Tagged: queen
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
(Cover picture courtesy of Cinda Williams Chima’s site.)
Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family as good as killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.
The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.
Betrayal, war, intrigue and sacrifice all feature heavily in The Gray Wolf Throne but the thing that struck me most about it was how well Cinda Williams Chima writes about politics. She’s no George R. R. Martin in terms of complicated politics, but you can really appreciate that forces both inside and outside of the Fells influence all of the characters’ decisions. Particularly Raisa’s.
I like both Raisa and Han equally in this third installment of the Seven Realms series. Last book I favoured Han but now that Raisa is finally coming into her own I found myself connecting with her on a deeper level. Both characters are well-rounded and three dimensional and you can really feel their emotions. When Han discovers Rebecca is really Raisa, that betrayal cuts deeply. But for the sake of the realm both Han and Raisa have to move past their mutual feelings of betrayal and work together to save their kingdom.
Raisa isn’t one of these annoying heroines that does whatever the heck she wants without even considering the consequences of her actions. No, she knows that everything she does has tremendous repercussions not only for herself, but for the people she rules over. Her kingdom is in a very precarious position what with civil wars going on all around its borders but there are also factions tearing the country apart from within. Even if you’re not a big political junkie like I am I think most readers can appreciate just how well Cinda Williams Chima actually understands politics.
The plot was much faster paced than in the two previous novels but it definitely wasn’t at the price of character development or world-building. It’s not the pace of your typical action/thriller novel but the plot does move along quite quickly for epic fantasy. The main thing is that the plot of The Gray Wolf Throne is very interesting. It’s not the fastest one ever written but it is interesting enough to keep you reading into the early morning hours.
Basically, this third book was better than the previous two and I can’t wait for book four, The Crimson Crown.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge
(Cover picture courtesy of Passages to the Past.)
Thirty-five centuries ago the sun had a daughter: Hatshepsut. Youngest daughter of the Pharaoh, she was a lithe and magical child. But when her older sister died, it became her duty to purify the dynasty’s bloodline. She was to wed Thothmes, her father’s illegitimate son, who was heir to the throne. But fearing his son’s incompetence, Hatshepsut’s father came to her with startling news. She was to be Pharaoh, ruler of the greatest empire the world had ever known–provided, of course, that the unprecedented ascension by a woman did not inspire the priests to treason or instill in her half-brother and future consort sufficient hatred to have her put to death.
This is the premise for Child of the Morning, based closely on the historical facts. Hatshepsut assumed the throne at the age of fifteen and ruled brilliantly for more than two decades. Her achievements were immortalized on the walls of her magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahri, built by her architect and lover, Senmut.
Sensuous and evocative, Child of the Morning is the story of one of history’s most remarkable women.
(This summary is from Amazon because my edition does not have a blurb at the back.)
When I first read Child of the Morning, I was enchanted by it. Hatshepsut the tragic, pious she-pharaoh who wanted nothing more than to please Amun spoke to me. Pauline Gedge brought her to life for me and made ancient Egypt so much more accessible. Yet something about her portrayal of Hatshepsut didn’t feel right to me at all. Upon further study of her life, Pauline Gedge’s Hatshepsut does not sit well with me.
Pharaoh Hatshepsut reigned for 20-22 years after the death of her brother-husband Thutmose II. With the help of some great advisors (most notably the enigmatic Senmut), she ruled Egypt justly and kept peace for the better part of two decades, which was no easy feat. Personally, I don’t think Pauline Gedge’s dreamer could have achieved half of what the real Hatshepsut did. But maybe this is just my personal preference mixed with my prejudiced views of history. I do prefer an Iron Lady to an Aida, I must admit.
Other than my disapproval of Hatshepsut’s portrayal, Child of the Morning is excellent light historical fiction. The plot does not speed along, but it is nice and steady. Pauline Gedge has a talent for spellbinding writing and she inserts many authentic details from Egyptian life into her novel.
So what do you think of Hatshepsut? Was she an Iron Lady or a dreamer, as Pauline Gedge portrays her?
I give this book 4/5 stars.