Ratings11
Average rating3.9
"Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series--an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance. In a realm where one's magical power determines one's worth, Lady Everleigh's lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten. But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre. Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future--or if she even has one--Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move. But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie's fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen."--provided by publisher.
Lady Everleigh's lack of magical ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Forced into hiding with a gladiator troupe, she meets Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. As Vasilia pushes Bellona to the brink of war, Evie must become a gladiator herself... and kill the queen. -- adapted from publisher info
Series
2 primary booksCrown of Shards is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Jennifer Estep.
Reviews with the most likes.
The cover made me think this was YA but it said adult so I read it... and it read like a YA just with a few f*cks in it. Got me a little confused to why this wasn't labled as a YA.
I really enjoyed this book. It was somewhat predictable at times, but I still thought it was great.
Everleigh is part of the royal family. But, since she's seventeenth in line for the throne, she might as well be a servant. She gets the same amount of respect as a servant most of the time.
She attends whatever functions the Queen sends her to, and tries to attract as little attention as possible.
When the Queen decides it's time to marry off her hateful daughter Vasilia, everyone must be there for the announcement. Vasilia has other ideas. Not only does she refuse the marriage, she kills her would-be fiance, , everyone in her family, and all those in attendance. Well, almost everyone. Everleigh manages to escape and goes into hiding until she can figure out a way to avenge the Queen.
I'm excited for the next book. I loved these characters.