Customer Reviews

The Destined Queen

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was a great follow up to The Wizard's Ward. I liked how the characters from the first book were incorporated into the second. I also liked that some of the characters were more complex (some bad characters were really good, and some of the good characters were really bad). There were certainly twists in the story that I was not expecting, and the action heats up in the second half of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Destined Queen. The sea battle was exciting. The love elements are passionately written. The danger elements are mixed in perfectly. Deb Hale keeps you in suspense while her characters struggle to find a way to succeed in their individual quests. If you enjoy romantic adventure, you should buy this book.

When Maura Woodbury started on her quest to find the Waiting King she was destined to marry him as she was THE DESTINED QUEEN. She is accompanied by outlaw Rath Talward. They fall in love but it is not until the Sacred Glade that Rath is revealed as the Waiting King, the reincarnation of King Elzeban who is destined to return to help Umbria in the darkest hour which is now as the cruel and oppressive Hans rules with an iron fist.

A small bird carrying a message tells them to go the Vestan Islands. When they arrive, the islanders, who fled Umbria when the Hans invaded, give Rath an army to free his countrymen. As the rightful king returns to the homeland Maura must find the staff of Velarken which will grant Rath one wish he must use wisely if he is to defeat the Hans without turning into a tyrant like them.

THE DESTINED QUEEN is romantic fantasy at its very best. The love between the two protagonists gives them the strength against overwhelming odds to believe they can defeat their enemies if they listen to their hearts as well as to their heads. The common people rally around this legendary king but more is needed to oust the enemy from their homeland. Deborah Hale's romantic fantasy is a moving and beautiful tale showcasing two characters who capture the readers interest because they are flawed people trying to do the right thing ever when they are not sure which course that is.

Harriet Klausner

This is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read, and that is saying quite a bit as I read about two books a week. The only thing I would recommend if you intend to read The Destined Queen is to first read it's prequel, The Wizard's Ward. It will help you to better understand it's sequel so you are not as confused as could possibly be. I let my sister read both books, but she read The Destined Queen first and was greatly confused. However after she read the Wizard's Ward, she understood a lot more of the book.

I read The Wizard's Ward, the 1st book in this series, and fell in love with the fantasy world that Deborah Hale created. I had trouble finding this book (I purchased it before I purchased my Kindle), but it was well worth it! This book is even more fantastic than The Wizard's Ward. I didn't think it could get any better! Maura has awakened Rath, the "Waiting King", and she is indeed the "Destined Queen." Maura & Rath must travel into the unknown to search for and fulfill their destinies. The two evolve reconciling themselves to what they need to do and become - to free their beloved Umbria. Along the way, they learn more about themselves and each other and the Old Ways. This book is a wonderful story of adventure, romance, magic, witches, wizards, paranormal creatures, action and much more... I didn't want the story to end. I would not recommend that you read this book on its own... you need to read the 1st book, The Wizard's Ward, first to set the stage. I do highly recommend this series... it's one of the best I've ever read... If you love the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, Discovery of Witches as I do... you'll have found another series to love.

It was a little predictable in parts but overall it was a really good conclusion to the story. I'm glad that in the end they didn't let their own ideals of right and wrong be changed or compromised. I just randomly picked up the first book in a local used book store cause it sounded kind of interesting and I'm really glad I did. Very different from the books I tend to normally read but still just about as good.

I did not find this book even mildly interesting. The characters were simplistic and Maura was almost infantile. Tired plot with clumsily handled dialog. Unbelievably boring.