Queen of the Shining Sea

Blade and Rose #4

by Miranda Honfleur

Enemy mages and ships. An all-powerful organization gone rogue. One woman refuses to stand aside.
After the Divinity reveals its dark intentions, Rielle and her friends patrol the Shining Sea, doing all they can to stem the tide of gold flowing into Magehold and the dangerous goods flowing out. Facing Immortals and pirates at every turn, they wage battle after battle against clandestine Divinity ships in an effort to weaken its ability to grasp for power.
Meanwhile, Veris draws near and the Dragon King hunts Jon, whose life hangs in the balance as Olivia and Samara seek answers to heal his heart. As the werewolf presence in Emaurria escalates, Brennan is forced to confront both sides of his werewolf-noble identity and choose whether to reject it or embrace it. In a harsh and deadly wilderness, Leigh and Ambriel search for clues about the Sundering ritual, hoping to seal away the violent Immortals and save the land for good.
But the Divinity does not accept defeat - and when the Grand Divinus strikes back, it is not at Rielle but at Emaurria. Will she give up her war against the Divinity, or will Emaurria fall?
Read Queen of the Shining Sea and dive into a medieval world sensual and dark, full of magic and greed, love and blades, where factions vie for influence and there are no easy choices...

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, New Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Romantasy

748 pages, Hardcover

First published August 24, 2018

About the author

Miranda Honfleur is a born-and-raised Chicagoan living in Indianapolis. She grew up on fantasy and science fiction novels, spending nearly as much time in Valdemar, Pern, Tortall, Narnia, and Middle Earth as in reality.

In another life, her J.D. and M.B.A. were meant to serve a career in law, but now she gets to live her dream job: writing speculative fiction starring fierce heroines and daring heroes who make difficult choices along their adventures and intrigues, all with a generous (over)dose of romance.

When she’s not snarking, writing, or reading her Kindle, she hangs out and watches Netflix with her husband, gets constantly tackled by her dogs Gizmo and Luna, and plays board games with her friends.

Her next book release is the fifth volume in the romantic epic fantasy Blade and Rose series, The Dragon King, slated for release (barring any further apocalyptic events and meteors) in Q3 2021.

Blade and Rose, a romantic epic fantasy series (ongoing), includes:
1. Blade & Rose
2. By Dark Deeds
3. Court of Shadows
4. Queen of the Shining Sea
5. The Dragon King – forthcoming
6. Immortelle – forthcoming
+ Winter Wren (A Blade and Rose novelette) – available for free on www.mirandahonfleur.com

The Dark-Elves of Nightbloom, a series of fantasy romance standalones (ongoing), includes:
1. No Man Can Tame
2. Bright of the Moon
3. An Ember in the Dark (forthcoming)
4. Crown to Ashes (forthcoming)

Demon Dropout, an urban fantasy series (ongoing), serialized on Kindle Vella and Patreon every Thursday, includes:
1. Slay Date

The Witch of the Lake, a mythic dark young-adult fantasy series (completed) with Nicolette Andrews, includes:
1. Feast of the Mother
2. Fate of the Demon
3. Fall of the Reaper

For regular updates on her releases, be sure to sign up to her newsletter on www.mirandahonfleur.com.

Reviews

[Shelby P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! I’m doing a reread of this and I’m hoping I finally get all my thoughts written down this time. First of all I’d like to say that EVERY book so far has just gotten better and better. I am in awe of the world and characters Miranda has crafted.


(Spoilers if you haven’t read the first three books ahead):



We last left off with Rielle leaving to go with her brother out to sea for a while to get some space. Queen of the Shining Sea picks up about a month or so after when we last heard from her. The story remains gripping as we get some long awaited answers. Can they find a way to heal Jon or will his heart fail him before then? Can Rielle forgive Brennan? Will Rielle finally find out about Jons heart? We got lots of answers but there is still more yet to learn!

I am SO thankful these books came into my life and I cannot wait for book 5!

[Lindsay Merrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so underrated, but beyond that the writing just improves every single book. Characters somehow manage to still grow and develop even 4 books in, relationships strengthen and change. The magic is amazing.... but now I'm stuck waiting for book 5. Siggh

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this series...and the cliffhanger? Oh my God...I don't think I can wait a year for the next book!

I want to know what happens with all the characters...especially Jon!

[Tracy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, exactly what I wanted!

Could this book have been any more perfect? I don't think so. It's everything I could've asked for as far as Jon and Rielle are concerned. I just hope that Jon is still Jon by the end of the book, series.

[Montana Cefalu · Rating 4 out of 5]

If book one was your favorite then you will love Queen of the Shining Sea. A satisfying return to the mood and tone of that first book and most importantly, Jon and Rielle are finally able to reconcile with some amazing results. I really loved everything about this installment except maybe for the ending. I shudder at the thought of yet another Dark Jon redemption arc and hope the strain on his relationship with Rielle won’t be too extreme after all the torture we’ve already been through in By Dark Deeds. I also have to say that without the previews for the next book to immediately soften the blow, the cliffhanger was poorly executed and ended too jarringly. Anyway, I’m really ready for the next book and as the story unfolds, it reminds me more and more of the Choices story The Crown & The Flame, from the thematically similar series titles down to the literally hot-blooded character Dominic who can also turn into a dragon. He is a dead ringer for Jon. Not that it’s a bad thing. Just very reminiscent in a number of ways to another story that I love. Can’t wait for December to hopefully see their HEA.

[Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whaaaaat?! How do these books keep getting better and better? I am IN LOVE! Perfect blend of fantasy and romance and a story you can really sink your teeth into. I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to wait for the next book! I have so many thoughts and theories!
Also,
Leigh <3 Ambriel 4EVA

[Morgan Frederickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to improve and I continue to fall in love with each and every character that’s introduced. MH does a spectacular job of creating a world I can’t help but get lost in for hours. I just can’t give this five stars because of the unresolved issue between Brennan and Rielle.

It’s no secret that Brennan is my favorite character and I did try to view their break up with an unbiased view. I just don’t understand how both of them moved on so quickly... I know Rielle had been away for five months but Brennan searched for her for three of those months and they have had a life long connection. But for it to just end with two pages of interaction.... that was disappointing. What about Rielle being the only person who can break the curse? They break things off without even mentioning the curse.. I get that Rielle isn’t in love with him anymore, but she still cares for him so wouldn’t she at least address it? And Brennan doesn’t push for it for his son? I don’t know... it just seemed like Brennan didn’t get what he deserved and for this matter that has been such a large part of the story to simply be just pushed under the rug seems unfair. Who knows, maybe the issue will surface again? I hope it does because as happy as I am for Rielle and Jon to be so in love, I just can’t help but want Rielle to always have a connection with Brennan.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and this newest installment did not disappoint.

I feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said in my previous 3 reviews of the other books so I’ll add on a short note here.

Miranda’s treatment of women is beautiful. I especially loved when Brennan reflected on Kehani, the deceased mother of his child and mistress of his father. He didn’t shame her for being the other woman but praised her beauty and intelligence, mourned her death and said she deserved so much more than being a seasonal mistress to his father.

There’s something beautiful about that moment.

Also, I want to say that Brennan’s growth is wonderful. I love him even though I’m team Jon.

[Charity Chimni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series keeps getting better and better! I love that Rielle and Jon have found their way back together. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. There are so many different sub plots happening and the action, mystery, and adventure never stops. So glad I don't have to wait too long for the next installment. A series full of passion, mystery, adventure, action, friendship, love, intrigue, and awesome characters!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to book 5!

[Lynn's books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panicking

That's how I felt throughout this whole book! For the love of a sane mind, stop the insanity! Good grief! I NEEDED an oxygen mask while reading this! What an intricately woven web of multilayered plots. Gasp...it's just so much...so much awesomeness! I don't even know where to begin?
Miranda Honfleur holds no punches. Jeez. I'm all beat up. One would think that by book 4 the reader would have a grasp on the author's intention and plot direction. Nope. I still love Rielle. Her heart is good. She still bears heavy burdens due to her good heart. Burdens most people would toss off but not her. She's kicking the Divinity's hind end all over the sea and destroying their evil plans. She even frees a ton of prisoners that turn up some new and interesting characters that have ties to previous characters in books 1-3. We finally have our showdown with Brennan. *spoiler* What a complete tool. Rielle's 5 months of independence has given her a clear mind and she kicks him to the curb. He wastes no time in making up for lost time with the first thing he can grab. He's just gross. He has no honor and Rielle said it right, "If it wasn't for the curse linking them, she could be any other women to him." So true. He doesn't deserve you Rielle. Good riddance. I think it's great he now has a wolf pack and his flesh was torn from his body. I seriously hope he does have to mate with a pack member so we can be rid of the trash that is liliane. I'm hoping it will be Kaia the new werebear. I did note that Brennan was mad rielle life bonded to Jon, proving he still loves her. (He will NEVER deserve her).
Jon. Sigh. Book 1 I loved him. Book 2 he was a complete idiot and he deserved what he got. It never made sense to me how he could be a man of such intense morals his whole life and then decide to have none...no honor, no integrity. Book 3 he's just pathetic. He was lost and alone but Olivia was the most pathetic trying to get with Jon after she was with his dad. Ewe! Now Rielle has forgiven him. She's worth more but Jon is better then Brennan. I like where their relationship is heading, please Miranda, be kind to them and your readers. I suspected Jon becomes a dragon mage or something dragonish at the end of the book and seeing the title of book 5 I think I'm right. My guess is he has no clue who rielle is? Lost his memories when the other dragon king selected him. Book 5 is getting that memory back...the next journey while fighting the Divinity. Who will ultimately be overthrown by a dragon king. Why did the Dragon pick Jon? Maybe his mom's side?
Leighs discovery with the light elves is interesting. They will come into play later. His daughter Ava is creepy. What's up with Kierian? I don't know but he has to go. Olivia and Liam need to pair off too. What a crazy ride. Can't wait for book 5!

[Cassie Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCK

Ok books 5 and 6 have to come out this year or I will absolutely riot

[Lindsay Kuzara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need book 5

I loved the development in this book, but I'm dying for book 5 to finish the story! I've grown an attachment to the characters.

[Emerald Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda Honfleur's Queen of the Shining Sea was an incredible book. She finally wrapped up the love triangle that's been raging for three books (and had Rielle end up with the RIGHT person), established new and ever-more-exciting stakes, brought back some of the main characters from her amazing novel No Man Can Tame, and ended on a huge cliffhanger.

The action was great. The dialog and romance were great. The characters, as usual, were phenomenal. 2019 can't come fast enough!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of the shining sea

Ah. Loved it. Was getting worried for a while that some things were taking too long to come together. But they finally did, and it was beautiful. So much happened in this book. And that ending.... Not sure how I will be able to wait for the next book. Thank you so much for such a beautiful story.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you read this series yet!? Well if that answer is no, and you love adult fantasy with a female protagonist, werewolves, magic, Kings, ... Then you need to stop what you're doing and go buy book 1 now. Book 4 did not disappoint. So many twists and I can't wait to read the next book.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rielle had to flee after the magical trials because the Grand Divinus was out to kill her but she was not ready to back out of the fight against corruption. She took to the sea on the Liberte, her brother Liam's boat and waged war on the Divinus where it hurt her the most, her money making. The Divinus was peddling drugs so Rielle and Commodore Verib harassed her ships, sunk some and took over others, but when they finally found out about a top secret prison the divinity kept for those who proved a threat, they decided to enter the vault and free everyone in there. This called for an all out war between the Divinus and Rielle but when Elephteria 11 hit back she attacked Laurentine, Rielle's home and after Courdeval itself. meanwhile Jon was still fighting for his life whilst Olivia and Samara were doing their utmost to save his heart, but his biggest threat came from the dragon king who was out to kill him. Brennan also was battling his own fears, namely those related to the safety of his son from the threat posed by his own father, so he had to decide whether to take on his alpha wolf responsibility and join a pack of werewolves to acquire full protection. This book is action packed with many a heart stopping moment, as the excitement levels are so ramped up, Battle scenes are full of tsunamis, dragons, magical powers and pure courage as well as betrayal. I am so in love with this series which has really captivated me and I cannot wait to start reading book 5.

[Sandra Wagner-Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of the Shining Sea, the fourth book in Miranda Honfleur’s Blade & Rose series, picks up where the third book left off, which is why it’s better to read the books in order. Spoiler Alert: some plot points revealed. Rielle joins Liam’s crusade to rescue prisoners being convoyed into slavery, and persuades him to attack the Vault, a particular destination for Divinity prisoners who are never seen again. King Jon continues his efforts to protect Emaurria from all manner of enemies. Brennan builds a new life. Leigh the Wild Mage takes an important assignment. Dragons attack. Rielle and her allies face opposing forces of magic. The story takes the reader from one engrossing crisis to the next before giving Rielle a quiet moment to enjoy her husband. [I won’t reveal the particulars.] New connected story lines begin, ready to feed into the next installment, whenever it is released. I binge-read these four volumes. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so engrossed in a story line. For sheer entertainment, I highly recommend the entire Blade & Rose series.

[MGB · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author brings the reader into Emaurria, a world where magic reigns supreme. It is a complex world, made more difficult by the large assortment of players, all with different agendas. It's also a love story, as many types of love unfold before the readers eyes. This makes it an adult content story. It is a world beset by difficulties and war. War is all the more lethal because of the many variants of magic that can be brought to the battle.

The protagonist is the kind of person you would want to know and be friends with. Through the eyes of the love of her live you will also see "how selfless she was, how brave, how kind. How funny, intelligent, and playful." Her brother brings the title of the book to life when he notes she is “Queen of the Shining Sea.”

The narrative will draw you in. You will definitely enjoy the weave of the story as all the characters play their role. The end unfortunately is the cliffhanger for the next book. It leads you to the next book, but frustrated that this one didn't have the clean ending you hoped for.

[Debra Henn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic Fantasy Series

This was my 3rd reread of this amazing series. I’d forgotten how heart pounding this book was. MH’s world building, characters, action and romance are an unbeatable combination. Jon, the noble and brave king of Emaurria, Rielle, the idealistic and courageous mage who loves him, Leigh, the Wild Mage with limitless power, and Brennan, the dark brooding werewolf may be tasked with being the future king? There are more extremely strong characters who are integral to the plot but you just need to read it for yourself. Things are coming to a head with the Divinity as more and more Covens and Immortals are enlisted to assist. I hope more people will discover this author and love her work like I do. And her long awaited 5th book, The Dragon King, will be released on August 30th, so if you haven’t yet, read the series so you’ll be ready!

[Maria Fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last twenty percent of this book was so intense. I was flying through the pages to see how it would end and it did not disappoint. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to jump into this book because I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it as much as the other ones but my worries were for naught. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading this I was immersed in this world and these characters. I'm excited to read the fifth one hopefully soon.


MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.







( My one tiny complain is that I don't like Brennan and Liliane together. It just feels like they got together simply because Brennan had to move on from Rielle with someone. I hope they're not endgame because Brennan needs someone who challenges him and loves him at the same time, at least in my opinion and Liliane is not that person. )

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shouldn’t have

I shouldn’t have started this series when it wasn’t complete… my heart can’t take waiting. I don’t know how to wait for Dragon King! This series is so explosive and has ensnared me. I don’t even know how to fully express just how amazing these books and this 4th book have been.
Wow. Just beautifully written, creative, heart wrenching, heart warming… For parts of her books there’s a pit in my stomach which says “surely this will get better - surely they’ll make it”. The mental angst is drawn out and torture. But then there’s the reward and the joy experienced. Especially in this book with Rielle & Jon finally finding their way back together… all the big feels!
And now this. How do I wait? Don’t stop writing, Miranda!

[C. Mercie M Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE Fragmenting of Arielle and Jon’s bond continues. will it fracture the kingdom too?

Rielle & Jon have both walked away from their relationship, but now will they be able to come back together again? They need to find a way to defeat the Divinity and unite the kingdom to battle everything that’s coming their way with the rift being torn open again? What will come of Brennan & Olivia? What parts will they play in this new world they are creating? The characters have continued to evolve and grow with each challenge, and the author has also grown their work from one kingdom, to many; with many different magical species all being thrown together. Looking forward to the next book to see what becomes of Jon & Rielle.

[Scott Sammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good series, much better romance than previous books in series.

Erotic romance scenes are tricky to pull off. Miranda Honfleur does it with sensitivity and skill in this fourth book of the Blade and Rose series. Spicy enough to titillate while romantic enough to advance the story. As well as avoiding the overused graphic descriptions familiar to pulp romance novels. Well done Miranda. The only reservations I have for five star deep love of these books is a lack of quotable passages, the plot is well telegraphed from early in the series, and the action sequences are good but never outstanding I would have liked more detail during naval battles particularly.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are excellent reviews for this book, so I'll just add my 5-star rating and say, this is a wonderful, magical series. You should start from the prequel for fullest appreciation, and I'd advise waiting for the sixth book that finishes the series to start so you can read them all uninterrupted. There are dozens of major characters, and multiple plot lines to keep straight. Names and places need to be kept straight, a list with the FULL names would be helpful because any of several names, titles, nicknames, etc. can be used. It gets confusing to follow everything, but the action, scope, breadth, and detail of the world are breathtaking.

[Lou Hutchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't stop reading!

As a reader of many, many UF, PNR, PN & romance books, this series still remains in my top 5! I just can't stop reading them! The world building, the beautiful descriptions, the engaging storyline and all the characters contribute to the addiction that is the Blade & Rose series and book 4 is definitely no exception. Even with the unfortunate confusion in Amazon on release day, Queen of the Shining Sea was well worth the short wait while Amazon fixed the issue. I can't recommend this series enough! My only complaint is the painful wait for book 5!

[IdRatherBeReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful

How does one leave a review when the ENTIRE book was masterfully written! There are no words to describe the feelings, the gut wrenching feelings, this book offered. The author so masterful that characters worth 5 chapters captured us enough to cause devastation when they were killed or betrayed! The persistence of both Jon and Rielle is not annoying, but honorable in their fight to save their home! And why does Leigh keep getting the short end of the stick. Book 5 cannot come fast enough.

[Prachi Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex and well written series

I really don't understand why this series isn't more well known! The series reels you in with how vibrant it is. Theres complexity and good character development. Too many fantasy books/series have YA friendly one dimensional characters that all follow a similar story line.

Queen of the shining sea had been my favorite so far. In my opinion, it's not quite as innocent and light as the first book nor quite as heavy as the second. In a separate note, as a JD myself, I'm glad to see someone successfully pursuing their dream job!

[Sherri Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

This story is full of love, magic, intrigue, action. Everything you need to have an epic tale. The characters are well built, and I love that there are stories within the story happening. I also loved the brief appearance of characters from The Dark Elves of Nightbloom series. No Man Can Tame is one of my all time favorite love stories, and it was nice to see a snippet of the continued happiness or Veron and Alessandra. I'm just disappointed that I have to wait to continue the journey through this world.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will probably be the last book that I read of this series, mostly because the fifth book was apparently supposed to be released last year but I can't find it anywhere and I'm kind of fine with that. The series overall was fine but I won't be reading it again. My reviews of the first 3 books have all of my explanations for what I did and didn't like about this series. I'll just mention again that the world building and writing style were amazing. The author is very talented in that regard. It was the characters that I didn't really like. I would definitely read other books by this author.