Review: Good action and pace, plotting and characters lagging
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 27, 2011
- - No spoilers - -An epic fantasy tale about a young queen, Mina, who looks for a way to broker peace between her kingdom and its enemy, after generations of war. An assassin, aptly named Blade, sets out to aid her in her quest, and eventually becomes one of her trusted advisers and one of her prime tools in achieving that goal.The Queen's Blade is very well written, with excellent pace and some exciting action scenes. The exploits of Blade are well thought-out and executed. The formatting was a bit off at times, with strange indents etc., but overall it's a smooth read. My main trouble with the novel is that the plot is pretty straightforward, and very few subplots that do not appear to be more intricate.My main disappointment - as someone who puts much stock in character development - was the lack of depth in characters. They have their motivations and backgrounds, but they seem to lack true depth and were often conveyed through telling, instead of showing. That's a pity, since the main characters show promise.Another matter that bothered me was the abrupt, cliffhanger ending. I understand this is the first novel in a series, but I prefer a more defined ending than The Queen's Blade has.If you are looking for a fast-paced fantasy with some good action, and don't mind a somewhat linear plotline and the lack of depth in the characters, this is an excellent free e-book. If an intricate plot and character development are important to you, this novel might be a disappointment.