The Queen's Bastard

Belinda Primrose, the queen’s bastard daughter, is the ultimate assassin. She has been trained to become anything from a serving wench to a lady in waiting. But now Belinda has discovered that she has yet another attribute; magical powers that enable her to win the love of Prince Javier. Now she must decide if she wants to become a power rather then being the power behind the throne.

THE QUEEN’S BASTARD by C.E. Murphy is just plain good fantasy. It has it all; magic, political intrigue, love, desire, good and evil. THE QUEEN’S BASTARD is a certainly good book to savor as a way to escape the stress of the everyday world. Belinda is a character that one isn’t quite sure whether to feel sorry for because of her upbringing, hate because of her deeds, or love because of her possibilities. Regardless of what you decide, she is one that will stick with you. Readers will have no such ambiguity with other characters in the book such as her father and his organization.

What it is really missing is that special spark that is so hard to pinpoint that raises a good fantasy up to the level of a great fantasy. And this did really disappoint this reader as she is quite the fan of C.E. Murphy’s urban fantasies and loves nothing more then a great fantasy.

All in all, THE QUEEN’S BASTARD was an enjoyable read that this reviewer has no problems recommending to any readers who enjoy political fantasies. This reviewer will certainly be keeping an eye out for the next in the series.

May 2008