The Peasant Queen Blog Tour: My Review

Today, I'm reviewing The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley. Here's the blurb:

After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown - and Krystal's hand in marriage. But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness and agree to marry King Gregory, or face the destruction of an entire kingdom.

The Peasant Queen is a romance with plenty of action, intrigue and danger in a fantasy setting. Chesley does a great job developing her characters. I love Krystal's spunk and energy and the way she refuses to take things lying down. Prince Jareth is sweet and romantic. But my favorite character is King Gregory--the villain. He's not my favorite in the sense that I wanted to see him succeed. Not at all. He is my favorite in the sense that he is the most complex and well-drawn character in the book. I found his intensity, passion, and ruthlessness quite compelling, and could totally understand Krystal's reaction to him.

My biggest disappointment was that the magic in the book is more of a background detail and is not important to the plot. For that reason, I'd say the book is not truly fantasy, but it is a wonderful, adventurous romance. I am looking forward to the sequel.


Cheri Chesley is hosting a super cool contest in connection with the blog tour. Click here to find out the details and see the awesome prizes, and leave a comment here to get entered!