In Queen's Hunt, Beth Bernobich creates a riveting secondary world inhabited by fully realized characters who wield magic and weapons with equal facility. I was fascinated by the magic system and the world she created. And as a language lover, I was absolutely delighted by the language used to invoke the powers of the magical other world, a Germanic analogue that rivaled Tolkien's created languages. The incantations just beg to be intoned.

Ilse Zhalina, Bernobich's heroine from her first book, Passion Play, takes a while to come on stage, but when she does she steals the show. A strong, self-willed hero, Ilse has sacrificed much for the good of the realm. She is suspicious (for good reason) of the queen Valara, who is searching for the fabled jewels of Lir, but the two join forces on their quest. They don't ever lose their suspicion, either, a la the mismatched buddy trope. They stay wary, in a way that is true to both characters.

I do think that readers will benefit from reading Passion Play first, but Bernobich sets the stage well and newcomers will quickly find their footing.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.