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The Queen of Darkness: An Epic Dragon Fantasy Saga
The moment Dusk steps foot in the free lands of Inahan, he is arrested and imprisoned. However, it seems the Queen has heard of his power and she wants a private audience with him.
When they dive into the dark depths below the castle to retrieve an artifact, Dusk wonders if he'll ever see the light of day again.
I could hardly believe we'd finally made it to Inahan. After pirates, monsters, and a surprise visit from Tiernan, the capital city was a wonderful sight to behold.
But even in this safe harbor there are secrets that can tear the three of us apart.
Queen Lobelia has us arrested and before I know it, I'm summoned to her throne to complete a task for her. One I can't refuse if I ever want to see my friends alive again.
There's something hidden below the castle... something the Queen doesn't want the world to see.
When they dive into the dark depths below the castle to retrieve an artifact, Dusk wonders if he'll ever see the light of day again.
I could hardly believe we'd finally made it to Inahan. After pirates, monsters, and a surprise visit from Tiernan, the capital city was a wonderful sight to behold.
But even in this safe harbor there are secrets that can tear the three of us apart.
Queen Lobelia has us arrested and before I know it, I'm summoned to her throne to complete a task for her. One I can't refuse if I ever want to see my friends alive again.
There's something hidden below the castle... something the Queen doesn't want the world to see.
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Published March 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 12, 2024
some inconsistencies but overall a entertaining and imaginative YA fantasy story
Rating: 4🌈
The Queen of Darkness is the penultimate story in Eoghan R. Cunningham’s epic YA epic fantasy adventure series about a young escaped slave, his two friends/companions on their journey through various kingdoms. It’s got evil villains, dragons, monsters, mythical beasts and legends for the heroes to follow.
The Queen of Darkness picks up right after the cliffhanger of Rise of the False King. It helps immensely that both books were already released so the reader could continue onto the next to pickup on the action.
Dusk is sometimes a very frustrating character here. Hes coming across as very inconsistent as far as the growth the author has given him from book to book, major trauma to trauma. Here he’s showing restraint and maturity in dealing with multiple situations and issues. Lex’s revelations and the impact it’s had on him, the separations, the immediate danger to himself and his friends, and any thoughts of power for himself. This is a person capable of intuitive thinking and trusting his instincts.
However, this more thoughtful “Dusk” is abandoned in favor of the first more untried “Dusk” that we encountered in the beginning of this journey. That Dusk has listened to the lessons he’s been taught, the wisdom that he has learned, doesn’t communicate to his friends , doesn’t think rationally, put together clues, and isn’t sure of what he wants. Even after telling someone he’s thought about the quest and knows he’s going through with it and his role.
This inconsistency is frustrating especially as there are so many wonderful people and moments here. The author has a terrific story and ability to build excitement for this adventure and a real emotional connection to these characters.
There’s one more book to go. That novel has a lot to accomplish because there’s still so much to learn about the characters as well as multiple storylines to explore and pull together.
One thing I keep forgetting to mention is the great maps of the world the author has created and includes for the reader to follow along with the characters as they travel. Fabulous.
While this series has some issues, it’s an entertaining, lively, and imaginative saga. It’s a YA fantasy adventure I’m happy to recommend. One more book to go.
The Crystalline Dragons Saga-5 books:
- [x] Curse of the Dragon's Eye #1
- [x] Mist, Shadow, and Deep #2
- [x] Rise of the False King #3
- [x] The Queen of Darkness #4
- [ ] Fall of the Crystal Moon #5-June 6,2024
Rating: 4🌈
The Queen of Darkness is the penultimate story in Eoghan R. Cunningham’s epic YA epic fantasy adventure series about a young escaped slave, his two friends/companions on their journey through various kingdoms. It’s got evil villains, dragons, monsters, mythical beasts and legends for the heroes to follow.
The Queen of Darkness picks up right after the cliffhanger of Rise of the False King. It helps immensely that both books were already released so the reader could continue onto the next to pickup on the action.
Dusk is sometimes a very frustrating character here. Hes coming across as very inconsistent as far as the growth the author has given him from book to book, major trauma to trauma. Here he’s showing restraint and maturity in dealing with multiple situations and issues. Lex’s revelations and the impact it’s had on him, the separations, the immediate danger to himself and his friends, and any thoughts of power for himself. This is a person capable of intuitive thinking and trusting his instincts.
However, this more thoughtful “Dusk” is abandoned in favor of the first more untried “Dusk” that we encountered in the beginning of this journey. That Dusk has listened to the lessons he’s been taught, the wisdom that he has learned, doesn’t communicate to his friends , doesn’t think rationally, put together clues, and isn’t sure of what he wants. Even after telling someone he’s thought about the quest and knows he’s going through with it and his role.
This inconsistency is frustrating especially as there are so many wonderful people and moments here. The author has a terrific story and ability to build excitement for this adventure and a real emotional connection to these characters.
There’s one more book to go. That novel has a lot to accomplish because there’s still so much to learn about the characters as well as multiple storylines to explore and pull together.
One thing I keep forgetting to mention is the great maps of the world the author has created and includes for the reader to follow along with the characters as they travel. Fabulous.
While this series has some issues, it’s an entertaining, lively, and imaginative saga. It’s a YA fantasy adventure I’m happy to recommend. One more book to go.
The Crystalline Dragons Saga-5 books:
- [x] Curse of the Dragon's Eye #1
- [x] Mist, Shadow, and Deep #2
- [x] Rise of the False King #3
- [x] The Queen of Darkness #4
- [ ] Fall of the Crystal Moon #5-June 6,2024
August 14, 2024
The Queen of Darkness (Crystalline Dragons Saga 4)
By Eoghan R. Cunningham
Published by UwU Publishing, 2024
Five stars
The jig is up—but it’s not over. At every turn on his quest for quiet and peace, Dusk has been drawn into situations of danger over and over again. This book begins in the moments after the cliffhanger revelation of book 3; Dusk’s beloved Lex turns out to be Alexander of Ronja IV—a prince of the realm who, technically, owns the enslaved Dusk. Having been warned away from Calendia by Tephyss, Dusk finds himself and his fellow travelers forced to head to the island kingdom and face whatever mess they’ve gotten themselves into.
I honestly thought this would be the grand finale of the Crystalline Dragon series, but I was wrong. In the adventures that fill this book, we see Dusk be clever and powerful (from a sort of fatalistic sense that he’s doomed anyway); and then we see him sink into despair over his unwanted destiny to somehow do something to save the world from the power-hungry Tiernan and his illicit magical powers. Despite learning who he really is—without learning how he came to be a slave in the salt mines of Ronja—Dusk is brokenhearted over what he sees as Lex’s betrayal and can’t work his way out of his funk.
This is, sort of, the final leg of their adventure, taking them to Anthurium Mountain, the great extinct volcano sitting in isolation in the ocean at the northern tip of the country. It is not, however, the end of the story. There are two major surprises partway through the voyage, and a nasty twist that I think the author meant for the reader to see—while the other characters do not see it until too late.
We are promised a dragon, and we get one—and not a dead one either. There are visions of wonder and horror in this book, in which human baseness contrasts with heroism and kindness. Here, as with everything else in this book, nothing goes quite as planned, because Dusk is a lot more than he seems, which is certainly more than he wants to deal with. I can think of all sorts of literary figures, from Frodo and Harry Potter to Jesus, who are faced with destinies they’d rather not embrace, only to rise to the occasion and save the world.
Will Dusk be one of them? We are left uncertain—or perhaps we are left with a cliffhanger that takes away Dusk’s choice, once again. Even though I was irritated at yet another cliffhanger, I have already bought book 5, because I really have to know what happens. Dusk and Lex and Tara are not done yet, and I want to be there with them until the end.
By Eoghan R. Cunningham
Published by UwU Publishing, 2024
Five stars
The jig is up—but it’s not over. At every turn on his quest for quiet and peace, Dusk has been drawn into situations of danger over and over again. This book begins in the moments after the cliffhanger revelation of book 3; Dusk’s beloved Lex turns out to be Alexander of Ronja IV—a prince of the realm who, technically, owns the enslaved Dusk. Having been warned away from Calendia by Tephyss, Dusk finds himself and his fellow travelers forced to head to the island kingdom and face whatever mess they’ve gotten themselves into.
I honestly thought this would be the grand finale of the Crystalline Dragon series, but I was wrong. In the adventures that fill this book, we see Dusk be clever and powerful (from a sort of fatalistic sense that he’s doomed anyway); and then we see him sink into despair over his unwanted destiny to somehow do something to save the world from the power-hungry Tiernan and his illicit magical powers. Despite learning who he really is—without learning how he came to be a slave in the salt mines of Ronja—Dusk is brokenhearted over what he sees as Lex’s betrayal and can’t work his way out of his funk.
This is, sort of, the final leg of their adventure, taking them to Anthurium Mountain, the great extinct volcano sitting in isolation in the ocean at the northern tip of the country. It is not, however, the end of the story. There are two major surprises partway through the voyage, and a nasty twist that I think the author meant for the reader to see—while the other characters do not see it until too late.
We are promised a dragon, and we get one—and not a dead one either. There are visions of wonder and horror in this book, in which human baseness contrasts with heroism and kindness. Here, as with everything else in this book, nothing goes quite as planned, because Dusk is a lot more than he seems, which is certainly more than he wants to deal with. I can think of all sorts of literary figures, from Frodo and Harry Potter to Jesus, who are faced with destinies they’d rather not embrace, only to rise to the occasion and save the world.
Will Dusk be one of them? We are left uncertain—or perhaps we are left with a cliffhanger that takes away Dusk’s choice, once again. Even though I was irritated at yet another cliffhanger, I have already bought book 5, because I really have to know what happens. Dusk and Lex and Tara are not done yet, and I want to be there with them until the end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews