REVIEW: God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

God Save the Queen by Kate Locke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Original Publication Year: 2012

Genre(s): Urban Fantasy

Series: The Immortal Empire #1

Awards: None

Format: In Print

Narrated By: NA

Recommended Subtitle:  So that's why Dracula is a Count

I’m feeling a candy analogy for this book. It has an outer shell of pretty tasty chocolate that includes some really interesting world building combining elements of steampunk and Urban Fantasy. Queen Victoria is a vampire! Vampirism and Lycanism are viruses that only infect those with noble blood and it struck about 150 years ago. The book is set in the present day but because the ruling class is immortal, the society is a mixture of modern and old fashioned. The heroine Xandy is a half-breed, somewhere in between human and “Aristo” and when her sister is found dead in Bedlam, her world view begins to be shaken as she tenaciously investigates the truth of what really happened to her sister.

Unfortunately, I found the filling of the book pretty bland and nougatty. It’s a pretty pedestrian Urban Fantasy with a stereotypical urban fantasy heroine (violent, tough as nails but with a heart of gold, quick with the often cheesy one liners) and a pretty lackluster romance. Basically this book was a 3 Musketeers candy bar, not bad and can really hit the spot when you’re in the mood for it but it’s not a candy I’d choose if given an option of say a Snickers or Twix or even a Milky Way. What I’m trying to say is that it was fine and I might have liked it a lot better if I had been in the proper mood. I struggle with most Urban Fantasy even when in the mood so it’s no surprise this wasn’t a favorite. It didn’t help that there were some pretty serious plot issues that I don’t think were adequately dealt with but if you get sucked into the world building you may not notice.

Final Verdict: If you are in the mood for a standard issue Urban Fantasy this should fit the bill and it has the advantage of a pretty interesting backdrop.