Queen Heir

NYC Mecca #1

by Jaymin Eve, Leia Stone

A gripping new fantasy series by USA today bestselling authors Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone.

Arianna is a queen heir and at 20 years old she's now eligible for the crown of wolf shifters. Heirs are trained and groomed so that they're ready, should the queen perish during their time of eligibility.

Of course, there's little chance of that happening. The Red Queen has stood for a century, and her power is beyond reckoning.

Or so Arianna believes, right up until the final tolling of the bells. The queen has fallen. Four heirs will now fight it out for the crown.

Let the summit begin.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Fae

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can't believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job. 

For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.

Reading order:

Secret Keepers series (Paranormal Romance) House of Darken. House of Imperial. House of Leights. House of Royale.

Storm Princess Saga (PNR/Fantasy)
The Princess Must Die. The Princess Must Strike. The Princess Must Reign.

Curse of the Gods (Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance series) UpperYA/NA
Trickery. Persuasion. Seduction. Strength. Neutral. Pain.

Supernatural Prison (UF/PNR romance -shifter, vampire, fae, magic user) Upper YA/NA
Dragon Marked. Dragon Mystics. Dragon Mated. Broken Compass. Magical Compass.

NYC Mecca Series (UF/PNR Romance - shifters) Upper YA
Queen Heir. Queen Alpha. Queen Fae. Queen Mecca.

Hive Trilogy (UF/PNR Romance - vampires) Upper YA
Ash. Anarchy. Annihilate.

Walker Saga (Fantasy/adventure/romance - gods, mermaids, dragons) YA
First World. Spurn. Crais. Regali. Nephilius. Dronish. Earth.

Stay updated:

http://www.jaymineve.com

https://www.facebook.com/JayminEve.Au...

Reviews

[Chamonix · Rating 2 out of 5]

*spoilers below* Did I read the right book?


This was awfulllllllll. Oh my god how on earth did this get 4.5 stars?
The writing is terrible and badly paced, everything was WAYYYY too fast. She becomes queen in like 4 chapters. That's no fair. Becoming queen should've taken an entire book. And you know why it was so fast paced? Because Arianna is a fucking Mary Sue.

I don't usually throw MS around. In fact I never do but holy shit could the authors make her any more over powered? The Queen Summit was a joke because obviously Arianna is the most special, most powerful Queen Heir evererer. First she lives in a palace with all the luxuries of life ruling over the Bronx. Mind we never hear about how she rules as alpha because, nope she's a super heir and automatically gets appointed a pack with happy adorable sidekicks and has been ruling since she was 16 of course. You know how many 16 year olds get appointed into leadership positions? Fucking 0. Because they arn't people yet, they're raging balls of hormones that are more interested in boys and shopping and fashion and their bleeding hearts. Everyone is described as supermodels of course but none of the side characters ever get developed, they're all just Ari's minions. Off she tromps to become queen because the old one kicked the bucket. The trials she goes through are laughably easy for her, she's the best in all the boroughs at mecca chest don't you know. And of course in the second test where she has to touch a mystical marvellous crystal, her rival passes, but Arianna? She lights up like a fucking Christmas tree letting us know that she is the Chosen One. Gifted at formulating war strategies even though she lets everyone else do the planning.
OH what's this a handsome SEVEN FOOT TALL bear-man promptly shows ups and saves her, all the while, kissing her twice (once against her will? Who the fuck kisses strangers willy-nilly? Oh wait they kissed 5 years ago on a summer holiday when they were 15).

OH AM I NOT MAKING SENSE? Because the story is literally written as choppily as my review. Jumping from one fucking plot point to the next. Wolf-Queen-Heir - Extinct faeries - Murder mystery - Fuzzy-man-bear-love-interest. I'VE GOT WHIPLASH, WHERES MY NECKBRACE?

Just.... It's exhausting. Every chapter Arianna suddenly gains a new gift or talent that makes her better than everyone else. It's not realistic, in fact this book is purely hedonistic indulgence for the authors whom, I'm sure, sucked each other off as they wrote this thing.

I'm still reading it tho because everyone needs a little hedonism to jack off to.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I thought it was better*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
This review is purely for me and does contain spoilers and lots of facts from the book to keep myself in the know at all time. It's also incredibly long and really detailed.

Re-read: 06.05.2018
I decided to re-read this book only because I need to remember what happened so that I can continue with the series. I read this book in 2016, so it's safe to say that I didn't remember all the details. The book centers around Arianna ‘Ari’ is a queen (red) heir and at 20 years old she's now eligible for the crown of wolf shifters. Always used to being the Bronx alpha and heir to the queen that has afforded her all the power and luxuries she could ever need, Arianna had no real desire to go after the throne and be thrust into the political arena, not to mention carry the burden of ruling tens of thousands of their kind. However, she got no choice, as the heir, she has to fight for the throne, or someone can come and take the power from the wolf shifters. There's also mysterious attacks and a certain bear king that she can't get out of her mind. Overall, it wasn't as good as I remember it, though I hope I like my re-read of the second book better and that the ones I haven't read yet, is even better. Fingers crossed.
New Rating: 3 stars
I like the new covers though:

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Facts from the book:
I've put these in a spoilers tag simply because it's a long as list.
― The crossed swords and star-shaped insignia denoting Arianna as an heir to the throne of the red house – the same house of the fallen queen.
― Heir Arianna: white-blond of my hair, alabaster skin, inherited from her Danish and Norwegian mother. She never knew her father, but was told his heritage was Polynesian islander. Which explained her dark lashes and brows, and what some have called disconcerting turquoise eyes. As an heir Arianna was stronger and faster than even her most powerful dominants, and her nose was better than anyone’s, second only to their late queen and Finn.
― King Kade: one of the hugest males Arianna had ever seen, topping out close to seven feet. He had heavily corded muscles and darkly tanned skin. With his wild dark hair and neatly trimmed but still sort of scruffy beard, he was every girl’s woodcutter fantasy come to life. And his eyes were like molten copper. He has a special affinity with the mecca; a born connection to it. It’s rare in their world, almost unheard of.
― New York City, and the five boroughs inside of it, was a magical hotspot of power. Early shifter leaders had learned that whomever was strong enough to rule was strong enough to join with the mecca. They could then share this energy with their entire race and strengthen the shifters’ naturally occurring gifts of speed, healing, and strength. Arianna's people ruled Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. The bear shifters ruled Staten Island and Brooklyn. Being at the seat of power in one of the five boroughs trickled out into the entire race around the world, and since they ruled three of the five they were the strongest. Although, even with two seats, the bears were a close second on the power grid. Over the years the bears had been their allies and their enemies. Depending on their king at the time.
― Without the bonds of a queen, the wolf shifters were vulnerable for the first time in a hundred years. The bears would be ready to claim another borough for themselves and tip the power scales in their favor. The only hope of stopping them was for one of the four females, all alpha heirs, to win the Summit, take the crown, and become the next queen.
― Familiar: a familiar had no need for sleep; they was a magical creature that none of their history books could explain. When a young shifter is born, their heir status and royal lineage is confirmed by the presence of a familiar. If they have the power to take the throne, a few days or weeks after that infant’s birth, an animal appears. For Arianna it was Finn, the white menacing wolf who stood over four and a half feet tall and resembled a small horse in stature. In her age group, the other three heirs had a snowy white owl, a huge, thick and insidious snake, and a hawk.
― Royal heir familiars stay in service until death. Arianna has teeth mark scar on her right wrist where Finn had bit her on her fifth birthday, the day they were bound. Ever since then they could share words and thoughts into each other’s minds.
― Arianna's home was in the penthouse of an eight-story high-rise with over 160 units that housed her most dominant wolves and their families. Although it was built in the early 1900s, it was completely modernized. It was one of the first things she’d insisted on when she inherited it at her rightful age of sixteen.
― Heirs were only eligible for the crown between the ages of sixteen and thirty. If you were over thirty and the queen fell, you were exempt from the Summit and you would never rule. This order was put in place hundreds of years ago by the council as it was thought to be the prime age for breeding and best age of cognitive function. After thirty, the wolf-shifter miscarriage rate tripled. Arianna personally felt like it was just the council’s way of controlling the heirs, to get them young and manipulate them to their way of thinking.
― The heirs who went into the Summit ended up as queen, dead, or a failed heir. Whomever became queen would have the most powerful energy at her disposal, and Arianna wasn’t sure she trusted any of the other heirs to wield it. The Summit; the first few rounds tested intelligence and power, but the final round was a fight to the death.
― Arianna was the Red Queen’s niece. She was her mom’s sister, although she never thought of her as family. It was against the rules; the queen had no room for weakness or public affections.
― The vortex, the teleportation grid in the heart of the mecca.
― The royal estate; a fifty-story, sprawling mansion skyscraper, housing hundreds if not thousands of guards, staff, and advisors. The royal home was built above one of the largest reservoirs of mecca magic.
― A long, long time ago, when witches still existed, some of them inter-mated with our wolves and the result was the magic-born wolves. Over time, the witches began to die off, and their knowledge was lost. All that was left were these highly coveted and guarded magical spell books. It was a prize far more valuable than gold.
― Each heir had the ability to harness the magic of the mecca and funnel it out into the shifters around the world. That ability was in their blood, in their house lines, and was the reason they had familiars. There had been some “heirs” born into the right line and house but who never received a familiar. They were automatically rejected as possible heirs. Their connection to the mecca was too weak.
― The fae; The Tuatha de Danann have returned from the Otherworld. They vanished. No one eradicated them. Legend says they went to their world, which lies somewhere in a realm parallel to ours. Now it seems they may be trying to come back. (“Our legends say the Tuatha de Danann used to rule this land. They were revered as gods. They built the mecca here in New York City as a means to control the power, but then, for some reason, moved on to another world, the Otherworld.”)
― An ercho, a dark fae creature.
― The late Red Queen also known as Rosalina Devlin when she was an heir.

“I will avenge thee,” I said, my voice thrumming with conviction.

The tasks in the Summit:
I've put these in a spoilers tag simply because it's a long as list.
― • The first task; war strategy. This is a game of cunning and intellect. Brute strength will serve no course here. This test has two parts. Part one is worth fifty points to the winner. Part two is worth twenty. These first few rounds are very important in building points. Whichever two heirs have the highest points before the final round will be the ones in the final battle. The winners of each round will also be awarded with gold, and special spell books for their pack’s magic born. Arianna earned the top fifty points, Selene was in second place and will receive twenty points, Breanna receives no points.
― • The second task; magical strength. The test was arguably the most important of the Summit. It involved a test of their magical strength. Both Arianna and Selene passed. Breanne failed; she wasn't strong enough to touch a mecca crystal. Is now a failed heir.
― • The third task; scavenger hunt through the Island. It would require the heirs to leave the boroughs and head to the Island, alone, no guards or help from outside sources. The Island, a stretch of land below Brooklyn and Queens, was technically a neutral zone. This was where they held most peace Summits, with one side of the land containing a residence for the wolf queen and the other side a mansion for the bear king. There were often bears there. There is a single item that has been hidden away (Enter the bear king’s mansion on the island and retrieve the miniature mecca crystal stashed there, usually near one of his advisors. Use cunning. Use stealth. If you are captured, your life is forfeit to the bears.). The first to retrieve it wins. The heirs have twenty-four hours to complete this task. Selene won as Arianna got distracted by a certain bear... Meaning Selene was awarded the points, gold, and spell book.
― • Then the final battle: a fight until death. The higher your points, the more benefits in the final battle. Weapons. Magic. And all the rest. It would take place in the queen’s basement gymnasium, and that Selene would be awarded two weapons because she was five points ahead of Arianna. The Island challenge had given her the slightest lead. Arianna would only be permitted one weapon, which was to be Larak’s anti-venom. Familiars were required to fight. Arianna wins and becomes Queen, Selene becomes a spare heir.

“Are those mac and cheese balls wrapped in bacon?”
Calista smiled. “Yes, the queen’s chef is quite exquisite. Promised that we could anything the heirs’ hearts desired. I told him you ate like a five-year-old and so he came up with this.”

Other characters:
I've put these in a spoilers tag simply because it's a long as list.
↦ Calista ‘Cal’, Arianna's advisor. An heir’s advisor lived for the moment when the heir becoms queen, to coach an heir through the Summit. They trained their entire life for it. Calista was the best in the five boroughs. Over a century old, though she looked barely twenty-five, she had advised many past heirs, and out of the four heirs of this age she had chosen Arianna. She came from a long line of royal advisors.
↦ Finn, Arianna's white wolf familiar. Never had Arianna seen or read about a bigger, more imposing familiar. Even the Red Queen’s white lynx, Ragnar, was smaller than her wolf.
↦ Nix, Kade's eagle familiar. Very rare familiar and size to rival Finn.
↦ Winnie, Arianna's little sister was only five, and since the death of their mother she’d taken over the role of her protector. And her red fox familiar, Rhett.
↦ Violet ‘Vi’, Arianna's best friend and the Bronx pack’s rare and only magic born. There were only four magic-born wolf shifters in all the world.
↦ Nikoli, The bear’s magic born.
↦ Arianna's dominants: six of them; two females and four males.
― • Blaine; The husky alpha wolf with deep auburn hair was one of Arianna's oldest friends and the commander of her dominants.
― • Monica, the most dominant of Arianna's female guards
― • Jen, best friends to Monica and can always keep a level head in any situation, and that’s how she’d made it into her inner circle of guards.
― • Derek, one of Arianna's best hand-to-hand fighters, as dominant as they came. She and Derek had a summer fling two years ago and She broke it off because she just didn’t feel the spark that she thought you should with a mate or life partner. Things are now awkward. Dies at the end of the book.
― • Ben, Arianna's smart one.
― • Victor, . With Victor, Ben and Derek had each been adopted into a shifter family in the Bronx, and grew up as brothers
↦ The other heirs:
― • Breanna, the yellow heir (he ancient Yellow Wood pack), and her large brown and black hawk familiar. She was co-alpha of Queens.
― • Selene, the purple heir (the Purple Hearts pack), and her large, venomous snake familiar, Larak. She was alpha of the Manhattan borough.
― • Devina, the green heir, and her snowy white owl familiar, Kanu. She was co-alpha of Queens. Dead before the Summit started.
↦ Sabina, the Manhattan pack’s magic born, powerful and ancient. But she was still no match for Violet. No one was.
↦ Gerald, the bear king’s war councilman.
↦ Jesabele, and Seamus, the other two magic-born shifters.
↦ The late Red Queen also known as Rosalina Devlin when she was an heir
↦ Jimmy, the wolf pack’s lead investigator and tracker. He was also a detective with the New York Police Department.
↦ Some of the council members (eleven members):
― • Torine, one of the oldest still walking this earth and his council was respected above all others. That being said, he was approaching his three-hundredth year, and at around that age a wolf began to go rabid, losing all humanity, all reason. The alpha of that wolf then had the duty to carry out the Act of Honor, ending the life of their ailing charge.
― • Jeran.
― • Greggor, a old wolf from the Purple Hearts pack.
― • Lucille of the yellow clan.
― • Glenda, the second oldest of the queen’s council.

One didn’t anticipate death, they fought against it with every step they had.

First read review:
Leia Stone and Jaymin Eve did it again! Arianna was a awesome character to follow, and the suspense in finding out whole the love interested will be exciting! I really like the concept of this world, and the story was greatly written. I'm excited to see where this is going... Stone and Eve really do have a great working relationship going on, and I hope they never stop. Now I need next book. Like now. Btw, is this YA or NA?

“I figured if a woman could kiss me like that and then slap me in the same moment, she was worth saving.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (NA) Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Cliffhanger in sorts.
Favorite character? - King Kade.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Of course.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably.
Rating - 4 stars.

[Hannah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating.

[Bec · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, I’m not going to finish this… Our MC is a really special snowflake that is just absolutely perfect at everything, no matter what it is. She is so much better than everyone else and that is why she feels justified slut shaming all the other women… She has alabaster skin and platinum blonde hair but you know her daddy might have been Polynesian so that is why she has dark eyebrows. I’m really glad we have racial diversity to give us token dark brows and lashes…. Oh is my sarcasm dripping?

The writing was really disjointed and rushed on top of the cliché fest the story is. I have noticed that the only Jaymin Eve books I really don’t like are the ones she has co-written with Leia Stone, so I do wonder how much of this is really Jaymin’s writing and if it is mostly Leia Stone, because it’s a hot mess.

This book is NA, not YA, the characters are in their 20’s and the content is in that age range.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, and can't wait for the next one!

[Kelly Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen Heir by Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone

The Story:
When the Queen of the Shifters dies, a summit is called to choose a new leader from the five queen heirs. Arianna must compete against four other contenders while also attempting to solve the mystery surrounding the queen’s murder…Whatever killed the first queen will be back for more. Unfortunately, that is not the only threat her people face. One wrong move could see the shaking foundations of the shifter queendom collapse and taken over by the bears. Turns out Arianna might need help, from a very unlikely source, and a person whom – it turns out – she shares an old, unforgotten history.

The Characters:
Arianna is intelligent, caring and can kick ass with the best of them. Her sense of duty is constantly tested by unsanctioned desires (and her love of poker). I loved that her sense of duty always won and that she challenged out-dated traditions. Arianna is a character you will remember, and is quite possibly my top character of 2016!

Him: …*fans face* Enough said.

The World:
Holy vampire sparkles, my favourite part. Though I always love the worlds created by Jaymin Even and Leia Stone (both together and separately), in this novel they have really taken pains to add depth and complexity. They even made up a game! ...That I would really like to play. It sounds like Settlers of Catan – paranormal styles. The customs within each sect are well thought out; The etiquette, the map, the powers and transformations – all so well crafted.

The Readability:
Could not put it down. These two know the ropes.
Professionally edited. Suitable for 15 years and over.

Final Verdict:
Fans of this duo who thought nothing could beat Hive are going to be in bookworm heaven with this read. And if you are new to Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone, this is a great book to start with. Eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Favorite Quote:
“Are those mac and cheese balls wrapped in bacon?”
Calista smiled. “Yes, the queen’s chef is quite exquisite. Promised that we could anything the heirs’ hearts desired. I told him you ate like a five-year-old and so he came up with this.”

[majo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was entertaining, but not entertaining enough for me to continue on with the series.

At this point in my life, I want to read books that excite me and make me feel the feels, and I think this series is not going to give me that.

Still, it was fast-paced, and the world was an unique one. The relationship between Arianna and Kade felt too rushed for me, and even more for the fact that they don't meet until the last 40% of the book. But I think that that romance has great potential, it's just that I want to read other things and this book was just okay.

[Rhea_Sways · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

It starts out with a plot heavy and a fast paced story that is holding us as readers. BUT...

Right off as readers you can tell not enough sensory details is given for us to grasp this world. I understand that many writers put in insane amount of unnecessary detail and add the whole thesaurus while doing it. Still, this book almost led us blindly to imagine their world.

You could also see some grammatical errors and writing did not feel connected throughout the book. At certain point in the story we would suddenly become disjointed from the plot or the characters. It felt as if not much deep thought had been put into creating it. Everything was just a co-incidence which worked till a certain point..

Lastly, we have a typical h who is all about slut-shaming..
I would have let it go if it did not happen again and again but really what is up her ass?

So what that some girl is doing a "walk of shame" in NYC?
You notice that but not other things in the big vibrant city?

SO what if other women choose to practice promiscuity?
Clearly you do not prefer that method doesn't mean others can't..

I tend to refrain for bashing the character for their sex practices but when characters continue to bash others and portray "I-am-better-than-thou" attitude it just grates me the wrong way..



Just saying it like it is..

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ari is one of four heirs who could potentially take over should something happen to the Red Queen of the wolf shifters. Wolf shifters can live for hundreds of years, as the queen, she is the most powerful shifter, the one who controls the mecca protecting all her people. When suddenly the queen is found murdered it’s time for the heirs to battle it out in the summit proving they have what it takes to be queen. However, aside from proving she has what it takes to become Queen Ari needs to find out who killed the Red Queen as well as who attacked the heirs. It’s while the summit is going on that they learn the bear shifters also sustained similar attacks, but the bears have an idea who attacked them.

After a series of tasks, Ari comes out the winner becoming the next queen who will control the mecca and save her people. At her coronation the bear King proves that instead of being an enemy, he will a powerful ally, doesn’t hurt that Ari finds him as attractive as he does her. Together with the help of her new ally the two powerful shifters set out working together to figure out what is looming in the shadows. Will working with the bear King unite the two once-warring shifters? Will Ari and Kade be able to deny the connection they feel for each other? What is really looming in the swirling water?

I adore Ari she’s a strong leader willing to lead instead of being in the back of the battle so when the time comes for her to fight she does just that and protects those she loves. I like Kade a lot for her a potential relationship goes against everything she’s been taught but maybe now as Queen, she can make some changes. Ari has a close-knit group of friends from her advisor, her magic bound, as well as her familiar and loyal guards. I’ve got high hopes for Ari and Kade as the series progress’s I’m rooting for them.

I’ve had my eye on this one since I first caught a glimpse of the cover I knew I had to read it. I’m a huge fan of shifter novels so I knew Queen’s Heir was a must that I had to read right away and it doesn’t disappoint if anything it exceeds my expectations. While the concept is very urban fantasy with shifters that’s where the similarities end a unique take on my favorite concept. The authors did a beautiful job weaving a captivating story from start to finish that I could really sink my teeth into. The characters are perfectly balanced easy to connect with and you can’t help cheering them on as I did. A perfect blend of world, action, story and just a smidge of romance to leave you wanting more. My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next one as this one was impossible to put down. I’ve only read a few books by one of the authors before but I can’t wait to check out their other books as I loved this one so much. A beautiful cover to match a beautiful story that I highly recommend for fans of shifters and fantasy.

[Jessi (Novel Heartbeat)]

You had me at "crown of wolf shifters."

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The writing in this is just too stilted and awful.

“You think we’ll have trouble on the way?” I inquired of Blaine, standing at the fore.

Um, no thanks.

[Rae Lake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh I wanted to love this book, I really really did! I mean I have lived my whole life in the bronx and there would have been nothing better than to finally have my borough come out on top but this book.... Oh jesus

Arianna is the queens heir and is the ruer of the bronx borough and she is Perfect! For no reason other than the author made it so. She beats everyone in everything and is everyones favorite, so she becomes queen like 25% through the book. There was no real challenges for her.
I swear the best part of the book was Finn. I could go with a guardian like that.
Why is it that everyone else is judged because they are off having sex but not her? Why is it that she is the most powerful when the rest are just average? There is really no explanation for any of it.

[Vero · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment.

This had some cool setting with women Alphas who rule with cunning, strategy and strength. I was also really hopeful for the hinted love story, because you don't get a lot ot Alpha meets Alpha in M/F UF books...

Alas...

Let me introduce you to the reason this sucked - and in her own words, no less:
"The bright shirt also contrasting against my alabaster skin, inherited from my Danish and Norwegian mother. I never knew my father, but I was told his heritage was Polynesian islander. Which explained my dark lashes and brows, and what some have called disconcerting turquoise eyes."

Yeah, yeah - those Polynesian islanders and their turquoise eyes! And by the way, her hair is platinum/silver blond. Impressed yet?
Which explains why she needed a person of colour as her daddy to give her dark lashes over the aquamarine eyes (she called them that later, after turquois again). The alabaster skin gets some more mentions too.

Isn't that some cool genetic mixture?

I was trying to let that kind of inner monologue run with Kate Daniel's voice in my mind and wanted to instantly burn this book.

Disappointed, you could say.
DNF

[Tanya T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @21%

I can't deal with the MC acting like she's the biggest shit in that place and everyone is beneath her but sing her praises. Also the writing is not that good if the narrator of the audio book can't bring it to life. Also if I hear the phase " My queen" one more time...

Also

This book is set in New York aka one of the most diverse cities in the world so why in the world everyone is pretty much whiter than copying paper? Yeah the MC if from the Brox but is white as hell This just like the selection all over again! It's no excuse for lack of diversity in a city were you know that city is very diverse.

[Eloise bt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good I wouldn't rave about it but kept me interested and was amusing.

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If at first you don’t succeed..

You try again, and try they did. This is the second collab between Jaymin Eve & Leia Stone, first being the Hive Trilogy, and I am happy to say they got it right this time. It’s not 100% amazement and wonder to be honest. It is light years better than the previous collab attempt though.

There are two shifter races, the Wolves and the Bears, each governed by a monarch, a King for the bears and a Queen for the wolves and the international balance of power between the two is determined on how many of the boroughs of New York city each of them have under their control.

The book starts with the death of the Red Queen, the most powerful Wolf Queen to date, and the fact that our heroine, Arianna, will have to battle for her birthright to be the new Queen while she has to figure out who killed the old one. Things go a bit haywire from there as magic wielding shifters, witches, magical animals and fae are thrown at us.

It is quite well written and detailed, keeping the mystery and having me wonder about things throughout. The heroine is strong and level headed, the hero is again quite a mystery though from the little I saw I liked him, the few prominent side characters were also good, the mysterious enemy sounds worthy, strong and actually dangerous and more often than not it had me chuckling to myself.

Through all this goodness though, there were things that didn’t bode well with me. Even though there was danger and I saw it, it was absent from parts of the book. Arianna tells us that heirs have died during the Summit and that the tasks were mostly extremely difficult and/or dangerous, yet she was lucky to get all the easy stuff and the ones that she was great at.

While I liked that the heroine is strong it also annoyed me that she was unchallenged, making her look ridiculously strong. She was an iron baseball bat while the other heirs were graham crackers. Guess which of the two would win in a fight. If her opponents were made to be stronger then her true strength would have come across more natural and balanced.

Side characters have a purpose, which means they need to exchange words and act. Here we seem to have a few that could be interesting - Arianna adviser, best friend, friends, Kade and his war adviser - but we don’t really get to see them. There was insufficient dialogue between them and no matter how much info the MC gives it comes out dry as the desert sand if there is no significant dialogue and interaction.

All in all I really did enjoy this book immensely and I sincerely hope that these negative attributes will be rectified and balanced out in the second book, which I honestly can’t wait to read.

Long Live The Queen!

Book #2 - Queen Alpha: Review (Clicky me)

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't actively hate this, but it was one of the most boring, mindless reads I've ever picked up. I'm 99% convinced that the only reason I finished was due to the extreme lengths I'm willing to go in order to avoid writing my thesis.

Girl is vying to be queen of the wolves in New York. She's been prepping for it her whole life as one of the heirs to the throne. Someone murdered the old wolf queen and now there's a summit (series of challenges) in order to test the heirs' abilities before one of them is crowned. The initial suspicion is that the bear shifters were the murderers, so the challenges are laced with whodunnit and inane dialogue that exists for no reason at all.

By the way, the heir (I can't even remember her name) kissed a scrawny bear shifter one summer when she was 15. Oh look! That boy is the bear king now. Aren't you shocked? Isn't it titillating? Will they let old prejudices overrule a possible alliance, or will their passions lock their lips instead of their swords? Tune in to book two in order to confirm what you've guessed since page one.

The only saving grace of this is that I can see some positive messages about female authority and strength. This feels like YA due to the simplicity of everything and predictability of everyone, but the main chick is 20 years old and I actually don't see any YA tags. I can't bring myself to care.

1.25 stars, honestly, but I'm feeling generous. I didn't actively hate it, like I said, and I try to save 1 stars for that. Still, this is a book that you reach for only in desperate need.

[AttWaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want the second book NOW!!!

It did take me more than 4 months to finish it, but it was kinda boring in the start but it got really good by the end.

For some reason I don't trust Violet. I hope, this suspicion isn't true.

[Marguerite (M) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating : 3 stars

Very quick and enjoyable read.

Queen Heir is more of an introduction than a real first book with a real plot and character developpment. It fails at being complex but at the end of the last chapter, you can expect the story to pace up and actually grow in a real intrigue.

The story is quite simple.
The Queen of the wolves is dead, and as a heir, Arianna is convied to the Summit to fight for her rightful place. Against the three other heirs, she must win the different trials to become the new leader.
Everything happens very quickly ; the first trial is a game of chess, the second is about magic itself, the third is about finding something before the other, and the fourth is a fight to the death. The trials are not really described, the point of the book is not to see if Arianna is going to be Queen or not. We already know that she is, and she also kind of knows it too, because she's smart, strong and above all cares very much about her people. She's the best heir of the four.

The Queen of the wolves also has been murdered, and Arianna as heir and Queen will avenge her and find her killer. But we don't really get into the murder plot until the last third of the book. We know the Queen has been hinding things from her people and her council, and Arianna will have to uncover them and learn about the Faes, whom she thinks were dead.

Queen Heir is a real easy read. The writing is not perfect, neither is the story nor the characters, but it's very entertaining and I couldn't put it down. I could say the concept is quite original with the mecca as all power's source but I'm not sure I understand how it works yet.
Arianna is likeable, but she's putting too much effort into focusing about two kisses and it's eye roll worthy. There is pretty much always a mate thingie going on with shapeshifters, can't you just tell each other you're mates please ? Thank you.

I'm looking forward reading the second book, hoping to get a better picture of the mecca system and a more complex plot.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Ms. Eve’s best, but not bad. Just a nice, easy escape if one is in the mood for shifters and fae. It will require reading the next books, however, as there is no resolution at the end - at all.

[Gnome Claire *Wishes she was as cool as Gnome Ann* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I clearly read a different book to everyone else because this was a bit of a trial to get though and I wish I'd either never started or given up. It was so clichéd and predictable. Ariana is the most perfect heir ever! She's the smartest! Has the best magical familiar! Ever! And the most awesome fighter! she's also the most magical in the crystal test. All the other heirs are the worst! Selene is evil because she's evil, Brenna is stupid and Devina is a slut! (and there's some serious slut shaming going on for the other girls- not Ariana, Ari has needs so she really should be having sex more, but the other girls are judged) *sarcasm over* she was just a ridiculously over powered character, there's no reason for her to be the most powerful shifter in memory but apparently she's just super brilliant.

Other than being perfect Ariana doesn't actually seem to have much of a personality.

Ariana is also - at 20 years old- apparently ruling thousands of other shifters and being followed by her loyal bodyguards, we just don't see anything she does to earn it or her doing anything to rule over the Bronx pack.

It had the potential to be more unusual with the magic aspect, but it was just so swamped in cliches and the magic wasn't really explored or explained.

[Soly Livrement Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Première lecture de l’année et je ne sais pas trop quoi en penser ... les personnages sont cools et le tame de l’histoire est intéressante, bien pensée, mais l’univers Mecca n’est pas assez décrit, et ce à tel point que je me suis retrouvée un peu, voire carrément, perdue durant ma lecture ... c’était quand même un point assez ennuyant! Sinon il y a de l’action, je ne le nie pas, mais pas assez de rebondissements et de retournements de situations. On devine tout à’ l’avance, c’est dommage 😔
Il y a un bon fil conducteur dans ce premier tome, mais tout va trop vite, ce n’est pas assez précis. J’ai eu l’impression qu’il manquait quelque chose ..,

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read something by Jaymin Eve. When I discovered C.M. Stunich, quite a long time ago already, I automatically also discovered Jaymin Eve and I thought then that I would read their entire backlists. Until I found authors fitting my reading style a little better. However, I once got this book in a bookswap and since it had a nice big font it seemed like the kind of read I needed to start my day with.

The pacing of this book is incredibly fast. There is a lot happening and the book isn't that big at all. I actually thought that the entire book would consist of the fight for the crown, but I think it only lasted until the halfway point. I personally would have loved a little more detail, mostly because I would have liked to feel a little more connected to the story and characters, but if you like fast paced, action-packed and to the point books this book is perfect for you.

What I really loved about this book is the world building. Because of the pacing we're getting a lot of details in the first few chapters and I have to admit that it felt a little like info-dumping at times, but the idea of the world and the way the authors used the world building to create conflict worked really well. In a way this book was therefore a mix of a dystopia, with some almost magical inventions, and an urban fantasy.

This is the first book in the series and although there is already a lot happening it does feel like the really big things are only just hinted at. It's clear that the romance is gonna be one of those starcrossed lovers ones (I really love those!), it's also clear that the conflict will escalate and that the stakes will only get higher and it's maybe even clearer that there will be quite a few epic reveals in future books. I'm already looking forward to it!

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, I really feel like it could be longer. The action that happened towards the end wasn't really that crazy. I only feel like we've scratched the surface of these characters and the first book should get us some deeper emotions.

The story and plot are good, and I'm interested in seeing this story through. I just wish there was more to the attraction brewing between Kade and Arianna. So far while we have a lot of facts on the characters they are still a bit static and not well rounded. I seek more from the story.

We ended in a place where, sure we've confirmed about like 1 thing or 2 things but everything else has been left.
We don't know exactly who killed the queen.
We know that Selene will be causing problems, but not sure what exactly.
We know the council will probably be a problem.
We know that Kade and Ari will also be making the rumor mill tick, and possibly make Ari lose her Queen status.

I still don't understand why bears are forbidden? Just because of a long ass war, that happened way before she was born? I also suspect Arianna isn't completely wolf shifter.

There are so many unanswered questions. So many. I don't like when books do this either. I don't like feeling that a subplot hasn't been finished, I understand a series arc plot taking books to finish, but subplots should be tied up. This wasn't. Not really.

I still enjoyed the book. I still enjoyed the characters and the plot. So the authors are doing something right, there if I still like it after all those issues.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the queen of all the werewolves dies mysteriously, Arianna must begin the challenge of claiming the throne by competing against three other heirs. The murder of the queen is also a mystery she must solve as it seems related to the instability of the mecca magic that the power of the wolves originates from. Initially, Arianna thinks that the rival shifter king, the Bear King, is responsible for the murder in an effort to destabilize the power of the wolves and gain more territory for the bears. However, he proves to be an ally and the responsible party ends up being a huge threat to both of their people.

This was an ok first book. I think it has a bit of first book syndrome going on as the author struggles to lay the groundwork for the rest of the series. Since it looks like future books have higher ratings, I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and read another one.

[Bethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was enjoyable..but I did stop halfway. It just felt a bit hard going and definitely not like Jaymin's usual books. I normally adore author collabs, but this one just didn't grab me as Jaymin's books usually do.

Definitely a massive fan still, maybe this series just wasn't my cup of tea :)

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was hella boring, definitely won’t be continuing the series.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore both Leia and Jaymin, but until this book I had not gotten the chance to experience their mixed writing styles (as with their "Hive" series). I won a copy of "Queen Heir" in a giveaway of Jaymin's and I could not be more pleased to have received this much coveted read ahead of its release date. I could definitely see both authors' styles showcased within this vastly unique read.

As with many authors' works, I could see bits and pieces of some of their more famed characters from in pervious books. I saw the kind and protectiveness of Kai (Matefinder) in Kade (even though these two technically aren't mates...), as well as Braxton's (Supernatural Prison) fierceness and intimidating presence. I could see the passion and love for her people of Aurora (Matefinder) in Arianna, as well as Jessa's (Supernatural Prison) snarky attitude and all-around badassery.

Despite these familiar personalities, make no mistake that this is a wholly unique world that these two ladies have created. Shifter-focused, with a few twists and pieces to puzzle together, we are thrust into a world where predetermined heirs must fight to be the face of their people's future. In this world, it is Arianna's mission and destiny to lead the wolf-shifters after the death of their Red Queen, but first she must face the 'three' other Queen-heirs of age in a battle of wits, magic, and fighting prowess.

Everyone is praying for her successful transfer into power, but what exactly is Ari signing up for should she become Queen? Evil is in the air and forces long-forgotten and thought to be extinct are finding themselves back on earth, right in the midst of the NYC shifters. The shifters will have to make some tough choices and trust in their long-time enemies if they are to weather the storms raging down upon them.

Highly recommended to those who love the paranormal, fantasy, YA genres. The first in its series, now is the perfect time to get into this fine read, before your friends spoil everything for you like one of mine did. XD

[Alesia · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Spoilers***

This book was just... wow. Just... yikes. Arianna is queen Mary Sue. She was never truly challenged throughout the entire book. First we're introduced to this character with pale skin, blonde hair despite Polynesian heritage? Okay. But then she rules... the Bronx? Couldn't even give her some Latina heritage when choosing that she rules.... the bronx? Have you ever been to the bronx?

Oh her best friend is also super special too. Everything in her life was handed down in perfect timing to make sure that everything was perfectly easy for her. Did I say she was handed everything. She had all the powers and all the perfect gifts to make it through. She was born that way. Her flaws were not really flaw.

There was no conflict, not really. We knew she'd get it because the prime candidate. We were groomed to realize that no one else was even close--except for the girl who happened to be promiscuous and therefore was unfit to rule because of that... and her cold hearted-ness. There was no one designed to actually be a challenge! Also... the way that they wrote the "we're all hotblooded wolves but some of us have self control" was so slut-shamy and close minded blaaaaah.

Even the conflict they tried to introduce for the love interest was just... flat. All of it was flat. He's a bear you kissed him when you were 15--but where's HER emotional conflict over possibly betraying her people through that? Why does she just do what she wants--its boring. boring. boring.

The writing was gawd awful at descriptions. Gawd awful at introducing character descriptions. You know how pretty much all we knew of Hermione was her "bushy hair and buckteeth?" or how all we knew of Rue was her skin was darker than whats-her-face and she had the most beautiful eyes? You reveal character descriptions slowly in a novel--or well. At least if you're going to do it all at once do it well.

Written for twilight fans and more people that also read bad fanfiction.