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A. R. Kahler
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Pale Queen Rising Kindle Edition

by A. R. Kahler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 1,987 ratings
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As the royal assassin, Claire is used to moving between the mortal world and the Winter Kingdom. When the queen commands her to kill, Claire does the job and doesn’t ask questions. Her deadly skills and loyalty are soon tested when Claire is sent to the Immortal Circus, one of the many places where “Dream” is harvested from the imaginings of mortals, and someone is causing it to mysteriously disappear. Claire’s job is to find the culprit before the Winter Kingdom’s supply of Dream is depleted enough to threaten its very survival. But when she meets Roxie, a beautiful mortal singer with a strange link to the Dream thieves, Claire quickly recognizes an odd and unexplained connection that may cloud her judgment. As each new clue unveils another secret, Claire finds herself confronting the riddle of her own buried past—and a dangerous illusion that, as part of the Immortal Circus, is just another act in the show.

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Pale Queen
  2. Print length
    256 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    47North
  6. Publication date
    October 1, 2015
  7. File size
    1555 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

It’s hard to love an assassin—but every once in a while, a fictional killer is hard to resist. Take Claire, for example. Raised from a young age to carry out the dirty deeds of the Faerie Queen, Claire has matured into a sarcastic, charismatic, dagger-wielding adult with a chip on her shoulder and a grab bag of vivid magic.

As Claire narrates her dangerous investigation into the dual mysteries of her own shrouded origins and a magic-smuggling operation that threatens the Faerie realm, I found myself increasingly enthralled that the nonstop action transpires through the prism of her hard-edged charm. “Most people think my job as a royal assassin sucks,” Claire begins. “It’s bloody thankless work,” she adds, excusing the pun.

Perhaps, but while this fast-paced tale is occasionally bloody, reading it is hardly work—and never thankless. An important part of its attraction arises in the story’s lucid settings, from the streets of New York to the darkest corners of the Winter Kingdom and the exquisitely imagined Cirque des Immortels (Immortal Circus), where a motley cast of enchanting performers animates the magical troupe first popularized in A. R. Kahler’s fantasy series of the same name.

With the introduction of this new series, Kahler’s evolving understanding of visual, evocative, and performative storytelling shines through every page. If you’ll forgive my own pun, Pale Queen Rising is a killer book.



- Jason Kirk, Editor

About the Author

Originally from small-town Iowa, A. R. Kahler attended an arts boarding school to study writing at the age of sixteen. Since then, he has traveled all over the world, earning a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Glasgow and teaching circus arts in Amsterdam and Madrid. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

For more information, please visit www.arkahler.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00VARL00Q
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ 47North (October 1, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1555 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 1,987 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
A. R. Kahler

A. R. Kahler

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Alex is many things, but first and foremost, he's a Sagittarius.

He's taught circus in Amsterdam and Madrid, gotten madly lost in the Scottish wilderness, drummed with Norse shamans, and received his Masters in Creative Writing from Glasgow University. And that's the abbreviated list.

He is the author of THE RUNEBINDER CHRONICLES, THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, THE PALE QUEEN, RAVENBORN, and much much more. He also writes middle grade under the pseudonym K.R. Alexander.

He is represented by Brent Taylor of Triada US Literary.

Personal Site : http://www.arkahler.com

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
1,987 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the plot entertaining, interesting, and compelling. They praise the writing style as well-written, fast, and concise. However, some find the pacing slow and frustrating. Opinions are mixed on the story quality, character development, and interest. Some find the characters well-developed and engaging, while others say they're poorly developed and flat.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityWriting styleStory qualityCharacter developmentInterestSexy contentSexual contentPacing
196 customers mention "Readability"189 positive7 negative

Customers find the book interesting, entertaining, and compelling. They say the plot is thick with detail and the story moves along well.

"...Overall, the book was very entertaining, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I can't wait to read Cold Dream Dawning when it comes out!" Read more

"...There was a lot good action and the story moved along well, I'd say better than the Immortal Circus, and I am looking forward to finding out what..." Read more

"...Good action, interesting supernaturals, and a decent plot went a long way towards making me read it almost straight through to the end. However...." Read more

"...phenomenal writer who’s descriptions are vivid and on point, drawing you into the story and leaving you fascinated and wanting more, even in the..." Read more

108 customers mention "Writing style"82 positive26 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, fast, and concise. They appreciate the vivid and on-point descriptions that draw them into the story. Readers also appreciate the well-thought-out concept, real language, and creative imagination.

"...I was interested and able to read it pretty quickly, especially the last hundred pages, which is saying a lot for me...." Read more

"...This turned out to be an interesting take on the standard Fae world, and on the whole, I rather enjoyed it...." Read more

"...enjoy this book – Kahler is a phenomenal writer who’s descriptions are vivid and on point, drawing you into the story and leaving you fascinated and..." Read more

"...Here is the thing with Kahler, he has a great imagination. His imaginary world is fantastic and I think it has a lot of promise...." Read more

95 customers mention "Story quality"40 positive55 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality. Some mention it has a lot of action, interesting supernaturals, and a decent plot. Others say it's not a well-developed story and the ending doesn't really conclude anything.

"...It is not a horrible read. It just isn't a well developed story...." Read more

"...does a great job making a faery-assassin seem completely human, throwing in quirks, likes, and dislikes that make her relatable...." Read more

"This tale is intriguing yet supremely frustrating. The characters well, really none of them are really likeable even the main character...." Read more

"...There was a lot good action and the story moved along well, I'd say better than the Immortal Circus, and I am looking forward to finding out what..." Read more

86 customers mention "Character development"53 positive33 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book. Some mention the characters are well-developed and engaging, while others say they're poorly developed and flat.

"...(usually a turn-off for likability, unless you're Dexter), Claire is likable...." Read more

"...Prose, in essence, seem to be lacking.Character building also just just average...." Read more

"...Claire is a great character. She’s strong and smart-assed...." Read more

"...the adopted daughter of Mab the Winter Queen, and she’s an agreeable enough companion in a very kickbutt way, we begin with a hit on a Starbuck’s..." Read more

40 customers mention "Interest"13 positive27 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some mention it's unique and keeps their attention most of the time. However, others say it'd be a waste of their time and not a fulfilling read.

"...the Heroine (although portrayed as a strong warrior) was rather pathetic...." Read more

"...The characters well, really none of them are really likeable even the main character. Maybe there is some hope for her but not much in this book...." Read more

"...The book does have a lot of action and keeps your reading to find out more...." Read more

"...Sadly for the reader of 'Pale Queen Rising', Claire is an unlikable, snotty character who is written like a stupid middle-schooler with an attitude...." Read more

12 customers mention "Sexy content"6 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the sexy content. Some mention it's interesting, has good action, and a good theme. Others say the edgy, tacky, and silly scenes are graphic.

"I found this book on a list of books for Kindle First. It looked interesting...." Read more

"...supposed to be super cool; maybe he's trying to be edgy, but it's just sloppy and annoying...." Read more

"I got this as a free book because it looked interesting and was pleasantly surprised with a story that draws you in from the first few pages...." Read more

"Is a good read. Not the usual faerie story. A bit edgy. Is not suitable for young people. I want to know more!" Read more

9 customers mention "Sexual content"3 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the sexual content of the book. Some mention it has an interesting romance and relationships are developing. Others say it's heavy on the sex and violence for their taste.

"...Not much romance to be found here, so I'd look elsewhere if that's what you want...." Read more

"...writing was good, a bit young adult with a sexy flare, and enough interesting romance to indulge guilty pleasures...." Read more

"...rated, the language would definitely make it R rated, The sexual content is barely PG 13...." Read more

"Not bad, but a bit heavy on the sex and violence for my taste. The ending seemed a bit abrupt - neither a conclusion or a real cliff hanger...." Read more

15 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive15 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow and frustrating. They say it takes a little time to get going.

"...I liked the world, but was frustrated with the slow information doled out regarding the Heroine's life...." Read more

"This book took a little time to get going. I was most interested towards the end. I will most likely get the second book...." Read more

"...The plot was interesting but moved rather slowly. I love fantasy but this wasn't a great fantasy read." Read more

"...get my $ out of Kindle Unlimited fee.... Because this book took me so long to finish!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Alyssa Weaver
4.0 out of 5 stars Pale Queen Rising
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
Faeries and faery assassins! I'm in! One of the first things that drew me in in this book is Claire's sense of humor. I would imagine a sense of humor would be important in her particular line of work, which she refers to as "bloody thankless work" in the second sentence of the novel, just after she excuses the pun. It's that sense of humor that drew me in as a reader. Despite the fact that she kills for a living (usually a turn-off for likability, unless you're Dexter), Claire is likable. A.R. Kahler does a great job making a faery-assassin seem completely human, throwing in quirks, likes, and dislikes that make her relatable. I'm reading her dislike of the cold (funny because she's an assassin for the Winter Kingdom) with an agreeing nod. As far as the other characters, I think I found Kahler's portrayal of Mab to be very interesting. A look back in this blog will show a review of another few books featuring Mab (Iron King, Iron Daughter, Iron Queen, Wondrous Strange), so I clearly like to read books about faeries. And I think it's fascinating how each author writes these standard set of characters. In Pale Queen Rising, Mab is waaaay less scary than she is in most of the other novels I've read. She is, on some level, still relatable. Claire describes her at one point as looking like a lost little girl - not a description I'd ever expect to be used with Mab.

One character I couldn't get myself to like was Roxie. Much of her role just didn't make sense. Until it did, I suppose. Even Claire couldn't understand why she liked the girl, which is important to note. Even in real life, if you can't figure out why you like someone, it might be worth a little more introspection! But that's slightly tangential, so we'll move on.

I really did like Kingston's character, as ringleader of the Immortal Circus. I wanted to see more of him, have him play a bigger role. I didn't realize when I read this that the series was a spin-off of The Immortal Circus series, so now I definitely want to go read those since a few characters in Pale Queen Rising made their debut there.

My biggest complaint about this novel was the fact that a lot of the questions about Claire's past and why it's important aren't answered (yet). Book 2, Cold Dream Dawning, isn't set to come out until May of 2016, so I have high hopes that these questions will be answered. There were just a few times where Claire would be going about, doing her assassin-thing, and the transition to the mystery of her past would jump in and seem very abrupt. Like it didn't quite relate to what was going on. The ending definitely hints that it will relate once Kahler is done with the series, but for now, I feel a little unsatisfied. But is that really a bad thing?

Who would I recommend this book to? New adults (the 20-somethings), mature young adults (there's a lot of discussion of sexual topics, and Claire presents herself as bi-sexual so just keep that in mind), fans of novels about faeries, fans of fantasy novels. Not much romance to be found here, so I'd look elsewhere if that's what you want. Overall, the book was very entertaining, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I can't wait to read Cold Dream Dawning when it comes out!
2 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars It helps if you read "The Immortal Circus" series first
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
I chose this book a long time ago as a First Read, and as I slowly make my way through those books, I was glad I got to this one. I hadn't read "The Immortal Circus" series when I chose this book, I read it by chance later and then realized the connection after rereading the synopsis. You don't have to read that series first, this book is a pretty good stand alone book one in a new series, but I find that backstory helps tremendously; and after reading some other reviews, I feel like people didn't know there was another series before this one. I know who Claire is from the beginning. I read her differently than someone who doesn't know. While certain reveals might have had more impact if I didn't know, part of me likes knowing something that the main character doesn't know, especially when it's a first person perspective and all you know is what she tells you and experiences. There was a lot good action and the story moved along well, I'd say better than the Immortal Circus, and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next with Claire. I was interested and able to read it pretty quickly, especially the last hundred pages, which is saying a lot for me. There are things that I can't completely remember from the first series, but the important stuff came back as it was mentioned. So I would recommend reading that series first, or before you continue with this one.
4 people found this helpful
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Jcat
3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but could have been so much better.
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
I selected this as my Kindle First option for this month. I was extremely happy to see a fantasy selection. This turned out to be an interesting take on the standard Fae world, and on the whole, I rather enjoyed it.

I liked the world, but was frustrated with the slow information doled out regarding the Heroine's life. It took 10% of the book before a reader found out whether the girl was Fae or mortal. It took over a third of the book before getting any further real information on how she ended up as an Assassin for the Winter Queen. I could have endured this easier if the Heroine was more likable; but for some reason she rubbed me the wrong way throughout most of the book.

Good action, interesting supernaturals, and a decent plot went a long way towards making me read it almost straight through to the end. However. arriving at the end, I sadly discovered that it was not the end in any way or form. Yes, you guessed it--cliffhanger. A resolution of some sort would have been nice in this book, even though it is part of a series.

Much as I was drawn into the story and some of the characters, the Heroine (although portrayed as a strong warrior) was rather pathetic. Her lack of personal magic, her insecurity, and her naivety made her virtually my least favorite character. Add to that the unsatisfactory ending, and it brought the book down to a "just OK" read for me, sorry.
33 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sci Fi Peat
4.0 out of 5 stars Ideal reading for those who like a mystical heroine
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2018
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An entertaining read and not the usual content that choose to read.
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CHD
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book one
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2018
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It has intrigue betrayal sex love hate all in one. Looking forward to book two. Loving the cold winter plot
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Marcho
3.0 out of 5 stars Slow starting, kept me reading but a dissappointing end
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
Nearly gave up at beginning. Then found it interesting but very dissappointing finish.
Will not be getting the sequel. But it did have some interesting twists.
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Courtney
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016
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Good read, especially on from the immortal circus books.
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John Moody
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
Rollicking yarn that meant I had to buy the related books
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