A broken queen. A friendship mired in deceit. Can one man from the desert help hold the realm together?
Asherah, Queen of Parthalan and Lady of Tingu, has led her people through eight centuries of prosperity. That peace shatters when Mersgoth, the mordeth thought long dead, attacks Teg’urnan. In the aftermath a new warrior emerges: Aeolmar, a man as secretive as he is deadly.
Asherah and Aeolmar race across Parthalan in pursuit of Mersgoth, and track the beast to the High Desert. While they’re gone, Harek, now Prelate of Parthalan, conspires with the Dark Fae against the elves…Against Leran, the king of the elves and Asherah’s son in all but blood. Will Asherah see the truth of Harek before it’s too late, or will he bring down the fae once and for all?
The Virgin Queen – Book Two of the Chronicles of Parthalan
What’s It About?
“I need to be a strong woman before I can be a strong Queen.”
Asherah, once a plaything for demons, now rules all of Parthalan. A Virgin Queen, due to lack of a King, she has led Parthalan through nearly eight centuries of peace.
But then, Teg’urnan is attacked and many fear that Asherah’s era of peace was finally at its end.
On a mission to track the mordeth, Asherah meets Finlay, a shopkeeper. After proving himself worthy and capable, he is named second hunter to Aeolmar.
Meanwhile, Asherah’s prelate, Harek, schemes against his queen. Asherah has her suspicions and fears her hunters may be in danger.
My Thoughts
I want to be a Parthian! – Minus the demons. 🙂
I love the epic fantasy world of Parthalan and all of the rich, fascinating characters that inhabit it. Asherah, The Virgin Queen, is my favorite character. Although a courageous heroine, she is a tad insecure – making her a relatable character. She has frequent bouts of loneliness and wants nothing more than to be loved by her mate. And while many want her, fewer love her. Asherah is looking for love.
Speaking of love and romance: I loved Finlay and was surprised when Aeolmar stepped aside. I would’ve assumed that they both would be horribly jealous over one another, but they only wanted to see their queen happy. She truly is special.
And that Harek is such a creep! He could care less about Asherah’s happiness, only caring for his own selfish desires. Arrgh!
My favorite part of this book was the scene in the magic garden, when Asherah and Finlay have their first major disagreement. Despite all the fantastical elements, their relationship and emotions/reactions felt genuine to me. That’s what I like about The Chronicles of Parthalan: the residents are trolls/elves/fae and yet they are relatable due to their reactions/emotions to the events around them. They feel love and compassion, just like a human would. At times I would forget that they weren’t human.
I love this series and I look forward to the next installment. If you are a fan of epic fantasy and romance, I urge you to check out The Chronicles of Parthalan by Author Jennifer Allis Provost!
About The Author
Jennifer Allis Provost writes books about faeries, orcs and elves. Zombies too. She grew up in the wilds of Western Massachusetts and had read every book in the local library by age twelve. (It was a small library). An early love of mythology and folklore led to her epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Parthalan, and her day job as a cubicle monkey helped shape her urban fantasy, Copper Girl. When she’s not writing about things that go bump in the night (and sometimes during the day) she’s working on her MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Visit her online at https://authorjenniferallisprovost.com/
A Well Read Woman 