Sword of Queens

by Joan Marie Verba

A cruel tyrant. A hidden magical sword. Can Gill stop the ruthless despot and free her country?In a land gripped by the iron fist of the evil overlord Tashtalon, Gill discovers the only thing that can defeat the Sword of Queens. But it comes with a price--any woman wielding a sword in Tashtalon's realm will be put to death. With the fate of the kingdom in her hands, Gill must summon all her courage and find the lost sword before Tashtalon can kill her.

Can Gill get hold of the sword and use it before she is executed?

Sword of Queens is an exciting epic fantasy. If you like resourceful heroes, secret plans, and harrowing escapes, then you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s thrilling tale.

FINALIST, MIDWEST BOOK AWARDS

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2012

About the author

Joan Marie Verba earned a bachelor of physics degree from the University of Minnesota and attended the graduate school of astronomy at Indiana University, where she was an associate instructor of astronomy for one year. She has worked as a computer programmer, editor, publisher, health/weight loss coach, social media manager, and web developer. An experienced writer, she is the author of the nonfiction books Voyager: Exploring the Outer Planets and Boldly Writing, as well as the novels Countdown to Action, Action Alert, Deadly Danger, Situation: Critical, Extreme Hazard, Danger Zone, Defying the Ghosts, and Sword of Queens, plus numerous short stories and articles. She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.

Reviews

[J. Else · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed with this book. It was a unique story about female oppression through religion and community. The plot was well-paced and kept my interest. The characters were unique enough to be easily distinguishable from one another. The fight of good against evil took both strength and intelligence with intriguing surprises along the way. I appreciated that not all men were mean or discriminatory to women, and that nothing was black and white. The author created depth in motivations and relationships. An engaging epic fantasy story. I'd happily read more stories set in this world.

[Carmen F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great page turner!

I enjoyed this story of how a girl challenged an in ground belief . It was an adventure to read, I really recommend-this book , I could hardly put it down! Enjoy!

[Jen Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just ok. I’ve read worse, but I definitely read better also. I’m not sure that it was anything necessarily bad, it just was not the type of story i typically enjoy. The plot idea was decent enough, but I was bored throughout and not as entertained as I could’ve been. Just not for me.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it, but wasn't always sure why. It felt like an amateur effort -- someone's NaNoWriMo novel that didn't get edited enough to draw it to its potential.

[Kara Prem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gill is a young woman living in a place where everyone is put into a sleep at night - and some people disappear during that night. Women are forbidden to carry swords, because it was women's fault that any problems ever happened to her kingdom. The sleep is brought on by Tashtalon, the god who has "protected" her community for over 500 years. He's also the one who steals people in the night - maybe to devour them, but who knows.

Well, we all know that there's something wrong with this set up. Gill has a friend who is positive that there is a way to over throw Tashtalon, but unfortunately, it appears that Tashtalon knows about this plot, and Gill's friend is ruthlessly killed. At that point, Gill discovers that her family holds a key (a real key) that will aid in the destruction of Tashtalon, and she sets off on a journey to overthrow the "god".

A solid cast of supporting characters, a story line that flows nicely. Worth the read.

[J.C. Harker · Rating 5 out of 5]

After recently reading quite a few mediocre books this was a real pleasure to read. The world was really interesting and there were some really novel ideas - the sleep of Tashtalon was the thing that got me hooked on the book.

The story involves torture and cruelty, but the way the book is written gives it a bit of a legend or fairy tale feel to it. Due to this the violence maybe didn't seem as real as it could have been. For the same reason at points the characters felt a bit flat (and a bit black & white), and I would have liked a few more surprising twists and turns, especially towards the end.

Despite that, the book was an exciting page turner and the setting was definitely the thing that kept my attention the most. One thing worth mentioning is that although this is mainly a fantasy story, a bit of sci-fi seemed to be creeping in here and there.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read. Interesting premise of a God who hates women and a society who is isolated and conditioned by their religion, The characters aren't fully developed and the world of the fantasy could use more detail but that being said, it was still an enjoyable read. I read this on the kindle and it was a good format that fit the read.

[Doreen Dalesandro]

Kindle freebie, 1/30/13

[JB · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story. love the main character. great imagination