Jane Yellowrock used to hunt vampires, but now she must fight–and win–beside them.As Enforcer to the vampire Master of the City of New Orleans, Jane Yellowrock stakes her reputation and her life on keeping her territory safe. But Leo has been issued a blood challenge by the emperor of the European vampires, who seeks to usurp all of his power and possessions. If Leo loses the match to the … match to the death, the city will be forfeit, and the people of New Orleans will suffer the consequences. Jane can’t let that happen.
Preparing for the duel requires all of Jane’s focus, but with so much supernatural power in play, nothing goes according to plan. She has to rely on herself and the very few people she knows she can trust to stand and fight. Only two things are guaranteed: nothing is sacred, and no one is safe.
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When Cold Reign came out I picked it up on a whim. Totally crazy move since the Jane Yellowrock series is very well established but I liked the blurb and said why not. I was instantly hooked! Now Dark Queen is out, and I have yet to start the series from the beginning like I have planned to do. Oh well! I’m not feeling that patient to go back and read ten plus books just so I can read this one.
ACK! Maybe I should have because Dark Queen screaming epic. There’s quite a few characters and lots of back-stories I am missing to fully understand what is going on. However, I get the gist that MOC Leo is issued a challenge from the European vamps and if Leo loses the city of New Orleans is forfeited. YIKES! No pressure there. So, it’s easy to guess a good chunk of the story is going to be dedicated to this battle and that has me kicking myself for not starting the series from the beginning because nothing says series finale like a giant showdown. And what a showdown it is! Lots of injuries, deaths and of course the biggest, baddest, battle of them all with the winner being… O.o
The other half, of course, is Jane herself who seems to have a few issues of her own to deal with. Nothing like having to deal with a blast from your past, especially when it’s one you don’t remember. Lost memories and family, and a battle for NOLO. No problem! Then there are those headaches of hers. Ummm… Yeah, that can’t be good.
Dark Queen is a solid edge of your seat read that builds and builds right up to the end. The end that I am sure is the ending to the series and then I am taken by surprise by that little shiny golden nugget at the end that tells me different. A cliffhanger. It’s not quite one of those that has me screaming ‘Holy crow what happens next!’ No, it’s a little nugget, a dangling carrot, that has me smiling because I know Jane Yellowrock will continue. Although that little cliffy nugget may make thing rather interesting between Jane and Bruiser.
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 5
I love anything Faith writes and this is no exception. There is a lot of action, intricate plot, as well as twists and turns that keep you so interested you can’t stop reading! Already I can’t wait for her next book.
“Dark Queen” by Faith Hunter is the twelfth book in the ‘Jane Yellowrock’ series and continues to explore Jane’s ever-changing position in the hierarchy of power in New Orleans. Juggling her responsibilities as Enforcer, as partner, and as lover, plus the unexpected additions of new titles and therefore new burdens and obligations, Jane tries to help prepare for the world-shaking duel that will determine who rules the American vampire faction. Bloodshed and death are inevitable, but the goal is to make sure most, if not all, is conferred upon the enemies rather than the allies and beloved members of her growing clan.
This urban fantasy tale is part of a series that never fails to enthrall and entertain, even when I don’t like what is taking place, given the complicated personalities and allegiances involved in these stories. What is most amazing to me is how vividly the characters are depicted, so I have no trouble becoming immersed in the complex and well-built world that houses these intriguing folks. The blend of political and personal maneuverings and power plays keep the action moving constantly and the unexpected family drama in this particular book deepens the reader’s emotional investment in one particular character, even as it adds yet another dimension to the struggles going on. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to keep up with the series, so I was a little slow to figure out some of the relationships between various folks, but I still cheered and mourned as various conflicts played out.
I think that what I enjoy most about these books is their ability to take me away from my own problems while making the machinations of these amazing folks so mesmerizing that I am held captive for hours—chuckling at Beast’s pithy observations, hissing at the villains, and cheering for the “good” guys (yes, that term is used advisedly sometimes, especially with bloodsuckers, lol).
Those who are not familiar with the series are advised to start at the beginning for maximum enjoyment, but I think you probably could get sucked into Jane’s orbit even if you didn’t have much of the back story. As usual, the story ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, but amazingly (for me) it wasn’t as painful as it could be, despite the fact that I still am VERY curious about how certain things are going to turn out. Like Beast, there are some things that have played out to my satisfaction, so I am temporarily content, although I do confess that there are some very emotional sequences in addition to the heart-pounding and violent fight scenes and other dramatic encounters. The creativity, complex world-building, and imagination that are hallmarks of this author continue to keep each story fresh and make her one of my go-to urban fantasy authors. I hope that there are many, many more stories still to come about Jane Yellowrock and her friends.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
The Dark Queen is a thrilling and fascinating story in the Jane Yellowrock world. The characters are strong, compelling and easily draw readers into their world and Jane is such a kick ass heroine that readers can help but get caught up in all the exciting events that takes place. Being an urban fantasy means that there is not a whole lot on the romance front but Jane definitely has a love interest with lots of sizzling chemistry flowing between them and along with all the other fascinating characters in Jane’s world keeps things on a fast track with lots of thrilling action that keeps readers on the edge of their seat and ensures they never have a dull moment and well anticipation and suspense keeps readers holding their breath.
In this story, things are really exciting a war is coming and the suspense builds throughout the story as Jane and her family prepare as best as they can to keep everyone safe and hopefully come out on top and, which is enough to have even the most stout hearted person reeling but the emotional turbulence inflicted by this war is only a small portion of Jane’s turmoil as an unexpected person shows up at her doorstep is a most exciting fashion and has chaos unfolding in her personal world.
Faith Hunter’s fascinating world just keeps getting better, I never know what to expect and I definitely never get bored as I stay glued to the pages of this intriguing world and its wonderful characters. The author makes it so easy to enjoy her world as she paints vivid images with every written world and infuses her world with unique elements and great dialogue that adds spice to each and every story. There was no way I could put Dark Queen down until I had read every last world which made dinner a bit late, but they will just have to get over it as I am sure it will happen again when the next Jane Yellowrock book comes out.
I loved Faith Hunter’s DARK QUEEN, the twelfth book in the Jane Yellowrock series. Leo, the vampire Master of the City of New Orleans, is preparing for his blood challenge by the emperor on the European vampires. Since Jane is Leo’s Enforcer, she has a lot to prepare for. To top it off, she has some family drama to deal with.
I enjoyed the characters. They are diverse and have a lot of depth. I find Jane’s conversations with Beast amusing. I really appreciated the flashbacks to Jane’s youth. I love that she began remembering things from her life past. I enjoyed the addition of Ayatas FireWind.
DARK QUEEN was skillfully written and exciting throughout the novel. There were twists and a lot of action in the story. The “blood battle” was a fascinating event. The rules and dynamics between the combatants were well developed and exciting. Leo did some surprising things throughout the story. I loved the epilogue. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Sigh, I was so happy to be back with Jane and the gang that I really didn’t want this book to end. Then as I was reading, with this being the end of a story arc (the Sangre Duello), I was afraid it would be the end of the series. Jane and Beast have become one of my very favorite heroine pairs in urban fantasy, and I hope they stay around for the foreseeable future.
Dark Queen picks up at the end of Cold Reign, with all the New Orleans vamps and Jane preparing for the Sangre Duello with the Euro vamps. Jane’s powerbase and clan is being solidified as she formalizes the Yellowrock Clan. Then someone possibly connected to Jane’s past arrives in town, stirring up old memories and pain. So Jane has a lot of stuff going on personally, diverting her attention from things happening around New Orleans. But Ayatas proves to be an interesting addition to the series going forward. And I liked learning more about Jane’s past, and seeing more of her vulnerability. I liked having a kickass heroine, but its also nice to see that she has some soft spots.
Though with everyone focused on the Sangre Duello, its the perfect time for old enemies and power-grabbing vamps to take advantage of the distraction to exact revenge and further their evil plans. With strange things happening at Vamp HQ and Jane’s own house, she is even more distracted from the upcoming duel. But these sneaky petes give the story a nice added element of mystery and suspense, that helped build going into the big duel. It was also more opportunities for us to see some action and fighting before the big shebang.
Speaking of the big shebang, the Sangre Duello was all that I expected, and then some. We won some, we lost some. I cheered, I cried, and I was utterly captivated. I definitely could not have predicted the outcome or exactly how the duels played out. It was fantastic. But the story isn’t over with the duel and there are some heavy things that follow. I can’t wait for the next installment. Write fast, Faith!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Berkley.
This book was awesome, there’s so much going on and the author put so many details that your right there with Jane Yellowrock it was really great!
I recommend this book!
I read the whole series.
Great author puts out another great read
Love Faith Hunter. She has gone in a different way with this delicious series. I cannot wait to read the next in the series
We’re on book 12 of Jane Yellowrock and each story has been better and better. This one is dangerous, bloody, and heartbreaking, but ends on a hopeful note. One of the biggest surprises was relating to Jane’s family, and there were more revelations about her past. I have to go read book 13 now because I need to see what happens next for Jane and those she loves. She has a lot of responsibilities that have landed on her and I am eager to see how she handles it all. All I can say is, if you haven’t read this series yet, get started now, you won’t be disappointed.
Great read as usual, great series, just keeps getting better…
I like the whole series. It’s brain candy, but the author keeps thing rolling.
I’ve read all of the Jane Yellowrock novels. This one seemed slow compared to others. Still live Jane, though.
it’s jane, the vampire slayer turned enforcer, enforcing good manners in vampires, tho they don’t usually realize it. i’ve never read a jane yellowrock i didn’t like
The Jane Yellowrock series is one of my favorite worlds to live in.
Finally the long awaited duel between Leo and the European Vampires is here ! For most of this book we see Jane preparing but her life is getting ever more complicated when a stranger shows up at her door. Add in the fact that she’s coming to terms with all that it means to be the Dark Queen and you just have to sit in awe at this authors imagination. As usual Leo is at his manipulative best but it’s everything that’s happening to Jane that makes this a wildly twisting story.
All my favourites are here from Eli who always understands just what Jane really needs to Beast who just merrily chuffed away confident that Beast is the best Hunter bar none. We get tiny snippets of Molly and of course Rick although his presence adds little to the overall plot. Bruiser fans will cheer but for this reader Angie baby steals every scene she’s written in. This definitely shouldn’t be read as a standalone as to do so would make you miss so much that has built up to this grand showdown so I certainly recommend reading this series as its urban fantasy that leaves the rest behind !
What an exciting audiobook! Kristine Hvam does an incredible job narrating what has to be Faith Hunter’s most terrific story of the series. The European vampires don’t intend to let up as they have every intention of challenging Leo for control of the American territories. And both clans have a contest where their fighters are intended to battle it out. But then Jane Yellowrock and Beast have a personal problem of their own. I cried during this audiobook, thinking the series was over at this point. I don’t handle series hangover well at all. (Adulting is so dang hard!) But I contacted Faith Hunter through her Facebook group and found that there book 14 is in the works! I’m so very glad!
Entertaining and Action-Packed! I love this series! This is my 3rd read through the series. With the long game these vampires play, there’s always something you miss, and the 3rd read is just as entertaining as the 1st. The lovers, enemies, fight scenes, extended family, and Bruiser! Need book 12. NOW!
This is the last (for now), of the Jane Yellowrock Skin Walker series. This is the best series I have read since I was in my Zombie genre! By the time you finish this series, you will know all about modern vampires, skin walkers, were wolves, witches and were cats! The authoress tells the stories so believably and each book tells you more and more about these creatures. The books are extremely well written and I almost cried when I read Dark Queen! The authoress is writing a couple more books about Jane Yellowrock, her Yellowrock Security Firm, adoptive family and her new love! I just haven’t read a book that combines scariness, comedy and romance in a series before! This is a series you won’t want to end or ever want to put down! I sure didn’t!