Customer Reviews

Worlds of The Golden Queen

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

 

 

I really liked the first book, it was inventive, had pretty good characterization and made you want to know what was going to happen. It was predictable at the end, but you liked the characters and wanted to know what their fate turned out to be. Again, some very creatice ideas.

Book two reads as if it is written by a different author. Same characters, a little bit of creativity but to me, very different. It was very unusual to be reading about people you think you know who turn out to be strangers.

First book - 4 or five stars, second book - one or two stars. If possible try to find book one, read it and enjoy. Don't ruin a good thing by reading book two

I found this two-in-one book to be very fun and exciting but not quite as good as Farland's Runelords series. The second story seemed to be unfinished and cry out for a sequel/conclusion.

In the first novel, The Golden Queen, the "human" (Tharrin, really who are genetically enhanced and have been engineered by humans to be leaders) was defeated as was her Lord Escort, Veriasse by the insectoid Dronons and so the Dronons are taking over the ten thousand worlds over which she reigned. Lord Veriasse, her near-immortal consort who barely survived, has created a new queen: Everynne, cloned from the dead original. They are leaping from world to world via instantaneous transport gates. The Dronons are trying hard to find them and are very close behind. They come to a world where it is "backward" to the Tharrins and others. It is like Ireland in the 19th century perhaps -- no electricity, phones ,etc. Everynne and Veriasse come to an inn where Gallen O'Day, a for-hire bodyguard and general wild lawman, is having an ale with Orick, a talking and intelligent black bear. Maggie Flynn who wishes to marry Gallen even though she is not quite 17, works the inn for John Mahoney. Gallen immediately notices Everynne as she has pheromones that attact people, especially men, and she is very beautiful.

Gallen goes off to escort a drunk friend home over the hills and is attacked by robbers and is outnumbered 12 to 1. He is doing pretty well although the drunk is knocked out and he is injured but then a "sidhe" appears in black robes and lavender face mask and helps run off the rest of the robbers. While Gallen is fighting, Orick sees a Dronon (though to him it is just a monster) trying to get into a window of the inn. He sounds an alarm and attacks the Dronon. More Dronons come and the village priest tries to hold them off but he is also killed.

Luckily Everynn and Veriasse have already left for another gate and Gallen meets up with them and Maggie and Orick to give them escort to the gate. Of course they end up running to it pursued by the Dronons and all of them go through to another world.

It is on these other worlds that Gallen, Maggie and Orick learn through "mantles" more about the world and the marvelous machines in them and that their home world is very primitive in comparison. They also decide to help Everynne and Veriasse defeaet the current Dronon Golden Queen's Lord Escort so that Everynne can become the new Golden Queen and reclaim the worlds for humans and other races to chase off the Dronons. The Dronons want every race to be like them or serve them. How the band of travellers arrives on Dronon and battles is the climax of this story.

The second story or book is "Beyond the Gate". Gallen, Maggie and Orick are back on their home world to hide from the Dronons. Unfortunately, their own people have become jealous and angered by what they perceive as Gallen's criminal behavior based on the testimony of a couple surviving robbers. Gallen and Maggie finally get married after many trials and Gallen lets Maggie know that Everynne needs their help or at least Gallen's help for a trapped Tharrin woman on another world. The three of them travel to this world and find the young woman, Cerravanne, who was once a leader of many of the races of people but now with help from the Dronons the "Inhuman" is infecting everyone.

The races of people they meet, how they survive and how they deal with the Inhuman packs alot of adventure and excitement as well as some issues of humanity and morality. A wonderful tale -- but now what happens to Maggie as Golden Queen and Gallen as her Lord Escort???

I don't review many books, though I read many. I thought I would chime in on this one as so few have done so. This is a very good series that has interesting characters and a very interesting world construction. While some of the concepts, the "Stargates" are not all that new the sum is far better than the parts. I enjoyed it so much that I reread it several times which for me is about as strong an endorsement that I can give.

This is the first two books of a trilogy. When first published the author was Dave Wolverton: several excellent books were published under that name. The last book of the trilogy is "Lords of the Seventh Swarm." I really liked this series, but I do not understand why the last book was left out of this edition.

I really enjoyed these stories. I had to start the first story more than once, but after I got into it I devoured the tales.

Orick the (Catholic) Bear is an interesting character, and I found his ruminations in the second book particularly compelling. Gallen as a born fighter is well-developed, and I enjoyed reading about Maggie's blossoming from responsible youth to responsible adult.
Without giving much away, I would like to say that I hoped to find out what happened to a certain character and the ending seemed rather abrupt, yet was complete enough.

This would be a great book, particularly for those who don't typically read large books but love a good adventure story and a sense of accomplishment. I think you'd enjoy it.

As both an author and reader of fiction, I was impressed with "Worlds of The golden Queen". Maybe it is because I have always enjoyed a book that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. Give this book a try and get two stories for the price of one.
The fiction book that I have written main story theme is about ten years in the life of a little girl who was "chosen by God" to be the next Madonna in the second coming of Christ. Yes it has cloning in it.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth