Starred review from February 1, 2021
Queen Talyien, or Tali, has finally arrived back in Oren-yaro, but is treated more as a criminal than a leader. Her former best friend and lover, Agos, is dead; her husband, Rayyel, is still distant and doubtful of their son's parentage; the warlords are all against her; and Prince Yuebek still pursues her hand and threatens war. Tali also faces the spreading darkness in Jin-Sayeng, one caused by her father and the secrets he kept through his life. A woman who has been determined to get out from under her father's shadow, Tali realizes that her path may have already been created by him. The only way to save her son and her nation may be to bend to the will of everyone but herself. Villoso has built an intricate world of politics and people, filled with honest, sometimes chaotic relationships and bad decisions that hook readers throughout. VERDICT The stunning conclusion of the "Chronicles of the Bitch Queen" series (after The Ikessar Falcon) is filled with high-stakes action, emotions, and magic, with an ending that will not disappoint.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 29, 2021
Villoso brings her Chronicles of the Bitch Queen trilogy to a strong conclusion (following The Ikessar Falcon) as Queen Talyien, newly returned to her splintered kingdom of Jin-Sayeng, is beset by challenges to her rule—and to her realm’s survival. Talyien is held captive in her own castle by her husband, Rayyel, whose family accuses her of bearing an illegitimate child. Though magic proves her son, Thanh, to be trueborn, he is still held hostage in a distant province. Meanwhile, Prince Yuebek of Zarojo, a powerful mage, has landed with an army and seeks Talyien’s hand in marriage—despite the fact that she has already killed him once. Looming over all these problems is a rift in reality that is corrupting the magical force called agan, causing Talyien’s subjects to turn into monsters and her land’s dragons to go mad. Her long-dead father, Yeshin, knew of this threat and set plans in motion to combat it, but enacting his scheme will require Talyien to make a terrible choice. Villoso burdens her protagonist with horrible dilemmas and asks no less of supporting characters, among them the con artist Khine Lamang, who followed Talyien to Jin-Sayeng. Fantasy readers who enjoy well-drawn characters, bloody battles, and noble sacrifices will welcome this. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc.
May 14, 2021
The Bitch Queen trilogy (beginning with The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, 2020) reaches a heart-wrenching conclusion as Queen Talyien (Tali) faces deceit and betrayal at every turn. After she is reunited with her estranged husband, Rayyel, the two race to rescue their son and kingdom from their own allies and the spreading magic that corrupts people and dragons. As Tali peels back the layers of her deceased father's master plan, she must sacrifice everything she holds dear to bring it to fruition and save Jin-Sayeng. Or she could abandon it all, disappearing to live happily as a peasant, avoiding politics and the mad prince her father wanted her to marry. Every time she comes close to making that choice, another piece of the puzzle drops in her lap, and she scurries to stay ahead of her enemies. Tali spends a significant portion of the story digging into her own past to determine what, other than a despised queen, she wants to be in her life, should she even be given the choice.
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