Review: A Queen of Thieves and Chaos

If you’re a regular blog reader you’ll know two things about me: I’ve been reading K.A. Tucker for ages (and love everything she writes) and I don’t often read fantasy novels. Because of my love of Tucker’s books, I’ve been happily devouring her Fate & Flame series even though I say I don't read many fantasy books. The third in the series is A Queen of Thieves & Chaos and is just out today. It’s a beast of a book clocking in at around 600 pages but I needed and loved every page.

Here’s the book’s description:

"You betrayed your brother to steal a broken crown."
The kingdom stands on the brink of chaos. Atticus' grip on the realm is faltering, and as threats arise ever closer to home he is driven to increasingly desperate acts to hold onto power.
With Islor's fate now in the balance, Zander stands to defend the Rift from the oncoming Ybarisan army. With the king's forces scattered, he must risk unlikely new alliances.
And behind the walls of Ulysede, secrets wait for its new queen. Romeria knows that the paths of the hidden city will lead her to answers. But will they be enough to save the realm – or is their fate already sealed?

I had an easier time picking up the story than I did between books one and two, which was a bit of a relief. Since I don’t read a ton of fantasy, the whole world building thing can take a bit to get my head around. This time, I just dove in and hoped that I’d remember important information when I needed to. Tucker provides a few helpful pieces of info here and there to assist the reader who has waited so long for this book but it's not repetitive for those who have better memories (or, I imagine, those who are reading the series in order in a short period of time). It probably also helped that I’ve already spent two books with these characters, learning about the different lands, abilities, and creatures as well as following an intricate (and enjoyable) plot.

The beginning of the book included a table of contents (and a map! Swoon.) and I was a bit worried about how many characters had chapters dedicated to them (hint: it’s A LOT). Not only that, but each character tells their story in the first person. You’d think, as I did, that it would get confusing but it actually worked really well. Each character is included because they have something important to contribute to the overall narrative and while I always wanted to be with Romeria, I appreciated all the time I spent getting to know other characters.

I have no idea how many books Tucker has planned for this series so I wasn’t sure if this third book would be the last. Heads up: it’s not! Book four is due out next summer and it seems like it will wrap everything up and I am desperate to see how all the characters will fare once the prophecy is revealed in its entirety.

This is a fantasy romance (romantasy? Is that what the kids are calling them these days?) but the most prominent romance in this novel was a bit of a surprise. I don’t want to say any more about it because the description doesn’t hint at it and I think readers will enjoy watching the romance unfold as much as I did. I will say that it was a great to have this new romance paired with the romance between Romeria and Zander which, as new as it is, is really solid. There are a few steamy scenes but the characters going off to war definitely played a larger role than sexy times.

Finally, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is this Hang Le cover? My god, she does amazing work.

I absolutely adored K.A. Tucker’s latest novel, which is no surprise. I’ve loved the other books in the Fate & Flame series and A Queen of Thieves & Chaos was just as good as the others (it might even be my favourite so far…). Even when I was anxious for the characters (so many chances for them to be killed!), I was so glad to be able to spend more time with them and I enjoyed being surprised right alongside them as they learned more and more about this mysterious prophecy. How am I going to be able to wait another year for the next book!?!

Download A Queen of Thieves & Chaos today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo: https://geni.us/queenthieveschaos

The audiobook edition of this book will be released on September 19 with narration by Elizabeth Klett.

Intrigued by my vague review (hey, it's hard to write about a third book of a series!)? Add A Queen of Thieves & Chaos to your Goodreads shelf. 

Don’t forget, this is an adult fantasy story that must be read in series order and you can start the series for only 99¢ for a limited time.
Buy A Fate of Wrath & Flame
Buy A Curse of Blood & Stone

About the Author
K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.

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*An egalley of this novel was provided by Valentine PR for the purpose of a blog tour and release blitz. All opinions are honest and my own.*