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Blood of Gods and Royals #0.6
Queen of Ashes
Power, betrayal and desire… It's a dangerous gambit in Queen of Ashes, an ebook companion to the Blood of Gods and Royals series by New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman!
If you look away from her face, you will die.
This is the warning given to the suitors of Queen Laila of Sharuna, who must compete against one another to win the royal Egyptian's affections. One by one, men cower under her penetrating gaze, and one by one, they are executed.
That is, until Laila meets two brothers who do not cower before her: Brehan, noble and courageous…and Riel, intelligent and ambitious. As Laila is tempted by both of them and their differing approaches to magic, she decides that there is one thing she wants more than either brother's affection: power.
But when Brehan and Riel turn on each other, Laila must choose where her heart truly lies, before the brothers she loves reduce her kingdom to ash.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Legacy of Kings, Queen of Ashes shares the secret history of characters who play an unforgettable role in the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
If you look away from her face, you will die.
This is the warning given to the suitors of Queen Laila of Sharuna, who must compete against one another to win the royal Egyptian's affections. One by one, men cower under her penetrating gaze, and one by one, they are executed.
That is, until Laila meets two brothers who do not cower before her: Brehan, noble and courageous…and Riel, intelligent and ambitious. As Laila is tempted by both of them and their differing approaches to magic, she decides that there is one thing she wants more than either brother's affection: power.
But when Brehan and Riel turn on each other, Laila must choose where her heart truly lies, before the brothers she loves reduce her kingdom to ash.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Legacy of Kings, Queen of Ashes shares the secret history of characters who play an unforgettable role in the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
ebook
First published August 1, 2016
12 people are currently reading
984 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Herman
16 books1,024 followersNew York Times best-seller Eleanor Herman's new non-fiction book, The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul, is set to come out in June 2018. Think royal palaces were beautiful places to live? Think again!
Herman offers a rare combination of skills for a historian – her research is intensely scholarly, yet she writes the story in a colorful, witty manner. “History is so fascinating that it never has to be presented in a boring way,” she explains. “These were flesh and blood people, just like you and me, facing war and plague, falling in love, living among splendid art and gut-wrenching poverty. Sometimes people ask me if I plan to write novels. And I say, with all the things that really happened, who needs to make stuff up?”
Reviewers agree. The New York Times Book Review wrote that Eleanor writes “enlightening social history that is great fun to read.”
The Boston Globe wrote, “Herman’s writing sparkles off the pages.”
The Washington Post called Eleanor Herman “A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown.”
Eleanor, a New York Times bestseller, has also written Sex with Kings (a history of royal mistresses), Sex with the Queen (a look at queens' love affairs), Mistress of the Vatican (a biography of an influential papal mistress), and a four-part YA fantasy series on Alexander the Great, called The Blood of Gods and Royals.
Eleanor is a frequent commentator in the media about royal scandals, and has hosted episodes for The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and America: Fact vs. Fiction. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Eleanor graduated with a degree in journalism from Towson University, studied languages in Europe, and for thirteen years worked for NATO’S Nations & Partners for Peace magazine. She is married and lives in McLean, VA with four very demanding cats
.
Herman offers a rare combination of skills for a historian – her research is intensely scholarly, yet she writes the story in a colorful, witty manner. “History is so fascinating that it never has to be presented in a boring way,” she explains. “These were flesh and blood people, just like you and me, facing war and plague, falling in love, living among splendid art and gut-wrenching poverty. Sometimes people ask me if I plan to write novels. And I say, with all the things that really happened, who needs to make stuff up?”
Reviewers agree. The New York Times Book Review wrote that Eleanor writes “enlightening social history that is great fun to read.”
The Boston Globe wrote, “Herman’s writing sparkles off the pages.”
The Washington Post called Eleanor Herman “A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown.”
Eleanor, a New York Times bestseller, has also written Sex with Kings (a history of royal mistresses), Sex with the Queen (a look at queens' love affairs), Mistress of the Vatican (a biography of an influential papal mistress), and a four-part YA fantasy series on Alexander the Great, called The Blood of Gods and Royals.
Eleanor is a frequent commentator in the media about royal scandals, and has hosted episodes for The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and America: Fact vs. Fiction. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Eleanor graduated with a degree in journalism from Towson University, studied languages in Europe, and for thirteen years worked for NATO’S Nations & Partners for Peace magazine. She is married and lives in McLean, VA with four very demanding cats
.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 17, 2016
Good writing, great back-story.. No need for the lust at first sight attraction but I ignored that bit again.. I like the magic and how Eleanor weaves in mythology into the story. Good addition to the series that I can't wait to devour next.
July 21, 2018
3.25
Better than the last one. I felt that the plot was probably stronger, or maybe I was just more interested in the world/characters. The ending was cool and interesting at least.
Again, though, the writing style is so simplistic - especially the dialogue between the characters of villains and heroes. I just had to (metaphorically) roll my eyes at how everyone says what they mean and everyone takes everyone's word that they're saying what they mean. And allowing verbal arguments between romantic partners to physically destroy things in (metaphorical) explosions is just *eye roll.*
Still want to jump in to the rest of the series, though! And I am glad I read them. Still debating if I should reread the first two, to see what I now think about the writing style but I'm not sure.
Better than the last one. I felt that the plot was probably stronger, or maybe I was just more interested in the world/characters. The ending was cool and interesting at least.
Again, though, the writing style is so simplistic - especially the dialogue between the characters of villains and heroes. I just had to (metaphorically) roll my eyes at how everyone says what they mean and everyone takes everyone's word that they're saying what they mean. And allowing verbal arguments between romantic partners to physically destroy things in (metaphorical) explosions is just *eye roll.*
Still want to jump in to the rest of the series, though! And I am glad I read them. Still debating if I should reread the first two, to see what I now think about the writing style but I'm not sure.
December 15, 2016
Queen of Ashes was an alright book that kept me engaged but it had its flaws. The evolution of Laila is interesting and somewhat relatable. The whole aspect of Brehan and Riel is important in the series and the way it is introduced is good. The characters however have little depth and treat Laila like something to be won. While there are some bad relationships Laila's relationship with her maids Sarina and Sada is what grounds her and reminds her of what she has been through.
The rich imagery used in this book really made me feel like I was there with the Egyptian sun on my skin. Her time spent in a brothel where her mother was killed gives her a super deep backstory along with a strong sense of herself. The rivalry of Brehan and Riel gets boring but it is necessary for the next novels to make sense. Riel and Myrtale from the future books are very similar and Brehan has the personality of Katerina from the future books yet Riel is Katerina's father. Laila reminds me of Cynane because of her fierce warrior spirit.
The rich imagery used in this book really made me feel like I was there with the Egyptian sun on my skin. Her time spent in a brothel where her mother was killed gives her a super deep backstory along with a strong sense of herself. The rivalry of Brehan and Riel gets boring but it is necessary for the next novels to make sense. Riel and Myrtale from the future books are very similar and Brehan has the personality of Katerina from the future books yet Riel is Katerina's father. Laila reminds me of Cynane because of her fierce warrior spirit.
July 21, 2018
An incredibly fascinating read, not quite as enthralling as it’s predecessor Voice of Gods. We see a new perspective and explore a different civilization and religion in the ancient world, with some of the same constants from the previous novella. The writing definitely is more mature stylistically in this piece, as opposed to the previous, which creates a more vivid reading experience despite its less complex and semi-lackluster plot line.
April 4, 2023
same as the other one, way too long to read
December 4, 2018
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The main character is so dense and the love triangle is so YAWN. The end curse was pretty cool though. But I didn't like the characters enough to continue this series unfortunately.
December 31, 2016
I don't know how I feel about this.
but I did like the last chapter and epilogue. the curse.. that was pretty interesting.
but I did like the last chapter and epilogue. the curse.. that was pretty interesting.
August 23, 2016
For some reason, the title sounds so Sarah J. Maas to me because of 'Queen of Shadows'. Then I see book 2 with the title of 'Empire of Dust' which is to Sarah's 'Empire of Storms' haha lol! :)
Anyways, this book is good and I liked it. It's dark and gritty. I guess that's all I can say about it. I don't often read in-between stories because I often times feel that some are unnecessary but this was good.
Anyways, this book is good and I liked it. It's dark and gritty. I guess that's all I can say about it. I don't often read in-between stories because I often times feel that some are unnecessary but this was good.
August 5, 2016
I didn't really relish this story because it was quite gory, dark and depressing. It did, however, tell the tale mentioned, but not detailed, in Empire of Dust. So it was interesting to more completely understand the background that was alluded to in the main second novel of this series. It's pretty bizarre thiugh, but in keeping with Egyptian culture and lore.
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August 1, 2016Miniseries: Blood of Gods and Royals
April 1, 2017
Curious as to who wrote the synopsis because ahh yeah. Totally different. Anyway this was an okay novella. It's great to get a little background on Laila and what happened to her city. Not going to lie, my favorite part about reading this was Reil.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews