Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .
But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.
With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it's bathed in blood.
Here's is Hanna's story, set before the events of The Queen of Blood, in the beautiful and dangerous world of Renthia...
From Goodreads:
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .
And those spirits want to kill you.
It's the first lesson that every Renthian learns.
Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people.
Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that's all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin's ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife's ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves.
But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he's certain he's done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen's power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything.
Sarah Beth Durst established a place of dark wonder in The Queen of Blood, and now the stakes are even higher as the threat to the Queen and her people grows both from within and beyond the borders of Aratay in this riveting second novel of the Queens of Renthia series.
From Goodreads:
The battle between vicious spirits and strong-willed queens that started in the award-winning The Queen of Blood and continued in the powerful The Reluctant Queen comes to a stunning conclusion in The Queen of Sorrow, the final volume of Sarah Beth Durst's Queens of Renthia trilogy.
Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home—a hope that seemed doomed when neighboring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realized, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life.
And then Naelin's children are kidnapped by spirits.
Nothing is more important to her than her family, and Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed. Blaming the defeated Queen Merecot of Semo for the kidnapping, Naelin is ready to start a war—and has the power to do it.
But Merecot has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbors. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all . . . or plunging the world into chaos.
From Goodreads:
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .
And those spirits want to kill you.
It's the first lesson that every Renthian learns.
Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people.
Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that's all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin's ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife's ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves.
But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he's certain he's done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen's power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything.
Sarah Beth Durst established a place of dark wonder in The Queen of Blood, and now the stakes are even higher as the threat to the Queen and her people grows both from within and beyond the borders of Aratay in this riveting second novel of the Queens of Renthia series.
From Goodreads:
The battle between vicious spirits and strong-willed queens that started in the award-winning The Queen of Blood and continued in the powerful The Reluctant Queen comes to a stunning conclusion in The Queen of Sorrow, the final volume of Sarah Beth Durst's Queens of Renthia trilogy.
Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home—a hope that seemed doomed when neighboring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realized, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life.
And then Naelin's children are kidnapped by spirits.
Nothing is more important to her than her family, and Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed. Blaming the defeated Queen Merecot of Semo for the kidnapping, Naelin is ready to start a war—and has the power to do it.
But Merecot has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbors. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all . . . or plunging the world into chaos.
From Goodreads:
The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst's beloved world of Renthia.
Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island's fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aide the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.
My first review of The Queen of Blood, The Reluctant Queen, The Queen of Sorrow, The Deepest Blue
The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst's beloved world of Renthia.
Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island's fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aide the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.
My first review of The Queen of Blood, The Reluctant Queen, The Queen of Sorrow, The Deepest Blue
My Review:
Wow, I loved reading this series again! And I read The Hedgewitch for the first time, which was really great, I loved seeing a look into what Hanna's life was like, before she became the Headmaster, and later, the Ambassador. This world is so fantastic, and I can't get enough!
Wow, I loved reading this series again! And I read The Hedgewitch for the first time, which was really great, I loved seeing a look into what Hanna's life was like, before she became the Headmaster, and later, the Ambassador. This world is so fantastic, and I can't get enough!
Honestly, each book focuses on a different queen, to different amounts. The Queen of Blood was pretty exclusively Daleina's book. The Reluctant Queen focused on Naelin, with a heathy portion of Daleina. And The Queen of Sorrow was split between Daleina, Naelin, and Merecot. And of course The Deepest Blue focused on Mayara.
Thee books are pretty dark. This world that was created by the spirits-but they never got a chance to finish, because humans came too soon-is just such a great idea, and I love exploring all the different ways that the spirits are dangerous-and the roles and responsibilities of the women with the power over the spirits. It's given us some really great stories! Though there is a huge cost, so much death, so many funerals. But there are bright spots, as well!
I'm honestly still hoping that we might get more books in this world, given the Tales of Renthia series, I would really love to explore the other countries, because we got two hints of them in The Queen of Sorrow, and it would be really great to get more!
Loved reading these again so much, I'll never not love this series!
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: The Queens of Renthia #1, 1.1, 2, 3, 4, Tales of Renthia #1
First Read: May 31st, 31st, June 1st, 2018, December 22nd, 2018
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: The Queens of Renthia #1, 1.1, 2, 3, 4, Tales of Renthia #1
First Read: May 31st, 31st, June 1st, 2018, December 22nd, 2018
Read: February 6th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 7th, 2022
Source: Own, Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Books!
Publisher: Harper Voyager, Grim Oak Press
Published: September 20th 2016, November 21st 2016, July 4th 2017, May 15th 2018, March 19th 2019
The Queen of Blood:
Source: Own, Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Books!
Publisher: Harper Voyager, Grim Oak Press
Published: September 20th 2016, November 21st 2016, July 4th 2017, May 15th 2018, March 19th 2019
The Queen of Blood:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
 |
| 5/5 Stars |
The Hedgewitch:
The Reluctant Queen:
The Queen of Sorrow:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
|
| 5/5 Books |
|
| 5/5 Stars |
The Reluctant Queen:
|
| 5/5 Hearts |
|
| 5/5 Books |
|
| 5/5 Stars |
The Queen of Sorrow:
|
| 5/5 Hearts |
|
| 5/5 Books |
|
| 5/5 Stars |
The Deepest Blue:
|
| 5/5 Hearts |
|
| 5/5 Books |
|
| 5/5 Stars |
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