Tome Thursday: A Queen's Pride

 

Hello everyone!

 

I come to you with an offering.

 

And a FANTASTIC one at that!

 

As you all know by now, or if you don't you're about to, I'm a member of a site called BookSirens, where you can get a lot of ARCs for free, the only stipulation being there are some time crunches to when you have to finish reading them.

 

Don't worry though, most of them are around the three month mark.

 

So because of this, I often get emails telling me about all the new ARCs or books that would generally fit the genre I prefer reading, and a little bit ago I opened said email up to find one that REALLY captured my interest.

 

It may have taken me just a little to get started, but once I did, hooooo boy!

 

I gobbled this up in mostly one sitting. I think I only left a very small portion of the book for another day, so that makes it two days, a whole lot of enjoyment, and excitement for the second book.

 

I'm talking about A Queen's Pride written by best-selling author N.D. Jones.

 

I do actually have at least one book about feline shifters that I can link down below, but mostly this is a genre that I haven't dabbled in all that much, though it seems I may need to have a better look at it sooner rather than later! But as is, you'll find that one book down below, and now we're free to jump right into the story itself.

 

A Queen's Pride tells the story about how the wars between humans and felidae (that would be individuals with the transmutation gene who can change into some form of big cat) came to an end with a peace treaty, but how over the years humans have continued to encroach on felidae territory, subjugating them, or just flat-out defeating them while they were at it.

 

At this point, it should be noted that contrary to what we normally see in books like these, it's the humans who are the genetic freaks - the felidae are the ones from which the humans evolved, but humans still think they're better than someone who can change into a several hundred pound cat who can rip you to pieces with one huge paw.

 

You know, just humans doing human things.

 

In the late eighties, the rulers of the Kingdom of Shona, Zarina and Bambara take their daughter Asha along to the Republic of Vumaris for a renewal of the peace treaty, where things go SEVERELY wrong.

 

First, the Chief and Deputy Chief of Vumaris want to add an annex to the treaty which will force Shona to sign away some of its northern territories.

 

I love the vibe I get here with the rulers and their kingdom which reminds me a lot of Black Panther and how their borders are closed from the world, but that doesn't mean they're either backwards, don't have the technology, or should be afraid of humans in any way, shape or form. They're the third richest nation in the world, after all.

 

But of course the plan has already been set in motion, and after dismissing the annex and returning to their hotel, the royals end up under attack.

 

A special forces group called Rogueshades uses gas to flush the royals from their suites, attempting to kidnap Asha so that her parents will sign the documentation they need.

 

I mean, the Deputy Chief has SOME right idea in the fact that the target might have even been worth it if not for the fact his own hubris has him forgetting just how dangerous the felidae are - and how the humans literally got their asses handed to them on more than one occasion.

 

But what unfolds is unspeakable tragedy as the felidae royals and their Shieldmane entourage end up facing way too many intruders, which forces Zarina and Bambara to tell Asha to flee, making a last stand so their daughter could return to their kingdom safe and sound.

 

Of course, things don't work out that way, as Asha escapes her Shieldmane Ekon (I forgot - this means sworn bodyguard, mind) and turns herself in to the Rogueshades, who take her to a warehouse where they're planning to force her to sign the new treaty with even more territory to be given away to Vumaris.

What the Deputy Chief (mostly the brains behind this ridiculous operation) doesn't yet realize, however, is that Asha has no intention of signing away anything - and that besides Ekon, another Shieldmande, Mafdet, survived the massacre. Together, they get word out to Shona and the next day, the General arrives to handle business, aka go on national television to tell the world about the assassination of her leaders, the kidnapping of the heir presumptive, and to point a finger at those responsible.

She also makes sure to call the Chief and point-blank threaten him: they will deliver Asha or they will face the consequences.

Said consequences being VERY illuminating when he looks out the window of his office to see hundreds of felidae in their big cat form surrounding the building, and other important buildings in the city, with some in their human forms protecting them as well. And not just that - but the humans don't even know how the felidae got into their republic, where they crossed the border, or how fast they can mobilize.

Recognizing the colossal mistake they'd just made, and the huge tactical error committed, the idiots do in fact return Asha to her remaining family and friends, though she takes pains to ensure the mortals all know she's noted down the names of every Rogueshade who was there for her torture and humiliation (she's pretty much clinging on by the time she's returned to the General).

The felidae then return to Shona where she recovers, and for the next year spends most of her time in the library working to fulfill her mother's dying wish - learning the ten thousand names of Sekhmet, the goddess she's named after as Sekhem (the leader of Shona).

Why?

Well, the spirits of her parents aren't at rest yet, and by learning the names she can invoke the power of the goddess, summoning her into her own body, so that she can deliver a bloody revenge to those who thought it was a great idea to kill anyone from Shona.

And she does just that.

The Rogueshades - dead. The Deputy Chief - extra dead.

She only leaves the Chief himself, and returns to Shona where she can finally actually begin the process of healing, helped by Ekon's love and the love of those around her.

The book ends with her making her first official visit to Vumaris after the leading party changes, now married to Ekon and expecting his first child fourteen years later, and Mafdet pays a special visit to the former Chief who lands on the chopping block, the last to fall after the disgraceful situation.

But the story doesn't end there - because as Mafdet is returning, she gets a call from the General saying that her daughter is waiting for her. As we learn, Mafdet's daughters are no longer alive, or at least she believes it to be so, which means this enrages her.

The book ends before we learn what's true and what isn't, however. She's getting her own story, after all, and it wouldn't do to spoil anything!

So where do I begin?

I've always been fascinated by shape-shifters of any kind, so when A Queen's Pride popped up in my inbox, it immediately grabbed my attention, not only because the main character was very obviously a shifter (or felidae, to be exact), but because SHE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.

In fact, this is even better than Black Panther, because there you didn't actually get anyone shifting into a feline - though you DID get the hidden kingdom, which, okay in this one it isn't - Shona is a closed-off kingdom, true, but it's not HIDDEN in any sense of the word. Sadly only lions form any kind of cohesive family unit, they're the only ones still standing against the Republic of Vumaris.
 

HUMANS being the defects, the mutations, the ones who are weird, and the felidae are the originals from which they sprung, is my ALL-TIME FAVOURITE THING.

That alone would have sold me, but I digress.

Alongside this being a story of two factions going at it head to head, it's also the story of coming-of-age in the most horrific circumstances imaginable. What would you do if everything you loved was ripped from you in one terrible night - for nothing but profit for someone else?

Asha has to ask herself that same question when she's thrust into the role of sekhem of Shona, and let me tell you, it's a wild ride.

Wild, emotional, and yet so satisfying at the end. Especially as I feel like Sekhmet, the goddess that features most prominently in this book, is usually overlooked or relegated to a position of simple killer in the Egyptian pantheon (for those of you who may not know, Sekhmet is the warrior aspect of the goddess whom Ra sends when he needs to deliver a bloody and brutal message, and she gorges on blood until she's sated and transforms into Hathor, the kinder aspect of the same coin).

I was hesitant because I wanted to grab a couple of ARCs by Jones, but I've been burned by authors before when I'd download more than one book and end up not liking something, but here, what's not to like?

The book features strong, layered and charismatic characters obviously not white in origin, it gives them a strong standing in their own universe and places them in a position of power, the writing flows eloquently from scenes of incredible family love to absolute disaster, and the best part is that you really get to feel for the characters. You see Asha and you keep telling her to stay strong; you follow Ekon and can't help but admire his loyalty; you listen to Mafdet and want to know her story as much as Asha does.

All in all, this book is evocative, emotional, dramatic, satisfactory, and an all-around rounded delivery by an author I'm DEFINITELY picking up more from.

The only two nitpicks I have are quite minor: I felt like the initial sex scenes were a little cut-and-dry for some reason, maybe because the sentences were so short and almost staccato, and I also wondered how come Mafdet didn't bring up the whole 'Asha why didn't you stay in your lion form until I came for you' business, which serves as an interesting and incredibly strong character beat when things are literally going belly up. That's the one thing Asha DOESN'T do and nobody mentions it afterwards, which getting to know Mafdet through this book is just a little off, but that's only my two cents of course!

Because really, the only thing left to say is: all hail Sekhem Sekhmet, of the Kingdom of Shona! Kneel, peasants. 

xx

*image not mine

Wild Heart