L.J. McDonald – Queen of the Sylphs

The third book in the Sylph series, published September 2011.



It was a dream come true. Solie had her own battler, a creature of almost infinite magic who could vaporize legions in the blink of an eye and would willingly suffer a thousand bloody deaths to protect her. She was his love. More simply, she was his queen.

Many others feel the same. The new-built settlement is a haven for all. Erected by sylphs of earth and fire, air and water, the Valley is Solie's dominion. But, lovers without peer or killers without mercy, the very nature of their battler protectors means peril. It is not in any sylph's nature to disobey, and while some are hers to command, others are the slaves of Solie's enemies - the jealous, the cruel. Those who guard her must not fail. Their peasant-born ruler is not yet safe as - Queen of the Sylphs.


This book takes place right where the second one, The Shattered Sylph, ended. (So the anthology in A Midwinter Fantasy doesn’t really fit in between).
We are back in the Valley of the Sylphs, and Leon, Lizzy and Ril have just returned home. And so has a friend of Gabralina. Gabralina is happy in her new life, helping the widow Blackwell taking care of the orphans, and having Wat as her lover, her friend, her everything. So she has written to her only friend back home, and now Sala has come. She wants what Gabralina has, only she wants more, much more, and she won’t hesitate to take what ever she wants. And Sala wants it all. Starting with a battler of her own… someone she can control … who will have no choice but to obey her every command …
Meanwhile, Queen Solie is sad, because as much as she loves Heyou, he can’t give her children, and she really wants to be a mother. And Heyou is sad that he can’t give Solie what she wants most, until his other master tells him a solution. So Heyou threatens a human male and impregnates Solie. Without her knowledge, but she is so happy with the result.
The other battlers also see this as a solution to be able to father children on their lovers/masters. They don’t care who start the baby, as long as they can be a father to it.


A lot happens in this book, and I don’t want to spoil too much. It is a fast paced book, and it was good to visit there again. L.J. McDonald has a very vivid writing style, and I really wish I could live there, have a Sylph of my own. Help build a nation.
Solie has really grown in her role as the Queen, and she is good at it. Compassionate, deeply in love with her Battle Sylph. She has Leon, Mace and Galway as her advisers, and now Ril and Lizzy are working for her too.
Ril and Lizzy are getting used to their own life together, and it would be fine except for Justin, who cannot get over his hate for Ril, whom has stolen Lizzie and everything he would have had from him. At least, in his own mind. He cannot inherit his father’s Sylph now he is bound to Ril, and he hates that. But the Sylph is glad. She doesn’t like Justin, who is a very selfish spoiled boy.
Sala is really evil, soulless. She feels nothing for anyone but for herself, she just wants and what she wants, she will get. She is not pretty like Gabralina, but she uses people. And she doesn’t feel anything, the battlers don’t react to her, like they do to people with ill intent.

A good book, I really loved it. Fast paced, lots of action, lots of beloved characters to catch up on. This is a keeper and autobuy series for me. If you like fantasy romance, you really should try this series. I heartily recommend it.

9,5 stars.