Scan barcode
bookwormbunny's review against another edition
4.0
The Undying Queen of Ur is a vampire novel set back in history during the time of Mesopotamia circa 3000 B.C. Arkhalla is the first of the Undying. The one the demon god Asag chose to turn and create. She is described as cruel, blood-thirsty and vicious. Her people view her as a goddess and the land around them runs red with blood from the sacrifices and the wars waged. But everything changes with one human. Shamath - a captive of war, meant to be sacrificed, but his refusal to show fear in the face of his death intrigues the queen and so she spares his life. This action along with her fascination with her new body slave sets in motion her downfall as her council seeks to unseat her and bring about a new regime.
When I first read the blurb for The Undying Queen of Ur I was eager to read this book. The authors do a fantastic job giving me details about the land, the Undying and even how most of their subjects are treated. Arkhalla is the only who is deemed above the rest because she was the first. I got some brief background about her when she was a child and at the time of her mother's death. Then the authors transition the story two hundred years ahead. Much has happened, but we don't get a glimpse of those times, not even in the flashbacks. I find Arkhalla an interesting character, but flawed. The storyline flows well, but I feel that there are a lot of missed opportunities with this story.
The authors describe Arkhalla as "cruel and bloodthirsty" but where is this in the story? We never see it. Instead we see her fascination with Shamath. We see her focus being constantly on him regardless of what it is that she is doing - from ruling, listening to her advisors, taking a lover, or feeding. She's constantly watching him...looking for reactions to what it is she's doing. She fails to see the warning signs that her counsel is unhappy with her and is taking steps to move against her. I'm puzzled by this and disappointed. Are the authors saying that she is so blinded by her body slave that she sees nothing else? That after two hundred years, a HUMAN male is what will be the cause of her downfall? I can't be disappointed in this characterization of her. I think that if the story had begun after she was turned that the story would have fared better. I would have gotten to see her "cruel and bloodthirsty." I would have gotten to see the ruthless nature spoken of.
The romance in this novel is soft, understated and never one that is really brought to fruition. Arkhalla knows and sees the danger in that, and so she pushes him away, but he is never far from her thoughts. There is more than one love interest in this story and so it touches the heart a bit when one realizes the truth.
I had honestly wanted to love this story, but it falls flat for me. There was so much potential missed with the plot and storyline. The authors built up my expectation only to disappoint me. I expected a tough queen who has seen a couple centuries and is dominant, but what I get is a young woman who acts like a distracted teen with her first crush. If you enjoy vampire novels, and don't mind a soft romance this book would be a good choice for you. For those who are looking for something more intense with dynamic characters...this isn't the book for you.
I am rating this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I was not given what the authors promised in the blurb. I got a soft queen who too easily falls, I got good details, but there were just too many plot holes and some of the characters were too flat when they had so much more to offer.
When I first read the blurb for The Undying Queen of Ur I was eager to read this book. The authors do a fantastic job giving me details about the land, the Undying and even how most of their subjects are treated. Arkhalla is the only who is deemed above the rest because she was the first. I got some brief background about her when she was a child and at the time of her mother's death. Then the authors transition the story two hundred years ahead. Much has happened, but we don't get a glimpse of those times, not even in the flashbacks. I find Arkhalla an interesting character, but flawed. The storyline flows well, but I feel that there are a lot of missed opportunities with this story.
The authors describe Arkhalla as "cruel and bloodthirsty" but where is this in the story? We never see it. Instead we see her fascination with Shamath. We see her focus being constantly on him regardless of what it is that she is doing - from ruling, listening to her advisors, taking a lover, or feeding. She's constantly watching him...looking for reactions to what it is she's doing. She fails to see the warning signs that her counsel is unhappy with her and is taking steps to move against her. I'm puzzled by this and disappointed. Are the authors saying that she is so blinded by her body slave that she sees nothing else? That after two hundred years, a HUMAN male is what will be the cause of her downfall? I can't be disappointed in this characterization of her. I think that if the story had begun after she was turned that the story would have fared better. I would have gotten to see her "cruel and bloodthirsty." I would have gotten to see the ruthless nature spoken of.
The romance in this novel is soft, understated and never one that is really brought to fruition. Arkhalla knows and sees the danger in that, and so she pushes him away, but he is never far from her thoughts. There is more than one love interest in this story and so it touches the heart a bit when one realizes the truth.
I had honestly wanted to love this story, but it falls flat for me. There was so much potential missed with the plot and storyline. The authors built up my expectation only to disappoint me. I expected a tough queen who has seen a couple centuries and is dominant, but what I get is a young woman who acts like a distracted teen with her first crush. If you enjoy vampire novels, and don't mind a soft romance this book would be a good choice for you. For those who are looking for something more intense with dynamic characters...this isn't the book for you.
I am rating this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I was not given what the authors promised in the blurb. I got a soft queen who too easily falls, I got good details, but there were just too many plot holes and some of the characters were too flat when they had so much more to offer.
More...