Dark Swan series, book 2
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bantam (13 Aug 2009)
ISBN-10: 0553819879
ISBN-13: 978-0553819878
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought online
From the back of the book:
Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire. She's paid to bind and banish creatures from the Other world...
But something happened after her last battle. She became queen of the Thorn land. That said, with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying all mankind, the job's not really all it's cracked up to be.
Now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld and no-one seems willing to find out why. Or put a stop to it. Not that Eugenie's fazed by spilling fey blood, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle and dangerous - and nursing a very personal grudge.
Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in a power she can barely control. She may be a reluctant queen but she's vowed to do her duty, even if that means facing the darkest - and deadliest - side of her own nature...
Thorn Queen is the second in the Dark Swan series, following on from where Storm Born left off… Having killed Aeson, King of the Thorn land with her new-found magic, a legacy from her father, the fearsome Storm King, Eugenie has to face up to her new responsibilities, something she is reluctant to do. It is necessary to read Storm Born first as Thorn Queen assumes knowledge from the first in the series.
Eugenie is a strong character – feisty, determined and independent – but has problems reconciling her half-human, half-fae heritage. Now that she is queen of one of the Otherworld lands, she has to face up to her legacy. Her magic powers, inherited from her father, are uncontrolled. The land has changed into a desert landscape similar to her native Arizona. And the prophecy regarding her future child leaves her open to threat from anyone wanting to bring about the destruction of humankind and gain power for themselves. Meanwhile, her relationship with Kiyo, a Kitsune (fox shapeshifter) is fragile, and Dorian, king of the Oak land is a constant presence in her Otherworld life. In the human world, she keeps her role as Thorn queen secret from her family, particularly her stepfather Roland, another shaman, but is becoming torn between her responsibilities in both worlds. Added to this confusion, someone is abducting girls from the Thorn land and Eugenie feels obligated to help find out who is behind this, and why.
Throughout the book Eugenie is torn in different directions. She feels a strong duty towards the people of her land, who are struggling to adapt to the change in the land itself and are enduring great hardship, being unused to the hot, dry climate where the plants they previously farmed are failing in the desert conditions. She is closely tied to the land and begins to use her magic to provide water sources for the struggling villages. She also enlists the help of Leith, son of the Rowan Queen and potential suitor, to assist with irrigation projects. She also sets up a trade in copper to provide much needed revenue, thus gaining the respect of her castle staff given to her by Dorian, who continues help her, although Eugenie suspects his motives may be more sexual than altruistic. Meanwhile, her activities in the Otherworld are taking her away from her day job as a shaman in Tucson and causing friction with her stepfather Roland, who is very disapproving of the Otherworld and it’s people. However, she correctly suspects that humans are involved in the abduction of the missing girls and it is while investigating this that she faces grave danger, leading to the dramatic conclusion of the book.
My one gripe with Thorn Queen is the over-reliance on sexually explicit scenes to convey Eugenie’s various relationships. I felt these were, in the main, unnecessary and detracted from the strong portrayal of Eugenie as both shaman and queen. However, they served well as a counterbalance to the danger Eugenie faced in the second half of the book. My fear is the that series could descend into ‘Anita Blake’ territory, where sexual activities dominate the real plot and reduce Eugenie’s credibility as a central character. That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the magic element, as Eugenie discovers how much of her father’s powers she has inherited. I liked Ysabel, Dorian’s mistress who is sent to give Eugenie lessons in controlling her magic. She does not want to help Eugenie in any way, seeing her as a rival for Dorian’s affections, and is difficult, bitchy and downright nasty! Another minor character who I think will become more prominent as the series progresses is Jasmine, Eugenie’s teenage half-sister. She is determined to fulfil the prophecy of the Storm King’s grandchild bringing the destruction of humankind and actively works against Eugenie, yet has all the petulance and anger of a teenager.
Overall, Thorn Queen is a good second novel in a promising series. I love the Otherworld setting more than than the human world and am pleased to see this is gaining more prominence. The next book, Iron Crowned is due for release in March 2011 and looks set to focus on a war within the Otherworld. I have pre-ordered it in anticipation…
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Style: 6
Rating: 7/10
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