The Reluctant Queen audiobook

I'm just going to say it: I think this series is REALLY good and should be read by more people.There's so much bad in YA fantasy. So much recycled I-pretend-the-world-is-in-danger-but-really-I-just-need-to-choose-between-two-hot-boys nonsense. I personally really feel this series is a hidden gem in a huge pile of the same. It sounds familiar, with the usual titles like "The Queen of ___" and "The ___ Queen", but, for me at least, the story is something different.Maybe it's just that so much time has passed, but I feel like I liked this sequel even more than the first book. Daleina is now queen, struggling to control the spirits, but she soon finds out a terrible truth: she is dying. If she dies without an heir, Aratay will be overrun by spirits and fall into chaos. Two races are on in this book - Hamon's race to find a cure for Daleina's incurable illness, and the champions' race to produce a worthy queen before it is too late.As if this wasn't all dramatic enough, the queen of Semo (and Daleina's old friend) appears to be moving her soldiers into Aratay. It's all very exciting. AND then it turns out that something else may not be as it first appeared, which leads us toward a very compelling mystery and, I thought, a surprising resolution.I think this book has a lot of crossover appeal and could easily be sold as adult fantasy. The characters are all adults and, though PG-13, the book carries a maturity with it. Daleina never becomes distracted by some hot dude and always remembers what is really important - protecting the throne and, through it, the people of Aratay.In The Reluctant Queen, we meet some fabulous new characters. Naelin is a woodswoman who has spent her whole life hiding her power away so she can have a normal life with her children and husband. When the safety of her children is threatened, she emerges into the spotlight. I also thought the manipulative and evil Garnah was a fantastic character. She was a great villain because, for some reason, she wasn't entirely unlikeable. Maybe because she was so smart and cunning that it was hard to not have a certain admiration for her.This is just entertaining, fast-paced fantasy exactly the way I like it. Mysteries, murder, royal politics and betrayals, and just the tiniest bit of romance.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

$2.99 Kindle sale, March 16, 2018, for this second book in a very good fantasy series. The third (and final, I believe) book in this series will be published in May 2018. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature. Some spoilers for the first book in this series here:Sarah Beth Durst continues the saga of the QUEENS OF RENTHIA in The Reluctant Queen, the second book in this series (definitely read the first book, The Queen of Blood, before this one). Renthia is in a world where everything in nature ― air, trees, water, earth, fire and more ― has a spirit that lives, moves … and maliciously attacks humans, unprovoked. These wild, chaotic spirits can be killed, but then their corresponding bit of nature (a tree, a field, etc.) dies and becomes barren as well. So generally people try not to kill the spirits, and the magically gifted women of Renthia, particularly the queen, are charged with keeping the spirits under control with their powers.Daleina, who was crowned queen of Aratay, one of the countries of Renthia, at the end of The Queen of Blood, is still in the process of adjusting to being the queen when she topples over in a dead faint, briefly loosing the spirits around her to kill several people. Daleina is diagnosed with a fatal illness called the False Death, which causes periodic blackouts (especially when she is exercising her magical power) that will worsen and kill her within a few short months. And every time she blacks out, she’s so close to death that the spirits, no longer controlled by her magic, go wild, killing people and trashing the area. It’s a dangerous and insupportable situation! To make matters worse, Queen Merecot of the neighboring country Semo is gathering troops on the border, which Daleina’s counselors fear is a sign of a pending invasion, despite Merecot’s reassuring messages to Daleina.So Daleina calls all of the country’s Champions, including her former champion and mentor Ven, to quickly find a new magically gifted girl who can take over as queen within the three months Daleina expects to have before she dies. The task is almost impossible, particularly since there are no more older trained, magically gifted girls. Ven, accompanied by Daleina’s personal guard and friend Alet, embarks on his search. He quickly discards the idea of choosing a trainee from the magic academies as too young and untrained, and heads off into the forests of Aratay to scour the towns and villages, hoping to find an older woman with strong magic who was somehow overlooked in earlier searches.Ven and Alet soon find Naelin, a responsible married woman with an irresponsible husband and two young children, and extremely powerful magic that she has tried to deny and hide, afraid of the consequences of attracting the spirits’ attention to herself and her family by use of her magic. So Naelin has absolutely no desire to develop control of her magic, leave her village, become an heir to the queen, or ANYTHING else that Ven wants and needs her to do. “I don’t want to be a candidate for queen!” (and its corollaries, “I don’t want my power” and “I just want a quiet life”) is her constant refrain. It gets rather tiresome, though it’s a necessary component of the plot.Meanwhile, Queen Daleina’s former lover Hamon, a healer, is madly trying to find a cure for the False Death. He’s so desperate that he even calls in his amoral mother Garnah, a brilliant and immensely gifted healer, to help. Naelin and Garnah, the two primary new characters introduced in The Reluctant Queen, are a welcome addition to the series. While both are intriguing and well-rounded characters, they vividly contrast with each other in their outlooks on life and treatment of others. Naelin has a deep concern for others and a protective instinct, while Garnah uses others cold-bloodedly to advance her own purposes. I expected to detest Garnah thoroughly, but she surprised me by being a more intelligent and enjoyable character than I had expected. She ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book … though I’d hate to have to deal with her in real life, especially if I were standing in the way of her goals! Daleina remains a presence in The Reluctant Queen, visibly matured from the untried girl she was in The Queen of Blood. Merecot, a memorably gifted and ruthlessly ambitious young woman from Daleina’s days at the academy, also makes a welcome reappearance.Naelin is a rarity for a main character in fantasy literature, a mature woman with children. It was fascinating to see her point of view as an older person with more life experience. Naelin has a strong mama bear streak, and gets understandably impatient when Ven tries to forcibly push her through training without explaining things to her or taking her opinion into account:“Champion Ven is not making good choices,” Naelin told her daughter, “so we are going to give him a little time by himself to think about what he’s done.”“Oooh,” Erian said to him, “You’re in trouble. Once Mama locked Father out of the house for a whole night, even though it was raining. He got very wet before she threw him a tent.”Though The Reluctant Queen shares a similar “train a magical heir as queen” story line with The Queen of Blood as a primary plot element, the differences between the two women who are the subject of the training in each book, along with other elements of the plot, are dissimilar enough that I never got bored. The ending is obviously setting up the story for the next book in this series, more overtly and less smoothly than I would have liked, especially since it involves suddenly opening up some new issues and conflicts as hooks to that forthcoming story. Still, THE QUEENS OF RENTHIA series is an engaging fantasy world with great characters, and I’m looking forward to the next book.I received a free copy of this book from the author for review. Thank you!

As a mom who is just starting to get some gray hairs, it is very, very pleasing to read a fantasy book starring a mom who is starting to get gray hairs. It is very, very pleasing to read about a "Chosen One" who is like, "No. I didn't want this. I don't want fame or glory. I don't even care about saving the world. I only care about my family, MY life." I was like, YEAH. You go, girl!Too often moms in books are relegated to being the kindly farm lady who raised the Chosen One, taught them manners and how to deal with recalcitrant goats, which comes in handy later. They are always strong women, "handsome," and with a sense of humor . . . and always not around by chapter 2, except as flashbacks or internal voices. But here's a mom who is the star of the show, along with other characters of various ages and genders, even another mother who, by contract, is quite horrifying. Added to that we've got a layered and fascinating plot, plenty of action, more creepy spirits, and yet more super intelligent wolf sidekick awesomeness.Also, a dumbwaiter. This is the second book I've read recently that featured a dumbwaiter. They seem handy, I should get one!

I think I almost like this one better than the first? Maybe? I don't know, but I love them both. This definitely doesn't suffer from second book syndrome, which is all I ever ask for. We see so much more of this world and from such different perspectives, but it doesn't take away from everything we'

An excellent sequel, this book was very different from The Queen of Blood. We get a good follow up on established characters, plus introduction to some interesting new ones.I loved the new central character introduced in this book, Naelin. We don't often get older women, particularly mothers, taking a such a central and positive role in YA fantasy - and here we even get a little bit of romantic tension! Honestly, she really made the book for me. Durst is doing something different here, and as a regular reader of YA fantasy, I really appreciate that. I'll be reading the The Queen of Sorrow soon, and given the set up for events here, the third book promises to be a pretty exciting conclusion to the story.

"What did you want?" Still cradling her children, Naelin watched the guardswoman clean her blade and then splash water on her face and neck. Patches of dirt turned into mud that dripped over her shoulders.She shrugged. "Not that life. Far too boring.""Peaceful isn't boring.""I wanted to matter. For my life to matter. So many people die and no one knows they ever existed. They're ripples in a stream, disappearing when the wind blows."...The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst is the second book in The Queens of Renthia series, and if you have not read The Queen of Blood yet, don't read the first paragraph of this review because you will be spoiled for the first book. I've warned you. If you would like, go check out my glowing review of the first book.SPOILERSDaleina is the queen of Aratay, but soon discovers some shocking news: she is dying. With only a short time left to live, Daleina must find an heir to the throne, in the hopes of securing the safety of the land. Hamon, healer and consort to the queen, vows to find a cure, and Ven, Champion and former captain of the guard, goes out in search of an heir. He soon finds Naelin, a badass woods-woman who has an affinity for controlling spirits, and who will do anything to protect her children. But Naelin doesn't want anything to do with the power she possesses, and as Daleina's power weakens, Queen Merecot of Semo in the North threatens to invade. As the spirits become more emboldened, Naelin realizes she must risk everything to keep her family safe.END OF SPOILERS...This sequel was fantastic.I can't begin to describe the love I have for this series. It's stunning. And I'm surprised that so many people haven't read it. It has everything you could ever want out of a fantasy series. Fantastic, multidimensional characters, vivid magic, political intrigue, mystery, action, minimal romance, and a gorgeous fantastical setting. The villains are all layered and entirely human; you understand their motivations, and yet you're terrified of them. Those are the best types of antagonists.Every single page of The Reluctant Queen is drenched with beautiful writing and a foreboding sense of what is to come. From the very beginning, you're thrust into a high-stakes story full of mystery and dread. I love the characters of this series so much, and I was constantly worrying about them. I just...adore them all. So goddamn much.The girl power in this series is also AMAZING. There are so many powerful woman in these books. Naelin is a strong, capable woman who is the mother of two children. She'll do anything to keep them safe, even if it means hiding the power within her. She grows so much throughout this book. Seeing her come into her abilities made me so proud. I LOVE HER. Her and Ven's blooming relationship was also delightful.And Daleina...my sweet Daleina. I've loved her unconditionally since book 1. She's badass, intuitive, clever, and knows her limits. She's the queen that Aratay deserves, and the fact that she was (view spoiler)[dying (hide spoiler)] in this book? I couldn't keep it together, man. It physically hurt at times. But even then, Daleina still fought for her people and did everything she could to protect them. She's resilient and beautiful and I LOVE HER. SHE'S MY PRECIOUS CHILD.I even liked Naelin's two kids, Erian and Llor. They were so damn cute, and I don't know, just hearing what little kids have to say is so entertaining. They get straight to the point, for sure. And seeing Naelin's complete and utter devotion to her family was so beautiful. If I ever have children, I'd strive to be as good of a mother as her.There was never a dull moment in this book. The story was expertly plotted. The characters were all developed masterfully, and there were even some new characters that caught me off guard. Garnah, for instance, was insane. She's cunning, manipulative, and surprisingly...likable? I can't wait to read more about her in the next installment. And the writing. Goodness, it was gorgeous. Durst perfectly captures the gorgeous setting of Aratay: the palace and the woods beyond, the dwellings perched in the branches of massive trees. I love this world. I feel so at home in it.The ending, also, was completely explosive. I couldn't breathe. The next book can't come soon enough. Truly, I was shaking when I turned that final page. It's that good.This series is so underrated. Like I said before, not enough people have read it. Please, if you like fantasy and are looking for something different, please pick this up. I want to scream my love for this series from the top of a mountain.*shoves the first two books into your hands* READ THIS SERIES. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.I can't contain my need for the third book. It'll probably destroy my life, but it'll be so worth it.

✅ Magic✅ World-building✅ Plot / Intrigue✅ Pace✅ Action ✅ CharactersThe Reluctant Queen takes place 6 months after the end of The Queen of Blood. Deleina is now queen of Aratay, but she needs to find an heir quickly because she is dying... This book was more about political intrigues and criminal investigation. In the first book, Daleina trains non stop and faces many trials, there is a lot of movement and action. In this sequel, it's more about finding and training an heir, protecting Aratay, and investigating crimes that happened in the royal palace. As if that was not enough, there is the matter of queen Merecot of Semo (yes, the same Merecot that was friend with Daleina in Queen of Blood) trying to invade Aratay with her army and her spirits.The tome was different, but the story was as good. Daleina is more mature, she takes her role as a queen quite seriously and she shows us once again that she can be brave and selfless. There is a little (very little) bit of romance, but overall, this book is more mature than your average YA fantasy, not because some of the main characters are older, but because romance and sentimental dramas do not take as much place in this book as they do in many other series. There are a few new characters in this book. One I found quite fascinating is Hamon's mother. She is painted as an evil and coldhearted woman who does not think twice before she poisons someone, but even at the end of the book, I could not really understand what her intentions towards Daleina were. I know that she is very self-centered, but besides that, I'm not sure if she is a threat or if she merely wishes to stay in contact with Hamon. We also meet Naelin, a fierce mother and woodswoman who spent her life trying to hide and get rid of her powers. She hopes for a quiet and happy life, but she is forced to face her fears and to rise tall and strong to save her children and maybe all of Aratay. She was just an amazing character, I really liked her.The Queen of Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐Follow me on Instagram 🙂

1) The Queen of Blood ★★★★☆"The two things that a true queen needs are the instinct to survive and the instinct to protect."After finishing the second book of this trilogy, I'm even more confused about the reason this series isn't as popular as others YA fantasy on goodreads. I could understand if after the first book it became bad, but it's the opposite. This universe and the characters are amazing. I honestly have no idea why it's so underrated, maybe because the covers aren't attractive for many people? I find them great, but when I see the YA fantasy covers getting the most love around here, it might be one of the reasons. Anyway, just like I said in my review of the first book, if you want a YA fantasy that's not cliché, that will introduce you to a great universe and magic system and well written characters, you should definitely pick up The Queens of Renthia trilogy. I'm not even taking a break from the series this time, I'm directly reading the third book.In this second novel, Daleina is now queen but there will be many, many complications. I'll keep it spoilers free, but you won't be bored a minute. Just like in the first book, her character is interesting and well written, the author never falling into any YA boring trope. There are also new characters introduced in this book, my favorite being Naelin. But the others are just as interesting and well written, Sarah Beth Durst obviously not throwing new characters on pages just to add anything new, but to add something or someone that makes sense in this story. I also agree with others readers who said this book might be read as adult fantasy, as I think it's a more mature read than most YA novels, but if you only read YA fantasy, I'm pretty sure it can also work, don't worry.

4.5 ✨

4,5 starsThis series is highly unappreciated. It has wonderful worldubilding and great representation of female characters.The second novel in The Queen of Renthia series was even better than the first. There now more perspectives and more characters that are important to the story. One of them is Naelin, a mother of two who would make a good queen. Honestly, I am no mother and rarely I appreciate characters who are, but I really liked Naelin, her determination and her love for her children. There's less of Daleina in the story but she stays strong and capable. I also liked side character like Arin, Daleina's sister or healer Hamon and his mother, who was a surprise. And, of course, there's Ven, always loyal and doing his best.The prose is very well crafted, the whole novel was easily paced and comfortable to read. I enjoyed it very much.

This series is so underrated.

Schon der erste Band hatte mich sehr begeistert und ich war mega gespannt wie es weitergehen wird - und gleich zu Beginn gab es eine große Überraschung, mit der ich so gar nicht gerechnet hatte ... hätte ich nicht den Klappentext gelesen. War ein bisschen doof, aber gut. Ich hab mich trotzdem gefreut, wieder in diese wunderbare und auch gefährliche Welt einzutauchen, in der es von Naturgeistern nur so wimmelt.Die Menschen in Renthia sind zum Teil auf diese Geister angewiesen, denn wenn man Macht über sie hat, können sie vieles bewirken. Allerdings sind sie auch launisch, so dass ihre Willkür auch gerne mal in böswillige und zerstörerische Neigungen umschlagen können. Doch dafür gibt es die Königin, deren einzigartige Stärke die absolute Kontrolle beinhaltet, mit der sie Geister im ganzen Land "ruhig stellen" kann. Die Magie hier finde ich wunderschön, besonders und auch grandios beschrieben, überhaupt ist der Schreibstil sehr einnehmend und lässt großartige Bilder beim Lesen entstehen!Natürlich gibt es aber wieder jede Menge Probleme, die auf Daleina und Ven warten, zwei Charaktere die man schon aus dem ersten Band kennt. Aber auch der Heiler Hamon muss sich Hilfe holen mit einer Person, die er lieber komplett aus seinem Leben gestrichen hätte und wir lernen eine ganz neue und wichtige Figur kennen: Naelin. Sie ist ein toller Charakter und hat sehr schön wiedergespiegelt, was im Leben wirklich wichtig ist: die Familie. Das ist ein sehr zentrales Thema in diesem Band, die Zufriedenheit mit dem wenigen, wenn man nur glücklich ist und es den Menschen, die man liebt gut geht. Ohne Streben nach Macht oder überhaupt nach mehr, sondern mit der Genügsamkeit für das dankbar zu sein, was man hat.Demgegenüber steht allerdings auch die Verantwortung, von seiner Macht Gebrauch zu machen, wenn sie nötig ist. Die Verluste in Kauf zu nehmen, die diese Pflicht in Anspruch nimmt. Hier wurde mir allerdings zu oft auf dem Thema herumgeritten. Es stellt sich ziemlich klar dar, aber es wurde mir dennoch zu wiederholt darauf hingewiesen und überhaupt recht viel repetiert, was einfach nicht nötig gewesen wäre.Die Handlung an sich geht gut voran, war mir aber auch an manchen Stellen doch zu sehr gebremst. An sich wusste man ziemlich gut wie es verlaufen würde und dennoch wurden die Entscheidungen hier zu sehr hinausgezögert. Dafür gab es aber auch einige Überraschungen, auch mit anderen Figuren die eine wichtige Rolle eingenommen haben und auch die Spannung nahm gegen Ende immer mehr zu. Es werden auch einige Intrigen gesponnen, von denen man hinter eine recht schnell kommt, während man bei der anderen, zumindest ich, bis zum Ende im Dunkeln getappt bin, wodurch die Aufklärung wirklich überraschend war. Insgesamt hat mir die Fortsetzung wirklich gut gefallen da es viele neue Aspekte gibt am Ende auch wieder neue Herausforderungen für den letzten Band, die mich sehr neugierig gemacht haben und die auf ein spannendes Finale hoffen lassen. Ich kann die Reihe absolut empfehlen und hoffe, dass Teil 3 nicht mehr so lange auf sich warten lässt.© AleshaneeWeltenwanderer

Such a great series, I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first.