Review: Demon Queen by Kassandra Lynn

DEMON QUEEN

Demon Kingdom Fairy Tales, Book 3

by Kassandra Lynn

YA Fantasy

159 pages

Adriana once again finds herself on the verge of another coronation, but this time as Sebastian Dalman’s demon queen. Disguised as her protector for five years, he had guarded her closely as the head of her guard while keeping his identity hidden from everyone, including her. Now, Sebastian has claimed back what was rightfully his, the demon scepter and his betrothed—Adriana. But in a land of demons, secrets dwell deep and they have a nasty habit of revealing themselves.

MY TIDBITS

I did read the other two books in this series--and enjoyed both immensely--and would not recommend reading this book as a stand alone. There is quite a bit of background information not only in the plot but character relationships and goals, which is necessary to know before diving into this last adventure.

Adriana, like in both of the other books before, again finds herself at a coronation. Again, it is her own, but this time as the Queen, wed to Sebastian. And again, the entire event is blown by the way side as the castle falls under attack. I enjoyed the repetition in the opening scenes, each similar but so different that it made a perfect way to dive with Adriana into the next rush. And this story is a rush.

There's never a dull moment as Adriana fights not only for her life and those of who she cares for, but also her kingdom, that which is right, and her heart. She has a full plate and not much time to clear it all. Luckily, this isn't a huge novel, which lessens the guilt when the reader can't put the book down until the last page. Adriana is pulled from one situation into the next without time to rest, which does wear her and her comrades down.

The fairly wide array on characters and their intentions makes this a layered story, and although it's pretty clear what each party wants, Adriana is stuck in the middle emotionally. There's never a clear cut black and white for her, despite her desire to do what's right. And that gives her a nice, realistic touch.

The only thing which bothered me about this book was the ending. It's sweet and the ends are nicely wrapped up, but it concludes to quickly. I missed another chapter to help glide the reader back down from the adventure and give time for the ending to sink in completely.

Otherwise, this was a fun series with more action than character depth, tons of spark and adventure to keep the tension high until the end. Oh, and there's romance too. Lots of that. And both heroes are so wonderful, it's hard to decide which one to cheer for.