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Queen of the World
In the legends, the Four saved the world from war and poverty. These incredible men walked the lands, seeking an audience with the ruler of each nation. They demanded that mankind focus its efforts on education, trade and culture. No longer would the people face starvation and terror. This commandment was enforced with displays of miraculous power. After all, it is difficult to argue with the Gods. Once finished, the Four left with a If ever your people fall back into darkness, then we shall return. Now, over five centuries later, Sarene grows tired of her village life. Suffocated by the confines of her surroundings and the overbearing protection of her family, she yearns to have an adventure of her own. But the world outside is not as tranquil as it seems. And Sarene is already in danger...
- GenresFantasy
375 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 29
7 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Ben Hennessy
11 books17 followersBen Hennessy is an exciting new author from Essex, England. Brought up on a literary diet including the likes of Stephen King, David Gemmell, Terry Pratchett and David Eddings, he looks to take all these elements and create a unique style of fiction which blends heroic fantasy and a subtle sense of wry humour. Having spent the last decade working various jobs in locations such as Ireland, New Zealand and Vietnam, he is now hoping to forge a new career as a full-time writer.
His debut novel, Queen of the World, tells the story of a young girl who finds herself at the centre of a whirlwind of political ambition, deadly creatures and men who are as Gods. An excerpt can be found on his website, along with his personal blog, which is focused on the journey from submission to publication.
When he is not poking his keyboard, Ben enjoys travelling the world, finding new music and crashing parties.
His debut novel, Queen of the World, tells the story of a young girl who finds herself at the centre of a whirlwind of political ambition, deadly creatures and men who are as Gods. An excerpt can be found on his website, along with his personal blog, which is focused on the journey from submission to publication.
When he is not poking his keyboard, Ben enjoys travelling the world, finding new music and crashing parties.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 14, 2021
I absolutely loved reading this book. The characters and storyline were great. I enjoyed reading this book.
August 11, 2021
In this world, the Four are basically gods who protect the world from those who want to conquer it, they maintain order and check in every few years. This story follows Sarene, a farmer’s daughter who is mute, who decides to try and follow her brother’s footsteps in setting out into the world. She meets Kanderil, a woodsman, who travels with her and protects her on her journey to her brother. Little does she know setting out causes a chain reaction of events that all revolve around her and the Four, and the world. She is a threat to the Four, although she does not know why. She’s being hunted by many, included the Gathire(like special-op guards) to hunt her and a sassy little monster, who is sent to get rid of her, and as she travels with Kanderil, they need to do everything they can to keep her safe, but also save her family and the world.
It had a rather slow start, it’s definitely a slow book. Which I don’t mind. It allows you to learn about the characters, the world, and how Sarene’s life changes from a farmer’s daughter to more. It also allows us to learn about Kanderil and his past and who he is as a person. Spasmodic is a nice comic relief to the more serious tone to the book. I really love the family dynamic in this book. The relationship between Sarene and her brother was so adorable. You could feel how much they love each other and would do anything for each other. This book is quite the epic adventure. It is also is about courage and despite how quiet you may be or inadequate you may feel, how you are capable of accomplishing amazing feats, especially for those you love. There is a lot of action, suspense, twists, tragedy and of course lovely comedic relief thanks to Spasmodic who makes me think of Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle 😊
If you like epic fantasies, with cheeky monsters, I would recommend this one! Thank you to the publisher Inspired Quill and the author for a free digital copy to read and voluntarily review. All thoughts are my own.
It had a rather slow start, it’s definitely a slow book. Which I don’t mind. It allows you to learn about the characters, the world, and how Sarene’s life changes from a farmer’s daughter to more. It also allows us to learn about Kanderil and his past and who he is as a person. Spasmodic is a nice comic relief to the more serious tone to the book. I really love the family dynamic in this book. The relationship between Sarene and her brother was so adorable. You could feel how much they love each other and would do anything for each other. This book is quite the epic adventure. It is also is about courage and despite how quiet you may be or inadequate you may feel, how you are capable of accomplishing amazing feats, especially for those you love. There is a lot of action, suspense, twists, tragedy and of course lovely comedic relief thanks to Spasmodic who makes me think of Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle 😊
If you like epic fantasies, with cheeky monsters, I would recommend this one! Thank you to the publisher Inspired Quill and the author for a free digital copy to read and voluntarily review. All thoughts are my own.
September 1, 2021
The overwhelming feeling I got from this book was a home-iness akin to that of The Fellowship of the Ring. Not the movie. The book. If you've read both, I think you'll understand.
I got very big "a bunch of rag tag people go on a big adventure together" vibes. I will say though, that if you've read TFOTR you will also understand that this means there is a lot of description and wandering passages of text that seemingly do not have a place within the story. This is sometimes the case for Queen of the World, but I find it does not totally deter from the plot, the characters, and the overall energy that the book is trying to give. It can just be a little...distracting, I think is the best word. I definitely found times where I had to reread sections because I was simply confused by the sudden change of pace (due to these wander on's).
That being said, I enjoyed the storyline and its characters. Oddly enough though, I felt like Kanderil (the second lead?) was the most fleshed out character as apposed to Sarene who was our protagonist. Despite us seeing into her brain and being able to understand her thoughts, she seemed the weakest as far as character development, and generally felt a little bit static. There are moments where you sort of think she is changing and developing or becoming "more" but these moments often do not last and don't actually lead to much of a change. That being said, she is rather strong throughout, so maybe she didn't need any development?
In an effort to not write a paragraph about every single character, I will end this review here by saying that if you enjoy a found family trope, with a LOTR's vibe, and some freaky omnipotent wizards, you'll probably enjoy this!
I got very big "a bunch of rag tag people go on a big adventure together" vibes. I will say though, that if you've read TFOTR you will also understand that this means there is a lot of description and wandering passages of text that seemingly do not have a place within the story. This is sometimes the case for Queen of the World, but I find it does not totally deter from the plot, the characters, and the overall energy that the book is trying to give. It can just be a little...distracting, I think is the best word. I definitely found times where I had to reread sections because I was simply confused by the sudden change of pace (due to these wander on's).
That being said, I enjoyed the storyline and its characters. Oddly enough though, I felt like Kanderil (the second lead?) was the most fleshed out character as apposed to Sarene who was our protagonist. Despite us seeing into her brain and being able to understand her thoughts, she seemed the weakest as far as character development, and generally felt a little bit static. There are moments where you sort of think she is changing and developing or becoming "more" but these moments often do not last and don't actually lead to much of a change. That being said, she is rather strong throughout, so maybe she didn't need any development?
In an effort to not write a paragraph about every single character, I will end this review here by saying that if you enjoy a found family trope, with a LOTR's vibe, and some freaky omnipotent wizards, you'll probably enjoy this!
June 6, 2013
Pretty good book, I really enjoyed its simplicity and especially the cheeky necromantic creature, Spasmodic :) Review soon!
March 12, 2017
One of my pet peeves about current publishing practice is novels that are meant to be the first in a series, but give no indication of it on the cover or anywhere else. I understand why this is done: publishers want to be certain there is a market for the series before they commit to more than one book (although this is more understandable coming from small presses, those living on a financial knife’s edge who could be bankrupted by a poorly selling series, than from larger publishers which really can afford to commit to an entire trilogy). I appreciate that it wouldn’t be fair to readers to announce the need for additional books in a series if it proves uneconomical to publish them. Still, the practice is even more unfair to readers, who expect a volume to provide closure, only to get to the end to find that they will have to read other books to get it.
Ben Hennessy’s Queen of the World seems to fit into this category. At the end of its 400+ pages, the villains have been repelled, but they haven’t been vanquished. Meanwhile, those who have protected her throughout the novel pledge their continued allegiance to the title character, who ends the novel wondering if she will ever find peace again. This could be a brilliant post-modern literary ploy (“Closure? Pft! Let me show you how much I respect that literary convention!”), but I suspect it’s because the book isn’t meant to stand alone.
Okay. If you’re reading this review, you have been warned. Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way, the real question is: is Queen of the World worth reading? And, actually, it is a quite entertaining fantasy novel.
THE STORY: Five hundred years after The Four imposed peace on the world, ending war and poverty, a young girl (Sarene) dreams of leaving the farm she has spent her whole life on. Her simple act of rebellion is the beginning of an adventure that will involve Sarene with a variety of characters, many of whom believe she has been chosen to end the rule of The Four and bring freedom back to the world, some of whom wishing to help her, others wishing to stop her.
The novel begins a bit slowly for my taste as Hennessy introduces the main characters and situations. Despite the nice touch of being mute and talking to other characters with a sign language of her own making, Sarene is a callow, not especially compelling character. The mountainous Kanderil, a former military agent who eventually rediscovers his moral purpose in protecting Sarene, eventually grows into somebody unique, although, initially, he seems more like a stock character.
Queen of the World really comes alive with the introduction of Spasmodic, a demon created for the sole purpose of killing Sarene, who decides to hang out with her instead because he’ll enjoy the mayhem that potentially swirls around her. I’m a sucker for a good trickster character, and Spasmodic fits the bill: funny, unpredictable, with a bent for destruction. His presence constantly invigorates the novel. Other characters, including smugglers, soldiers, princes and the Four themselves are well drawn and add to the rich tapestry of the novel.
Hennessy has strong storytelling skills. Queen of the World is a complex tale, with a large number of characters acting out of a variety of motives. It shifts between the points of view of eight or nine characters, each carefully chosen to advance the narrative. Despite its complexity, by the end of the novel, all of the actions of all of the characters are clear.
Queen of the World shows some of the signs of being a first novel. There is the occasional bit of telling rather than showing, in, for example, the following passage: “Sarene nodded, her mind reeling. How does one react to having their life turned upside down like this? She’d never experienced anything remotely similar, nothing as devastating or visceral.” (66) Better to show us her confusion through her actions than to bluntly state her emotions in this way.
On the other hand, Hennessy does do some things that I haven’t seen before. There is a paragraph early in the book, for instance, that tells of a rabbit hunt from the point of view of one of the rabbits as it is killed. Later in the book, Kanderil tries to explain a point about evolution to Spasmodic, with hilarious results. There are nice touches like this throughout the book.
Fans of fantasy fiction will find Queen of the World an enjoyable read. And who knows? If there are enough of you, perhaps the full story will some day be told.
Originally published on the Amazing Stories Web site (http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2014/10/...) on October 20, 2014.
Ben Hennessy’s Queen of the World seems to fit into this category. At the end of its 400+ pages, the villains have been repelled, but they haven’t been vanquished. Meanwhile, those who have protected her throughout the novel pledge their continued allegiance to the title character, who ends the novel wondering if she will ever find peace again. This could be a brilliant post-modern literary ploy (“Closure? Pft! Let me show you how much I respect that literary convention!”), but I suspect it’s because the book isn’t meant to stand alone.
Okay. If you’re reading this review, you have been warned. Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way, the real question is: is Queen of the World worth reading? And, actually, it is a quite entertaining fantasy novel.
THE STORY: Five hundred years after The Four imposed peace on the world, ending war and poverty, a young girl (Sarene) dreams of leaving the farm she has spent her whole life on. Her simple act of rebellion is the beginning of an adventure that will involve Sarene with a variety of characters, many of whom believe she has been chosen to end the rule of The Four and bring freedom back to the world, some of whom wishing to help her, others wishing to stop her.
The novel begins a bit slowly for my taste as Hennessy introduces the main characters and situations. Despite the nice touch of being mute and talking to other characters with a sign language of her own making, Sarene is a callow, not especially compelling character. The mountainous Kanderil, a former military agent who eventually rediscovers his moral purpose in protecting Sarene, eventually grows into somebody unique, although, initially, he seems more like a stock character.
Queen of the World really comes alive with the introduction of Spasmodic, a demon created for the sole purpose of killing Sarene, who decides to hang out with her instead because he’ll enjoy the mayhem that potentially swirls around her. I’m a sucker for a good trickster character, and Spasmodic fits the bill: funny, unpredictable, with a bent for destruction. His presence constantly invigorates the novel. Other characters, including smugglers, soldiers, princes and the Four themselves are well drawn and add to the rich tapestry of the novel.
Hennessy has strong storytelling skills. Queen of the World is a complex tale, with a large number of characters acting out of a variety of motives. It shifts between the points of view of eight or nine characters, each carefully chosen to advance the narrative. Despite its complexity, by the end of the novel, all of the actions of all of the characters are clear.
Queen of the World shows some of the signs of being a first novel. There is the occasional bit of telling rather than showing, in, for example, the following passage: “Sarene nodded, her mind reeling. How does one react to having their life turned upside down like this? She’d never experienced anything remotely similar, nothing as devastating or visceral.” (66) Better to show us her confusion through her actions than to bluntly state her emotions in this way.
On the other hand, Hennessy does do some things that I haven’t seen before. There is a paragraph early in the book, for instance, that tells of a rabbit hunt from the point of view of one of the rabbits as it is killed. Later in the book, Kanderil tries to explain a point about evolution to Spasmodic, with hilarious results. There are nice touches like this throughout the book.
Fans of fantasy fiction will find Queen of the World an enjoyable read. And who knows? If there are enough of you, perhaps the full story will some day be told.
Originally published on the Amazing Stories Web site (http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2014/10/...) on October 20, 2014.
August 31, 2021
“The weak were often the most intelligent. The weak created ways to emerge victorious over the strong”
Queen of the World 3.75 ⭐️
Sarene lives in a quiet village, she longs for adventure and wants to escape the peace of her community. Sarene is nonverbal and so it was interesting to read about her thought processes and how she communicated with others without speech. After finding out she is being hunted by a number of people she is taken in by Kanderil a man who has retired from his service as a soldier and must help her escape the enemies clutches. Sarene seems normal, but she actually has the power to influence on in the world, to begin or prevent wars. Her journey through the world was really interesting and I LOVED the side character of the creature Spasmodic! This book was slow paced, and so has slow moments at times, but the loveable characters and interesting plot made up for it. The concept of a nonverbal mc was so interesting to me, and I loved how she proved that just because she couldn’t communicate with words didn’t mean that she was incapable of doing things she wanted to achieve, to save those she cares about. This writing really reminded me of Brandon Sanderson and the plot like an ember in the ashes! If you enjoyed those then you will most likely enjoy this epic fantasy!
Queen of the World 3.75 ⭐️
Sarene lives in a quiet village, she longs for adventure and wants to escape the peace of her community. Sarene is nonverbal and so it was interesting to read about her thought processes and how she communicated with others without speech. After finding out she is being hunted by a number of people she is taken in by Kanderil a man who has retired from his service as a soldier and must help her escape the enemies clutches. Sarene seems normal, but she actually has the power to influence on in the world, to begin or prevent wars. Her journey through the world was really interesting and I LOVED the side character of the creature Spasmodic! This book was slow paced, and so has slow moments at times, but the loveable characters and interesting plot made up for it. The concept of a nonverbal mc was so interesting to me, and I loved how she proved that just because she couldn’t communicate with words didn’t mean that she was incapable of doing things she wanted to achieve, to save those she cares about. This writing really reminded me of Brandon Sanderson and the plot like an ember in the ashes! If you enjoyed those then you will most likely enjoy this epic fantasy!
July 12, 2021
This was truly a pretty good read, but I just don't think it was for me (and that's okay.) Overall I really enjoyed the concept, and I was very excited when I was approached by the publisher to read it for a review. However, something about the writing style just wasn't for me. I felt that the book was a bit two slow in the beginning, and often felt that the flow of the book was interrupted by unnecessary description. All too often I got way too much information about things I was not interested in, as compared to the things I was very interested in!
Given that this was a debut, I think the experience was overall pretty good. I may look into reading the next book to see if some of the pacing issues are resolved.
Given that this was a debut, I think the experience was overall pretty good. I may look into reading the next book to see if some of the pacing issues are resolved.
July 22, 2021
To be totally honest I have mixed feelings about this book.. On one hand I really liked it. Storyline was great and some characters got really in depth build up. I really liked Kanderil. The world and the magicsystem were interesting but that was it for me ..
I really had a hard time keeping my attention, because some bits were just to long and stretched out. I didn’t have any connection with Sarene, not because she was deaf. She could have been way more interesting because of that.
I really believe this story could have got 4/5 stars if some details were in the right places, but I still enjoyed while reading so it gets 3 stars.
I really had a hard time keeping my attention, because some bits were just to long and stretched out. I didn’t have any connection with Sarene, not because she was deaf. She could have been way more interesting because of that.
I really believe this story could have got 4/5 stars if some details were in the right places, but I still enjoyed while reading so it gets 3 stars.
July 11, 2021
I would like to thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to read this book and see what it was about. The cover is done really well and grabbed my attention along with the summary.
I gave this three stars because I really couldn’t get into the story. There was a lot of details and descriptions that were well written and I could picture what was happening as I was reading. I am definitely going to give this book another try.
I was really excited to read this book and see what it was about. The cover is done really well and grabbed my attention along with the summary.
I gave this three stars because I really couldn’t get into the story. There was a lot of details and descriptions that were well written and I could picture what was happening as I was reading. I am definitely going to give this book another try.
September 6, 2021
I was given this book in exchange for a honest review.
I enjoyed the story very much. I believe that this isn't like a story I have read before and I believe that this book entailed good character development and has lead into what could be a great series! I hope to see Sarene grow more as I think she still has room to grow to show she is more then a simple farm girl seen at the beginning. Id be interested to see her fighting spirit come out more, see more of what she learned with Jared come to light.
I enjoyed the story very much. I believe that this isn't like a story I have read before and I believe that this book entailed good character development and has lead into what could be a great series! I hope to see Sarene grow more as I think she still has room to grow to show she is more then a simple farm girl seen at the beginning. Id be interested to see her fighting spirit come out more, see more of what she learned with Jared come to light.
September 2, 2021
I was sent a copy of this for an honest review. Overall I liked this book. I liked the characters and the story and it kept me wondering how it would all end up. So much bravery and courage throughout. It felt slow at times but was good fantasy with a little bit of a dystopian feel to it.
Content
Language: mild most of the time but with 4 F words
There is quite a bit of violence at times.
Sexual content: none
Content
Language: mild most of the time but with 4 F words
There is quite a bit of violence at times.
Sexual content: none
January 3, 2021
Beautifully done and really unique characters. I really got sucked in and started recommending the book before I even finished because of the unique take.
The end was a bit too clean and easy for me but hoping we'll get more to come that shows it really wasn't that easy after all.
The end was a bit too clean and easy for me but hoping we'll get more to come that shows it really wasn't that easy after all.
August 5, 2021
It's a really good book very well written but it is a slow book it takes a bit for the story to develop and see character development all in all very good book and would definitely recommend to a friend for a rainy day
August 23, 2021
I thought that the story was good but it was a little slow moving for me. The plot was amazing and the characters were great just was a little slow and the chapters were a little longer than I usually read.
August 15, 2012
Reviewed for Book Chick City
http://www.bookchickcity.com/2012/09/...
QUEEN OF THE WORLD by Ben Hennessy is a fantasy novel following the plight of a young girl torn from her peaceful home and forced to flee those who would hunt her based on the words of a prophecy.
The world lives in relative peace in fear of the Four, elders of legend who possess strong magical powers. These Four are rumoured to be long since deceased, but it is said that they will always return if the peace of the world is threatened. So far this has deterred potential tyrants from starting major wars in an attempt to take over other regions, but the balance could soon be disturbed.
A young girl called Sarene is supposed to be a threat to the peace, a sixteen year old that lives a sheltered life in a quiet village with her family. She definitely doesn’t seem like a threat to anyone, especially as she is a mute and finds her own unique ways of communicating via hand signals and facial expressions. Sarene shares a particularly close bond with her brother, Jared, who is a member of the military on a short home visit to his family.
It is when Jared leaves that Sarene decides to have an adventure of her own, wanting to return a military pin that Jared has left behind. She sneaks out alone, seeking a bit of freedom from her daily routine, soon making the acquaintance of Kanderil, a hunter roaming the forest. He is ex-military and the reader sees him successfully deter a group of thieves from attacking him, immediately showing his strong capabilities.
He offers Sarene his protection to escort her back to her family, but it becomes clear that the journey home will not be the end of their acquaintance. This is because her family has been attacked in her absence by Gathire, a military force for hire who are seeking Sarene. Not knowing the reason for this attack, or why the Gathire are hunting her, Kanderil is forced to take Sarene on the run, determined to protect her from the many groups that hunt her.
One of these foes comes directly from the Four, a creature called Spasmodic who has been created for the purpose killing Sarene. However, this creature is not what it seems as it has been given the free will to choose who it kills, leaving the reader unsure of how trustworthy it is and where its loyalties lie. The determination of the hunters implies that Sarene is a threat to the Four, and it soon becomes clear how much of a difference she could make to the world…
This book was a fantastic read, as I was unable to put it down and was really intrigued to know what would happen to Sarene and why she was so important to those that were hunting her. Hennessy also succeeds in producing some shocking moments throughout Sarene’s journey to keep the reader hooked, and I loved Spasmodic’s sense of humour as he manages to make light of any situation that arises.
As a main character, Sarene was really well written, as her inability to speak instantly removes the conventional ways for an author to communicate her emotions. Despite this, it was still easy to empathise with her and to understand her feelings about what was happening, especially her confusion at why she was being pursued.
Kanderil was an interesting character to accompany Sarene, as he takes on an almost fatherly protector role, feeling obligated to take care of her for as long as he is needed. His military training makes him a force to be reckoned with, and his harsh exterior is slowly changed by Sarene as he begins to let his guard down around her. He likes to keep to himself, and his secretive nature means more could be revealed about him in future books.
As for the plot of this book, I loved the journey that Sarene goes on, as she becomes a stronger character and I can’t wait to see how she further develops once her ability is revealed to the reader. I didn’t give his book a full five stars as it partly felt like this book was world building for the sequel, but the plot was still strong and I loved the characters. As a reader I loved the fact that you could never tell which characters were wholly trustworthy, and also loved that the book doesn’t just focus on the protagonists, but on other characters too. Needless to say I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series and expect great things from this author!
http://www.bookchickcity.com/2012/09/...
QUEEN OF THE WORLD by Ben Hennessy is a fantasy novel following the plight of a young girl torn from her peaceful home and forced to flee those who would hunt her based on the words of a prophecy.
The world lives in relative peace in fear of the Four, elders of legend who possess strong magical powers. These Four are rumoured to be long since deceased, but it is said that they will always return if the peace of the world is threatened. So far this has deterred potential tyrants from starting major wars in an attempt to take over other regions, but the balance could soon be disturbed.
A young girl called Sarene is supposed to be a threat to the peace, a sixteen year old that lives a sheltered life in a quiet village with her family. She definitely doesn’t seem like a threat to anyone, especially as she is a mute and finds her own unique ways of communicating via hand signals and facial expressions. Sarene shares a particularly close bond with her brother, Jared, who is a member of the military on a short home visit to his family.
It is when Jared leaves that Sarene decides to have an adventure of her own, wanting to return a military pin that Jared has left behind. She sneaks out alone, seeking a bit of freedom from her daily routine, soon making the acquaintance of Kanderil, a hunter roaming the forest. He is ex-military and the reader sees him successfully deter a group of thieves from attacking him, immediately showing his strong capabilities.
He offers Sarene his protection to escort her back to her family, but it becomes clear that the journey home will not be the end of their acquaintance. This is because her family has been attacked in her absence by Gathire, a military force for hire who are seeking Sarene. Not knowing the reason for this attack, or why the Gathire are hunting her, Kanderil is forced to take Sarene on the run, determined to protect her from the many groups that hunt her.
One of these foes comes directly from the Four, a creature called Spasmodic who has been created for the purpose killing Sarene. However, this creature is not what it seems as it has been given the free will to choose who it kills, leaving the reader unsure of how trustworthy it is and where its loyalties lie. The determination of the hunters implies that Sarene is a threat to the Four, and it soon becomes clear how much of a difference she could make to the world…
This book was a fantastic read, as I was unable to put it down and was really intrigued to know what would happen to Sarene and why she was so important to those that were hunting her. Hennessy also succeeds in producing some shocking moments throughout Sarene’s journey to keep the reader hooked, and I loved Spasmodic’s sense of humour as he manages to make light of any situation that arises.
As a main character, Sarene was really well written, as her inability to speak instantly removes the conventional ways for an author to communicate her emotions. Despite this, it was still easy to empathise with her and to understand her feelings about what was happening, especially her confusion at why she was being pursued.
Kanderil was an interesting character to accompany Sarene, as he takes on an almost fatherly protector role, feeling obligated to take care of her for as long as he is needed. His military training makes him a force to be reckoned with, and his harsh exterior is slowly changed by Sarene as he begins to let his guard down around her. He likes to keep to himself, and his secretive nature means more could be revealed about him in future books.
As for the plot of this book, I loved the journey that Sarene goes on, as she becomes a stronger character and I can’t wait to see how she further develops once her ability is revealed to the reader. I didn’t give his book a full five stars as it partly felt like this book was world building for the sequel, but the plot was still strong and I loved the characters. As a reader I loved the fact that you could never tell which characters were wholly trustworthy, and also loved that the book doesn’t just focus on the protagonists, but on other characters too. Needless to say I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series and expect great things from this author!
July 30, 2012
Queen of the World was very charming and enjoyable and easily held my attention. Hennessy is an adept, natural writer. The characters -- especially Sarene and her gruff and loyal guardian Kanderil -- are people you want to be with, and they have strong, believable arcs. I don't want to give anything away, but the monster assassin Spasmodic is a fun character, built for violence and wielding a smart mouth.
The Four, a corrupt, all-powerful faction who have not been seen for five hundred years, are a daunting foe. They're after Sarene because she -- a mute, pure-hearted girl -- presents a major threat to them. There are various bands of assassins after Sarene, a young girl who has relied on her brother and Kanderil to fight on her behalf. She acts admirably leading up to her act three resolve to stop hiding behind others. Kanderil is a near-giant of a man and no fan of bustling towns. He has an intriguing past, and is a formidable protector. "composure was one of his strong points."
There are touches of humor throughout, mostly from Spasmodic (who speaks in British slang), but also from other characters, e.g.:
One arm came to his first chin, tapping his finger against the firmest point. "If I *were* to have a tunnel, then where would I put it…"
"If you're tricking me," Jared said, "I'll send you back to the pit you came from."
"Actually came from a table," replied Spasmodic.
"Even so, I dislike having vital information concerning Sarene's whereabouts tied to a pigeon."
I enjoyed the descriptions of the homey interiors and of life on the road. Hennessy has a lot of nice worldbuilding detail and sharp descriptions that really make this setting seem real, e.g.:
The two horses had been unharnessed and were creeping at the ground with broad, flat teeth, hunting the slim pickings of grass.
A few of the character names were a bit too similar to the group they aligned with (or used to align with) and there was a brief part in the last quarter of the book involving ancillary characters where I didn't feel as connected, but maybe a second read would be different. Also, my ebook version had some minor formatting problems, which the publisher fixed in an update, though it wasn't bothersome enough for me to get it. Overall, this book was very enjoyable and well-written, with strong characters. I look forward to the continuance of this as a series, and highly recommend it for adults and young adults.
The Four, a corrupt, all-powerful faction who have not been seen for five hundred years, are a daunting foe. They're after Sarene because she -- a mute, pure-hearted girl -- presents a major threat to them. There are various bands of assassins after Sarene, a young girl who has relied on her brother and Kanderil to fight on her behalf. She acts admirably leading up to her act three resolve to stop hiding behind others. Kanderil is a near-giant of a man and no fan of bustling towns. He has an intriguing past, and is a formidable protector. "composure was one of his strong points."
There are touches of humor throughout, mostly from Spasmodic (who speaks in British slang), but also from other characters, e.g.:
One arm came to his first chin, tapping his finger against the firmest point. "If I *were* to have a tunnel, then where would I put it…"
"If you're tricking me," Jared said, "I'll send you back to the pit you came from."
"Actually came from a table," replied Spasmodic.
"Even so, I dislike having vital information concerning Sarene's whereabouts tied to a pigeon."
I enjoyed the descriptions of the homey interiors and of life on the road. Hennessy has a lot of nice worldbuilding detail and sharp descriptions that really make this setting seem real, e.g.:
The two horses had been unharnessed and were creeping at the ground with broad, flat teeth, hunting the slim pickings of grass.
A few of the character names were a bit too similar to the group they aligned with (or used to align with) and there was a brief part in the last quarter of the book involving ancillary characters where I didn't feel as connected, but maybe a second read would be different. Also, my ebook version had some minor formatting problems, which the publisher fixed in an update, though it wasn't bothersome enough for me to get it. Overall, this book was very enjoyable and well-written, with strong characters. I look forward to the continuance of this as a series, and highly recommend it for adults and young adults.
January 13, 2013
The Book: Queen of the World.
The Author: Ben Hennessy
The Publisher: Inspired Quill.
The Pages: 379
My Rating: 4/5
This book is about a young girl named Sarene. She is mute and lives in a village with her family. But Sarene yearns for more, she yearns for adventure. So when she sets of on her own adventure to return her brother's insignia, she gets more than she bargained for and is thrown into an adventure she never expected.I wasn't really sure what to expect when I began this book, but it was way better than anything I'd imagined. It's gripping, original and beautifully written, with amazing characters in a brilliantly imagined world.
The main character, Sarene, is such a well crafted character. She's unique, free-spirited and a real joy to experience the book with, (unlike alot of irritating characters in recent books). For me, she's the perfect character. Also, I really love the fact that she's mute as it's really original and makes her character so much more unique. Overall, she's a beautifully portrayed character.
This book is incredibly well-written. The writing style is different and easy-going without being too simplistic. The story is funny, sad and exciting and the author makes you feel all these things along with the character. Almost instantly you'll form attachments to the characters and won't be able to put the book down: a definite page-turner.
The plot is well though out, ingeniously created and full of exciting developments which means it's not predictable. I really loved this about the book.
Overall I really loved this book, and I desperately hope there is a sequel and that it's coming out soon! I would reccommend this book especially to fans of Fantasy books, but anyone could read it and really enjoy it. I beleive this is Ben Hennessy's first book, and if it is I'd like to confragulate him and encourage him to write more, more, more!
★★★★☆
The Author: Ben Hennessy
The Publisher: Inspired Quill.
The Pages: 379
My Rating: 4/5
This book is about a young girl named Sarene. She is mute and lives in a village with her family. But Sarene yearns for more, she yearns for adventure. So when she sets of on her own adventure to return her brother's insignia, she gets more than she bargained for and is thrown into an adventure she never expected.I wasn't really sure what to expect when I began this book, but it was way better than anything I'd imagined. It's gripping, original and beautifully written, with amazing characters in a brilliantly imagined world.
The main character, Sarene, is such a well crafted character. She's unique, free-spirited and a real joy to experience the book with, (unlike alot of irritating characters in recent books). For me, she's the perfect character. Also, I really love the fact that she's mute as it's really original and makes her character so much more unique. Overall, she's a beautifully portrayed character.
This book is incredibly well-written. The writing style is different and easy-going without being too simplistic. The story is funny, sad and exciting and the author makes you feel all these things along with the character. Almost instantly you'll form attachments to the characters and won't be able to put the book down: a definite page-turner.
The plot is well though out, ingeniously created and full of exciting developments which means it's not predictable. I really loved this about the book.
Overall I really loved this book, and I desperately hope there is a sequel and that it's coming out soon! I would reccommend this book especially to fans of Fantasy books, but anyone could read it and really enjoy it. I beleive this is Ben Hennessy's first book, and if it is I'd like to confragulate him and encourage him to write more, more, more!
★★★★☆
July 12, 2012
A fantastic story, Ben does a great job with Sarene's mute character - she communicates effectively through the pages, even with the lack of spoken dialogue. Characters are well-fleshed and entertaining, with minimal typecasting. Very interested in seeing where we go from this ending, and looking forward to the next book in the series! We were left with answers, but not enough - what does Sarene face next? What will Tyrrial do to stop her?
April 13, 2013
Excellent debut, in a well realised world. Despite being an easy read, crams so much in and the history of the world and people is rich, and there's no character that has been badly written, they're all fleshed out wonderfully, and a unique aspect to our main protagonist Sarene is handled well, broadly, and never gets repetitive.
Looking forward to the sequel!
Looking forward to the sequel!
August 17, 2012
An epic-style fantasy with a contemporary twist, QotW's delivery is not only easy to read and enjoy, but gives a great sense of depth and history to the world created between its pages.
Cant wait to see what happens next!
Cant wait to see what happens next!
June 15, 2013
Dull, dull, dull Sorry. But the heroine just didn't do anything for me.
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