The Queen's Starfire Throne
by Hailey Turner
Self-Published
Book 3 in the Infernal War Saga
Every road must come to an end.
THE DEAD. Facing a war where revenants outnumber the living, Caris Rourke must confront a future written in the stars, one she wants no part of. In order to outmaneuver the enemy, Caris must learn to trust her instincts, no matter where they lead, whether into the heart of danger or into the arms of Nathaniel, a dead man walking she should not trust, much less love.
THE WAR. Eimarille Rourke wants nothing more than to be queen of all Maricol and will do anything to succeed, even the unthinkable. Determined to claim the starfire throne for herself, she must first eradicate all other claimants. Seeking to assassinate her sister and brother amidst a war of her own making will lead Eimarille down a road of ruin from which there is no turning back.
THE LIVING. In the wake of the attack on the Warden’s Island, Soren returns to the people who made him into the warden he is today. But the past he thought he’d left behind as a child has given him a name he does not want. Far from the only man he’s ever loved, carrying a vow that could change the course of the war, Soren must decide if destroying his life is worth saving a world.
THE STARS. In the throes of an escalating war, Vanya Sa’Liandel must put his country above all else, even his own happiness. As Houses seek to betray him and the fallout of his family’s past mistakes claws ever closer, not having Soren by his side is an anguish he can’t escape. In the end, the tide of war could turn with an alliance he cannot afford to grant. But years ago, Vanya gave his heart to a warden, and some kinds of love weren’t meant to burn out but to rage like starfire.
Genre
Triggers
War, Violence, Death, Executions
Before I begin, I would like to thank Hailey Turner, her team, and Valentine PR for sending me an arc of The Queen's Starfire Throne in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I once said that I believe that Hailey Turner could be one of the best fantasy writers of our generation. After finishing The Queen's Starfire Throne - the end of the saga - I can easily still stand by my previous statement.
Hailey Turner is phenomenal.
I have yet to read another fantasy that is this rich and diverse in storytelling. Her use of words paints this book, and the others, in perfect detail. It was like a movie playing out in my head as I read it - a movie I would gladly watch over and over again.
As I mentioned in my last two reviews, the worldbuilding Hailey has done in this saga is just perfection. It's incredibly rich, and detailed. Every country feels like an entirely different world - as it should. Each country has deep roots and cultures, that are so different from one another, that it is easy to differentiate between the characters and the people. It makes each point of view that much more interesting.
If the worldbuilding wasn't enough, Hailey also has incredibly rich and complicated characters. Not complicated in a bad way. In a way that makes it easy to fall in love - or hate - the character you are reading. Hailey making the decision to also write POV's of the antagonists of the book give us the readers an opportunity to form our own opinions on the war, and gives us insight into why they make the decisions they do. It also, in a way, humanizes the enemy in a way that is not often seen in books.
While this saga is heavily fantastical and political, one of my favorite things in the saga is the romances. When I first read The Prince's Poisoned Vow, I didn't think I would be able to fully commit to these characters and relationships because of the amount of people we follow in this saga. By the time I finished The Emperor's Bone Palace, I was fully invested. While The Queen's Starfire Throne is the conclusion to the series, it's also the end of the war. All these people are coming together in one way or another.
Does it mean there is less romance in this book than the previous two?
Not necessarily.
In my opinion, there is still lot's of romance in this final book.
Less steamy scenes.
Some very hot ones, but less.
But overall, the romance, the relationships, the love between these characters is all there, and woven beautifully throughout the story.
The Queen's Starfire Throne was a thrilling, captivating, and heartbreaking beautiful conclusion to the Infernal War Saga. If you enjoy rich fantasy and steampunk based books, and love good LGBTQ+ romances, I implore you to read this saga if you haven't yet. I've learned that you can't go wrong with a Hailey Turner book, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Coming soon after release!!
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