Queenslayer

Book Title: Queenslayer

Author: Sebastian de Castell

Series: Spellslinger #5

Date Started: May 5th  2024

Date Completed: June 2nd 2024

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Four Star

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

The Spellslinger books are always fun and easy reads with enough excitement and political sleight-of-hand to keep things interesting. I got the first two books for review years ago, so it says something that I'm still reading.

Queenslayer takes place in a new corner of this story's world, with Kellen and Reichis mostly going it alone. While this has happened before, I find it quite impressive that de Castell moves his protagonist away from the established ensemble to explore completely new things. It's something that almost never happens, with authors avoiding resetting the narrative, I suppose to stay in their comfort zone with relationships the audience already love. But Spellslinger is more exciting for it - and it's one of the reasons I keep coming back. Each book feels like a new story - properly, rather than the next chapter of the same old thing.

With that being said, I do ironically have to contradict myself by saying that each book's plot does end up quite repetitive - Kellen and Reichis insist they aren't friends until one of them gets attacked and fears for the other's life, Shalla turns up to gloat, we're introduced to the next female interest that Kellen studiously avoids making a love one, and we get roughly 5-6 daring escapes from insurmountable odds. The changing scenery is ultimately necessary to keep a familiar story fresh, but if it works it works!