REVIEW: LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

Cover image by Steward Noack/Don Sipley

Cover design by Lauren Panepinto

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

BOOK THREE OF THE IMMORTAL EMPIRE

BY

KATE LOCKE

ISBN: 978-1-405-51197-1

Pages: 306 (+Glossary)

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 12 November 2013

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

Xandra Vardan thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen, but life has only become more complicated. The vampires, werewolves and humans all want the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins - wins.

With human zealots intent on ridding the world of anyone with plagued blood and supernatural politics taking Britain to the verge of civil war, Xandra's finding out that being queen isn't all it's cracked up to be, and if she doesn't do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.

   This is the third book in this series, and I would advise those who thinks it looks interesting to start with the first book. These books will work much better if they are read in order. That being said, it is by no means impossible to grab this without reading the previous two volumes, I would just not recommend it if you don't want to miss out.

   There is a real fast pace to the plot of this novel, Locke doesn't give you many chances to catch your breath as the story moves rapidly forward. The writing style makes the pages fly by, but the main thing that makes this book a quick read is a story that has the pacing of an Action Thriller. There really is a lot happening here, and it pays for the reader to pay attention. Some of the chapters are brimming with information, and at times the novel feels like it is underwritten considering how much is happening. While there is more than enough action here to fill a novel this size, it never overshadows the plot itself, or the worldbuilding for that matter.

   When it comes to the story, that is really full of surprising turns. There is a lot of suspense throughout the novel, and that is one of the things that drives the reader onward. We get some revelations that come right out of the blue, but they are not cheats. Everything is present in the background, and even though it has been hidden from the reader earlier it is fits in perfectly with the world this is set in.
   I never got the feeling that the author was doing anything else than telling the story. With pacing, action, and suspense like this you can get a story that relies too much on "coincidences", Locke manages to avoid that very nicely. It feels like this is a world that has been mapped out so well that there is no need for authorial "cheating".

   I think that is what impresses me most about this book, and the two previous ones, -the worldbuilding. This is very much a Steampunk world, of the kind that mixes in a lot from Urban Fantasy, but at its base is an excellently realised Alternate History of the British Empire.
   Having read quite a bit of Alternate History, it is important to me that the changes from the history we know feel organic -that it feels like this is something that could actually have happened. And while it may seem strange to say that so is the case here, I feel it is. Once you get accept the initial premise that allow for vampires, werewolves, and goblins, this is actually a plausible history of an alternate version of our world. I think the worldbuilding is really that good.

   So, great story and excellent worldbuilding, that leaves only the characters. I can't find any faults with them either. Xandra Vardan is one of the great female main characters in Steampunk. She is very well realised, and although she can kick several kinds of ass, she comes across as very realistic. Throughout the trilogy she has had a very good progression, and I feel I have been witnessing her come into her own. As this book ends we see a more grown up Xandra, one that has been through quite a journey.
   There are plenty of other characters here that add to the world Xandra inhabits. The supporting cast is excellent as well. They do not feel like they are put there to serve the plot, but like they are an integral part of the world they live in. Locke deftly manages to avoid stereotyping, with the possible exception of the somewhat clichéd "werewolf boyfriend". But even he is likable, and he is a great addition to the cast of the novel.

   Overall I was very pleased with this novel. The Immortal Empire books have been a real joy to read, and they are an excellent Steampunk trilogy for those that like their Steampunk to come with a large side order of Urban Fantasy. If you are unfamiliar with this SFF subgenre, I would recommend these novels as an excellent starting point.
   The only real complaint I have is about the ending of this book. Not that it is in any way bad, in fact it is very good. It did however come as somewhat of an anticlimax for me. Although we get a great ending to this trilogy, it feels a bit like I have just witnessed the end of the beginning of Xandra's story. So, even though this is billed as the final The Immortal Empire book, I am hoping for further stories set in this world, and I will be there ready for them if they should ever show up.

REVIEWS: God Save the Queen   The Queen is Dead

LINKS: Kate Locke  Orbit

REVIEW: THE QUEEN IS DEAD

Cover image by Steward Noack/Don Sipley

Cover design by Lauren Panepinto

THE QUEEN IS DEAD

BOOK TWO OF THE IMMORTAL EMPIRE

BY

KATE LOCKE

ISBN: 978-0-356-50144-4

Pages: 333 (+ glossary and extras)

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 5 February 2013

On the cover:

Xandra Varden is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England. But her complicated life is by no means over.

There are the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation - and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever - and immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

   This is the sequel to God Save the Queen, a book I read and reviewed last year. It's a "true sequel" in the sense that I wouldn't really recommend reading this first, although it is actually possible.
   Locke hasn't messed about with the formula from the first book, so if you have read that you'll know pretty much what you can expect from this follow up. But that doesn't mean that this is a re-hash of what has gone before.

   There's not any time being wasted here. By the end of the first chapter we are not only to some degree up to date, we have been introduced to a mystery that needs to be looked at by our main character. The whole novel works at a similar pace, although there are some passages that are a bit slower there's something happening constantly. The quick pace works very well. Locke's writing style fits perfectly with the action filled plot of this novel.

   Sometimes the depth of a story can suffer when the plot moves rapidly, but that is not the case here. The world expands from the first novel, and it was already solid and interesting then. We get some glimpses into more of what is going on both in the open and in more hidden corners of the world. And although we do learn quite a bit more, there's no infodumping here. Locke manages to weave the new information about the world she has created quite seamlessly into the story.
   But what is for me the most interesting aspect of the depth of this novel is that it does look quite closely at the problems a society that consists of different species has. This element is never superficial, and it is in some ways the main element of the story. Those that criticize Steampunk for glossing over the social issues don't have to look further than this books to find it being a central element to the story.

   There's actually quite a bit of suspense here too. Even though much of the story moves quickly Locke manages to create both anticipation and mystery. The balance between the action, worldbuilding, and mystery works very well in my opinion.
   Players from the previous book also return, and they are welcome back - in a storytelling sense if not a friendly one. The characters are well drawn by Locke, we don't get much superficiality here. The focus is of course on Xandra, and she carries the responsibility of being our main character well. What flaws she has comes from who she is, not from flaws in the writing, and she is all the stronger and more realistic for it.

   All in all I found this to be a very satisfying sequel. It brought the greater story forward, while being self-contained enough to tell its own story. This is excellent action-filled entertainment with some depth to it, enjoyable and capable of giving you some pause for thought.
   If you like Steampunk mixed with modern style Urban Fantasy this is really a book series you should pick up. -Personally, I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment. I want to know what happens next.

Review: God Save the Queen

LINKS: Kate Locke  Orbit

REVIEW: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Cover image: Steward Noack/Don Sipley

Cover design: Lauren Panepinto

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

BOOK ONE OF THE IMMORTAL EMPIRE B

BY

KATE LOCKE

ISBN: 978-0-356-50143-7

Pages: 342 +extras

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 5 July 2012

On the cover:

LONDON PRESENT DAY – AND QUEEN VICTORIA STILL RULES WITH AN IMMORTAL FIST.

She’s 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 technology lives side by side with magic, where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath) and Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it’s her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But things get complicated when her sister goes missing. Xandra will not only realise she’s the prize in a dangerous power struggle – but she’ll also uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire itself.

   This novel stretches the usual Steampunk setting into the present day. But it is not the present day as we know it, but an Alternate History present day that is the home to the denizens we are with familiar seeing in Victorian times.
   The setting itself is pretty much what you would expect from a Steampunk novel that has the werewolves and vampires from modern Urban Fantasy, but that doesn't mean that this is a formulaic novel. There are lots of great ideas here, and Locke manages to take the elements that make up the novel and make a very entertaining story out of them.

   Locke puts a very nice twist on the origin of werewolves and vampires that I found very interesting. In fact he whole worldbuilding is very nicely done, there's much history too it, and it has many very interesting elements. There's actually quite a bit to take in here, and that is something I really appreciated. It shows that Locke can create a vivid world, and has the skill to make it come alive on the page.

   The characters are also done in a realistic fashion. Xandra comes especially alive, and we get a very good insight into her. That events take her to places that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable to her adds to both her depth and her strength. She's a strong female, who is both special, and for what she is, also feels realistic. Xandra is definitely a character who is worth spending some time with.
   Supporting Xandra are quite a few diverse characters, along with some historic persons who add to the realistic feel of the novel. All of these are well realised, and are interesting in their own right. They never feel like they exist just to be "scenery" for the main character.

   On to the story. Locke gives us a story that has action and mystery from the start. Central to it is a conspiracy that Xandra is thrown into. Along the way there are lots of twist and turns, the pace is fast and there is plenty of tension.
   Locke is very good at getting the balance been a fast pace and the building of tension. There is a sense of never quite being in the know that runs through the whole novel, and as we learn more we get dragged into the events. There's a real sense of the story developing before our eyes, and being taken along for the ride. And it is a thoroughly entertaining journey to go on.

    This is a very good example of the Steampunk/Urban Fantasy crossover genre done right. The setting is well developed enough to satisfy fans of Alternate History, and the werewolf/vampire elements will be great for fans of that type of Urban Fantasy.
   Locke has created a great world, and some great characters well worth spending time with. And I look forward to future installments in this series.

LINKS: Kate Locke  Orbit