The Queen’s Triumph by Jessie Mihalik
The Queen’s Triumph (2020) is the third and final volume of Jessie Mihalik’s ROGUE QUEEN trilogy. I’ve enjoyed this series and recommend it to anyone looking for a short, fun, and sexy space opera with a strong female lead. Tantor Audio’s editions, narrated by Rachel Dulude, are pleasant and worth a try.
It’s been two weeks since the events of the last book, The Queen’s Advantage. Samara Rani, the young and inexperienced queen of her small country, has been growing into her role and has brought food and peace to her starving citizens. She’s quite capable on her own, and she’s got competent people around her, but it also really helps that she’s romantically involved with Valentin, the emperor of Kos.
When Samara agrees to meet with her enemy, Commander Adams, she knows it’s a trap, but she’s not about to let Adams get away with his previous crimes and, besides, he threatens the peace between the Kos Empire and the Quint Confederacy, the galaxy’s two superpowers. Commander Adams needs to die and Queen Samara intends to make it happen.
Samara is always saying that she wants to keep her friends safe (honestly, it gets a little tiring), but they won’t let her go to this meeting alone, of course. Can they turn the tables on Commander Adams, get revenge, and secure the galaxy’s peace? And what will happen between Samara and Valentin?
We know it’s all going to turn out great, because that’s what kind of story this is, but it’s still an entertaining ride with lots of danger and passion. The characters are agreeable, the plot is exciting, and the romance is sweet.
If you enjoyed The Queen’s Gambit and The Queen’s Advantage, you’ll like this one, too.
Published in 2020. Queen Samara Rani knows she’s likely walking into a trap, but agreeing to meet with Commander Adams is the fastest way to get within striking distance of the Quint Confederacy’s biggest traitor and her sworn enemy. Adams attacked her home and destroyed her ship, and if he’s not stopped, he will ruin the tentative peace between the Kos Empire and the Quint Confederacy—and Samara’s chance at future with Emperor Valentin Kos. Samara is determined to serve up some well-deserved payback, but she is no longer a lone assassin, and despite her protests, her friends and allies refuse to let her undertake such a perilous mission without them. Even Valentin, usually the voice of reason, refuses to stay behind. Samara is loath to put her friends in danger, and taking a team carries its own risks, so she makes plans to keep them safe, no matter what the cost. When Adams threatens that safety, and everything she holds dear, Samara vows to show him exactly how she earned her deadly reputation—and why one should never cross the Rogue Queen.
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KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.
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Would you categorize this as space romance?