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The May Queen
A boy is dead, a man missing…
Dwarfed by monolithic, ancient standing stones, nothing is as it seems in the isolated farming community of Sanctuary. Isolde, a young and unproven Sentinel, has been sent by her order of peacekeeping guardians, a law unto their own, to investigate the disappearance.
A malevolent shadow hangs over the small town, and the villagers grow increasingly hostile towards the stranger in their midst. Sworn to protect the innocent, Isolde must work to save the lives and minds of them all even as they turn against her. To fight a rising cult and discover the fate of her predecessor, Isolde must push herself beyond her limits.
If she fails, it will not just be the lives of the villagers at stake…
Dwarfed by monolithic, ancient standing stones, nothing is as it seems in the isolated farming community of Sanctuary. Isolde, a young and unproven Sentinel, has been sent by her order of peacekeeping guardians, a law unto their own, to investigate the disappearance.
A malevolent shadow hangs over the small town, and the villagers grow increasingly hostile towards the stranger in their midst. Sworn to protect the innocent, Isolde must work to save the lives and minds of them all even as they turn against her. To fight a rising cult and discover the fate of her predecessor, Isolde must push herself beyond her limits.
If she fails, it will not just be the lives of the villagers at stake…
520 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Axford
3 books13 followersPatrick Axford was born and raised in the leafy eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. He is one of five siblings. He now lives with his wife and three children (and their two furry children). What began as a hobby when he was as young as eight or nine, soon became an obsession and he has been writing ever since.
The May Queen is his first published novel. When he isn’t writing, you can normally find him poring over his collection of eclectic books on such topics as the Golden Age of Piracy, Norse Mythology and his leather-bound copies of Ernest Hemingway, H.P. Lovecraft & Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to name a few. Or admiring his collection of Star Wars Lego he says is for his kids.
You can connect with him via his social channels on Facebook & Instagram (patrickaxfordauthor) or via email at patrickaxfordauthor@gmail.com and be sure to check out his future releases!
The May Queen is his first published novel. When he isn’t writing, you can normally find him poring over his collection of eclectic books on such topics as the Golden Age of Piracy, Norse Mythology and his leather-bound copies of Ernest Hemingway, H.P. Lovecraft & Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to name a few. Or admiring his collection of Star Wars Lego he says is for his kids.
You can connect with him via his social channels on Facebook & Instagram (patrickaxfordauthor) or via email at patrickaxfordauthor@gmail.com and be sure to check out his future releases!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 10, 2018
This book gripped me from the first page. With a fast-paced opening that I couldn't get through quick enough, I was immediately hooked and couldn't wait to dive into the remainder of the story.
The main protagonist of this story is Isolde, a strong-minded Sentinal who is hard as nails and has been sent to the small town of Sanctuary to find Christophe, a missing Sentinal. When Isolde has a mission, she will do whatever it takes to complete it. She is stubborn and smart, refusing to allow anything (or anyone) to get in her way. Despite her harsh exterior,, Isolde does have her weaknesses such as not being able to keep her mind on the task in hand. Her overriding desire to expose the secrets long hidden in the depths of the town take the story in a different direction as she aims to solve the mysteries alongside finding the missing Sentinal.
I thought this story plot was incredible clever and the author put everything into making the setting and characters as authentic and credible as possible. It made the story easy to read and follow and each chapter conclusion left me wanting to find out more.
With ritualistic and supernatural elements, this book is a great read for fantasy lovers who enjoy getting lost in a new world. The setting is perfectly described (helped very much by the beautiful cover of this book) and is easy to imagine in your head as you're reading through the story. The quiet town may seem unexceptional but is actually shrouded in mysteries that Isolde is determined to uncover.
I look forward to reading more by the author in the future.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Patrick Axford for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The main protagonist of this story is Isolde, a strong-minded Sentinal who is hard as nails and has been sent to the small town of Sanctuary to find Christophe, a missing Sentinal. When Isolde has a mission, she will do whatever it takes to complete it. She is stubborn and smart, refusing to allow anything (or anyone) to get in her way. Despite her harsh exterior,, Isolde does have her weaknesses such as not being able to keep her mind on the task in hand. Her overriding desire to expose the secrets long hidden in the depths of the town take the story in a different direction as she aims to solve the mysteries alongside finding the missing Sentinal.
I thought this story plot was incredible clever and the author put everything into making the setting and characters as authentic and credible as possible. It made the story easy to read and follow and each chapter conclusion left me wanting to find out more.
With ritualistic and supernatural elements, this book is a great read for fantasy lovers who enjoy getting lost in a new world. The setting is perfectly described (helped very much by the beautiful cover of this book) and is easy to imagine in your head as you're reading through the story. The quiet town may seem unexceptional but is actually shrouded in mysteries that Isolde is determined to uncover.
I look forward to reading more by the author in the future.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Patrick Axford for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2019
The May Queen is such a great mystery, thriller. I was on the edge of my seat from the start to the end. Isolde was an amazing leading character. She is strong and determined. Can we talk about what a badass she is? I felt like I was on this mystery with her to uncover the evil. The author did an amazing job at grabbing the reader’s interest from the first line and then keeping us in suspense as we continued the story. I highly suggest this book enough to mystery fans, especially of the fantasy genre. I am not going to give any details since that will give away the fun of this mystery. All I can say is I highly recommend this book. It will be a wild ride that will leave you breathless. I definitely can’t wait to read more from this author.
October 28, 2018
*I want to first thank Patrick Axford for sending me this book for an honest review.*
In The May Queen we follow a sentinel name Isolde, who was sent on a mission to find her apprentice. Once Isolde arrives at the farming community known as Sanctuary she becomes aware of all the wrongs going on in this torn. While she’s there she also becomes aware that a boy was mutilated and no one has done anything to find out who or what did it.
Isolde was such an amazing character to follow. She’s had such a strong and interesting persona. I hope to know more about her in the next book. I fell in love with her personality and even if she was a hardcore badass sentinel she still had a really soft heart. By the way did I say how badass she is!? She reminded me so much Ciri from The Witcher.
The story line took me back to role playing games where in the middle of a quest and everything around me started turning creepy. If you love those fantastical RPGs like Witcher then you’ll seriously enjoy this. Also, if you need an October, fall or Halloween read you need to read this. I was so creeped out during a lot of the story. The monster in this book was so intriguing and incomparable to others I’ve read. In my head I kept thinking about the Hagubman from the Witcher but with the mouth of the creatures in Alien.
I love how complex but simplistic this book was. I love the feel of that it gives of an RPG with fantastical but also horror like elements I really do recommend this book if you’re into all that. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I can wait to read more in this series.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In The May Queen we follow a sentinel name Isolde, who was sent on a mission to find her apprentice. Once Isolde arrives at the farming community known as Sanctuary she becomes aware of all the wrongs going on in this torn. While she’s there she also becomes aware that a boy was mutilated and no one has done anything to find out who or what did it.
Isolde was such an amazing character to follow. She’s had such a strong and interesting persona. I hope to know more about her in the next book. I fell in love with her personality and even if she was a hardcore badass sentinel she still had a really soft heart. By the way did I say how badass she is!? She reminded me so much Ciri from The Witcher.
The story line took me back to role playing games where in the middle of a quest and everything around me started turning creepy. If you love those fantastical RPGs like Witcher then you’ll seriously enjoy this. Also, if you need an October, fall or Halloween read you need to read this. I was so creeped out during a lot of the story. The monster in this book was so intriguing and incomparable to others I’ve read. In my head I kept thinking about the Hagubman from the Witcher but with the mouth of the creatures in Alien.
I love how complex but simplistic this book was. I love the feel of that it gives of an RPG with fantastical but also horror like elements I really do recommend this book if you’re into all that. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I can wait to read more in this series.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 27, 2018
This book is excellent. One of the best fantasy novels I have read in a long time. Beautifully written, with a thoroughly engaging storyline that keeps the pages turning. A refreshing, strong female lead who refuses to answer to anyone but herself makes this story even more enjoyable.
Highly, highly recommend.
My only regret with this story is that I read it too quickly. I can't wait to see what comes next from Patrick Axford.
Highly, highly recommend.
My only regret with this story is that I read it too quickly. I can't wait to see what comes next from Patrick Axford.
June 20, 2019
This is a chilling and at times gripping fantasy adventure that plays out like a mystery. I enjoyed following protagonist Isolde through her investigation as she uncovered a latent malevolence while confronting her traumatic past. The magic system was skillfully incorporated into the story and the fantasy elements fit into the world in a way that made it seem more realistic. There was plenty of action and tension to keep me engaged and move the plot forward. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy or mystery but due to the language and subject matter, I definitely advise discretion with young readers.
July 1, 2024
I flew through this book. It was just too easy to read and too difficult to put down. It was a cool mix of mystery, horror and fantasy. Isolde is a badass and I'm looking forward to reading more of her adventures.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews