Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

Description:

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she’s also become queen of the Thorn Land. It’s hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one—except Eugenie—seems willing to find out why.

Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend, Kiyo, is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty—even if it means facing the darkest—and deadliest—side of her nature…
(by goodreads.com)

Review:

This is the second book in the Dark Swan series and I was totally obsessed to get my hands on it. After a long wait in finally arrived at my door and I stopped all my other reading to get this one started. And I was not disappointed at all.

This book starts a few months after the first one. Kiyo moved in with Eugenie, she still fulfills her shaman duties and tries to ignore her queenish obligations. At another duty visit to the Otherworld, a baby shower which was bad enough, she discovers how her people suffer. She never thought about the consequences of turning a land into a desert- what this would mean to her people. Without water and enough to eat they all think its her way to punish them. But that's not the whole problem- gentry girls are disappearing and Eugenie can't turn her back on these problems. Kiyo is mostly busy with Maiwenn and the soon to born Child and surprisingly Dorian is helping her as much as he can.

This book is a little different from the first one. It seems more serious and troubled. Eugenie is torn between the Human and Gentry world more than ever. Which obligations are more important? Is a Human worth more than a Gentry? Is Dorian really only a player? Will Kiyo stay at her site or go back to Maiwenn? Just a few questions she ponders in this book. The whole story is fast paced and runs from one complication into the other. The characters are well drawn and shine from within. I loved the way the story unfolded itself until I reached the last 90 pages. No fun there! I don't want to spoil the book but I don't like the ending so much.
So OK I have to spoil it:
Spoiler starts here:

I hate the way she turns Kiyo down in the end. OK he's not my hero or something but she does because of everything that happened to her and seriously she hates him cuz he didn't want to kill this guy. At this point I was really disappointed. And than she jumps straight in Dorian's arms after she has been raped for a week. Seriously, does anyone believe this? And this sentence: "Make this my memory?" Oh please. At this point I was tempted to through this book wide away. But perhaps I'm just a little bit overreacting. Anyone else found this crazy?

end spoiler!!

So after all it was a good book but the end ruined it a bit. I'm curious about what will happen next.
4 of 5 stars

More infos about Richelle Mead @ her website.

The Dark Swan Series:
1. Storm Born: my review; reviews @goodreads; buy @amazon
2. Thorn Queen: ; reviews @goodreads; buy @amazon
3. Iron Crowned (release in 2010)