I picked this up as a free read and, if poor formatting and sometimes odd use of words doesn't bother you, it's a fair story filled with action and intrigue. Blade, the assassin, performs a task for young Queen Minna, who not only rewards him generously, but decides—for reasons only she knows—to trust him and his judgment. Period. Minna is confidant and assertive, and also occasionally foolish, which lends a sense of humanness to an otherwise too-perfect character. Blade, in spite of the anger and lack of faith he harbors, proves to be surprisingly charismatic as well as talented. Even so, we learn too much of them through telling rather than showing, and the characters suffer for it.

The plot is straightforward and fast-paced, right up to a very abrupt, cliff-hanger ending, which was no ending at all. ( )

I opened this book expecting to read a few pages or a chapter as a break from a more serious non-fiction book I was reading. Some break! Found myself quickly engrossed in the characters and action of the book. Forty-eight hours later I reached the last page and am dismayed that I made my friend swear not to loan me the next book until after I finish my current "To Read" pile and get the reviews written.

My thanks TC Southwell, I am about to plunge in with extra gusto just so I can get back to Blade and see what happens in the next book! ( )

Downloaded from Amazon and read on my Kindle.

A Well written story that is part of a series. I hope to be reading more in this series in the near future.

A world where every individual has an animal familiar. Two super-powers, one under matriarchal rule, the other under patriarchal rule, have been fighting for so long that neither remembers what started the war. The Queen's Blade is an assassin who becomes a pawn in one rulers attempt to go against tradition and end the war. The characters are well developed, the plot moves along without major sticking points and the writing is engaging. I hit the end of the book and was not ready to stop reading.

Some typographical errors (misspellings or missing word) are occasionally seen, but do not detract from reading the story.

I can definitely recommend this story to anyone that enjoys reading in the fantasy/action/adventure genres. ( )

This is from my B&N review, also on my Goodreads review:

I was quite impressed with this work. Just to note, this is a piece of fantasy fiction, in which the world described is not the one in which we live... I originally picked this up as a free book, but I WILL be purchasing the others in the series. I was caught up in this believable world, and admired the way in which the characters were developed. They were believable, and multi-dimensional, and you felt connected to them. I felt that this world believable and that I could sense who the Cotti and the Jashimari, and what it must be like to live in this world...not only that, you felt a lot for both the Jashimari queen, Cotash, and Kerrion, and what history has led them to the points they are in their lives, and the difficult decisions and actions they must take...I'm sitting on the edge of my seat until I read the next, and will also read and re-read this book! TC Souuthwell, has delivered a great work of fantasy which will delight most fantasy lovers...and even those who love a fast paced adventure with assassins, courtly intrigue, and the struggles of nations to survive...