From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the next installment in her Wicked series.The King must have his Queen….Bestowed the forbidden Summer’s Kiss by the King of the Summer fae, Brighton Jussier is no longer just human. What she is, what she will become, no one knows for sure, but that isn’t her biggest concern at the moment. Now Caden, the King, … Caden, the King, refuses to let her go, even at the cost of his Court. When the doorway to the Otherworld is breached, both Brighton and Caden must do the unthinkable—not just to survive themselves, but also to save mankind from the evil that threatens the world.
Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.
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Awe Brighton and Caden are everything. I loved the ending to this series and really hope that maybe there is room for more. We definitely need more Ivy and Ren, and especially Tink. I love this series!!
The Queen by Jennifer L. Armentrout is book 3.7 in A Wicked Trilogy. This continues the story of Caden and Brighton. I made the mistake of not reading the previous books, so I was doing some back story research. I enjoyed this book enough with this author’s writing to get me through but I do recommend reading the previous books. But this book just has me wanting to read more from this author. I loved Caden, he was my ultimate leading man in the book. I do recommend this author’s writing and reading the books in order.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
If you’ve been following the Wicked series you know that Caden and Brighton have a decision to make. This one isn’t easy for Brighton. Though the main issue here is – once again – communication!
If you haven’t read any books in this series you should be able to read The Queen without major issues. There are some parts you’ll be a little confused on but it won’t make a huge difference in the overall storyline.
The fae have their own set of rules and unless they explain them to a human it’s hard to know what to do in some circumstances. Thus a lack of communication between Caden and Brighton.
Their connection is so special that it’s one that can’t be severed. All evil against them will come to know the Summer Court will not be demised by petty differences. They will stand strong and true to their people.
This book goes after The King, and it’s the final novella in the series. I truly enjoyed Brighton and Caden, overall it was a perfect complement to the original Wicked Trilogy series. I definitely recommend reading, you can never get tired of this Wicked World. This book was not as full action-packed as the previous ones, but gave the perfect finally to wrap everything up. I just loved it. Go read them all.
I love the 1001 Dark Night series.
These are short novella’s that are part of the authors series.
The great thing is that if your a fan, these are great extras and if you’re new to the author, they can be a introduction to characters and storylines to see if they interest you.
This particular authors books I have not had the pleasure of reading but I will definitely be coming back for more. I won’t go over the blurb since it’s self explanatory but I will say that I fell in love with the King and Brighton. Since I have not follow this story it covered a bit of the last book and exposed the traitor. Oh my god! I was surprised. So, yes, now I really need to go back to the beginning.
As I’ve said, these short novella’s have introduced me to many new authors and now I need to add Jennifer L. ARmentrout to my list of must reads.
I’m not ready to say goodbye to this world! More specifically, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Caden. Of all the wonderful book boyfriends that Jennifer Armentrout has created, Caden has rocketed into the top five in just these three novellas. His dedication to Brighton and to their future together is super attractive, and it makes me wish we had more time with him.
The Queen brings this Wicked spin-off trilogy to a close as we see Caden and Brighton work through some pretty hefty challenges – like whether their being together could spell the end of both his world and hers. I can’t imagine starting a relationship under that kind of pressure. We see how Caden responds to it… and then there’s Brighton.
Brighton definitely lets her humanity show as she commits one relationship sin after another. While Caden is now fully dedicated to the course he has chosen, Brighton, on top of recovering from her traumatic ordeal in The King, is now wracked with guilt and frustration over what she feels is an impossible situation. As a result, she makes choices on her own – BAD choices – that put her relationship with Caden in jeopardy.
One one hand, I can’t fault her for some of the decisions she makes. Without all the facts, she’s working with what she has. And she IS only human. Mostly. There was never a doubt that she loved Caden and that she was doing what she could to save him and his future. You’ve got to love that about her. But, honestly, for most of the book, I just wanted to shake some sense into her!
There are enough threads left dangling that give me hope that perhaps some day Jennifer Armentrout will bring us more stories from NOLA and from this wonderful world that she has built there. Make no mistake though – Brighton and Caden’s story is complete, and the epilogue at the end was the perfect way to send them off.
These novellas and this universe are some of my very favorite in the JLA catalog. Caden is just and it has been so amazing to watch Brighton blossom into the bad@$$ she is. And TINK. Come on. Who doesn’t love a good fae romance? Such a deep world to drop into and just escape for a while. All the heart eyes.
I couldn’t put it down. This is one of my favorite series JLA has come up with. While this can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the Wicked trilogy. Brighton is a strong female lead. We need more ladies like this. Shes not whiny or a pushover. Caden is fire. He is everything you want a partner to be. The way he cares about Brighton is super swoon worthy. My only wish for this series was MORE. Especially more Tink. And all the hints to his name… I’m dying to know. I loved it and will read it again!
Such a wonderful conclusion to this spin off series- it answered and resolved everything beautifully with several guest appearances from much lived characters. Thouroughly enjoyed getting to know Brighton and Caden.
*slight spoilers if you haven’t read The Prince or The King*
I absolutely loved this book. I think it was a perfect wrap up to the Wicked series. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times — I like this collection of novellas more than the series itself (sorry Ren & Ivy).
Caden was absolutely amazing. There’s just something about a Fae king that lights my fire. I swear I loved him more and more as the novellas progressed. He was sassy, a little sweet, and a whole lot in love with our heroine, Brighton.
At the end of the book I was a little perplexed at how some of the conflicts weren’t totally resolved. But, once I thought about it, the way Jen ties everything at the end makes perfect sense to me. Caden is Fae and Brighton is… well, whatever she is as a result of the Summer’s Kiss. They have very long lives ahead of them — therefore a long time to deal with whatever comes in the future. There’s no way she could have shoved all of it into a novella.
Once again, I’m left in awe of this author’s creativity. The story was captivating and delivers everything I know I can expect from her writing.
I highly recommend if you’re in search of a romantic, mildly steamy fantasy read.
These novellas have been so fun and swoony and this was a nice wrap up to Caden and Brighton’s story. This was a quick and engaging read and was easy for me to devour in one sitting.
I really enjoy this world from JLA and I am so glad we got to revisit it with a spin off. Caden turned out to be so much more than I ever would have guessed! And I love Brighton! It was also so nice to catch up briefly with Ren and Ivy again and seeing them both happy. But the shining star of these books is always Tink. He is a riot and a scene stealer and I just adore him. He just has no filter and I love his ridiculousness.
Poor Caden and Brighton have a tough time getting it together in this one and their misunderstandings and secrets broke my heart. But JLA always manages to break my heart and put it back together and deliver an engaging read from start to finish. This has been a fun little trilogy and I love this world and it is one I will visit again in the future.
“I could not risk the world. Not even for love.”
“You are my sun, Brighton. I loved you before I found you in that club, even before I gave you the Summer Kiss.”
The Queen is finally here!!! I don’t know about you guys, but after finishing The King, I was dying to get this book into my greedy little hands and let me tell you, this book does not disappoint. In this next installment of the Wicked Series, The Queen picks up right where The King left off. Brighton is dealing not only with the aftermath of her time with Aric, but also the unexpected card that fate dealt her. While everything should be sunshine and rainbows now that she is home safe with Caden, Brighton can’t focus on the bright side. She knows that Caden must make a choice, but there is no way he will ever let her go. Will Brighton and Caden succumb to the unthinkable in order to save his court?? There’s only one way to find out….
The Queen was a quick and easy read for me. Even though some time has passed since I read The King, I was immediately sucked back into the Wicked world and everything from the last book came rushing back to me. The latest installment of the Wicked Series, both Caden and Brighton are faced with some tough decisions. Truths will be laid out and loyalties will be tested. The bond between Caden and Brighton is stronger than ever, despite all the cards fate keeps throwing at them. Brighton is the toughest and strongest that her character has been to date. She isn’t afraid of making tough decisions or putting her heart on the line. And Caden…OMG, do I love Caden. His faith and devotion to Brighton was awe-inspiring and made me love his character even harder. It was impossible to not root for these two.
The Queen was the perfect ending to Caden and Brighton’s story. I easily devoured this book in a single sitting and couldn’t put it down. I loved the action and romance. I loved the tough moments that pulled at my heart and the shocking ones that kept my eyes glued to the pages. Throw in a few cameos from a couple beloved characters, and you got yourself one fantastic read. I enjoyed every single second of this story from beginning to end, and while this installment does wrap things up pretty nicely, I will say that the ending felt pretty open to me, so there is hope that there could be more stories in the future….
Once again, Jennifer L Armentrout has me comparing every great love I’ve ever had to her book characters. I find myself dreaming with my eyes open, thinking of all the ways I could potentially make these worlds real. I couldn’t possibly have dreamt of a better story for Brighton and Caden than this. I really hope I’ll see more from this world in the future. 5 stars and 2 thumbs way way up.
I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.
I have been waiting for this for what has felt like forever, and now that it’s over, I’m very sad but also excited by this ending!
Brighton may have just been human when she first met Caden, but man had she grown into her skin and knows how to kick but now. She went through something horrendous, but instead of giving up, she is still fighting. And it’s not just physically fighting, but also mentally. She’s about to give up the future she wants for the greater good, even if it’s slowly killing her. She is 100% selfless and so very brave.
Caden is relentless to get what he wants, what he needs. He may be quiet and thinks a bit too much sometimes, but he is definitely planning out everything he’s determined to get.
I honestly just wished these two characters talked to each other more. I mean, they even said that to each other too. Trying to do the right thing, but not explaining the whole plan to the one person that matters means that things are going to get complicated usually.
The big reveal at the end was surprising, but not at the same time. I had a few names in mind, so I didn’t know absolutely who it was, but it was pretty close.
I loved that the epilogue is in Caden’s viewpoint. I would have loved alternating chapters of Brighton and Caden, but I’ll take what I can get.
Tink was awesome in this book, like always, and seeing him get emotional with Brighton at the beginning of this novella was a tear jerker.
I feel like this world and the story COULD continue, but I’m unsure if that will happen or not. It was a great ending, but it’s left open for another continuation if Armentrout wants to take on that project.
Either way, I loved this novella, I love this series, I love these characters. This is one that I will definitely revisit in the future when I reread JLAs novels!
This book was so good! I didn’t want it to end! I wanted to stay in this world and live there with Caden and Brighton. Thank you Jennifer for not dragging out the plot point that I dreaded most. I honestly don’t know how to write this review without giving too much away. It’s a perfect ending to this part of the story, even if it did leave me wanting more. Caden has certainly moved up on my Book Boyfriend lost!
The final book in the Wicked Novella Trilogy, The Queen picks up where The King left off, with Brighton dealing with life changing news. Moving at a much slower pace than the first two in the series, this book’s main focus is the relationship between Bri and Caden. What it lacks in action, The Queen makes up for in emotion.
Because she is not selfish, Brighton makes difficult and emotional decisions to protect Caden and his people. Much like Caden did to her in The King, she tries (unsuccessfully) to push him away.
Bri and Caden suck at communicating. There is so much back and forth because neither tells the other the whole truth. Their ability to hurt one another through lies of omission is painful and frustrating. The romance between these two is powerful. I could feel the tension and heat coming off the pages. And they are beautiful together.
Tink is one of the few who can truly see the depth of the connection between Bri and Caden. And it is so very deep. Honestly, I sometimes feel like Tink is the only rational being around (which is saying a lot). He is a lot more insightful and mature than often given credit for.
I enjoyed The Queen very much, but a few areas prevented me from giving this one 5 stars.
The synopsis does not match the plot. It almost seems like the direction of the novella changed along the way. This is not bad; just misleading. It’s not the ending I was prepared for, and it threw me off.
The “bad guy” I saw coming, but bad is a stretch. The individual is more misguided. Like everyone else in this trilogy, this individual believed they were making the right choices with the information available to them. Fear is a great motivator that can cause individuals to make poor choices.
This is one set of books where I would have enjoyed seeing more of the hero’s POV. There are a number of scenes where I really wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling. Some closure for Caden would have been nice, but I do like that this was left open-ended enough for more books in this universe.
Oh, and Tink totally needs his own book.
4.5 stars!
The end to a fantastic series, I was desperate for this book, and it captivated me from start to finish. Exciting, dramatic, emotional, funny, suspenseful, unexpected, and gorgeously romantic, it’s got all the feels, and I loved it!
The Wicked trilogy novellas are a spin-off from the Wicked trilogy – set in the same world but focussing on different characters, and I have to say, I love these novellas even more than the originals! Brighton and Caden’s story captured me heart and soul, and gave me another Armentrout hero to obsess over, and I freaking loved seeing this final piece of their story play out.
This book starts where the last one left off, in that jaw-dropping moment that changes everything for our couple. They have been through absolute hell, but just when they are on the cusp of finding their happiness, freaking fae politics come to ruin their plans, with threats of the collapse of the Summer Court, the rise of the evil Queen and her Winter Court, and the end of humanity as we know it.
Decisions are made, secrets are kept and hearts are broken. It’s a miscommunicative mess, which is all kinds of frustrating, but in this case it works to build intensity and anticipation, and it fits the story as Brighton and Caden have to live with the mistakes they’ve made and then work to fix them. It’s painful to go through it all with them, but it’s worth it to watch them fight their way back, with Caden absolutely shining as a hero in love and determined to get his girl.
“Cradling my cheeks in his hands, he shuddered against me. “All that I am. All that I have. It’s yours. I’m yours.”
OMG, if I wasn’t already in love with Caden, this book would have done it. As it was, I was completely done in by his brooding looks, his gentle touches, and his beautiful, swoony declarations. Plus, he’s a total alpha and absolutely fierce in the sack. What’s not to love?
“You hold a part of my soul, Brighton. You are my everything. Nothing will change that. Ever.”
Caden and Brighton have both endured so much, and they have further hurdles to cross as they fight to overcome all they’ve been through and work to protect their Court from danger and betrayal. It’s an intense ride, with some greats twists and surprises, and I was captivated as it all played out.
The characters from previous books appear, and I particularly loved seeing Ren and Ivy, and especially Tink. What a fantastic bunch, and the Brighton/Tink relationship is just gorgeous.
The story ends beautifully, finishing up in a great place, with an epilogue that left me grinning like a fool. The series could comfortably end where it is, but Armentrout has left a door open to revisit this world in the future, and while I’m completely satisfied with that finish, I’d be more than happy to dive back in if she was ever to write more.
Such a great read, I loved it!
4.5 stars!
I read the Queen in less than a day and maybe reading isn’t the right word—I devoured the book in less than a day. If you haven’t read The Wicked Series by Jennifer Armentrout I would suggest you start there (Wicked, Torn, and Brave), follow by reading The Prince and the King.
We dive back into the fae world shortly after finding out Brighton is pregnant. The problem being that the King, Caden, must choose a Queen if his own species in order to ensure the survival of the court. Brighton must face the hard decision: be selfish and tell him or keep quiet until a certain point to save the lives of billions. And what’s worse? Could the Queen be returning and have control over the changed fae?
Caden is a book boyfriend that is hard to match. He’s blunt, compassionate, fierce, loyal, communicative, protective—and he’s a man who knows what he wants. And that’s why Brighton is his perfect match. She challenges him on all levels, she’s strong and a survivor—and what I love the most is she never gave up. Brighton was severely tortured and the way Jen played out how she overcame it was truly master piece level writing. Jen is always so real with her characters and it’s not all rainbows and butterflies—it feels real and invokes so much emotion.
My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough! I could read about Caden and Brighton’s story for hours on end. I’ve said it numerous times but Jen’s ability to draw you into her worlds and keep you there is unmatched!
5/5! I wish this story never ended!
The Queen is the final novella in the A Wicked Trilogy novella series. The King left readers with an unforgettable cliff-hanger that The Queen spends the majority of its page count addressing.
Though The Queen is not nearly as action packed as its predecessors, I thoroughly enjoyed the slow pace as Brighton and Caden process the revelations from the previous novella. Miscommunication plays a large role, however its use is warranted and not at all annoying.
These past three novellas have been a treat. They strike the perfect balance between action and romance. The original trilogy is still one of my favourite paranormal fantasy romance stories, so being able to experience this world again has been a blessing. Though Brighton is no Ivy, she’s just as strong though in very different ways.
Overall, The Queen is a great conclusion to this novella trilogy that allows readers to simmer in this world a little longer while also giving an intense romance.
What a great ending to the Wicked spinoff series!! While it wasn’t nearly as action packed as the other stories, it was still a perfect blend of action and romance. I had a love/hate relationship with Bri and Caden wanting to do the right thing. They had both endured so much, I just wanted them to have their HEA, but man. Jen made us go through the feels before we got to see it.
I loved Brighton’s strength and kindness, and seeing her grow throughout the whole series has been great!
Caden has some serious swoon! I loved his determination and love for Brighton. I especially loved the epilogue!
All in all, this was a great read! While it ended, it was left open in case Jen wants to revisit this series again in the future. Thanks Jen for this copy. This is my honest review.