Belinda Reviews - Kate Locke's - God Save the Queen
What big book events are you looking forward to in June?
For Orbit, the release of the debut novel by Kate Locke, God Save the Queen, will be at the top of the list. I can honestly say I’m pretty damn excited about this too.
There is so much about this book that has me jumping around like a lunatic. I’ll start with the cover.
Lauren Panepinto, Evelyn Kriete, Don Sipley, and House of Indulgence have done a brilliant job of making model Jeximé Icon look extremely edgy. With reds, burgundies and blacks, she’s corseted bustled and armed. I’m already searching ebay for the elements to perhaps cosplay this cover… THAT’s how much of an impact the imagery has had on me.
A pretty cover is all well and good; but what of the storyline?
Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.
Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.
How’s that sound for a page turner? So what themes can you look forward to?
There are supernatural themes; goblins, vampires and werewolves, steampunk elements with alternate technologies and Victorian era twists.
Political intrigue, mystery, romance, action, and damn good storytelling in abundance means there really is something for anyone with a desire for something new. Kate is a self-confessed anglophile, and after this book hits the shelves, she will be well respected for it.
If you haven’t had enough yet and live in the United States, Kate is off on a mini book tour with events in New York, Brooklyn and Comic Con. Check out http://www.katelocke.com/ for more information.
Keep an eye out for God Save the Queen in June and see what all the fuss is about.
Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: July 3rd, 26 June (Australia) 2012 by Orbit
ISBN 0316196126 (ISBN13: 9780356501437)
