A review by jackiehorne
The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

4.0

3.5 A strong first fantasy novel, one that draws on Sumerian mythology for its secondary fantasy world. Kalinda has been trained as an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, young women/girls who are trained as fighters and who can be claimed by wealthy men as wives, concubines, or servants after they participate in a tournament in front of their potential patrons. Kalinda's been sickly all her life, though, plagued by fevers, and so doesn't expect to win a tournament, or even capture the attention of any man's eye. But through a series of mishaps and emotional reactions, Kalinda ends up winning a round in the tournament, and draws the eye of the Rajah Tarek, who vows to take Kalinda as his 100th wife (his last, for it is decreed that no man may have more than 100).

Traveling to the Rajah's city, Kalinda is accompanied by a small band of soldiers, headed by Captain Deven Naik. Deven and Kalinda form a friendship, and then, once Kalinda is installed in the harem and Deven becomes her personal guard, something more. But will Deven's devotion to his country prevent him from helping Kalinda overset the Rajah's nefarious plans?

I enjoyed the feel and flavor of the secondary world King creates, as well as her characterization of Kalinda. The big secret was pretty easy to guess, and the climax and denoument went by a little too quickly, without a big emotional impact, so I didn't think this deserved a full four-stars. Still, an author worth watching.