The Queen's Gambit (Dain) [Kindle Edition]

Deborah Chester (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The throne was her destiny-until Princess Pheresa lost her groom, Mandria's heir, to the dark magic. Now her fate is uncertain. Her enemies are strong. And her only ally is the last man she would ever choose-and the one man she should never love.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 761 KB
• Print Length: 468 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0441009972
• Publisher: Ace (November 26, 2002)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000OCXG64
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,763 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Since beginning my professional career as a novelist in 1978, I've had over 35 books published, including Regency romances, young adult, science fiction, and fantasy. Some of my early science fiction was published under two pseudonyms -- Sean Dalton and Jay D. Blakeney. Currently I hold the John Crain Presidential Professorship at the University of Oklahoma, where I teach novel and short story writing in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, its worth the time, January 20, 2003

By 

Phillip B. Spotts "cintibookworm" (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit (Paperback)

Not having read the Chalice trilogy I had no preconceived ideas of what this story would be like. I will have to admit I liked it. It is a well-written story with interesting characters, an uncomplicated but not obvious story line and a good finish. In fact didn't find out that there was a sequel until after I finished the book. You can take the ending either way, it works as a lead in to another chapter or it can be viewed as the end itself, period. This is one of the few books I have read lately that has been able to pull this off; Deborah is to be congratulated.

In brief: Good romance, interesting characters, an interesting story line without becoming too complicated.

In all I liked this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Unanswered Questions, March 15, 2003

By 

Lloy Williams "Lloy" (Edmonton) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit (Paperback)

I was looking forward to this book wrapping up some of the dangling threads from The Sword/Ring/Chalice trilogy. Not only were my questions not answered, I am now left with many more dangling plotlines.

I found Pheresa to be a weak, whining character who doesn't begin to buck up until almost the end of the book and is definitely not deserving of her love interest, who, by the way, is about fifty times more interesting than she is. Very disappointing, although I enjoy Chester's style. Quite disappointing for a book I was very much looking forward to.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I only put three because I enjoyed it despite myself, March 6, 2003

By 

Crystarra (Crazyville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit (Paperback)

I'll be blunt, I didn't think there was a lot of depth to this book. I didn't think that there was much depth to her other books either, but this one had even less. This was not your typical "quest" story, so if you need your characters to go on a more physical quest, I'd reccomend against this book.

I think that the book actually started out pretty good. Pheresa wasn't and isn't the strongest character around, which made me like her a little and made the story interesting. I guess I felt like it was almost her quest for self-realization. She's a bit shallow, as she was in the previous books, but well-meaning and likable. She makes the mistake of thinking that strength comes from the power to make orders. She grows and matures in the story which I liked and for the most part, I thought was done nicely. I have to say that the author rode a fine line in the climatic scene where she takes the throne back. It could have easily been anti-climatic, but the confrontation between her and Lervan was, in my opinion, well-done.

However, I had two major problems with this book. First, there was really no room for character development in Talmor because he was more or less perfect. It was a bit sickening. His "flaws" weren't really flaws, they were flaws of the "world" for lack of a better word, who couldn't or wouldn't understand him and who later realized the error of their ways. Second, the feminist in me was pretty disgusted at the scene where Pheresa was willing to run away from the crown and go away with Talmor. She had a responsibility and she was too weak to get it without Talmor's emotional support (Of course, Talmor realized that he couldn't ask that of her). I was very disappointed in that. I felt that it took away from who she could have been. Had that whole scene been downplayed, or just replayed differently, I would have felt that Pheresa had truly become the strong person she wanted to be, who I felt the author wanted her to be and who I wanted her to be. What i wanted of her was for her to realize that strenght didn't mean doing everythig on her own, she could have leaned on Talmor or others, BUT it also means that she is not useless without those others. I know I'm going on and on about that, but I feel it detracted from the story a great deal as well as made her victory over Lervan a little hollow. Otherwise, it was a book that despite my disappointment in her, I enjoyed. Maybe a follow-up book where she continues her growth? Or maybe I should just be happy with what was there :>