What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bone Flower Trilogy #2
The Bone Flower Queen
Having defeated the sorcerer god Smoking Mirror and reclaimed her throne, Quetzalpetlatl and her brother Topiltzin set out to found Quetzalcoatl’s new holy city and end human sacrifice throughout the Toltec world.
But Smoking Mirror hasn’t abandoned his own ambitions for power; with his allies–mortal and divine–threatening war among the gods, he’s shifted his focus to Quetzalpetlatl and her budding magical powers. Along with her deep, personal connection to his hated enemy Quetzalcoatl, she would be the perfect addition to his ranks, if only he could convince her that she’s working for the wrong side in this conflict.
And he knows the one secret that will tear apart everything she thinks she knows about her beloved god…and herself.
But Smoking Mirror hasn’t abandoned his own ambitions for power; with his allies–mortal and divine–threatening war among the gods, he’s shifted his focus to Quetzalpetlatl and her budding magical powers. Along with her deep, personal connection to his hated enemy Quetzalcoatl, she would be the perfect addition to his ranks, if only he could convince her that she’s working for the wrong side in this conflict.
And he knows the one secret that will tear apart everything she thinks she knows about her beloved god…and herself.
354 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2014
2 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Morganfield
16 books30 followersT. L. Morganfield lives in Colorado with her husband and children. She's an alumna of the Clarion West Workshop and she graduated from Metropolitan State University with dual degrees in English and History. She reads and writes way too much about Aztec history and mythology, but it keeps her muse happy, which makes for a happy writer, so she has no plans of changing her ways.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 4, 2015
Book provided by the author for review.
trigger warnings: incest, self-harm, human sacrifice, violence
The first book of this series was hard to read - not because it wasn't good, quite on the contrary! - but because it dealt with issues that are culturally taboo to me, namely incest. It makes for an uncomfortable love story when it's between two siblings...
The thing is, it was one of those books that stay with you. I thought of it on and off between its release and this one's release. So you can say I managed to set my discomfort aside.
That being said, I was much more open to enjoy this book.
Quetzalpetlatl and Topiltzin finally build their holy city and rule side by side as husband and wife.
Things aren't all HEA, even when Quetzalpetlatl is impregnated by the god Quetzalcoatl, and Topiltzin and her raise the boy as their own, the heir to the throne they worked so hard to attain.
There are promises made to gods, promises that get in the way, battles with demons, dissent in the city...
And Quetzalpetlatl growing fear that she's losing herself, turning into something... else.
I must admit, I spent a lot of this book feeling frustrated. Quetzalpetlatl's actions seemed nonsensical, they put a lot of hurdles on what could have been a smoother path.
If you read this book and you find yourself struggling with the same issue I beg you KEEP READING! The plot twist near the end makes ever inconsistency clear and reveals a heretofore hidden depth, in what was already a pretty deep book.
I'm always astounded at the research that goes into the books of this series. There is real love for the craft here. Real care and respect for the culture being represented.
And I always learn so much reading this series!
I hate how I only learned about European mythology in school and university. There is such a wealth of rich cultures to be studied and appreciated...
I simply cannot wait for the next (and final, ugh!) book in The Bone Flower trilogy!
April 1, 2017
Quetzalpetlatl and her brother Topiltzin are now King and Queen of Tollan, a city they have founded on which they could build their dreams and end human sacrifice. However, they soon find that the peace and prosperity they have hoped for is over. Smoking Mirror is back and wants to start a war with Quetzalcoatl. He turns his eye on Quetzalpetlatl and tries to convince her that Quetzalcoatl is not the just god he claims to be. Caught in the midst of a war between the gods, Quetzalpetlatl soon learns a secret that may tear her devotion to Quetzalcoatl apart.
Quetzalpetlatl has grown more mature in The Bone Flower Queen than The Bone Flower Throne. She becomes a strong capable queen ruling alongside her brother. She has ambitions and goals where she hopes to have a better future and a happy ending. She is also a loving mother. However, she still has insecurities about herself. Due to her power, she wonders if she is hurting those she loves. Quetzalpetlatl makes decisions, some of which are careless, in order to remain true to herself and to save those she loves. Quetzalpetlatl, at times, can be impulsive and there were some actions she made that I didn’t approve of. Despite her flaws, Quetzalpetlatl is a loveable character that readers will root for and hopes that she will find her happiness.
Overall, this book is about a woman trying to find her self-identity. The characters are fleshed out, and it was great to revisit tenth century Mexico again. The author does a great job in making her world come alive. The only thing I did not really like was the ending. However, I liked the story well enough to read the conclusion to the trilogy, The Bone Flower Goddess. The story itself was very reminiscent of King Arthur and his Camelot. The Bone Flower Throne has the makings of an Arthurian tragedy that will appeal to King Arthur fans. I recommend this book to fans of The Mists of Avalon, The Hollow Hills, and Avelynn.
(Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Quetzalpetlatl has grown more mature in The Bone Flower Queen than The Bone Flower Throne. She becomes a strong capable queen ruling alongside her brother. She has ambitions and goals where she hopes to have a better future and a happy ending. She is also a loving mother. However, she still has insecurities about herself. Due to her power, she wonders if she is hurting those she loves. Quetzalpetlatl makes decisions, some of which are careless, in order to remain true to herself and to save those she loves. Quetzalpetlatl, at times, can be impulsive and there were some actions she made that I didn’t approve of. Despite her flaws, Quetzalpetlatl is a loveable character that readers will root for and hopes that she will find her happiness.
Overall, this book is about a woman trying to find her self-identity. The characters are fleshed out, and it was great to revisit tenth century Mexico again. The author does a great job in making her world come alive. The only thing I did not really like was the ending. However, I liked the story well enough to read the conclusion to the trilogy, The Bone Flower Goddess. The story itself was very reminiscent of King Arthur and his Camelot. The Bone Flower Throne has the makings of an Arthurian tragedy that will appeal to King Arthur fans. I recommend this book to fans of The Mists of Avalon, The Hollow Hills, and Avelynn.
(Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
January 11, 2015
I got this free through Goodreads Giveaways. I should note that I didn't read the previous book, but I never felt lost while reading this one. I found this book to be excellent. It's based on stories of Mexico from the days before even the Mayans, which is a period I've read nothing about, but which I found very interesting here, presented very well. The writing style was very good, making the protagonist a very compelling character. Easy to relate to, because despite her intelligence, she's still flawed, still capable of making mistakes, of letting her biases blind her. The events of the story are interesting, with some really good twists throughout.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy, and especially people who enjoy seeing diversity in fiction.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy, and especially people who enjoy seeing diversity in fiction.
July 23, 2015
Wow. Like the first book, there really is not a dull moment in here. A lot happened, and like in the first book, so much changed from beginning to end. I felt that there was a great deal more character development in this one, which I had hoped for. I felt like I got to know Citlallotoc and Topiltzin very well, and I found the the villains incredibly interesting as well.
Occasionally I found Quetzalpetlatl a little bit frustrating. She distrusted characters I felt were being sincere, and she was often hostile where I would have thought something else would've been appropriate. This is not a criticism, however. The main character is somewhat flawed, but she is human, and she is strong, and she learns and changes a great deal over the course of the book.
I admit I hoped to see more between the main character and Quetzalcoatl, because I felt like there were so many unanswered questions, and really, the ending of this book leaves me with more. I guess I'll just have to be patient with that. He fascinates me and I really want to see more of him.
The story turned very dark, much more than the first book, in my opinion. It can be draining, but then the excitement at the end turned that around. There were a few plot points I guessed at, but the ending itself was a complete surprise to me. I was blown away and completely lost myself in it, finding myself very dismayed to reach the end, because I still feel attached.
I will enthusiastically recommend these books to my friends.
Occasionally I found Quetzalpetlatl a little bit frustrating. She distrusted characters I felt were being sincere, and she was often hostile where I would have thought something else would've been appropriate. This is not a criticism, however. The main character is somewhat flawed, but she is human, and she is strong, and she learns and changes a great deal over the course of the book.
I admit I hoped to see more between the main character and Quetzalcoatl, because I felt like there were so many unanswered questions, and really, the ending of this book leaves me with more. I guess I'll just have to be patient with that. He fascinates me and I really want to see more of him.
The story turned very dark, much more than the first book, in my opinion. It can be draining, but then the excitement at the end turned that around. There were a few plot points I guessed at, but the ending itself was a complete surprise to me. I was blown away and completely lost myself in it, finding myself very dismayed to reach the end, because I still feel attached.
I will enthusiastically recommend these books to my friends.
January 2, 2015
The Bone Flower Queen is an amazing follow-up to The Bone Flower Throne! As with the first book, when I had to put it down I was sad. Unfortunately, I was out of the country and not near internet, so my review has taken a while to get here. T.L. MorganfieldThe characters were well fleshed out in the first book and become even greater in this one. The tension between the hero & heroine is amazing and you cheer for them through the entire book despite their odd circumstances. Morganfield's mastery at setting draws you into the story so much so that you forget you're sitting in the present reading. You feel like you are walking among the Aztec culture. Although, I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, I look forward to the next book and won't have an issue spending money to get it. Morganfield is definitely an up and coming fantasy author.
December 21, 2014
Quetzalpetlatl and her brother Little Reed have defeated the sorcerer Smoking Mirror, and can now re-establish the worship of the Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl. But things aren't that simple--Smoking Mirror was not killed, merely temporarily set back, and he's now shifted his attacks to Quetzalpetlatl. Meanwhile, Little Reed and Quetzalcoatl both act elusive, keeping secrets from Quetzalpetlatl--secrets that kill...
This is a lovely continuation of the first volume--I really like the focus on Toltec society and the wealth of details, as well as the focus on women's experiences (there's a lovely and heartbreaking depiction of motherhood). The final revelation (and I'm not going to spoil) is a game-changer.
DISCLAIMER: I read this in draft and in ARC form, and Traci's a friend.
This is a lovely continuation of the first volume--I really like the focus on Toltec society and the wealth of details, as well as the focus on women's experiences (there's a lovely and heartbreaking depiction of motherhood). The final revelation (and I'm not going to spoil) is a game-changer.
DISCLAIMER: I read this in draft and in ARC form, and Traci's a friend.
May 3, 2015
I read this book for NetGalley.
Ms. Morganfield simultaneously entertains and educates the reader with this novel. I thoroughly reading her book and learned a lot about the Toltec civilization and religion.
Excellent characters (no one is perfect here, even the gods!), plotting and world setting. A wonderful introduction to Meso American history and culture. Ms. Morganfield has put her heart into this book and it shows. Great job, and I look forward to reading the concluding book in the trilogy.
Ms. Morganfield simultaneously entertains and educates the reader with this novel. I thoroughly reading her book and learned a lot about the Toltec civilization and religion.
Excellent characters (no one is perfect here, even the gods!), plotting and world setting. A wonderful introduction to Meso American history and culture. Ms. Morganfield has put her heart into this book and it shows. Great job, and I look forward to reading the concluding book in the trilogy.
January 10, 2015
One of the few sequels that really surpasses the first book. What a great story, riveting from beginning to end. I am now hoping there is a third book in the works!
April 5, 2025
I am obsessed with this series. This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've read these books since discovering them. They're my comfort reads, and I never tire of them. So unique and fun!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews