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Queen of Swords (Sanctify #1)

by Katee Robert (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 118 ratings · 27 reviews

When the cards tell Ophelia Leoni she's supposed to marry the Prince of Hansarda, the gunrunner grits her teeth and boards the starship that comes for her. It doesn't matter if the ship's commander is the gorgeous stranger she just spent a wild, drunken night with. As a Diviner, she's painfully aware the cards don't lie. Ever.
Boone O'Keirna knows Ophelia is trouble the se...more

ebook, 326 pages

Published May 21st 2012 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (first published March 1st 2012)

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Apr 01, 2013 LethalLovely~I'll Be Your River marked it as 1st-in-series-to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, paranormal-romance

I don't know why the hell I added this book to my TBR shelf. I like romance and I like science fiction. But in my experience, when you add the two genres, weird shit happens. Like in Hunting Julian, Forced Mate et cetera. Your hero whips out the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Penis" *cough*Nicholas*cough* and he maybe even gets pregnant. O__o Or the heroine, Princess Vagin'Nee Blahblah saves THE GALAXY by doing The Sex with the entire male population of well-hung Rat shifters. Or some shit like that....more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Janice (the_red1) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, sci-fi-aliens

I'll admit, the only reason I picked this book up was because of its title & cool cover, and for once, I didn't regret it.

Normally I'm put off by sci-fi books (which is weird, because I love good sci-fi movies), but Queen of Swords is different. Yes, there are spaceships, lasers & multiple alien races running around, but rather than beat me over the head with technical jargon & long-winded explanations (you know, in case I failed to realize just how different & advanced everythi...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, paranormal-romance

The story starts out with Ophelia waking up in a strangers bed. She gets a call from her mother saying she needs to come home immediately. She sneaks out of the guys house and when she gets home she realizes she is in for a surprise. She finds out that she is being picked up and is going to marry Prince Kristian. However, the guy who picks her up to take her to the prince is non other than the guy who's bed she warmed last night. What she doesn't know is that Boone is actually Kristian's little...more The story starts out with Ophelia waking up in a strangers bed. She gets a call from her mother saying she needs to come home immediately. She sneaks out of the guys house and when she gets home she realizes she is in for a surprise. She finds out that she is being picked up and is going to marry Prince Kristian. However, the guy who picks her up to take her to the prince is non other than the guy who's bed she warmed last night. What she doesn't know is that Boone is actually Kristian's little brother and isn't there to take her to his brother but rather to steal her away from him.

Ophelia is a very strong independent character. She is suffering from a recent loss of her crew members, all because she didn't listen to her card reading. Diviners are very superstitious about their card (tarot) readings. However, Ophilia didn't listen to them the last time and ultimately payed the price. So when she finds out that the cards tell her that she is going to marry a man and the prince comes a knockin', she grits her teeth and sets out on her journey. What she isn't expecting is to fall in love with Boone, the guy who she thought was sent to bring her to the prince. Instead, he locks her up and kidnaps her on his ship.

Boone was only supposed to get a look at his brother's soon to be wife. He never expected to be so attracted to her when he meets her at the bar. He also wasn't planning on sleeping with her and ultimately falling in love with her. However, he knows that there is no place in his life for her. Since his brother has his eyes set on being king, that means that Boone and everyone he is associated with is are on his brother's list to get to the top. The only way to keep his people safe is to kill his sadistic brother.

The world that Katee Robert developed was an interesting one. I liked the idea of instant food. I sort of wish we had that now. I liked the fact that the majority of the storyline took place on ships. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Ophelia and Boone. The one thing I had a problem with was that I saw a couple of parts coming from the get go and I couldn't believe that no one else seemed to have caught on to it. Other than knowing the big surprise from the beginning, the story was a good one. It was a fun, easy light futuristic romance.

Favorite quote...
"How could I resist your charms after I heard you tell that guy you'd cut off his balls and shove them down his throat?" -Boone(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 29, 2012 Rhianna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you enjoy love-hate tug o' wars in your romance...

If you read the blurb for QUEEN OF SWORDS you've got a good grasp of the plot and the hero and heroine of this fresh scifi romance from Katee Robert. She wastes no time in the set up before rocketing readers into an adventure that has plenty of snicker-worthy moments and action of both the gun-toting and steamy varieties.

I would be remiss if I didn't admit now that I didn't realize this was the second in the Sanctify series when I grabbed it....more

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Jun 13, 2012 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, first-reads

Woohoo! If you are looking for a great sci-fi book then look no further this one has it all. Aliens, adventure, space, and one kick ass heroine!! Katee Robert has definitely grabbed my attention with her Sanctify series.

Ophelia is a Diviner. A special type of species that serves the Lady, a God that gives them the power of seeing the past, present, and future through card reading. Ophelia, who helps run her fathers gunrunner business, returns home after a devastating loss to her crew after not l...more Woohoo! If you are looking for a great sci-fi book then look no further this one has it all. Aliens, adventure, space, and one kick ass heroine!! Katee Robert has definitely grabbed my attention with her Sanctify series.

Ophelia is a Diviner. A special type of species that serves the Lady, a God that gives them the power of seeing the past, present, and future through card reading. Ophelia, who helps run her fathers gunrunner business, returns home after a devastating loss to her crew after not listening to her cards. Once there she finds out she has to marry the Prince of Hansarda and not only does she not have a choice, but she has to leave right away. Complications arise when Boone, the one night stand she thought she left behind comes to get her to take her to her awaiting husband to be. Having plans of his own, Boone and Ophelia embark on a fantastic adventure told from both POV's that is beyond exciting.

I loved all the card reading that was done throughout the book. It was intriguing and very different from anything I have read before. It showed another side to Ophelia and it showed that she does have a soft side no matter how much she tried to hide it. The heat between Boone and Ophelia was off the charts!! Their chemistry was so hot that I needed a fan beside me! I enjoyed every single character that was written in this book. I have to say that I have a soft spot for Cole and I really can't wait to see more of that awesome tigerman. Jenny was another great addition. She was fun and I have a feeling that Ophelia and her will make a great pair of badasses. Like I said every character was amazing and were totally right for the story.

I can't leave out the awesome world that Robert has created here. There are so many things going on, but I never felt lost. I want to know more I tell you MORE!! I loved all the aliens running around and I would have loved a glossary in the back detailing each species. They all sounded so unique and different that I like I said wanted more.

A great story with a wonderful sci-fi cast! I cannot wait for the next installment!!

One more thing! I would highly recommend reading The High Priestess before reading this one. There is a HUGE bomb dropped at the end of this one and if you don't read the The High Priestess fist you won't catch and believe me you won't want to miss it!!(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2012 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, ebooks, fantasy, my-reviews

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Vikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

First Line - 'Ophelia couldn’t find her underwear. They had to have been around there somewhere. She’d been wearing them last night, after all, but she was hard pressed to find that small piece of silk amongst the other clothing scattered about the room.'
I like this opening, Ophelia seems like a fun person - though she isn't quite as promiscuous as she sounded to me initially. Though the guy she is in the process of sneaking away from is the very man who will change her life forever. Who knew a...more First Line - 'Ophelia couldn’t find her underwear. They had to have been around there somewhere. She’d been wearing them last night, after all, but she was hard pressed to find that small piece of silk amongst the other clothing scattered about the room.'
I like this opening, Ophelia seems like a fun person - though she isn't quite as promiscuous as she sounded to me initially. Though the guy she is in the process of sneaking away from is the very man who will change her life forever. Who knew a drunken one night stand could cause so many problems for a girl? Ophelia does eventually find her underwear but from there her day goes from bad to worse. Ophelia returns home to find that the prince of Hansarda wants her for his bride, not only that but her mother practically pushes her out the door when the emissary arrives to take her to her future husband. Only the emissary is an imposter, a man desperate to keep her from her future husband and Boone will do anything to keep Ophelia from his sadistic half brother - the prince of Hansarda.
Boone (aka the one night stand guy and imposter) wakes to find Ophelia gone - he'd only meant to follow her to find out why his half brother (and heir to the throne) wanted Ophelia so badly but he couldn't resist her fire and fell for her instead. Now he has the urge to protect this little hellcat, though I did laugh when Boone's ego was severely dented because Ophelia didn't remember him from the night before...and again when she proves she's no meek woman to be kidnapped without a fight, man she kicks ass.
Queen of Swords is more a Science Fiction/ Romance but thankfully the Sci-Fi isn't too hardcore, as I've said before I can't handle hardcore Sci-Fi. I liked the world that Katee Robert has created, full of different species like Ophelia - who is known as a Diviner, one who has their Goddess whispering in her ear. Diviners are able to read the past, present and future of anyone they come across and become stronger once they become mothers. The Diviners had been hunted to the brink of extinction by a radical hate group known as Sanctify. They detest anything human and Ophelia's 'punishment' should she ever be caught involves dismemberment and burning alive. The obvious genocide committed by Sanctify is handled supremely by Katee Roberts and I hope they radical group are brought to justice for the crimes against humanity they are guilty of. Thankfully the tortures aren't over described...just the thought is enough to make me shiver. Strangely Ophelia's mother is a Diviner but her father is a former Sanctify member...I am extremely curious as to how these two got together *makes mental note to read their book*.

Boone and Ophelia are great characters...Boone has the coiled strength that would have you backing him if he ever challenged his brother for the throne but he is also haunted by nightmares of a trauma that happened when he was young. A horrific incident that left him scarred at the hands of his brother. He is loyal to a fault and will protect those he loves with his life. Just the kind of character I love *smiles with happiness*. Ophelia is a smart, strong woman who will not be told what to do. The only things that have influence over her is her Goddess and sometimes her mother. No man will ever rule over her. Despite her intelligence there was one thing I understood and saw well before she did, every time Ophelia thought her stomach problems were from food poisoning I wanted to hit her over the head...but other than that she is a very likeable character. I personally love Jenny - she's a female version of Boone, its no wonder that her and Ophelia get along like a house on fire...though God help Boone if those two ever team up against him...he hasn't got a chance.

I really enjoyed Queen of Swords as a whole. I loved Katee Robert's writing style, the way she mixes the humour with the dark and scarred past of both Boone and the Diviner race as a whole is brilliant. If done wrong the humour can come across as inappropriate but this is the perfect mix to show that there is still a glimmer of light in the darkness of the Sanctify regime. I think fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon's The League Series will enjoy Queen of Swords and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author!(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Julie-anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

So Sanctify 0.5 (prequel novella) was The High Priestess and I really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading this.

We start off with Ophelia having trouble finding her knickers (best opening EVER), can't run from a one night stand with no pants now, can we? Then her mum (Marianna) tell her she has had a marriage proposal from some prince and, after reading her cards, she accepts. Turn out Boone is the guy that comes to collect her, only she soon finds out that he wasn't really there to co...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kwinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bea12-wed

I started this one on the train on my way home from BEA and it held my attention. I found myself cheering for Ophelia and really enjoying all of the space elements (the world building is really well done if it does sometimes seem to give homage to Star Wars-especially with this Han and Leia type romance). This is the second book in the series, and I did not read the first, but I felt it stood alone. The species of aliens are very original and creative. The Diviner religion is also very creative....more

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Jan 17, 2013 Sasha Summers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5/5 stars
Really, really enjoyed this one! I loved that there was a reason (beyond being in love) that made the heroine shift from being completely kick-ass and hard to being a little less so. I'm not going to say what it is, I'm not a spoiler gal, but it worked and wasn't gimmicky. I also loved the sheer multitude of awesome and unique species. They were painted with vivid strokes and fearless creativity - blending into the universe and making it a far more interesting place to visit. And I kn...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fun read. Hvnt read an SF romance for ages & this 1 hit the spot.

The writing style itself is quite straightforward but was ok. The characters were well written & storyline was good. Kick ass feisty heroine with oracle like powers plus other (stronger) powers which weren't really explained. There isnt much explained or details given on the Diviner race. Hopefully in the next bk? Or the prequel?

Interesting alien side characters && I liked Ophelia's parents (who are the h/h of the p...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-series, paranormal-series, futuristic-series

I read the prequel novella before this book. And that made me sad, because I got to know Marianna and Gerard in that book. Gerard changed his mind about diviner abilities, despite the fact that in The High Priestess his belief in those abilities is one of the big reasons he escapes with Marianna. Also (view spoiler) That is not what someone who read the prequel would expect or want.

Aside from that though, Ophelia and Boone were adorable together in a scarily viole...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read

I loved this book, though I will admit to being a bit disappointed that it didn’t focus on Marianna and Gerard (whose name is Gerald in this for some odd reason). Instead the main character is their daughter, Ophelia. Regardless of who the focus is on, Robert has done an amazing job taking all of the elements from her novella and expanding on them with this book! From the moment I picked it up, I found I couldn’t put it down, murr! All of Robert’s...more Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read

I loved this book, though I will admit to being a bit disappointed that it didn’t focus on Marianna and Gerard (whose name is Gerald in this for some odd reason). Instead the main character is their daughter, Ophelia. Regardless of who the focus is on, Robert has done an amazing job taking all of the elements from her novella and expanding on them with this book! From the moment I picked it up, I found I couldn’t put it down, murr! All of Robert’s characters are enjoyable, even the bad guys. She’s got an amazing talent for creating believable characters that readers can connect with. And she can also write one hell of a Science Fiction Romance.

Ophelia is definitely her mother’s daughter. She’s feisty, troublesome, quick to fight back, etc. But what made me love her even more was her struggle to come to terms who she is. I got the sense that Ophelia isn’t entirely happy with being a Diviner and it’s this unhappiness, her not wanting to be ruled by the cards and the Lady, that made her real for me.

Boone initially got on my nerves. Not because of anything he did really, but because I knew from the start that there was something not being said about him. The way he reacts towards Ophelia as a Diviner made my fur twitch. It isn’t until further on in the story that you find out what this “something” is. I actually enjoyed the fact that there was a side to Boone that was mysterious, but I still found it annoying because I couldn’t figure out why he was getting on my nerves. Despite this though, I loved him. Robert really knows how to write intriguing male characters.

Now I will admit to not being the world’s biggest fan of Science Fiction. I love Sci Fi TV show, but when it comes to books, I struggle with them. Most of that is because I have problems visualizing the ships, aliens, etc. while reading. But I found with this book that wasn’t a problem. The descriptions were detailed enough that I could easily picture the scenes as I was reading them. As a result, I’ll admit that it would be fun to see this turned into a TV series. =^.^=

And for those who are asking, allow me to say that the romance between Ophelia and Boone is sizzling. The tension between the two is very palpable. Several times I wanted to take both of them by their shoulders and give them a good shaking while yelling at them to stop torturing themselves. When you know two characters are supposed to be together, it can be rather aggravating to watch them suffer due to their own stupidity. Sigh

This is a must read for anyone who loves Science Fiction or for those just looking for a great adventure. It will be interesting see what happens in the next three books. You can guarantee that I will be following this series closely. Murr!(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: major-character-death, psychic, family-feud, family-issues, kidnapped, promiscuous-heroine, sci-fi, space-opera, futuristic-off-planet-or-au, hero-gets-heroine-pregnant-early-on, politics, major-illness-or-injury, steam-level-steamy, betrayal, 2012-read

I admit, I had started this one a long time ago and put it down only a chapter in, because I didn't care for the fact that the book started off with the heroine climbing out of the hero's bed after a drunken one-night stand.

I should never have put it down.

There was tons of intrigue, betrayal, angst, danger and excitement plus a good dose romance and sexual chemistry.

A very solid 4/5 Stars, with a full review to follow.

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Seleste deLaney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review at http://wickedlilpixie.com/2012/06/17/...

It's really weird writing a review for a novel I beta-read... a while ago. For starters, I need to be totally up front--Katee Robert is my critique partner and has been since I first had a critique partner. She wouldn't have lasted that long if I didn't love her work. So, what you're about to read is a gushing review, but it's a gushing review because I truly think her stuff is fantastic.

Okay, now that that is out of the way...

Queen of Sword...more

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Mar 13, 2012 DavinciKittie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great scifi romance! I'll be posting the review on GraveTells soon and then here shortly after. In the meantime, I'll just say that it has action, humor, chemistry, steamy sex, and likeable characters with believable world-building. Looking forward to the next Sanctify novel! Will it be about Jenny? That would be awesome!

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Mar 02, 2013 Penney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dropbox, sci-fi

Nothing made sense. I gave it the extra star because it made me chuckle every once in a while. But it's exhausting trying to read a book while constantly asking, "Why?", "How?", "WTF?". This book had some imagination, but severely lacked common sense.

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Mar 23, 2012 Reading Romances rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 03-mar, sci-fi

It was a page turner from the beginning, but some points the pacing was dragging the story and it was hard to follow. I believe I might have enjoyed it more if it were a novella.

The spiritual side to it was very interesting to see, and I would have never expected to see tarot cards as part of a sci-fi series! The main characters are a kick ass heroine and a sexy prince who are extremely hot together!

(...)If you have watched the TV series Firefly, they both share a similar atmosphere. The eleme...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Ashelynn marked it as did-not-finish

I ended up marking this one did-not-finished. I had serious problems with the characters--especially the heroine because she "fell in love" with the hero (view spoiler) After 80% finished with the novel, I realized I hated the characters and decided I didn't care what happened to them, and wished they would just die already. This book wasn't for me, unfortunately. If I had finished this one, I would hav...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hot-romance

This is a good solid sci- fi romantic novel. It's not heavy on the romance stuff for those who get offended, but gives enough of a taste to keep those who enjoy satisfied. The story is a continuation in a series. However, this story stands on its own. The author doesn't spend much time on catching up what happened in previous stories. I haven't read the predecessor novel, just good read the bio and hat was enough to know what was going on and not feel lost. All things to consider if you like tha...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Sharonda (SexxyBlogger) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. I am a fan of sci-fi and I love reading about different worlds and species. I think Katee Robert did a hell of a job with the character and story development. Boone & Ophelia were perfect together and I loved the chemistry between them.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Photojim rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, fantasy-sci-fi, romance

I'll try to write a review after our book club discussion.

One word summary? "Grrr..."

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Jan 29, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is full of snarky, sexy fun! If you loved the banter between Han Solo and Princess Leia, you'll love Ophelia and Boone.

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Mar 20, 2012 Louisa added it

Really great book! The characters were really great, the plot was awesome, and yeah, I just want to read more!!!

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Mar 05, 2013 Sej rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't read this book. It'll make you steaming mad at the end. Esp if you have invested in the prequel.

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Oct 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 24-ebooks

Not bad...The romance didn't really do it for me, though. :-/

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Apr 24, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars I think...

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May 22, 2013 Vjohnson marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 20, 2013 Megan marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 18, 2013 Julien marked it as to-read

Shelves: ebooks, romance

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Queen of Swords (Sanctify #1)

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