Blood Queen (Lharmell Series book 3) by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Curtis Brown Unlimited (21 March 2015) Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00VEFCWEC
Series: Yes

Release date 21 April 2015 through Amazon Kindle initially and paperback later.

Summary
After losing Rodden at the last Turning, Zeraphina is alone. Or she would be, if her mother and Prince Folsum would leave her in peace. The prince, blind in one eye after an attack by Zeraphina’s brant, has taken up residence in her home and is insisting she marry him. When an accident happens, Zeraphina flees – straight into the arms of a waiting harming. Now a captive, she discovers she’s being taken to Lharmell. But not to be executed. To be crowned queen. The identity of the one who has given the orders is shrouded in mystery, and Zeraphina can’t help but be suspicious. After everything she’s done the Lharmellins should want her dead. Just who is awaiting her in Lharmell?

Fall out from the events in books one (Blood Song) and two (Blood Storm) start to impact the characters in this book which culminates into an action packed show down. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It kept me entertained the whole way through. There is so much that I want to write and discuss about this book, however I wont so this review will not spoil the book for those who will read it. So this review will be quite broad and general.

Zeraphina is broken in this book. She is a pretty self obsessed, miserable, addict. Consumed with grief for the loss of Rodden. But with the help of Raufo she begins to put her life back together even though she is being led to her doom.

There is a whole lot of action going on but there is a slowish start first (you know only one person died and nothing got destroyed), but from the middle of the book things start to really get moving. From there on it is action packed and fast moving the rest of the way. The slow start does make sense and it isn't frustrating.

I found a new respect for Zeraphinas mother and sister who were more then met the eye. In the previous two books her mother seemed shallow, cold, and self serving and her sister shallow and to concerned about what others thought. In this book we get to see more depth to their characters.

This was a satisfying ending to the trilogy and didn't feel rushed, forced or skipped over.  If you are a fan of the series you should like this book and be happy with the ending (though I'm really not happy the trilogy has ended).

Blood Phantom - A Story of Lharmell by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 4 out of 5
Title: Blood Phantom - A story of Lharmell
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Format: Ebook - Short story
ASIN:B00H5RBSC0

Summary

"Life in tatters and far from home, Rodden Lothskorn struggles to cope with the harming menace and his own harming nature. When an offer of marriage reaches his friend, Prince Amis, Rodden discovers that the bride’s inhospitable homeland might contain one part of the harming poison he would dearly like to get his hands on. But if summoned northwards, will Princess Lilith bring something – or someone – he dreads most with her? Locked in a years-long struggle with the Lharmellins, Rodden senses the battle is only now about to begin."

Review

I discovered the Lharmell series last year and I loved the first two books, Blood Song and Blood Storm.  So when I learned there was going to be a Rodden short story I was pretty excited. Then the author Rhiannon asked me if I would like to review her short story and, well, I can neither confirm nor deny, but pretty sure I squealed.

Blood Phantom is the prequel to the first book in the Lharmell series Blood Song. The story is told from Rodden's perspective and is set in the period just before, and at the start of, the events in Blood Song.

As you would expect from a short story, this is a quick read and not too in depth. There is no major plot development or story reveals here. It is short, sweet, and gives us a glimpse into the world of Rodden and Amis.

There are a couple of story nuggets revealed that help us understand Rodden better, and explains a couple of events that happened in Blood Song. 

I liked that we got to learn more about Amis. I got a better understanding of the Prince which I had not gotten from the main series. In the main books he doesn't get a lot of "page time" as he is not a major character (yet, maybe in book 3 this may change? who knows).

Then it finished and I am afraid to say I did a bit of a minion impersonation "whaaaattt???". I even scrolled back through the book to make doubly sure it had finished and that my down loading of the ebook hadn't got stuffed up.

So my only complaint is that it ended way too soon. I know, I know "short story" should have alerted me to the fact that it was going to end far sooner than normal. It did, I knew it was coming, I still didn't like it. I was having too much of a good time to want it to stop.

Good news is I only have to wait till April 2014 for book 3 Blood Queen to come out.

If you are a fan of the series then this is a good complimentary read and I recommend giving it a go.

Want a copy? Get your copy from Amazon.

Want to know more about Rhiannon? You can follow Rhiannon at her blog Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered.

Lastly thank you Rhiannon Hart for letting me part of your blog tour.

Blood Storm (Lharmell Series Book 2) by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 5 out of 5
Title: Blood Storm
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Series: Book 2
File Size: 551 KB
Print Length: 227 pages
Publisher: Random House Australia (July 25, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00821K0JK
ISBN 1742754783
ISBN13: 9781742754789

It's official, I am now addicted to this series.

I enjoyed this book way more then the first. The first book Blood Song was good and I enjoyed it. But the second book is where I really went "wow".

In this book we see Zeraphina and Rodden go off adventuring into the sunset to go kill some baddies. Boo-yeah.

The action is fantastic, the story fast paced. I really enjoy Hart's writing and the more modern feel to her fantasy series. Hart's dry wit, is evident everywhere. Particularly in the banter between Zeraphina and Rodden. I admit I sniggered and chuckled through quite a few of the scenes. There were also some really creepy scenes as we learn more about the Harmings and Rodden's past (see the quote below).

The story doesn't set up a series  of convenient scenarios for the hero and heroine to have some alone time together that awakens their passions for each other ("oh dear only tavern around has one room and one bed we will just have to share, no no I wouldn't dare take advantage of you while sleeping", "oh opps we are high in the mountains camping and it is very cold and don't have enough warm clothes, how unfortunate we will just have to keep each other warm" and so on). They are not cold to each other, there is still tension, but there is no convenient set ups here to move the story in that direction.

Finally the ending, omg the ending, I have to say well played Rhiannon Hart. You sucked me in real good and I will be reading book three. I will even make sure I survive the Mayan Apocalypse in the event it does happen just so I can find out what happens in book three.

My reaction to the ending went something like this "wait, what just happened? no seriously that can't be the end. Did that just happen? no surely not I am sleep deprived and jet lagged so surely I imagined that ending. *re-reads the ending just do double check* Crap no that really did just happen *waaaaaaaa*" It's been a long time since I got to the end of a book in a series and want to throw an epic tantrum because the ending was so good, so cliff hangery, and all I wanted was the next book and it wasn't THERE! Seriously my toddler would have been proud of the internal tantrum I had and the old fashioned sulk after as I realised there is nothing I can do but wait till next year for the next book.

But I have it on good authority there is a Rodden short story being released soonish. So that should stave off the with drawl shakes, or make them worse. Either way I don't care and will be reading it.

Extras
Still doubtful about the awesomeness of this book weeellll here is an extract from Blood Storm.

Blood Song (Lharmell Series Book 1) by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 4 out of 5 stars
Title: Blood Song
Author: Rhiannon Hart
File Size: 440 KB
Print Length: 165 pages
Publisher: Random House Australia (August 31, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005HLJY8G
ISBN:1742750966
ISBN (13): 9781742750965

Synopsis
When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated. Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more. Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

My initial thoughts
This is a fun book, light and easy to read and I have found a new fantasy series to enjoy. If you like your fantasy more "old school" then this may not be the book for you.

First Paragraph

"I was thinking of blood again so I went to practice archery. That's what I always did when I thought I was going to kill something. I hit the bulls eye every time and nothing had died yet, so at least I had that going for me."

Digging deeper
It is what I would call a modern fantasy novel in that the language is modern, and you don't spend half the book confused as to what the author is talking about as you try to work out the made up languages. This for me is great, I am not a fan of the full on fantasy's like Lord of The Rings. I don't think I have read more then one chapter of that book before I gave up after every attempt.

I loved the main character Zeraphina she was a strong clever girl but a little impulsive. She isn't perfect as she does try to please and fit in with her sister and mother. Zeraphina and Rodden are cute and awkward together, there is attraction but suspicion as Zeraphina and Rodden try to work out what the other is there for (I will leave it at that as I don't want to reveal any spoilers).

Zeraphina's sharp tongue is what drives most of the humour. The humour through the book is dry, smart and made me chuckle out loud a few time. It didn't feel forced or there for the sake of it. As it was part of Zeraphina's nature it just fitted in easily with the book.

The world building and story telling is a careful blend of information to describe the world (with out info dumping) and setting up story arcs for the next books (I want to know more about Leap NOW just telling me it's not a normal cat does not help me, and where do I get one of them ride-on flying birdy things?). The pace is fast but the story doesn't suffer and does not bog down when the information is given.

The only down side to this book is it is book one of a series, and so there are peeks into characters lives and bigger issues with in the world and the then you get left hanging. I am sure these will be resolved in the coming books but this didn't bother me while reading this book when it usually does. I did notice it but didn't care. I know these threads are important and eventually we will learn more about it.

Final Analysis
Read this book at your peril or you might turn into a fan girl/boy like the rest of us. Also make sure you have book 2 lined up and ready to go because the ending of this book will make you go "what happened to the rest of it? Why did it stop? I am not ready for it to stop. I want to know now what happens next.....waaaaa". Or something to that effect.

Book two is on my kindle ready for my holiday. Yee-ha!

Extras
Check out the following reviews by clicking on the hyperlinks.

The Eclectic Readers reviews of Blood Song and the second book Blood Storm .

Also A Ticket To Anywhere first brought this book to my attention with her review of Blood Song.