The Queen of Blood: Book One of the Queens of Renthia

By Sarah Beth Durst

Book Overview

From the bestselling author of The Spellshop comes the award-winning first book in an adult epic fantasy series of malevolent nature spirits, a young woman's uncertain destiny, a deadly competition, and family found along the way--available in trade paperback for the first time. Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . . Only those spirits want to kill you. It's the first lesson that every Renthian learns. What is a queen? In Renthia, the queen is the one human with enough magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. For the very spirits the humans rely on to live--wood, earth, water, air, fire, and ice--at the same time possess an instinctual drive to exterminate them. The queen is chosen for her ability to control the spirits, but she is also mortal, so to ensure the humans' survival, potential heirs to the queen's role are rigorously trained to take her place. And there is concern that Fara, the current queen, is weakening. What is a champion? With the stakes literally life and death, competition at the academy is fierce and demanding. Years ago, spirits slaughtered almost everyone in her village until young Daleina was able to drive them off with power she didn't know she possessed. Now struggling to equal the magical strength of her fellow trainees at the academy, she comes under the tutelage of a disgraced champion, Ven, who has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks, and the mysterious healer Hamon. What is a family? Joining forces, they embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness--a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand together against both enemies and friends to save their land...before it's bathed in blood.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063444879
• ISBN13: 9780063444874
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Great Story Teller!

We are lacking people who know how to tell a good story these days. Not people remaking the old stories, but real story tellers with real ideas. Sarah Beth Durst... She is a true story teller. She has also written beautiful remakes of old tales as well, but she also has proven that new or old, she can spin a tale and keep the reader's attention!

Great series!

A great author that is able to make the words on the page create a movie in your mind. Well put together and so enthralling it feels like you're really there. The two books that follow, The Reluctant Queen and the Queen of Sorrow will not disappoint. She is an amazing author and I look forward to what she comes up with next.

Excellent read. Hard to put down! This one is worth reading again and again.

Excellent series, with a fresh take on the fantasy reading realms. Enjoyed the completely different fiction world then I’ve seen written before. Quite good, with a engaging pace that doesn’t disappoint. You can’t go wrong with this series!! Great male and female characters. Nice female heroine. But not geared at all toward male or female. This is one either will enjoy. Good action and fight scenarios, definitely not for young children. But older teens and adults alike would appreciate. Overriding focus of making the wise choices for all, not just for self is woven throughout. Enjoy