When the Master of the City of New Orleans has been issued a blood challenge by the the Emperor of the European vampires Jane has her work cut out for her as enforcer. If Leo loses, the city of New Orleans and all areas under Leo’s rule will belong to the Emperor. Something that Jane doesn’t want to see happen. Preparing for the duel requires all of her focus and it becomes immediately apparent that she can only trust those who are her closest allies. Everyone else has an agenda and skin in the game.

Every time I finish one of the Jane Yellowrock books I think ‘this is the best one yet’ and that was certainly the case with Dark Queen. This novel had everything that appeals to a huge urban fantasy fan who has made it to book 12 still invested in all of these characters and their futures. The past couple of books and all of the mentions of this blood challenge did not prepare me for all that it encompasses. It is like a hunger games where all of the weaker characters are taken out early with the stronger characters outwitting and outlasting their competitors. As the enforcer to Leo’s MOC, Jane is challenged to a LOT of duels, but as the Dark Queen and the master of her own house, she has scion’s who take on those challenges for her. Characters I’ve come to like and love may or may not lose their lives. My heart was totally invested in the outcomes, as was the heart of our queen, Jane. This novel held a powerful emotional punch that I just wasn’t prepared to feel and boy, it rocked my world.

A new character arrives on scene claiming a familial relationship with Jane that opens her character to new emotions helping her character evolve even further. Ayatas’ claim brings on a lot of flashbacks to her earlier life with her tribe and she has to face those feelings again of killing a man at age 5. This sub-plot was one that I had eagerly anticipated having read the Soulwood series alongside and sometimes in advance of the matching time line in Jane’s own books. I knew the truth of their relationship before I read it on these pages but it still held a heck of a punch!

This series has been so great and like I said above my enjoyment has escalated with each book, but none of the past books compare with how this story knocked me flat. It was such a powerful, action-packed, emotionally driven novel. So, so good. If I could give a book a 10 rating this one get’s the prize. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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