Review: Long Live the Queen - Kate Locke

Xandra Varden thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen, but life has only become more complicated. The vampires, werewolves and humans all want the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins - wins.

With human zealots intent on ridding the world of anyone with plagued blood, and supernatural politics taking Britain to the verge of civil war, Xandra's finding out that being queen isn't all it's cracked up to be. And if she doesn't do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.

The fantastic conclusion to the series which started with the undead steampunk debut God Save the Queen.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
I have really enjoyed the Immortal Empire series and am actually quite sad to see it come to an end but I would rather Kate Locke ended things on a high note and that's exactly what she has done with Long Live the Queen. As much as I'm hoping she'll change her mind and continue to explore this world and it's fantastic characters I'm happy that she has tied up all the loose ends and given readers a satisfactory ending. Do I think there is room for a spin off series? Absolutely yes, but I won't be upset if there isn't.

Xandra has come a long way since the first book, not only has she accepted her goblin heritage she is now proud of it and she has really come to care for the goblins who fall under her rule. She never wanted to be a queen but she is determined to be the very best one possible and she will do anything in her power to prevent her goblins being taken advantage of by the rest of the supernatural population. The goblins are a powerful force to be reckoned with and even Queen Victoria has come to realise that she will have to work with Xandra if she wants to prevent a war between the humans and the supernatural races. The alliance between the goblins and the werewolves is a natural one considering Xandra's relationship with Vex but they are all much more wary of the vampires and Victoria. Especially when it is clear that someone high up in the vampire hierarchy is behind the missing halfies and the gruesome experiments that are being carried out on them.

There is a lot going on in this book as Kate Locke ties up the various outstanding plots from the series. We finally get to uncover who is behind the experiments but we also see some very interesting and unexpected results from the time Xandra spent in captivity. Xandra is betrayed by people she should be able to trust but she also makes some unexpected allies that are sure to change everything. We get to see her spending time with her siblings which I've always enjoyed and we also see some progression in her relationship with Vex. I've said it before but I'll say it again - I love them together! Most of all I love the fact that Vex sees Xandra as an equal, he may be a powerful alpha and his instincts tell him to protect her but he would never try to stop her fighting for her people, he just stands up and fights right alongside her.

I don't want to say too much more but I'm sure anyone who has enjoyed the previous books will love this final instalment. I am sad it's come to an end but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Kate Locke in the future and she's already on my auto-buy list!

Source: Received Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Queen is Dead - Kate Locke

Xandra Vardan is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England, But her complicated life is by no means over.

There are the political factions vying for her favour, and she's under the all-too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell-bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation - and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever - and immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
God Save the Queen was a fantastic start to Kate Locke's alternate history urban fantasy series so I've been looking forward to getting my hands on The Queen is Dead ever since I first read it. If the stunning covers for this series aren't enough to convince you to read them then the mash up of genres should be, throw in a hint of steampunk, vampires, werewolves and a heroine who has just found out she is the goblin queen and you're definitely onto a winner! Everything I loved about the first book was back again in this 2nd instalment and it's left me desperate to read Long Live the Queen when it publishes in November.

Xandra had quite a shock at the end of the last book when she discovered that she is in fact a goblin rather than the halvie that she always thought she was. The goblins are the most ferocious of the supernatural races and the ones who are most feared by the rest of the population. She has always thought of them as monsters so her world view has taken quite a battering thanks to her newly acquired status as their queen. Not only is she questioning herself and worrying over her new abilities but she also finds that she has become a political pawn that each of the different factions all want to win into their corner, she is going to have to pick her allies wisely though or she'll just end up in an even bigger mess. After everything that Xandra went through in the first book to protect her siblings I have to say I was a bit disappointed in them for abandoning her when she needed their support in return, it's just a good job she had Vex to lean on. Of course the fact that they have been ignoring her for the last few months doesn't stop Xandra diving straight into the investigation when she discovers that her brother Val is missing no matter how much trouble it might get her into. She is the kind of girl who will protect her loved ones at any cost and I can't fault her for that.

I love the way things have developed between Xandra and Vex and I think she sums up my feelings for him perfectly when she says "One of the things I adored about him was he didn't go all chest-thumping on me and treat me like a delicate flower. I knew he'd rip apart anyone who tried to hurt me, but he'd give me first crack at it." I love the fact that although he is an alpha he doesn't try to take charge of every situation. He is supportive and protective of her without being smothering and I like the way he is so calm and centred while Xandra is struggling to come to terms with the revelations of her heritage. Vex obviously loves Xandra for who she is and he is the only one who has always been there for her when she needed him.

Another thing I really enjoyed was getting to learn more about the goblins, we get to see a different side to them as Xandra reluctantly spends more time with the plague and I've come to really like the goblin prince. There have also been a few interesting developments with Vex's werewolf pack and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the next book. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and I'm sure anyone who enjoyed the first book is going to love this instalment just as much. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Source: Received from Chrissie at Once Upon a Series in exchange for an honest review (this review will also appear as a guest post on Chrissie's blog).

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Review: God Save the Queen - Kate Locke

London, present day - and Queen Victoria still rules with an immortal fist.

She's the undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where technology lives side by side with magic, where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side effects include undeath) and Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day.

Xandra Varden is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it's her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But things get complicated when her sister goes missing. Xandra will not only realise she's the prize in a dangerous power struggle - but she'll also uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire itself.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
As soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read God Save the Queen - it was the combination of the steampunk style outfit with modern London buildings in the background that raised my curiosity. You've got to love a heroine with bright red hair too! Reading the blurb and discovering Kate Locke has created an alternate history where Queen Victoria didn't die - she was actually infected with the plague and became a vampire - just sealed the deal and moved this onto my 'must read' pile of books. Imagine a world where Queen Victoria is celebrating her 175 year on the throne, a world where the British Aristocracy were all infected with a plague that turned them into vampires. The same plague that turned the Scottish Aristocracy into werewolves but didn't really have any effect on the main population. You have a world full of steampunk technology, where women wear corsets and where your heritage dictates your place in society. You also have a story that is a mixture of urban fantasy, alternate history and steampunk - in other words a story that is full of awesome.

Our heroine is Xandra, a 22 year old halvie who was born of a vampire father and a human courtesan and who now works for the Royal Guard protecting the Aristocracy. When her sister Dede goes missing and is presumed dead Xandra is the only one who doesn't believe what she is told, she is convinced that her sister is still out there somewhere and is determined to find out what happened to her. Even Xandra's brother Val and her other sister Avery believe that Dede is dead so she is on her own when it comes to the investigation. The more Xandra starts digging into Dede's disappearance the more she starts to uncover about her own past and the secrets those she is closest to have been keeping from her.

Xandra is the kind of character I find it easy to care for, she is strong and independent but she is also caring and she knows when to accept the help that is offered to her. She has been kept in the dark for her whole life and everything she thinks she knows is completely turned upside down throughout the story. I can't say much more without giving spoilers so I'm just going to say I was impressed with the way she coped with the revelations that were thrown at her. I really found myself liking her family unit, particularly the relationships she has with her siblings but some of the characters I'm most interested in finding out more about are Vex (the Alpha of the British werewolves) and the Goblin Prince. I have a feeling there are a lot more secrets still to uncover and I'll be interested to see how the story develops in the next book.

Considering God Save the Queen was written by an American author it had an authentic British feel to it that I really enjoyed. Add in a great cast of characters, a mystery that kept me guessing and some fabulous world building and this is a book you won't want to miss out on. I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment and will definitely be adding Kate Locke to my list of authors to watch out for.

Source: Received from Orbit in exchange for an honest review

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Snowdrop Dreams
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