen within the pages. This is probably more that I was such a fan of the heist and action that I didn’t place the focus where I should have.

Alex C. Pierce is a wizard with his words, easily transforming his characters from his mind to living beings that readers will care deeply about. I am still excited to read the rest of this series as it has such potential to “WOW” so many readers with the twists and turns that seem to flow effortlessly in the narrative. This story is beautiful, fun, and just brilliantly engaging. The magic is not just part of the characters, but also as part of the series that will pull you in. I know that I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to this series as it left me emotionally hyped for some of the things that I cannot mention as it would lead into too many spoilers. I invite you to impatiently wait with me by reading this series!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!