Blog Tour: Summer Queen by Amber Argyle (Review & Giveaway)

Title: Summer Queen
Author: Amber Argyle
Series: Fairy Queens, #2
Publication date: April 2, 2015 
Length: 378

Find it here: Amazon | Goodreads

Nelay never wanted to be queen. Poised to become the most powerful priestess in Idara, Nelay doesn’t have time to become a pretty bauble for the king. She’s too busy saving her people from the invading army sweeping across her kingdom. But in defeat after defeat, Nelay begins to realize a bigger power is at play than that wielded by mere mortals. Only she can stand between the cinders of her once-great nation and the vengeance of a goddess.

About the author

Amber Argyle is the number-one bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. Her books have been nominated for and won awards in addition to being translated into French and Indonesian.

Amber graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people.

Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Mail | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

Argyle's street team

My Review

Earlier this year I read and adored Of Fire and Ash, the prequel novella to Summer Queen. The main character Nelay quickly made her way to the top of my list of favorite characters and I was dying to read more about her. When I got my hands on Summer Queen, I was both utterly excited and a bit scared. What if I didn’t love it as much as its prequel? What if my expectations would ruin it? Luckily that did not happen. I loved Summer Queen from page one and it exceeded my expectations by far. I could not have asked for more.

After reading Summer Queen, Nelay rose even higher on my list of favorite characters. I think she’s an amazing heroine and I love her to pieces. She’s strong and brave and kind and stubborn. She’s intelligent and independent and sassy and just awesome in every kind of way. I love that she knows that she’s awesome and that she doesn’t try to diminish her awesomeness or let other people run her down. She drives the story forward and even though there are forces trying to push her in this and that direction, she always finds a way to turn everything into going in the direction she wants. She’s not a player in someone’s game, she’s the game leader of her own life. It’s her choices, her moves and I simply love that. It’s so refreshing!

Nelay is not the only character I came to love. This book is full of lovable characters. The sassy and witty best friend Jezzel, the smuggler Rycus and his gang of tribesmen and the brave little girl Kalla, just to name a few. Argyle really shows that she can create interesting and three-dimensional characters. Not only lovable ones, but awful and evil ones as well. There’s a wide variety of characters, and every single one of them have depth and a story of their own to tell and I really like that. I also like that no one is simply good or evil – the characters are layered and flawed and I think it’s quite clear everyone has both light and dark inside them, as most of us do.

The story is action-packed from the first page to the very last. It’s quite a long book, but it never feels long, because you fly through the pages, dying to know what’s going to happen next. A true page-turner! I really like the depth of the story and how there are a lot of “smaller” storylines within the main one. There is so much going on, and when you finish you truly feel like you’ve been part of a great journey. You haven’t been an idle bystander, you’ve been in the midst of the fire, fighting side by side with Nelay. Not all stories have the power to make you part of the story in that way, but this one does, and in my opinion it can’t get better than that. If a book have that power, it will be loved and it will stay with you forever.

Summer Queen is not only entertaining and thrilling, it’s also an emotional roller coaster. Halfway through the book I wasn’t sure I’d be able to continue due to all the feels. It was too much for my heart too handle. In a good way (if that even makes sense) because I love when a book give you all the feels. There is a lot of happiness and love and friendship, but also a lot of heart wrenching pain and death and darkness. As I said, an emotional roller coaster. In the best of ways.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, thrilling and entertaining fantasy, that will have you both cry your eyes out and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Summer Queen is the book to read. If you also like your books to contain a strong heroine, just the right amount of swoon-worthy romance and a lot of action, I don’t know what you’re waiting for - go pick it up! I love it so, so much and can’t recommend it enough.

Favorite quote

Giveaway

Summer Queen sounds awesome, doesn't it? For the chance to win an ebook copy, leave a comment with your name and e-mail and you'll be entered in the giveaway. The giveaway ends April 20 at 12.00 (Swedish time). Good luck! :) 

The giveaway is over and the winner was Lisa. 

  

Until the end of this month you can get the prequel novella to Summer Queen, Of Fire and Ash, for FREE. Just follow the links: Kindle | Epub

Haven't read the first book in the Fairy Queens series? Winter Queen is only 0.99 cents from April 10th-17th: Amazon 

The first book in Argyle's Witch Song series is still FREE across all platsforms: Amazon

//Frida