A newly crowned queen is surreptitiously taken captive as her consort leads his forces off to battle invaders in THE THREADBARE QUEEN. This is book number two in the Rising Wave series by fantasy author Michelle Diener. THE THREADBARE QUEEN follows hard on the heels of the events in THE TURNCOAT KING, and should be read in order for best enjoyment. Diener provides another great entry in this historical fantasy novel with strong romantic elements.
Ava is the newly minted Queen of Kassia, named as successor by her aunt as the prior queen lay dying on the cobblestones of her city. Ava has recently escaped several years of captivity, where she was held by corrupt forces of Kassia to control her weaving magic. I love Ava. She is courageous and stalwart. Despite the massive number of problems thrown in her lap by circumstances, she soldiers on and still manages to do the right thing.
Her Warlord and lover, Luc, is the leader of a loose coalition of forces called the Rising Wave. They rebelled against the corrupt Kassian leaders in THE TURNCOAT KING and are now trying to bring about a peaceful transition of power to Ava. Luc is canny and wise. He’s very admirable in his desire to broker peace in his kingdom, and I really admire how he can be flexible to not just pursue justice but also consider alternatives to further war.
Ava and Luca are both marvelous people, and I like them even better together as a couple. Here, Ava and Luc are acting independently for much of the book, Ava as a captive being carried away from her capitol under magical control, as Luc pursues another kingdoms’ soldiers who are pillaging the countryside. There is plenty of action and derring-do, and also moments of great poignancy.
Michelle Diener is an auto-buy author for me, and the Rising Wave series is another appealing book series that sweeps me up into the stories. THE THREADBARE QUEEN has everything I look for in a fantasy book. Engaging and admirable protagonists, fleshed-out secondary characters, great world building, and plenty of action and romance.
A conqueror's victory is never assured . . . The Rising Wave may have taken control of Kassia, but hot on the heels of their victory, Luc receives word from one of his spies that the Jatan, emboldened by the Kassian army's withdrawal, have crossed the border. More worryingly, they haven't just moved into northern Kassia, but also east to Luc's home region of Cervantes, and with all the Cervantes warriors with Luc in Kassia's capital, Fernwell, cementing their hold on power, his home is vulnerable and defenceless. Luc has no choice but to leave securing Fernwell to Ava, gather forces, and head north, to try to push the Jatan back to their side of the mountains.
A queen's safety is never a given . . . Finally, after months of trying, a minion of the Speaker of Grimwalt's court manages to snatch Ava from under the noses of her friends and allies, off the streets of Fernwell and onto the back roads to Grimwalt. Ava has to struggle against an insidious assault on her vitality and magic, fighting a power that isn't just strong, but malevolent.
And nothing is set in stone . . . As Ava tries to escape her captors and Luc races to defend his homeland, they draw closer and closer to each other, until finally their paths cross, as they always seem to do. As they once again face their enemies together, they will have to use all their strength to salvage the victory they've worked so hard to accomplish.
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