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The Shadow Queen

ebook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

A New York Times bestselling dark epic fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White, from C. J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series. This breathtakingly romantic, action-packed fantasy is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Cinder.

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She'll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol's father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai's heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn't going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 30, 2015
      An exiled princess with magic at her fingertips, an evil queen who wants to kill her, and a young king trying to save his people are a few of the central figures in this expansive reinterpretation of Snow White. Princess Lorelai wants the throne back from Queen Irina, who killed Lorelai’s family nine years ago and rules Ravenspire by starving its citizens. Enter Kol, who ascends to the throne of Eldr when his family is killed by ogres; Kol can transform into a dragon, but his army can’t vanquish the ogres alone. Lorelai and Kol find themselves at odds—Kol has made a blood oath with Irina to take Lorelai’s heart in exchange for her magical support—yet are also drawn to each other. Redwine’s (the Defiance trilogy) writing is fluid and sure, and she has created a fully imagined fairy tale landscape. The line between good and evil is always clear, with characters either good or terrible, which adds a certain predictability, but fantasy lovers should find it easy to get drawn into the story. Ages 13–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency.

    • School Library Journal

      December 1, 2015

      Gr 9 Up-An action-packed retelling of "Snow White" with elements of horror and romance. Princess Lorelei fled the Ravenspire castle nine years ago, when her stepmother Irina used dark magic to kill her father and enslave the court. Now the 17-year-old and her younger brother live in hiding, coming out only in disguise to raid royal food storehouses and feed her country's starving people. This princess is smart, a skilled fighter, and a powerful magic user herself, and she has a long-range plan: gain the people's favor and topple the usurper queen. In a parallel plot, teenage king Kol travels to Ravenspire to beg Irina to save nearby country Eldr from invading ogres. In return for her help, the wicked queen compels Kol to hunt down Lorelei and bring back her heart. As the teens' stories come together, the outcome affects both countries. There are some truly cinematic moments here: predatory vines with eyeless heads, Lorelei sprinting up the sides of buildings, and Irina imprisoning an elderly noblewoman inside a tree and forcing her to choke out poisoned apples hour after hour. Kol's Eldrian people can change into dragons, and this novel finally answers the question of where shape-shifters put their clothes while in animal form (dragon-size backpacks!). In a refreshing departure from the original, when Kol inevitably falls in love with Lorelei, it's for her strength and selflessness rather than her beauty. VERDICT Great fun, and a first purchase where dark fantasy or fairy tale retellings are popular.-Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT

      Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      October 15, 2015
      "Snow White" forms the loose foundation for this tale of a princess who has lost her kingdom to her wicked stepmother. Lorelai escaped when Irina killed her family and took over Ravenspire. Both Lorelai and Irina are magic-working mardushkas, but Irina is both strong and evil, using her talents to squeeze the kingdom for power and deliberately leaving her citizens to starve. Meanwhile, in nearby Eldr, populated by beings who can shift shape and become dragons, Kol suddenly becomes king when ogres invade. He turns to Irina for help, unaware that she is evil. Lorelai, who has been hiding, presumed dead, for years, meets Kol and the two form an alliance, despite Kol's blood oath to kill her for Irina's aid. The two sides fight back and forth as a predictable fairy-tale romance blossoms between them. Redwine includes some nicely imagined scenes, especially Irina's use of poisoned apples and Lorelai's telepathic pet gyrfalcon, which becomes perhaps the most interesting character in the book, with its bird's worldview: "Kill overgrown lizard. Eat the eyes, tear out the heart," it declares, seeing a dragon. The story drags when Redwine repeats herself, telling readers numerous times that if Lorelai uses magic, it will reveal her to Irina. For the most part, the story is a full-bore fantasy fairy tale with magic slung around with abandon and battles aplenty. Undemanding fantasy fun. (Fantasy. 12-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      December 1, 2015
      Grades 9-12 Lorelai's position as heir to the Ravenspire throne has been usurped by Queen Irina, the evil stepmother who killed Lorelai's parents and brother to assure her ascendancy. Lorelai is as gentle and good as Irina is vile and devious; the only thing they share is their beauty, magical powers, and determination to rule Ravenspire. Meanwhile, half dragon, half human Kol is king of Eldr, which is being overrun by ogres. In an attempt to save his country, he makes an alliance with Irinaa Faustian bargainonly to learn that Eldr's salvation requires that he bring Lorelai's heart back to the queen. Kol fights Irina's wicked spells with the help of Lorelai's love and magic, as they work together to overthrow Irina. Redwine uses Snow White as a framework to create her own fantasy filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists, all of which give this novel a place among other clever, contemporary romantic fantasies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2016
      In this retelling of "Snow White," Lorelai uses magic to overthrow her stepmother, unaware that a dragon shape-shifting king has agreed to hunt Lorelai in exchange for the queen's help in a war his people are losing. A predictable romance is interspersed with cinematic moments of action that keep the plot moving. For fairy-tale fans who want darker than Disney.

      (Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:6.1
  • Lexile® Measure:890
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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