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What Members Thought
A terrific surprise. An invading force takes control of the fictional country Mackabine, installing its own royalty and barons across the various counties. The ruling power institutes mandatory specializations that limit each county to only a few tasks. Whereas each had previously been largely self-sustaining, with their own farms and circles of professionals, now this county is focused solely on mining, that county on livestock, this county on lumber.
Queensmen takes place in the teeny tiny far ...more
Queensmen takes place in the teeny tiny far ...more
This is an excellent example of the old school adventure stories, where dramatic tension, shock, surprises, and fun character interactions reign. Plot wise - and in tone - it’s like a mish-mash of Robin Hood and The Prisoner Of Zenda. While the book is generally labeled a fantasy, this is a very, *very* low fantasy type fo story; the cultures and kingdoms are completely fictional, but the story features a mundane world rather than a magical one…
…And it most definitely wrings out all the drama an ...more
…And it most definitely wrings out all the drama an ...more
A Nice Escape
The story is told from three main viewpoints—Senna, Jed and Barron Fennick {sp?}. Senna works as a housekeeper for the evil Baron but in truth is a spy. Jed is the unofficial leader of a resistance group. The Baron is a harsh ruler and the enemy of the people. The beginning the story reads like a fantasy novel but without magic—no elves, dwarfs or dragons.
The magic is in the storytelling of an imaginary medieval land that young readers should enjoy. There's good verses evil, roman ...more
The story is told from three main viewpoints—Senna, Jed and Barron Fennick {sp?}. Senna works as a housekeeper for the evil Baron but in truth is a spy. Jed is the unofficial leader of a resistance group. The Baron is a harsh ruler and the enemy of the people. The beginning the story reads like a fantasy novel but without magic—no elves, dwarfs or dragons.
The magic is in the storytelling of an imaginary medieval land that young readers should enjoy. There's good verses evil, roman ...more
Epic fantasy with a twist of romance.
Epic fantasy with a twist of romance. Lovers of GOT will enjoy this deep dive into the dystopian world of Mackabine, more specifically the farming county of Geid. As corruption takes over the land the people starve and the powerful get richer. Enter the self-appointed outlaws, or the “Queensmen” who start an uprising to thwart the evil ruling power. The young heroin, Senna, devises a plan to infiltrate the castle and install herself as a maid in the castle. S ...more
Epic fantasy with a twist of romance. Lovers of GOT will enjoy this deep dive into the dystopian world of Mackabine, more specifically the farming county of Geid. As corruption takes over the land the people starve and the powerful get richer. Enter the self-appointed outlaws, or the “Queensmen” who start an uprising to thwart the evil ruling power. The young heroin, Senna, devises a plan to infiltrate the castle and install herself as a maid in the castle. S ...more
A novel that straddles genuine fantasy and historical fiction, Queensmen is set in a fictional world heavily inspired by Western medieval folklore, so you’re getting more Robin Hood than Lord of the Rings. Some readers might view the setting as unambitious; creating a fantasy world without the magic and dragons that’s essentially ours. Other readers might be irritated by the romantic subplot, which is certainly a trope. Still, the novel’s well written and the author is attentive to her character
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Queensmen transports the reader to a world not unlike medieval Earth, where a roaming band of soldiers fights in the name of their deposed queen against a false ruler. Along the way, the story provides all the intrigue, battles and romance of a classic adventure story.
Taking us through this journey are Jed, a Robin Hood-like queensman, and Senna, a childhood friend of Jed’s tasked with infiltrating the household of an evil Baron.
My favorite part of the book comes from a twist roughly a quarter o ...more
Taking us through this journey are Jed, a Robin Hood-like queensman, and Senna, a childhood friend of Jed’s tasked with infiltrating the household of an evil Baron.
My favorite part of the book comes from a twist roughly a quarter o ...more
Enjoyable escapist novel about the politics and dramas of imaginary people in an imaginary world that resembles Europe in the Middle Ages. Senna, Jed, and their band of friends and relations are involved in guerrilla action against the baron of their district. The plot goes in some unexpected and interesting directions.
To me, the strength of the story is in the characterizations and relationships. The writing is fluid and well proofed. The imaginary society was not particularly interesting to ...more
To me, the strength of the story is in the characterizations and relationships. The writing is fluid and well proofed. The imaginary society was not particularly interesting to ...more
This is not fantasy.
According to The Creative Pen: By definition, fantasy is a genre that typically features the use of magic or other supernatural phenomena in the plot, setting, or theme. Magical or mythological creatures often feature, as well as races other than humans, such as elves, dwarves, or goblins. The worlds within fantasy books are usually medieval in style, both in terms of technology and culture. This is what primarily sets fantasy apart from sci-fi.
There is no magic, myth, or s ...more
According to The Creative Pen: By definition, fantasy is a genre that typically features the use of magic or other supernatural phenomena in the plot, setting, or theme. Magical or mythological creatures often feature, as well as races other than humans, such as elves, dwarves, or goblins. The worlds within fantasy books are usually medieval in style, both in terms of technology and culture. This is what primarily sets fantasy apart from sci-fi.
There is no magic, myth, or s ...more
Bethany builds a world of characters who seem familiar and yet new, surprising and approachable. She sets them in places we may have wandered ourselves. The people pulled me into the action and I lost hours when I couldn’t put down this book until I learned what would happen next. Thank you Bethany for leading this merry chase full of fearless rebels, noble peasants, brave knights and evil power mongers. I loved this book!
