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A review by fictionalkate
Queen & Commander by Janine A. Southard
3.0
In a world where Queens rule and their Devoted men follow their orders – Rhiannon manages to beat the system. She gets the results from the test that she wants and is now Queen and Commander. So when her best friend comes to her in need help there’s nothing Rhiannon wouldn’t do to assist. Even if it means forming a mismatched group (a Hive) to run a spaceship. Sounds a little kooky? It may be but somehow it just works.
I loved the antics of Rhiannon and her Hive. There’s the forbidden lovers, Victor and Gwyn, who are willing to leave everything they’ve ever known for a chance to be together. Gavin is an off-worlder who grew up in the theatre and is prone to start sprouting play lines at the drop of a hat. Alan is brilliant but can’t make it in proper society. Luciano has risen above his standings and is now set to become a doctor but instead of formally continuing his studies he follows his devotion for Rhiannon and becomes a member of their band of misfits. And then there’s Rhiannon. She’s always dreamed of becoming a Queen and Commander – and she got there. But sometimes dreams never turn out quite as you imagined. But Rhiannon is there for her Hive and determined to be the best she can be.
The Dyfed way of life is somewhat based on Welsh Society and I thought that was a fascinating concept. There are words used that I’d never heard before but thankfully they were translated for me or I’d have spent half this novel googling them and been taken out of the world that the story creates. I thought the Hive idea to be interesting and whilst I loved how much attention was paid to Rhiannon and her Hive – I didn’t quite understand how this society worked. I would have liked to have seen a little more detail regarding how their society actually functions – especially for those without ships.
Queen & Commander has a lot going for it. The characters are ones I wanted to read more about and find out just what was going to happen next. The plot progresses at a great speed with plenty going on both relationship wise and with regards to action and drama. I can only imagine how the characters and plot are going to evolve in the second instalment of the Hive Queen Saga.
I loved the antics of Rhiannon and her Hive. There’s the forbidden lovers, Victor and Gwyn, who are willing to leave everything they’ve ever known for a chance to be together. Gavin is an off-worlder who grew up in the theatre and is prone to start sprouting play lines at the drop of a hat. Alan is brilliant but can’t make it in proper society. Luciano has risen above his standings and is now set to become a doctor but instead of formally continuing his studies he follows his devotion for Rhiannon and becomes a member of their band of misfits. And then there’s Rhiannon. She’s always dreamed of becoming a Queen and Commander – and she got there. But sometimes dreams never turn out quite as you imagined. But Rhiannon is there for her Hive and determined to be the best she can be.
The Dyfed way of life is somewhat based on Welsh Society and I thought that was a fascinating concept. There are words used that I’d never heard before but thankfully they were translated for me or I’d have spent half this novel googling them and been taken out of the world that the story creates. I thought the Hive idea to be interesting and whilst I loved how much attention was paid to Rhiannon and her Hive – I didn’t quite understand how this society worked. I would have liked to have seen a little more detail regarding how their society actually functions – especially for those without ships.
Queen & Commander has a lot going for it. The characters are ones I wanted to read more about and find out just what was going to happen next. The plot progresses at a great speed with plenty going on both relationship wise and with regards to action and drama. I can only imagine how the characters and plot are going to evolve in the second instalment of the Hive Queen Saga.