Kindle Edition Amazon The Lizard Queen Category:  Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace ISBN-10:  1514713039 Type: Fiction Pages: 322 Copyright: August 15, 2015 ISBN-13: 9781514713037 Price: $4.99 (eBook) As word makes its way across the nations that the prophesied Lacáruna has arrived, the forces against Amy Darlidale press on from unseen corners.  As word makes its way across the nations that the prophesied Lacáruna has arrived, the forces against Amy Darlidale press on from unseen corners. Now the reach of danger seems to have penetrated the realm of her own mind. Although jolted by the sacrifices her protectors have had to make, Amy forges ahead as new relationships surface and new truths are revealed. When the group is forced to turn in a new direction and it becomes less clear who to trust, Amy has no choice but to seek out the help of a Trotéjo comrade with whom she’s barely had a passing acquaintance in order to find the remaining Extiguos. Yet despite her resolve to fulfill the Promise of a New Morphósis, Amy understands that achieving this goal is going to be difficult. Because now it seems she’s not the only one on the Most Wanted List.

by Trish (I read too much!)
Lots of action. Picks up a moment after book four ends. Amy and her companions are soon on their way to the home of the last three Extiguous in Masaprada, and the journey there has already cost them dearly. Then they discover that Amy isn’t the only one who’s wanted, and they are forced to seek a replacement who knows the way and can get them to see the one who holds the books.

I found it a bit funny how Amy is still trying to exert her authority over the group (as a CEO in her former life) and keeps having to bite her tongue when Dack or one of the others proposes something logical. She and Dack, particularly, clash on this, and it seems she only really gets annoyed when he takes over. Amy wants to be in charge, but she still doesn’t understand the world she finds herself in, so she keeps having to bow to their wisdom.

I also found it amusing how boy crazy Licha becomes in this volume. Not only does she seem to have become a magnet for male attention, she seems to return the interest, and there seems to be no common theme. It keeps the others on their toes trying to keep her out of serious trouble, but they still use her to get what the team wants. She’s like an overprotected teenager let loose on the world for the first time, noticed for the first time, and free to act on her newfound freedom. And, related to Amy’s tendency to want control, the less control Amy has over the situation, the more bold and careless Licha becomes.

As in the other books, the setting reflects Earth, but differs in interesting and surprising ways. This time, when they reach Masaprada, Palm Springs is reflected. Architecture, and even the clothing of the citizens, are described as very mod. But it’s still obviously different. Instead of palms, the streets are lined with trees that look like puffy dandelions, and many of the citizens have antlers. It’s quirky, and I like that.

I also like how the history of the world is revealed. I always look forward to the Extiguos readings and the discussions that follow, which reveal how time, word of mouth, and politics have corrupted the truth. I couldn’t help but relate this to other religious and historical texts. No matter how widely accepted they are, just how much have they changed over time through translation and the filtered lens of time? And, just how accurate was the original writing; just how much did the author of those ancient tomes actually reveal?

It had been a while since I read the last one, but it only took a couple of pages to refresh my memory of where the companions were and why. The last book left off with a narrow escape and this one picked right up with the completion of that escape, so there really isn’t any transition. If one were reading these in order, it would be just like going from one chapter to another. And, the story ends with another narrow escape. I’m not saying that’s bad, but these read as continuations of the same story, so folks who start them will want to have them all on hand so they can keep reading.

Overall, I loved this book, though it’s mostly a transitional phase in the storyline, particularly because it’s a mystery blended with fantasy and an epic quest. I would highly recommend this story to folks who love a good epic read, with a twist of fantasy and mystery
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I received the review copy of this book from the author in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review. This review was written for the blog at PureTextuality.com.