“Your Majesty, I take life. I am not certain that my skills actually extend to preserving it.”
There are always those who are willing to pay for someone else’s death. Having grown up amongst the Family of Assassins, ELEN-AI knows well the prices people are willing to pay to see their enemies fall quickly, quietly, and discreetly. When she is asked to preserve life rather than take it, she is surprised. Upon hearing that her charge is the Queen’s only child GIDYON, who is secretly being groomed to succeed his mother, she is horrified. To ensure political stability, no man has ever sat on the throne of the Queendom of the Seven Lakes. Yet one does not easily refuse a Queen, and so reluctantly, Elen-ai accepts the contract.
Her fears only deepen upon meeting the sixteen-year-old Prince Gidyon, who treats her as no better than a petty murderer. However, following an attack on his life, Elen-ai is forced to admit that the danger of leaving this boy-prince alone may be even worse than leaving him to his own devices. Elen-ai reluctantly accompanies Gidyon across the country to identify those within the seven most powerful families who are responsible for the attempt on the Prince’s life.
Somewhere in their travels from the calm waters of Lake Tak to the looming cliffs above Lake Bertak, the two form an unlikely yet profound friendship, and Elen-ai begins to see that Gidyon has the makings of a great ruler within him. As they meet with the families of power, it becomes increasingly clear that secrets and power games run far deeper throughout the Queendom of the Seven Lakes than either of them ever suspected.
My review
Up until quite recently, I had never heard of Queendom of the Seven Lakes, or its’ author, A.B. Endacott. Luckily, I was introduced to book and author when one of the stores I represent (Spark + Sparrow) released a new candle based on the series (which can be found here). Once I learned that the main character of the series is a female assassin, I couldn’t resist giving it a read! Coincidentally, both of my favourite female characters, Aelin from Throne of Glass and Mia from Nevernight, are assassins, so I went into this book hoping to find a heroine just as full of sass and badassery as those I previously mentioned. Much to my surprise, the main character Elen – ai is just as lethal as Aelin or Mia, but she’s also much more quiet and introspective. Though Elen – ai is ferocious and strong, she’s deeply spiritual and feels most comfortable when alone. The young prince she is charged with protecting, however, is quite the opposite. He’s a curious and charismatic character who is generally quite playful. This made for a really interesting dynamic and I greatly enjoyed reading about the unlikely pairs’ developing friendship. Ultimately, Queendom of the Seven Lakes is a quick and well written read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys tales of political intrigue!
And a little personal update from me . . .
Those who were paying attention may have noticed that at the end of my last post I mentioned that I was applying to go back to university next semester. Well, I got in! Since I’m studying fully online, I’m beginning my course this November. I’m excited, but also kind of terrified!
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