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Rogue Queen #3
The Queen's Triumph
Queen Samara Rani knows she's likely walking into a trap, but agreeing to meet with Commander Adams is the fastest way to get within striking distance of the Quint Confederacy's biggest traitor and her sworn enemy. Adams attacked her home and destroyed her ship, and if he's not stopped, he will ruin the tentative peace between the Kos Empire and the Quint Confederacy-and Samara's chance at future with Emperor Valentin Kos.
Samara is determined to serve up some well-deserved payback, but she is no longer a lone assassin, and despite her protests, her friends and allies refuse to let her undertake such a perilous mission without them. Even Valentin, usually the voice of reason, refuses to stay behind. Samara is loath to put her friends in danger, and taking a team carries its own risks, so she makes plans to keep them safe, no matter what the cost.
When Adams threatens that safety, and everything she holds dear, Samara vows to show him exactly how she earned her deadly reputation-and why one should never cross the Rogue Queen.
Samara is determined to serve up some well-deserved payback, but she is no longer a lone assassin, and despite her protests, her friends and allies refuse to let her undertake such a perilous mission without them. Even Valentin, usually the voice of reason, refuses to stay behind. Samara is loath to put her friends in danger, and taking a team carries its own risks, so she makes plans to keep them safe, no matter what the cost.
When Adams threatens that safety, and everything she holds dear, Samara vows to show him exactly how she earned her deadly reputation-and why one should never cross the Rogue Queen.
236 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2020
146 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Mihalik
13 books2,143 followersJessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves.
Sample chapters of all of my books are available on my website!
The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.
The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.
Sample chapters of all of my books are available on my website!
The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.
The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
January 15, 2021
I really enjoy the strategy, competence, and intricacy of this world, and am sad to see an end to these novellas, particularly this end. It was fun to visit the setting again, but that was most of what I enjoyed. I really missed the detailed strategy of the prior novels, and it felt like a lot was glossed over or happened secretly instead. Sequels are hard, and there was an obvious pressure to forward Samara and Valentin's relationship, but it felt rushed and on the juvenile side in terms of jumping to major relationship signposts to close things out. I will continue reading this author's work, though, and I think this remains a must-read to complete the storyline for people who enjoyed the prior two.
September 5, 2022
This just did not end well. I guess the author was going somewhere with a big shootout and but it didn't have any particular heft behind it. Nothing was particularly established previously with any kind of emotional impact aside from the queen and kind having mega super-luuuve for one another.
Buuut I mean, he is the kind of whole known universe. Really? Ya guys made it to the space and build this whole enterprise there and it's all based on a monarchy? For real???
It all of it just felt very pedestrian and kind of naive. The h is this rebel savior person who goes out of the way to save the kind of the half of the universe against his own people's plot to take them out all the while there is this other waring monarchy controlling the other part of the universe and there is that looming threat. And all the while the MCs are making these grandiose statements of 'I will burn down the world for you'. Booooy, please. You couldn't defend against a coup in your own backyard. You try and start a little fire you going down.
The final book was just a compilation of nothing-there and bad choices when building up her world and characters by the author. I am going to forget this series and probably not pick up anything else by her as it's just not what I am looking for in my reads.
Buuut I mean, he is the kind of whole known universe. Really? Ya guys made it to the space and build this whole enterprise there and it's all based on a monarchy? For real???
It all of it just felt very pedestrian and kind of naive. The h is this rebel savior person who goes out of the way to save the kind of the half of the universe against his own people's plot to take them out all the while there is this other waring monarchy controlling the other part of the universe and there is that looming threat. And all the while the MCs are making these grandiose statements of 'I will burn down the world for you'. Booooy, please. You couldn't defend against a coup in your own backyard. You try and start a little fire you going down.
The final book was just a compilation of nothing-there and bad choices when building up her world and characters by the author. I am going to forget this series and probably not pick up anything else by her as it's just not what I am looking for in my reads.
December 9, 2020
I'm going to miss Samara and Valentin (and their friends).
I know I already said it in one of my reviews but I don't mind repeating it: I love Jessie Mihalik's books and I'm always looking forward to her newest release. She is an auto-buy author for me and her sci-fi/space opera romances are too damn good, my poor little heart can barely handle it.
The Queen's Triumph was no exception. I loved it and I wish it had been longer just because I'm a glutton for Jessie Mihalik's stories/characters/words.
I know I already said it in one of my reviews but I don't mind repeating it: I love Jessie Mihalik's books and I'm always looking forward to her newest release. She is an auto-buy author for me and her sci-fi/space opera romances are too damn good, my poor little heart can barely handle it.
The Queen's Triumph was no exception. I loved it and I wish it had been longer just because I'm a glutton for Jessie Mihalik's stories/characters/words.
August 31, 2023
I loved the first 2 books in this series and was super excited to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I am not sure why. I still enjoyed it it was just somehow less than the others. I was a little bored in places - it just lacked the same sense of action, urgency and romance of the first two. And while some roadblocks in the way of our heroes certainly make things more interesting it would be nice if the villain wasn't two steps ahead of them the entire time.
December 10, 2020
Triumph
This series has all the things I love in a book. Love, adventure, space, spaceships. This book had a great end to the series. The adventure was great. I am sad to see it end but enjoyed it very much.
This series has all the things I love in a book. Love, adventure, space, spaceships. This book had a great end to the series. The adventure was great. I am sad to see it end but enjoyed it very much.
February 15, 2021
This book was a terrible disappointment to me. I really enjoyed the first 2 in this series. But, this one starts of with a very long and extended roll in the hay, and it is just boring. Sorry.
There is not a lot of plot or a lot of action. This one felt very thrown together with only and end point in mind and no real plot to get there. I am glad for the finale, but disappointed in the journey.
There is not a lot of plot or a lot of action. This one felt very thrown together with only and end point in mind and no real plot to get there. I am glad for the finale, but disappointed in the journey.
September 6, 2022
This third part gradually gets bogged down in romance, to the point of disgust. A few action scenes will not be enough to revive the interest of a very unconvincing main plot.
The ending is particularly bad.
The ending is particularly bad.
January 29, 2021
DNF at 24% due to boredom. It is amazing how unengaging this series is compared to Mihalik's Consortium Rebellion series. I am quite proud having made it this far.
July 4, 2021
I received a free audio copy of this book from Tantor Audio and voluntarily reviewed it.
I was really looking forward to reading this third and last book in the series and seeing how everything got wrapped up. I am happy to say this was a very satisfying conclusion to the series. All open plot lines got resolved, the romance progressed, we see more of the characters and it had a great ending.
In The Queen's Triumph main character Queen Samara Rani agreed to meet with Commander Adams on a space station. Commander Adams attacked and harmed her and those around her multiple times and this book is all about how she will deal with Adams. I liked the tension of this book and the wondering what Adams had planned and how Samara would stop him. This all build till the shown down later in the book and I liked seeing how it all got resolved.
Besides the big plot point about commander Adams there is also Samara and Valentine's relationship that's deepening even more. I really loved seeing them take that final step in their relationship and growing even closer. I really liked them as a couple. They have a few disagreements, but they always talk them through and I really liked that. I also like how considerate and understanding Valentine is, he really is a great match for Samara. They made for such a great couple and I loved seeing them work together to deal with the threat Adams poses. There are plenty of sweet and touching scenes as well as some steamy ones. And I really felt like I got a good feel for them together.
Besides that there is plenty more of the familiar characters we got to meet in the first two books and even a romance between two side characters that sort of plays out in the background that we get some hints about. I almost wish we would get a book about them as I would like to see more about them. Stella, Ari, Imogen, Lucas all play a big role here, as well as the cook Eddie, whom I quite liked in this book. And there's a new character as well who was intriguing.
Another thing I liked about this book is that we still get a bit more world building and see more of the galaxy. A big part of this book takes place on a space station and I liked the setting and getting a feel for the station and how things worked there. It was really interesting.
As with the previous books I really enjoyed the narration by Rachel Dulude. She did an awesome job with this series and I like how everyone had a distinct voice that fit them and their personality. I had already bought the ebook of this book first as I wasn't sure if there would be an audio and I am so happy there turned out to be an audio eventually. I am glad I got to finish this series with audio as this series is so good in audio.
To summarize: This was a satisfying and awesome ending to this series. I like how the main plot liens get wrapped up and also how there's plenty of romance too. There is some tension as Samara has to deal with the threat Adams poses and we don't know what he has planned. It's exciting seeing it all play out. I also like how there's plenty of romance in this one. Samara and Valentine grow even closer and they make for such a great couple. I like how they're there for one another and understand eahc other and talk things through. There is plenty of sweet, touching and steamy scenes between them. I also liked seeing more of familiar characters as well as some new ones. And I liked seeing more of the space station where a big part of the book takes place. The narrator did an awesome job with this one and I really liked how she did all the voices for the characters. All in all this was an awesome scifi romance series and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
I was really looking forward to reading this third and last book in the series and seeing how everything got wrapped up. I am happy to say this was a very satisfying conclusion to the series. All open plot lines got resolved, the romance progressed, we see more of the characters and it had a great ending.
In The Queen's Triumph main character Queen Samara Rani agreed to meet with Commander Adams on a space station. Commander Adams attacked and harmed her and those around her multiple times and this book is all about how she will deal with Adams. I liked the tension of this book and the wondering what Adams had planned and how Samara would stop him. This all build till the shown down later in the book and I liked seeing how it all got resolved.
Besides the big plot point about commander Adams there is also Samara and Valentine's relationship that's deepening even more. I really loved seeing them take that final step in their relationship and growing even closer. I really liked them as a couple. They have a few disagreements, but they always talk them through and I really liked that. I also like how considerate and understanding Valentine is, he really is a great match for Samara. They made for such a great couple and I loved seeing them work together to deal with the threat Adams poses. There are plenty of sweet and touching scenes as well as some steamy ones. And I really felt like I got a good feel for them together.
Besides that there is plenty more of the familiar characters we got to meet in the first two books and even a romance between two side characters that sort of plays out in the background that we get some hints about. I almost wish we would get a book about them as I would like to see more about them. Stella, Ari, Imogen, Lucas all play a big role here, as well as the cook Eddie, whom I quite liked in this book. And there's a new character as well who was intriguing.
Another thing I liked about this book is that we still get a bit more world building and see more of the galaxy. A big part of this book takes place on a space station and I liked the setting and getting a feel for the station and how things worked there. It was really interesting.
As with the previous books I really enjoyed the narration by Rachel Dulude. She did an awesome job with this series and I like how everyone had a distinct voice that fit them and their personality. I had already bought the ebook of this book first as I wasn't sure if there would be an audio and I am so happy there turned out to be an audio eventually. I am glad I got to finish this series with audio as this series is so good in audio.
To summarize: This was a satisfying and awesome ending to this series. I like how the main plot liens get wrapped up and also how there's plenty of romance too. There is some tension as Samara has to deal with the threat Adams poses and we don't know what he has planned. It's exciting seeing it all play out. I also like how there's plenty of romance in this one. Samara and Valentine grow even closer and they make for such a great couple. I like how they're there for one another and understand eahc other and talk things through. There is plenty of sweet, touching and steamy scenes between them. I also liked seeing more of familiar characters as well as some new ones. And I liked seeing more of the space station where a big part of the book takes place. The narrator did an awesome job with this one and I really liked how she did all the voices for the characters. All in all this was an awesome scifi romance series and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
July 27, 2022
French & English reviews
Je n'arrive pas à croire que j'avais oublié de lire ce livre ! J'étais persuadée d'avoir lu toute la série mais pas du tout ...
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- l'univers très riche avec toutes les différentes coalitions, les manigances politiques (j'ai adoré Sawya, j'aurais adoré avoir un livre rien que sur lui/elle ou au moins sur sa planète !) et toutes les nouvelles technologies !
- l'intrigue qui m'a tenu en haleine du début à la fin (le traité de paix et l'horrible Commander Adams ! Quel stress !)
- les personnages à la fois attachants et amusants (j'ai adoré Imogen et Luka, j'adorais avoir une nouvelle sur eux =))
- la romance était PARFAITE ! Non seulement c'est un slow burn avec deux personnages attachants mais en plus il y a pile la bonne quantité d'humour et de passion ! (spéciale dédicace pour le vaisseau que Valentine lui offre <3)
Bref, un tome que j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire et qui conclue une série de romance sci-fi qui m'a enthousiasmé du début à la fin !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe I forgot to read this book ! I was sure I had read the whole series but not at all ...
What I particularly liked :
- the very rich universe with all the different coalitions, the political shenanigans (I loved Sawya, I would have loved to have a book just about them or at least their planet !) and all the new technologies !
- the plot that kept me spellbound from beginning to end (the peace treaty and the horrible Commander Adams ! So stressful !)
- the endearing and amusing characters (I loved Imogen and Luka, I'd love to have a novella about them =))
- the romance was PERFECT ! Not only it's a slow burn with two endearing characters, but there's also just the right amount of humor and passion ! (love the ship that Valentine offers her <3)
In short, a book that I took great pleasure in reading and which concludes a series of sci-fi romance that thrilled me from start to finish !
Je n'arrive pas à croire que j'avais oublié de lire ce livre ! J'étais persuadée d'avoir lu toute la série mais pas du tout ...
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- l'univers très riche avec toutes les différentes coalitions, les manigances politiques (j'ai adoré Sawya, j'aurais adoré avoir un livre rien que sur lui/elle ou au moins sur sa planète !) et toutes les nouvelles technologies !
- l'intrigue qui m'a tenu en haleine du début à la fin (le traité de paix et l'horrible Commander Adams ! Quel stress !)
- les personnages à la fois attachants et amusants (j'ai adoré Imogen et Luka, j'adorais avoir une nouvelle sur eux =))
- la romance était PARFAITE ! Non seulement c'est un slow burn avec deux personnages attachants mais en plus il y a pile la bonne quantité d'humour et de passion ! (spéciale dédicace pour le vaisseau que Valentine lui offre <3)
Bref, un tome que j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire et qui conclue une série de romance sci-fi qui m'a enthousiasmé du début à la fin !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe I forgot to read this book ! I was sure I had read the whole series but not at all ...
What I particularly liked :
- the very rich universe with all the different coalitions, the political shenanigans (I loved Sawya, I would have loved to have a book just about them or at least their planet !) and all the new technologies !
- the plot that kept me spellbound from beginning to end (the peace treaty and the horrible Commander Adams ! So stressful !)
- the endearing and amusing characters (I loved Imogen and Luka, I'd love to have a novella about them =))
- the romance was PERFECT ! Not only it's a slow burn with two endearing characters, but there's also just the right amount of humor and passion ! (love the ship that Valentine offers her <3)
In short, a book that I took great pleasure in reading and which concludes a series of sci-fi romance that thrilled me from start to finish !
February 12, 2021
I've been in a reading slump, and what better book to break it than one by an author whose writing and storytelling I love, and one that complete a series? The Queen's Trumph skillfully wraps up Queen Samara Rani's and Emperor Valentin Kos's story that started in The Queen's Gambit. The final installment is full of action and intrigue, softened with lots of feelings and emotions, not to mention heat as Samara and Valentin finally become intimate and break the tension that's been building for-ever.
I really do hope Jessie Mihalik combines the three into one paperback and one e-book, so I can easily go back and read the story in one sitting. I also hope she continues to write stories like this, either set in this world or by installments so there's something new to read while we await other projects from her.
I really do hope Jessie Mihalik combines the three into one paperback and one e-book, so I can easily go back and read the story in one sitting. I also hope she continues to write stories like this, either set in this world or by installments so there's something new to read while we await other projects from her.
June 12, 2025
This trilogy started out so strong but ended on a whimper. It would have been better (and less repetitive) if it had been one book. Adams got away too many times across the three books, which made me question everyone's competence. It also made Samara's savior complex more grating. I would have gone along with her penchant for risk-taking if it had ever paid off but she didn't have the right to get mad at anyone on her crew for wanting her to accept help or taking risks themselves. As a result, I found this installment boring and skimmed much of the second half just so I could know how it resolved. The romance unfortunately took a backseat to the Adams drama but it was refreshing that
Characters: Samara is the 30 year old Rogue Coalition Queen and a former assassin who has light brown skin. Valentin is the Kos Emperor. This is set on the planets Arx and CP57.
Content notes: murder, attempted murder, bombings, physical assault, critical injuries (secondary character), plasma bolt wounds, knife wound, military commander is abusive toward his soldiers, sex worker secondary characters, past food poverty, forgetting to eat, secondary character with mechanical limbs, MMC is estranged from his half-brother, past death of MMC's father, on page sex, alcohol, painkiller, gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
Characters: Samara is the 30 year old Rogue Coalition Queen and a former assassin who has light brown skin. Valentin is the Kos Emperor. This is set on the planets Arx and CP57.
Content notes: murder, attempted murder, bombings, physical assault, critical injuries (secondary character), plasma bolt wounds, knife wound, military commander is abusive toward his soldiers, sex worker secondary characters, past food poverty, forgetting to eat, secondary character with mechanical limbs, MMC is estranged from his half-brother, past death of MMC's father, on page sex, alcohol, painkiller, gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
April 30, 2025
Acton packed, super fun finale to a great sci-fi trilogy!
December 8, 2020
Was it Ever!
RogueQueen3
Sorry to see this series end; and JM really made us work for it. The pockets of levity didn’t slow the momentum, though they were nice respites. Just a great read all around.
RogueQueen3
Sorry to see this series end; and JM really made us work for it. The pockets of levity didn’t slow the momentum, though they were nice respites. Just a great read all around.
May 22, 2021
We have not finished this yet, there is an epilogue still waiting for us. But Goodreads decided to put it on my „read“ shelf. My husband and I chose this trilogy for our bedtime read along. It started out well but towards the end we kind of lost interest. Maybe if I‘d read it by myself and in my own rhythm it would have worked better. Also my husband hated the descriptions of the sexy times, and there were more of those in the last volume, as the relationship progresses.
I still like Queen Rani as a person, but what kind of threw me out of the story was how the Queen and the Emperor both want to change their politic systems towards a more democratic one. I am all for this in real life, it just did not feel organic to me in the context of this book and this world (universe). Maybe it is an American thing, wanting the fantasy of nobility but not the consequences? Meg Cabot did it in the Princess Diaries, and I totally believed it there, as it developed over time and also was a contemporary story taking place in „our“ world.
I still like Queen Rani as a person, but what kind of threw me out of the story was how the Queen and the Emperor both want to change their politic systems towards a more democratic one. I am all for this in real life, it just did not feel organic to me in the context of this book and this world (universe). Maybe it is an American thing, wanting the fantasy of nobility but not the consequences? Meg Cabot did it in the Princess Diaries, and I totally believed it there, as it developed over time and also was a contemporary story taking place in „our“ world.
May 30, 2021
Final book
Well written and caps off the series well, though it is my least favorite book in the series. I got frustrated with Samara's savior complex and thought the romance felt a little...disconnected? Something made it hard to be interested in it, so I was a bit frustrated with how much it dominated the plot. The ending was fairytale and a little too easy for my tastes, but I know others will enjoy it.
I can also say that while I enjoyed the series, its fairly short and thus limited in world building and complexity. I wish it had the depth of her other works (Chaos Reigning, Aurora Blazing, etc.). Tbh, this series isn't on par with that one - a 1 to 2 star difference IMO - but its a good short read with a strong female lead.
Well written and caps off the series well, though it is my least favorite book in the series. I got frustrated with Samara's savior complex and thought the romance felt a little...disconnected? Something made it hard to be interested in it, so I was a bit frustrated with how much it dominated the plot. The ending was fairytale and a little too easy for my tastes, but I know others will enjoy it.
I can also say that while I enjoyed the series, its fairly short and thus limited in world building and complexity. I wish it had the depth of her other works (Chaos Reigning, Aurora Blazing, etc.). Tbh, this series isn't on par with that one - a 1 to 2 star difference IMO - but its a good short read with a strong female lead.
February 24, 2021
The first two books were quick and fun reads that I started while riding the high of Jessie Mihalik's Consortium Rebellion series. Unfortunately, by the time this final book was published and I got around to reading it, the good feelings were gone and I can't help but feel disappointed. It was not the same quality as her other books. But I am definitely still excited to read future books including Hunted in 2022!
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July 22, 2024The Rogue Queen series sits in a weird space. It's not really sci-fi enough to be a good science fiction (there is SO much that is sketchy about this world building), but it's not romantic enough for a romance. I can definitely see the seeds of Mihalik's next series here; she has good ideas, but she solidly needed an editor. There were also so many mistakes still in these self-published novellas. I guess I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I'll be revisiting.
March 23, 2025
Part 3 of a 3-part, serialized, fabulous, space-opera, romance novel
See my review of Part 1, The Queen's Gambit. I am not writing a separate review for Part 2 and 3 due to the fact that this is a serialized novel.
See my review of Part 1, The Queen's Gambit. I am not writing a separate review for Part 2 and 3 due to the fact that this is a serialized novel.
January 3, 2025
A good wrap-up to the series.
January 2, 2021
Entertaining conclusion of this novella trilogy.
July 8, 2023
This was a fantastic end to this series, I loved how things wrapped up, dealing with this bad guy from the beginning!
March 13, 2024
The Rogue Queen series is Jessie Mihalik's weakest. Book 3 was better than book 2, but it still felt mostly flat and I just wanted to get it over with.
July 28, 2023
4 stars. Nice conclusion to the trilogy. Enjoyable sci-fi romance.
February 15, 2021
Of all of the Rogue Queen books, “The Queen’s Triumph” is my least favorite. While I did enjoy this read I found the first 50% to be rather dull and lack luster due to a total lack of action. There was a lot of dull planning and descriptions of various blocks in the planet to be used for the upcoming meeting with Adams. Instead of reading this in one sitting it took me days to read. I read a little bit and then had to put it down. Unfortunately, I found Adams more interesting than the good guys.
Much of the first half of this book felt like filler. Nothing substantive and a lot of droll details. After the first half things began picking up and I finally reconnected with the characters and world I previously was so enamored with. Queen Rani was back and so was the action. One of the things that bothered me was how Rani is described as this mastermind Assassin; yet, Adams seems to always get the drop on her at every turn. I would have lived to see her get the drop on him even if for a short time and even have her wound him before the final battle.
I can’t tell from the ending of this book if this is the end of the series or if there will be future installments. I guess only time will tell.
Much of the first half of this book felt like filler. Nothing substantive and a lot of droll details. After the first half things began picking up and I finally reconnected with the characters and world I previously was so enamored with. Queen Rani was back and so was the action. One of the things that bothered me was how Rani is described as this mastermind Assassin; yet, Adams seems to always get the drop on her at every turn. I would have lived to see her get the drop on him even if for a short time and even have her wound him before the final battle.
I can’t tell from the ending of this book if this is the end of the series or if there will be future installments. I guess only time will tell.
December 27, 2020
I really enjoy Mihalik's work, and I love me a space opera. Both this book and the final in her full series struggle with wrapping up a series. I was somewhat bored by this installment, and wasn't terribly interested in the cat-and-mouse chase between our leads and the villain.
I think Mihalik's strongest book was her first full-length novel - Polaris Rising - and I think the reason it succeeds is that the leads spend extensive amounts of time together, learning each other through the conflict. In the succeeding books, (especially the third), the conflict dominated to the point where I didn't really invest in the leads. This happened here - we finally get the consummation of the leads' relationship but they are just jetting from place to place and I'd rather they just hang out and talk, really...
Anyway. I think this series built a really cool world in the restricted, serialized, novella format, and I still enjoy the works greatly.
I think Mihalik's strongest book was her first full-length novel - Polaris Rising - and I think the reason it succeeds is that the leads spend extensive amounts of time together, learning each other through the conflict. In the succeeding books, (especially the third), the conflict dominated to the point where I didn't really invest in the leads. This happened here - we finally get the consummation of the leads' relationship but they are just jetting from place to place and I'd rather they just hang out and talk, really...
Anyway. I think this series built a really cool world in the restricted, serialized, novella format, and I still enjoy the works greatly.
January 15, 2023
I'm a little conflicted about this, because it's nice and not too angsty and yeah...
but also it just felt so childish. And I kind of hated the little details like shoes and clothes and food that were too much like some kind of contemporary romance instead of a sci-fi book and felt like a lack of imagination to be honest. The would building did not feel very deep or interesting. The characters were a bit unoriginal.
but also it just felt so childish. And I kind of hated the little details like shoes and clothes and food that were too much like some kind of contemporary romance instead of a sci-fi book and felt like a lack of imagination to be honest. The would building did not feel very deep or interesting. The characters were a bit unoriginal.
March 7, 2022
format: Audiobook
rating: 3,5
Previously on last week's episode of Rogue Queen
Samara travels to the heart of the Kos empire to repay her debt to emperor Valentine and root out the vipers amongst his closest allies. Is Valentin's older brother orchestrating the attacks, bitter after having been passed over for the throne? Is it someone amongst his advisors?
But Valentin's enemies aren't going to wait for her to root them out. New assassination attempts abound, and terrorist's blow up Samara's ship. The traitors are creating public unrest to make it seems like the Rogue Coalition is behind the attacks. Soon whispers start spreading that Samara's people are rebelling against her and she is an unstable leader on shaky ground, threatening her political alliance with Kos. When Valentin is almost killed and left in critical condition rumours abound that Samara has murdered him. By the time he is conscious again to refute the rumours the news sources are reporting that she might have brainwashed him or is holding him hostage.
Samara figures out a few of the emperor's advisors are behind the attacks working with the cowardly commander Adams the undermine any peace treaty behind Kos and Quint. Peace will mean loss of revenue for those who profit from the military industrial complex.
Samara brings a team to take down Adams and his Quint soldiers once and for all, but he is holding Nikolas—Valentin's brother—hostage. Gunfights and explosions break out and Adams manages to escape again. The traitors are brought to justice, but was Nikolas complicit in the attacks? We don't know. The journey has brought Samara and Valentin closer, but with the responsibilities to their respective people's they can't truly be together. Not unless a peace treaty between Kos and Quint is brokered. Valentin vows to make it happen, while Samara returns to her home base within the Rogue coalition for the last hunt. Commander Adams is still a threat, and Samara is a dangerous enemy to have. She won't stop before she takes him down once and for all!
And now, follow the explosive finale on tonight's episode!
So, what can I say about the ending without giving out spoilers? As you might expect Samara and Valentin finally get together to release the sexual tension that has been brewing between them, and there are multiple sex scenes. It's kinda hot. I also like that they are both lowkey consent kings but in a subtle way that just feels part of the scene.
It's no spoiler either of course with this being a sci-fi romance that we get a happily ever after, and a bit of sugary sweetness at the end. I think it works for this book, and despite the series having a romantic through line, it felt that the sci-fi action and the other plots where just if not more important. If you removed romance from the plot the story would still have worked.
I've said most I needed to say about the characters in reviews of the previous books. They don't have very prominent internal character arcs. They both start out as pretty well adjusted characters. Samara especially despite her past, she might have had some small insecurities about feeling a bit unworthy because of her murderous and dark past. But it's a small thing, and not played for drama and angst. All the tension is mostly external.
The sci-fi plot itself is pretty standard but decent, the world building as well is fine but not extensive in any way. All in all it's been a pretty decent ride. This was the longest book yet and it's possible it moved from novella to book territory but it still felt like a quick and engaging read with good pacing.
In conclusion
I feel about this like I do the rest of the books, they are good but not great.
And they ARE very good at doing what they do; which is to be some easily digested fun.
There is nothing really deep to find here. The series has explored the displacement of refugees of war, but not in an extensive and challenging way. It felt very surface level, and more like just some light plot flavouring.
When it comes to the romance, my favourite part was how mature and decent Samara and Valentin both went about it. Because it is rare to have an "enemies to lovers" romance without a lot of dramatics that can sometime be over the top.
In retrospect I was considering giving these 4 stars, but that sort of felt wrong because I definitely liked Hunt the Stars—by the same author—more, alas I couldn't give Hunt the Stars more than 4, because despite really liking it I didn't LOVE it.
So I guess here we are at 3,5, though I might possibly revaluate if I ever read them again.
Reviews of the other books in the series:
The Queen's Gambit (Rogue Queen, #1) ★★★ (3,5)
The Queen’s Advantage (Rogue Queen, #2) ★★★ (3.5)
Other Books By The Author
Honor and Shadows (Starlight's Shadow, #0,5) ★★★ (3,4)
Hunt the Stars (Starlight's Shadow, #1) ★★★★ (4,3)
Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1) ★★ (1,5)
rating: 3,5
Previously on last week's episode of Rogue Queen
Samara travels to the heart of the Kos empire to repay her debt to emperor Valentine and root out the vipers amongst his closest allies. Is Valentin's older brother orchestrating the attacks, bitter after having been passed over for the throne? Is it someone amongst his advisors?
But Valentin's enemies aren't going to wait for her to root them out. New assassination attempts abound, and terrorist's blow up Samara's ship. The traitors are creating public unrest to make it seems like the Rogue Coalition is behind the attacks. Soon whispers start spreading that Samara's people are rebelling against her and she is an unstable leader on shaky ground, threatening her political alliance with Kos. When Valentin is almost killed and left in critical condition rumours abound that Samara has murdered him. By the time he is conscious again to refute the rumours the news sources are reporting that she might have brainwashed him or is holding him hostage.
Samara figures out a few of the emperor's advisors are behind the attacks working with the cowardly commander Adams the undermine any peace treaty behind Kos and Quint. Peace will mean loss of revenue for those who profit from the military industrial complex.
Samara brings a team to take down Adams and his Quint soldiers once and for all, but he is holding Nikolas—Valentin's brother—hostage. Gunfights and explosions break out and Adams manages to escape again. The traitors are brought to justice, but was Nikolas complicit in the attacks? We don't know. The journey has brought Samara and Valentin closer, but with the responsibilities to their respective people's they can't truly be together. Not unless a peace treaty between Kos and Quint is brokered. Valentin vows to make it happen, while Samara returns to her home base within the Rogue coalition for the last hunt. Commander Adams is still a threat, and Samara is a dangerous enemy to have. She won't stop before she takes him down once and for all!
And now, follow the explosive finale on tonight's episode!
So, what can I say about the ending without giving out spoilers? As you might expect Samara and Valentin finally get together to release the sexual tension that has been brewing between them, and there are multiple sex scenes. It's kinda hot. I also like that they are both lowkey consent kings but in a subtle way that just feels part of the scene.
It's no spoiler either of course with this being a sci-fi romance that we get a happily ever after, and a bit of sugary sweetness at the end. I think it works for this book, and despite the series having a romantic through line, it felt that the sci-fi action and the other plots where just if not more important. If you removed romance from the plot the story would still have worked.
I've said most I needed to say about the characters in reviews of the previous books. They don't have very prominent internal character arcs. They both start out as pretty well adjusted characters. Samara especially despite her past, she might have had some small insecurities about feeling a bit unworthy because of her murderous and dark past. But it's a small thing, and not played for drama and angst. All the tension is mostly external.
The sci-fi plot itself is pretty standard but decent, the world building as well is fine but not extensive in any way. All in all it's been a pretty decent ride. This was the longest book yet and it's possible it moved from novella to book territory but it still felt like a quick and engaging read with good pacing.
In conclusion
I feel about this like I do the rest of the books, they are good but not great.
And they ARE very good at doing what they do; which is to be some easily digested fun.
There is nothing really deep to find here. The series has explored the displacement of refugees of war, but not in an extensive and challenging way. It felt very surface level, and more like just some light plot flavouring.
When it comes to the romance, my favourite part was how mature and decent Samara and Valentin both went about it. Because it is rare to have an "enemies to lovers" romance without a lot of dramatics that can sometime be over the top.
In retrospect I was considering giving these 4 stars, but that sort of felt wrong because I definitely liked Hunt the Stars—by the same author—more, alas I couldn't give Hunt the Stars more than 4, because despite really liking it I didn't LOVE it.
So I guess here we are at 3,5, though I might possibly revaluate if I ever read them again.
Reviews of the other books in the series:
The Queen's Gambit (Rogue Queen, #1) ★★★ (3,5)
The Queen’s Advantage (Rogue Queen, #2) ★★★ (3.5)
Other Books By The Author
Honor and Shadows (Starlight's Shadow, #0,5) ★★★ (3,4)
Hunt the Stars (Starlight's Shadow, #1) ★★★★ (4,3)
Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1) ★★ (1,5)
January 7, 2022
DNF 42%
So very boring. I made three attempts to read this instalment but it’s so dull. Nothing is happening, so I’m calling it and moving on to another book, which will hopefully be far more engaging.
So very boring. I made three attempts to read this instalment but it’s so dull. Nothing is happening, so I’m calling it and moving on to another book, which will hopefully be far more engaging.
June 5, 2021
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have been enjoying the Rogue Queen series, which began as a free online serial on the author's website. The feel is similar to Polaris Rising. It is set in space with various factions, political and action battles between planets and various coalitions. These are shorter books and more UF as the romance builds over the trilogy, rather than a new couple in each story.
Samara is queen on a planet which tries to stay neutral when a war breaks out between two larger powers. I enjoy how smart she is with strategy and skills. She worked as an assassin in her past to build those capabilities. But now she fights for her people and is not afraid to risk herself for them.
Queen's Triumph is focused more on her relationship with Emporer Valentin Kos. In The Queen's Gambit she saved him and made a deal to help him ferret out which faction is trying to kill him and why. The Queen's Advantage is that story and it is a political mess. They really enjoy their relationship and look to the future in Queen's Triumph.
There is less politics and space opera here, and I sort of would have liked more. We have the last bit of political manuevers from factions who want to keep power or continue fighting. But the big powers don't want to be fight more battles. The negotiations for peace are a bit of work and not everything is smooth but it progresses. Queen's Triumph is the HEA and a fitting end to the trilogy.
Narration:
I first heard this narrator on this series, but enjoy her work. She sounds right for both male and female voices with comfortable tones. The voices are distinct so I could tell who was speaking. Most of the dialogue was with a handful of characters which made it easier also. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have been enjoying the Rogue Queen series, which began as a free online serial on the author's website. The feel is similar to Polaris Rising. It is set in space with various factions, political and action battles between planets and various coalitions. These are shorter books and more UF as the romance builds over the trilogy, rather than a new couple in each story.
Samara is queen on a planet which tries to stay neutral when a war breaks out between two larger powers. I enjoy how smart she is with strategy and skills. She worked as an assassin in her past to build those capabilities. But now she fights for her people and is not afraid to risk herself for them.
Queen's Triumph is focused more on her relationship with Emporer Valentin Kos. In The Queen's Gambit she saved him and made a deal to help him ferret out which faction is trying to kill him and why. The Queen's Advantage is that story and it is a political mess. They really enjoy their relationship and look to the future in Queen's Triumph.
There is less politics and space opera here, and I sort of would have liked more. We have the last bit of political manuevers from factions who want to keep power or continue fighting. But the big powers don't want to be fight more battles. The negotiations for peace are a bit of work and not everything is smooth but it progresses. Queen's Triumph is the HEA and a fitting end to the trilogy.
Narration:
I first heard this narrator on this series, but enjoy her work. She sounds right for both male and female voices with comfortable tones. The voices are distinct so I could tell who was speaking. Most of the dialogue was with a handful of characters which made it easier also. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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