Hello everyone! I am really excited today because tomorrow The Blood Prince is released!! I was going to post my review for the second book in the series earlier but decided to do it the day before the release of the third book. It seemed fitting.
The weekend was nice. We smoked two large salmon fillets on Saturday and it was phenomenal. The first time I ever had smoked salmon was at my mom’s house this past Christmas. I love salmon but smoked salmon was the best thing I’d ever tried. I had a hard time stopping myself from eating the entire thing. This time we smoked it ourselves. It had such a delicious flavor. My father-in-law said it will last for 13 days before going bad and my response was to simply laugh. There is no way it will last that long, it’ll all be in my belly.
Now, enough about food. Despite how delicious it was, I’m here to discuss books! Well, I guess this book kind of deals with food…blood is the food source of the Nobles. I think maybe someday I will come up with a meal or recipe for a current read. That might be a fun idea. What do you think? Now my mind is full of fun ideas of what I would create for this novel.
Alright…on to the book.
The Silver Queen
Author: Josie Jaffrey
Published: October 17th, 2018
Publisher: Smashwords (Josie Jaffrey)
Book Length: 370 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Buy the book: Amazon
**Disclaimer: I received this novel for free in exchange for my honest review.**
The last city on Earth is contaminated. Now blood is the only thing that can wash it clean.
Julia is trapped inside the Blue as the Nobles fight over the few humans who are still alive. When the dust settles and she finds herself shackled to a new master, she knows she must escape or die.
Meanwhile, Cam has gathered a handful of comrades and is on his way into the Red to rescue his queen. But not all of his friends can be trusted, and not all of them will make it back alive.
The Silver Queen is the second book in Josie Jaffrey’s Sovereign trilogy, set in a dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human race.
Once again, Josie brings such an appealing cover. This time, on the second book’s cover, we see the Queen running. The meshing of blue and red are better understood when you have read the story of the first novel. The lettering looks as if a few are turning silver, that has a deeper meaning in the novel as well. It is hard not to look at this cover and not want to take it and give it a wonderful home on your shelf.
With such a high standard set already, I was not surprised by how enticing this book was from the start. This book did not disappoint in the slightest. The cliff hanger where the first book left off was quickly picked right back up. The reader is thrown directly back into the story and the action picks right back up. I almost forgot that it had been a few months since I had read the first book. Everything came flying back to me, the Blue and Red, the characters, etc.
We see much more of the Weepers and the Red. The plague becomes worse, the Nobles are now more desperate. The story only deepens, as does the relationships between its characters. Josie continues with her addictive writing style and dual POV. I was so happy to finally really see more of Cam. One of the best parts of this novel for me was when both POVs merged. I really loved seeing the story coming together, the subplots still in full bloom but the main one now on a single path.
Once again, I love the depth she adds to her characters, Josie knows exactly what readers want. There are so many that I just fell in love with in the first book and I only grew closer to them here.
Lucas: He is still one of my favorite characters in the story. I imagine him as someone that I would want to be around if I were in Julia’s. He is a Noble, but not just any Noble. He is kind to her, caring, always looking out for her…especially around Rufas. He is…I guess if I were her, I’d be falling for him too.
Rufus: I just don’t enjoy this character very much. He is arrogant and just…he makes my skin crawl.
Julia: Julia is a very relatable character. On one hand, she is being oppressed by the Nobles and forced to become a blood source. However, she never once loses her strength. She is brave and knows what she wants to fight for, never backing down. Julia is a person capable of bringing justice to those who deserve it.
Cameron: I was very pleased to learn more about him in this novel. He is a fascinating character, doing anything he must to find the Queen and bring her back to the Blue. He is a kind heart, a true friend to those he cares for.
Felix: I initially disliked this character but by the end of the book I enjoyed him. I hope to learn more about him in the third book.
For the sake of the length of this review, I will not divulge into every character but I will mention there are some old faces and new that I have now grown very fond of. What I enjoy most about Josie’s characters is that they all have many layers. You might have a first impression of them being ‘bad’ but then you learn more about them or their background and your idea about that person might change. She has the ability to make you question what you really feel about them.
Josie continues to build this amazing world of the Red and Blue. In The Silver Queen, we learn more about the Red and boy does it have its own surprises. She could have left the world as is, but she continues to allow it to grow, as if we only see small pieces of a map at a time, slowly expanding our gaze outward. The details with which she describes everything are so fine-tuned that I could feel as if I was in the Red, walking alongside the characters, feeling their fear and hope.
I will say this again, as I did with the first novel…if you enjoy vampire novels but are not a fan of the *sparkly* version in Twilight…this book is for you. If you are looking for a more ‘adult’ vampire novel but not one that delves into the R-rated romance, give this series a chance.
With captivating writing, vivid imagery, a compelling plot, and fast pace, how could you not want to pick this up? It brings with it love and loss, fear and hope, but more importantly new friends and adventures. The characters and their stories will stick with you, they are not soon forgotten. Josie has the ability to grab you and pull you right into the Red or Blue with her characters.
Would you read this novel? Buy it or borrow it? If you have read it, what did you think? Do enjoy vampire novels? How about Zombie novels? Have you read the Solis Invicti series? What book has been on your nightstand lately?
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