Review: A tale to satisfy any fantasy reader
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2013
Leonine is a handsome thief with a tragic past and a very special talent - magic, a gift punishable by death in Wrona's version of ancient Mesopotamia.  When tasked by a wicked sorceress, leader of a forbidden cult, to steal a magical object he sets off a chain of events that sweeps him into a deadly chase. He must elude a band of zealous soldiers led by a ruthless priest-warrior called The Hound. Things get complicated when Leonine rescues a little girl also hunted by The Hound. He soon discovers she possesses an untamed magic so powerful it endangers herself and all around her. Leonine, who for so long has suppressed all feelings of love, begins to think of this girl as a daughter. Now his old employer, the wicked sorceress, wants the girl's power as her own. If he keeps the little girl, the Hound will surely find them. If he abandons the child to the sorceress, she's doomed. Leonine is running out of places to hide, from both his enemies and his own past.Wrona's debut novel is well written and edited. His prose is excellent and the plot moves quickly and smoothly. Pale Queen's characters are fully fleshed and memorable. My only issue with Pale Queen's Courtyard is the avalanche of historical and mythological names that immediately hits the reader. Don't fear, because with just a little patience the characters and plot quickly gel and carry the reader deep into the book.Pale Queen's Courtyard is a worthy novel, especially for lovers of historical fantasy.Underground Book Reviews