Zery is a queen of the amazons but the times are changing. The Sons have come home and all is not well. ( )

I started reading this book on my first day here in NYC for BEA. I was lying on the bed waiting for the bathroom to get free, soon enough I was completely engrossed. Ms. Devoti knows how to draw a reader into a story and just latch them onto the book like a leach, like my imagery there? ;) I was literally engrossed to the point of not being able to hear or see anyone around me while reading this story. The book is a sequel but you don't need to have read the first book to understand what is happening in this book.

Zery is strong and she grows a bit with the story. I love the range of characters personalities in this book as well. The plot is sturdy and moves at an excellent pace, and besides that, it is a contemporary story of Amazons, it definitely is unique. Worth the read without a doubt. ( )

This is a follow on from Amazon Ink, but as previous reviewers mention, this can be read as a stand alone. I didn't bond with Zhery in the first book, it was hard to bond with her in this one, towards the end of the book I realised that I did like her and respect her opinions. The brothers are back and trying to protect a child of an amazon and a brother, Zhery is Queen and follows the High Council in what they have asked her to do, not realising that she is being led along a dark path. Zhery follows the High Council to the word and struggles with what she is finding, her heart is telling her that this is wrong, but her mind is telling her the council must be right. Certainly an interesting book and enjoyed reading it.

Now that I have read it, it does work as a stand alone book. Any references to prior events are integrated and explained enough (especially in the preface) so that the reader doesn't say to him/herself "Huh? What's that all about?"

Having said THAT, it took me a while to really get into this book. I wanted to like it from the start, but there were a few places in the first half of the book where ... I don't know ... it was like .. I'm reading, something happens - then the next thing I know, I'm saying, "What? That just stuttered. Where did that come from?" It felt as though the editor should have thrown in some better transitions.

BUT the second half got much better. I really liked Zery, who starts off seeing everything in black and white, and then is startled out of her worldview by the events taking place around her.

The Amazon sons - that was an interesting twist. The Amazons really have no use for males other than for procreation. They worship Artemis, the goddess of fertility, so having children is part of their tradition. In the far past, they used to kill their male offspring. That practice changed, and they instead would maim them by breaking an arm or leg, then leaving them where humans could find them. THAT practice changed around the turn of the nineteenth century, and they just started leaving the sons near human hospitals and other safe spots. These males have now grown up and have the same powers as the Amazons, AND they're also able to shape shift into various animals. This makes them a threat to the Amazons, as there are still some sons alive who were part of the "let's just maim them and leave them for someone to find" generation.

The familial relationships among Amazons are almost non-existent, especially for Zery, whose mother serves on the High Council and pretty much left Zery's upbringing as a future queen to a scattered mix of other Amazons.

There are safe camps scattered among human civilization and cities, and the Amazons tend to be nomadic and drift from one to the other, normally alone or in small groups. Zery is the queen of one of these camps.

This story starts out with a baby having been stolen from a high-ranking Amazon, and Zery, who has also had a new priestess named Thea join her camp, has been instructed to steal her back from the sons. I CAN tell you that the Amazons DO get the baby back.

What follows after a while has you wondering, like any good suspense novel, who the bad guys and Amazons really are. The Council is split - but who is right? Does Zery still deserve to be queen or is she destined for another path?

Because of the faltering first half, I can't really give this book a 4. The second half, however, is a solid 4. I would suggest that you read it knowing that it gets much better and comes together very well. ( )

AMAZON QUEEN by Lori Devoti is a story full of intrigue and suspense. Bringing the legendary Amazons to modern times, Ms. Devoti has created a world where we get just a kiss of the paranormal. The story is fueled by action and drama, the perfect characteristics to get a reader hooked.

The second in the Amazon series, AMAZON QUEEN follows Zery, queen of the Amazons. A race of Artemitis worshiping women, the Amazons are incredibly gifted with height, strength, and certain magical abilities. Of course, many of these abilities becomes hard to hide in modern times so the nomadic nature of the people becomes a bit of a blessing for them. Or is it?

When a discovery is made in the first book, Amazon Ink, Zery will have to question the beliefs and practices the tribe has made for centuries. Could it be possible that there is another group of individuals out there with powers similar to their own? Could their actually be competition for the Amazons? With the question of friend or foe foremost in her mind, Zery has to find a way to protect her tribe while leading them forward in these new tribes. If that weren't a feat all on its own, it doesn't help that she has a backstabber in her midst. How is one supposed to save her people when those very people are made to shun her?

I find Ms. Devoti's writing style to be very conducive to getting lost within the story. There are good stories and then there are good stories that are written in the exact manner my mind thinks. That's what happened here. The words on the page flow by seamlessly with none of those stops or breaks that you sometimes find in writing. There weren't really any sections where I had to stop, look back, check for consistency or otherwise get my bearings.

If the writing style wasn't enough, the character development and progression of the story line would finish me off. I love the mythology present in the book and the darker take on it. While Amazon Ink was a great introduction, AMAZON QUEEN felt a bit darker and more compelling. I wasn't a fan of Zery at first, but as the story progressed I began to fall in love with her. My heart broke when hers did and many times I found myself perched on the edge of the couch, scared to see what might happen next.

If you're a fan of fantasy and paranormals, I highly recommend AMAZON QUEEN. This book is well robust with its use of suspense and the paranormal. ( )