Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
The Gargoyle Queen novels, and their predecessors Crown of Shards, are such a guilty pleasure. Estep routinely delivers what's expected: sass, adventure, courtly intrigue, wicked machinations, and female badassery.
Spurned by the machinations of Milo Morricone, Gemma Ripley oscillates between her hunger for revenge and her loyalty to the people of Andvari. Conquer the Kingdom toes a difficult line in the main character's lusting for revenge, the worries of those who love her that she's become hyperfocused, and the very thing she detests: an equivalent of Maeven, the Morricone Queen.
Estep doesn't hold back on the action and intrigue, layering the plot with easter eggs and a series of rewards and fumbles, ultimately delivering a satisfying conclusion to the Gargoyle Queen trilogy.
Spurned by the machinations of Milo Morricone, Gemma Ripley oscillates between her hunger for revenge and her loyalty to the people of Andvari. Conquer the Kingdom toes a difficult line in the main character's lusting for revenge, the worries of those who love her that she's become hyperfocused, and the very thing she detests: an equivalent of Maeven, the Morricone Queen.
Estep doesn't hold back on the action and intrigue, layering the plot with easter eggs and a series of rewards and fumbles, ultimately delivering a satisfying conclusion to the Gargoyle Queen trilogy.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun easy trilogy, perfect for a cold wintery week. I'm glad I stumbled upon these. They are not as good as the original Crown of Shards trilogy but I enjoyed them. The final book tied everything up nicely and left it open for a third series.
I had a difficult time rating this book. The first third was slow and nothing really happened. I loved that Gemma learned to unlock more of her magic and used it in better ways. Leo was amazing. He supported her unconditionally. If she had a hare-brained plan, he just asked, "What can I do?" I feel like the previous books did a better job of bringing the chemistry between them to life. I missed it a little bit in this book. The epic action at the end was truly nail-biting. Dare I hope that there will be books about the third queen mentioned in the prophesy?
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.Jennifer Estep doesn't disappoint with the drama and intrigue in this third installment in the Gargoyle Queen series. Milo and Captain Wexel are still on the loose and Gemma will do anything to stop him.
The final gladiator trials of the season have Gemma back home and preparing for Milo to wreak havoc. At the same time, she's enjoying having Leo with her at home. But nothing is quite that easy. She's frustrated that she can't find Milo and that people will not accept the love of her life. It's a lot of stress on Gemma. But, as usual, Gemma wears her Glitzma persona to try to clear the path for Leo while she figures out Milo's next steps. But there were many times where I wondered when it was all going to become too much for Gemma. Why did it feel like she was the only one in her country bearing all this weight? He father and stepmother were often on the sidelines will our heroine risked her life time and time again. It truly made me wonder why the throne isn't given to her right now because she seems to be the only one doing anything to ensure her people's safety.
I enjoy Gemma. She's spunky, sweet, and wants what's best for everyone...even if that breaks her heart. There's a tiny bit of me that wishes she were a bit more selfish when it comes to Leo and instead of skeaming to get people to like him stand up to those that snub him. Leo and his sister do more for Glitnir than it's own residents do. They need to stop putting their hatred of his mother on him.
Part of the evil that vexes Gemma is over, but there is one that got away. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.Jennifer Estep doesn't disappoint with the drama and intrigue in this third installment in the Gargoyle Queen series. Milo and Captain Wexel are still on the loose and Gemma will do anything to stop him.
The final gladiator trials of the season have Gemma back home and preparing for Milo to wreak havoc. At the same time, she's enjoying having Leo with her at home. But nothing is quite that easy. She's frustrated that she can't find Milo and that people will not accept the love of her life. It's a lot of stress on Gemma. But, as usual, Gemma wears her Glitzma persona to try to clear the path for Leo while she figures out Milo's next steps. But there were many times where I wondered when it was all going to become too much for Gemma. Why did it feel like she was the only one in her country bearing all this weight? He father and stepmother were often on the sidelines will our heroine risked her life time and time again. It truly made me wonder why the throne isn't given to her right now because she seems to be the only one doing anything to ensure her people's safety.
I enjoy Gemma. She's spunky, sweet, and wants what's best for everyone...even if that breaks her heart. There's a tiny bit of me that wishes she were a bit more selfish when it comes to Leo and instead of skeaming to get people to like him stand up to those that snub him. Leo and his sister do more for Glitnir than it's own residents do. They need to stop putting their hatred of his mother on him.
Part of the evil that vexes Gemma is over, but there is one that got away. I can't wait to see what happens next.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
***ARC received from HarperCollins and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***
Conquer the Kingdom is the satisfying conclusion to Jennifer Estep’s Gargoyle Queen trilogy. Set shortly after the previous book Gemma and Leonidas are having to deal with the fall out from the end of the previous book. Milo is still out there on his quest for vengeance and the Kingdom is about to open its doors for the end of season gladiator competition welcoming both friend and foe into this borders
This book is basically non stop action from start to finish with very little downtime. Even the downtime is actively progressing the plot making for a very easy read, I finished it in just a day. As with previous books int he series the author has a way of pulling you in, create a story that keeps you turning the page.
I’ve liked Gemma from the beginning and it was satisfying seeing her come fully into her power and embracing who she is. It’s been hinted out from the beginning of what her fate is and it was fun watching her put it together. My only complaint is I feel Gemma still hasn’t fully accepted how deeply Leonidas cares for her, dragging up old conflicts that felt they could have been resolved prior. The guy loves her and has been willing to give up so much to be with her, he knows where his place is and it takes Gemma some time to figure this out too. Once again Maeven is my favorite of all the characters. She’s complex in her actions and the books spells out some bigger things are at play that guide Maevans hand in the decisions that makes. Compared to Milo who is more of a one note villain she just stands out better. Even Wexel comes off as more complex than Milo but seeing how this is more about Gemma embracing her role I still consider Maevan the main antagonist and Milo is just there to be a threat to move things along. Which doesn’t make him a bad villain, but this series has been setting this up as Gemma and Maevan finally coming to a head and when they do its a satisfying ending to their story arc.
The writing is again wonderful, drawing you in and keeping everything moving along. I also really liked how the author sets herself up for a potential new series as there is still a lot to be explored in this world and I will be back for more.
Conquer the Kingdom is the satisfying conclusion to Jennifer Estep’s Gargoyle Queen trilogy. Set shortly after the previous book Gemma and Leonidas are having to deal with the fall out from the end of the previous book. Milo is still out there on his quest for vengeance and the Kingdom is about to open its doors for the end of season gladiator competition welcoming both friend and foe into this borders
This book is basically non stop action from start to finish with very little downtime. Even the downtime is actively progressing the plot making for a very easy read, I finished it in just a day. As with previous books int he series the author has a way of pulling you in, create a story that keeps you turning the page.
I’ve liked Gemma from the beginning and it was satisfying seeing her come fully into her power and embracing who she is. It’s been hinted out from the beginning of what her fate is and it was fun watching her put it together. My only complaint is I feel Gemma still hasn’t fully accepted how deeply Leonidas cares for her, dragging up old conflicts that felt they could have been resolved prior. The guy loves her and has been willing to give up so much to be with her, he knows where his place is and it takes Gemma some time to figure this out too. Once again Maeven is my favorite of all the characters. She’s complex in her actions and the books spells out some bigger things are at play that guide Maevans hand in the decisions that makes. Compared to Milo who is more of a one note villain she just stands out better. Even Wexel comes off as more complex than Milo but seeing how this is more about Gemma embracing her role I still consider Maevan the main antagonist and Milo is just there to be a threat to move things along. Which doesn’t make him a bad villain, but this series has been setting this up as Gemma and Maevan finally coming to a head and when they do its a satisfying ending to their story arc.
The writing is again wonderful, drawing you in and keeping everything moving along. I also really liked how the author sets herself up for a potential new series as there is still a lot to be explored in this world and I will be back for more.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, it was easy to read and entertaining. I did feel like all three book (especially the last two) really only ramped up plot wise at the last few chapters.
The thing that bothered me most was that there was so much recapping what had happened in the previous books and series that it felt redundant. I found myself skipping segments of the book because I didn’t want to read another retelling of previous events. Every single chapter had at least a few paragraphs just reiterating what had happened before. The plot also felt a little repetitive because Gemma just kept falling for everyone’s traps and schemes over and over again, even if she knew that she was falling into one. She never learned how to outsmart her enemies and their plots, instead relying on fighting her way out of situations stacked against her.
I did really enjoy how descriptive the author was about food and their meals as well as the decor. The characters were all endearing and nicely showed each characters personality and motivations. Even though this was a spin off series, it seems like the author has plot lines prepped for another.
The thing that bothered me most was that there was so much recapping what had happened in the previous books and series that it felt redundant. I found myself skipping segments of the book because I didn’t want to read another retelling of previous events. Every single chapter had at least a few paragraphs just reiterating what had happened before. The plot also felt a little repetitive because Gemma just kept falling for everyone’s traps and schemes over and over again, even if she knew that she was falling into one. She never learned how to outsmart her enemies and their plots, instead relying on fighting her way out of situations stacked against her.
I did really enjoy how descriptive the author was about food and their meals as well as the decor. The characters were all endearing and nicely showed each characters personality and motivations. Even though this was a spin off series, it seems like the author has plot lines prepped for another.
Conquer the Kingdom was a fantastic finish to the Gargoyle Queen Triology. Gemma and her gang are back chasing the very clever Milo to try to save her Kingdom. I loved the way Gemma's character evolved in this series and this book delivered. We get to see her become the fierce young Queen she was meant to be and also get to know the side characters better along the way.
We also get some ~spice~ in this book which we definitely were missing in book one and two. Reading Gemma and Leonidas get to be happy was everything I needed from an ending to a series. I loved watching them go through their trials and tribulations but still get their happily ever after. Reiko also gets her own plot line again in this book with Kai and it was just as fun to read.
Most of my questions were answered in this book, Jennifer did a great job of closing plots she had started from the previous two books. However, she left it on a bit of an open ending... will there be another series in this world? I'm excited to find out!
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Jennifer Estep for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Pub day is March 7th, 2023.
We also get some ~spice~ in this book which we definitely were missing in book one and two. Reading Gemma and Leonidas get to be happy was everything I needed from an ending to a series. I loved watching them go through their trials and tribulations but still get their happily ever after. Reiko also gets her own plot line again in this book with Kai and it was just as fun to read.
Most of my questions were answered in this book, Jennifer did a great job of closing plots she had started from the previous two books. However, she left it on a bit of an open ending... will there be another series in this world? I'm excited to find out!
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Jennifer Estep for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Pub day is March 7th, 2023.