Blog Tour & Book Review of Lori Devoti's Amazon Queen

This is a continuation of my earlier blog tour post of Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti.

The blurb:
Being an Amazon ruler just became a royal pain.

Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions.  After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America.  Zery is tough, fair, commanding -- the perfect Amazon leader.

At least, she was.  A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery's rule.  Plus, with the discovery of Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can't deny that the tribe must change.  But how?  Some want to cooperate with the sons.  Others believe brutal new leadership is needed -- and are willing to kill to make it happen.

Once, Zery's word was law.  Now, she has no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts.  For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she's faced before. . . and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.

Review:
Amazon Queen gives us a story with an unambiguous heroine and her quest.  Told from the point of view of Zery, the head of an Amazon camp, Amazon Queen is about how a superior force handles the need to adapt.  The Amazons had been willing to kill or mutilate their male children to prevent them from being a threat; a humanist faction advocated that the children be abandoned but left unharmed.  These abandoned male children have grown up and harbor their own grudges against the Amazons for the violence perpetuated on their gender and for the Amazons' callous treatment of "ordinary humans."  The Amazons in Zery's camp find themselves under attack by these sons  of Amazons. When the Sons steal a baby, Zery's investigation leads her to question whether the Amazon council still has the community's interests at heart.

Though Zery may be too trusting and a little distant as a leader, but the reserve is understandable since she's led a camp of migrating women warriors for nearly a hundred years.   More than anything, it is clear that Zery has a deep sense of honor and responsibility.   Like the Amazons before her, Zery worships Artemis and wears tattoos of the totems or givnomais that guide her.   Like other Amazons, Zery will live an inordinately long time, she's developed a reputation for being a stickler for the rules and honorable.

Zery's sense of justice and principles lead her to confront the high priestess.  The Amazon camp is thrown into disarray.  Meanwhile, Zery finds unlikely allies in her search to save the community and to protect those unable to care for themselves.

Overall, Amazon Queen is a fast-paced, entertaining fantasy novel.  A light novel, it's a fun beach read for folks who enjoy fantasy.  It is clearly the second of a series and I expect that the next installment will be even better.

ISBN-10: 1439167729 - Mass Market Paperback $7.99 
Publisher: Pocket (April 27, 2010), 375 pages.   
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Lori Devoti is originally from the Missouri Ozarks, but also lived in Montana where she worked in the advertising departments of two daily newspapers. Currently she  lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.


Participating Sites:

Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Books and Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Taking Time For Mommy: http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
My Five Monkeys: www.tableforseven-julie.blogspot.com
Gnostalgia: http://gnostalgia.wordpress.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/
My Book Addiction and More: http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Avid Reader: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Knitting and Sundries: http://www.jewelknits.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
A Musing Reviews: http://www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
Lucky Rosie’s: http://www.luckyrosiescreations.blogspot.com/

Thank you to Sarah and PocketBooks for this review opportunity!