Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Exiled Queen: By Cinda Williams Chima

THE EXILED QUEEN

SUMMARY

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa
ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

REVIEW

With teens turning to vampires, angels, and whatever other craze is out there it’s refreshing to read an author who’s not succumbing to the popular crazy of the day.

Cinda Williams Chima is such an author.

Cinda Williams Chima is a fantastic writer who improves with each novel she writes. Her Heir series was a New York Times Children’s Series Bestseller, as well as appearing on a number of distinguished lists including the USA Today and Indie Bestsellers lists. Her most recent series, The Seven Realms Series, has also received much praise and thus far includes The Demon King and The Exiled Queen.

In The Exiled Queen Chima starts the story immediately where The Demon King leaves off. (If you haven’t read The Demon King yet, let me first say you should, and second that you shouldn’t read the next few paragraphs, but should just know this is a great series that anyone looking for a great book should read.) For those who have read the first book in this epic series The Exiled Queen begins with all the main characters traveling to Oden’s Ford to study wizardry, military training, and hide from their enemies. Where the first book sets up the story be introducing the characters to one another, the plot really thickens in The Exiled Queen. Different and strange alliances seem to develop and new and powerful characters are introduced to the story. Besides that more divisions and plots to overthrow the government and current standing are discovered as the plot thickens in this captivating book.

And yet while the plot is incredibly intricate and detailed one of my favorite aspects of The Exiled Queen are the characters that are developed in the book. Fire Dancer, a character who could by all rights have a book all of his own, is given a greater part in the story. The Bayer twins (especially Fiona) are allowed to room to develop their own plots and schemes. And new characters such as Crow are introduced to the fray.

All in all The Exiled Queen is a fantastic book that I just couldn’t put down. The action swells with each successive chapter, the already vibrant characters grow even richer, and the plot is full of intricate and complex schemes that just make the book so captivating that anyone who picks it up wont be able to put it down until the very last page. Making The Exiled Queen a must read in this season of sequels.

RAITNG
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Published: September 28, 2010

Price: $17.99

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