Series: The Immortal Empire 1
Format: ARC (NetGalley)
Excerpt
here
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Purchase Links:
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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 being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.
Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN is an arresting first book to Kate Locke's incredible and unconventional new Steampunk series. From the world building to the Gothic-chic fashion down to the mysteries unlocked, KLocke is relentless and aims to keep you in your seat until you're done with the story. Here she's created a world where vampires and werewolves are the heads of state, Queen Victoria herself is on the 175th year of her reign, but far from sterile these immortal aristocrats have taken procreation down to a science. Goblins too join in the mix, living side by side their plagued relatives, they are the abominable result of mutation carrying both vampire and werewolf genes. These Goblins are predators, feral and terrifying to behold and feared by everyone. They are society's outcasts but though outranked and outclassed, they have a Royal Prince to rule over them and keep them in check. The humans are both prey and protected but powerless over their supernatural counterparts.
Goblins looked a lot like werewolves, only shorter and smaller - wiry. Their faces were a disconcerting mix of canine and humanoid - exactly what you might expect from a walking nightmare [digested].
Alexandra "Xandra" Vardan is a very engrossing heroine, she's loyal to her family, has excellent fashion sense, competent in handling munition and possess keen senses that not even wearing pointy-toed, hourglass-heeled boots can hamper her arse kicking fighting skills. She reveres her father to a fault, seeking his empathy and approval and though she is a middle child, her stubbornness and determination eclipse that of her older brother, Val, earning her the respect of her siblings, Dede and Avery. She IS the mystery of the story, I won't divulge more to avoid spoilers but GOD SAVE THE QUEEN is a pivoting moment for Xandra; betrayed by a man she trusts, beliefs capsized and basically going through major purging. The coming books hold a promise of many more obstacles to come, passionate lovemaking and tearful heartbreaks.
I'd always been a sucker for a boy with fur. And the MacLaughlin, as he was known, was no boy.
Vex MacLaughlin, the Scottish Alpha who exudes male and sex and everything you imagine a Scottish werewolf to be, is Xandra's boyfriend. I feel KLocke too was at a lost for words in describing how impressive this man is because she sure did disappointingly skimped on some important details that would've fired up my imagination! In any case, KLocke made it very hard not to love this guy, he's protective of Xandra but he lets her be herself, it's hard NOT to want to be around this guy. Just imagining him talking with an accent, with those crispy consonants and his hard male body is enough to make me swoon! I can almost smell him and in my head he smells like the forest, musky with a hint of sandalwood and pine. But aside from the ample background given, there's a lot to be discovered about Vex, he is a quiet force that's waiting to be unleashed and my gut is telling me that he will be doing his own brand of mayhem further on in the story.
Can I take you home? Vex to Xandra
Only if you come inside,
Make no mistake, I plan to come inside.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN by Kate Locke (aka Kathryn Smith, Kady Cross, Kate Cross) hit the spot in the right places as far as I'm concerned. The conspiracies KLocke wove into the story were gripping and the way it unfolded left my mouth hanging open in some parts. Xandra's modern family, with siblings shooting from different branches, is interesting and a little challenging to keep up with, The Duke of Vardan and the rest of the
ton sure took procreation to heart. However due to the shocking turn of events I feel Xandra's hero worship over her father is coming to a close and her close relationship with her siblings will be put to the test which I'm sure will be dealt with in book two, The Queen is Dead
.
As for the conflict-resolution,
GOD SAVE THE (Ice)QUEEN's was just but cold. It was a little expected but what I didn't predict was HOW justice will be doled out to the villain. Still, it was a fitting end to a treacherous villain but the events that led to it were heartbreaking and will make even a strong girl like Xandra unravel a little bit.
So if you're into Steampunk, better add this to your library, you won't be disappointed.
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