Product Description

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one - except Eugenie - seems willing to find out why. Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty - even if it means facing the darkest - and deadliest - side of her nature...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4672 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

About the Author
Richelle Mead has an MA in Comparative Religion and a passion for all things wacky and humorous. She currently lives in Seattle and rarely gets up before noon. Late-night musings and updates about her next novel can be found at: www.richellemead.com.

Customer Reviews

4.5 Stars, unexpected, but still great
Thorn Queen is the second book in the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead, author of the very popular young adult series Vampire Academy and the Georgina Kincaid series (who is a succubus). TQ picks up a few months after the events of Storm Born, which left Eugenie with an unwanted kingdom in the Otherworld, and power she was determined to ignore, yet unable to avoid. She's still having to deal with most male fey trying to father her first born, intent of fulfilling the prophecy that her first born will take control of the human world once more. Through rape or consent, most of the men after her aren't fussy.

Even without the unwanted attention, Eugenie has guy problems. Her hot, fox-shifter boyfriend Kiyo is increasingly occupied with his very pregnant ex-girlfriend Maiwenn. A Queen herself and confident in her beauty and grace in the Otherworld, Eugenie wonders how she can fit in to Kiyo's life with her and their child. And she's continuously tempted by the darkly seductive king of the Oak Land, Dorian. Who has his own agendas in play as well. A fan of Eugenie's late and greatly hated father, Storm King, he would love to father his grandson. But is that his only reason for wanting her?

The Eugenie we find here in Thorn Queen is an unhappy one. She's avoiding her duties as queen of the Thorn Land as much as she can, unaware of the consequences for the people living there. Riding back to her castle after a necessary trip in the Otherworld, Eugenie learns of multiple girls who have gone missing. It's thought they've been taken. Eugenie doesn't want the girls at risk, and wants to get them back, realising they're innocent victims, but even with her desire to get them back, she's more willing to let the others do a good chunk of the work at her order. Meanwhile, she's trying to learn greater control over more of her powers, despite telling Kiyo and everyone else, that she wasn't interested in it. It ignites a dangerous spark in her she's not sure she wants.

Thorn Queen is well written and as vivid as Storm Born. But it is a different Eugenie we find here, one burdened with more than she seems willing to deal with. There are real sparks of her earlier self, particularly towards the end, but I believe the series has taken on a much darker edge with this book. When I finished it I found myself wondering if I really liked it in the end, but after thinking about it for a few days, letting it sink in, I really do love it. Whatever it was I expected from it after the fantastic Storm Born, this wasn't it. However, it's still a great story and I'm looking forward to the next.

unexpected, darker and more brilliant!!!
Eugenie Markham is a shaman who banishes otherworldly beings like ghosts and gentries to their rightful places. However, with a twist of luck, she is now the Thorn Queen; queen of the Thorn Land, which she created/earned after killing Aeson(king of Alder Land).
Upon returning to the Thorn Land, Eugenie learned that the people there are sufferings from harsh weather and that something or someone rather,(most probably human) is kidnapping the girls of Thorn Land. Though not enthusiastic about being a queen, Eugenie isn't going to abandon her people so carelessly. So she starts to investigate and the results are much darker, deadlier and unexpected than anyone could have guessed...
Things most definitely don't improve when her hot boyfriend/kitsune Kiyo, is occupied with Maiwenn(queen to Willow Land and kiyo's former lover) since she is pregnant with his child! Then, her feelings toward Dorian(king of Oak Land) doesn't improve her confusion and anger. And, gentries(men) are still trying to make her pregnant, never mind the ways because of the prophecy. To top it all off, her magic calls to her and makes her more dangerous and like Storm King?
So, with all the misunderstanding, secrets, confusion and problems Eugenie starts to uncover the truth, but what will she find? Will she have to choose between her two worlds? Will the traitor be someone she loves or trusts? Will Eugenie succumb to the her prophecy and let the otherworld take over human kind?
Only the Thorn Queen can give you answers to that...
Thorn Queen starts off where Storm Born left, with Eugenie in charge of Thorn land: her kingdom. Thorn Queen was a well written book, with more insights of Eugenie and how she manages her kingdom and her feelings. There was lots of action and romance in this book, and is was darker than Storm Born. The term of events in this book was really unexpected and its a different Eugenie we see! Much more considerate of what she does and how she may be a good queen to her people. The ending of this book was brilliant and a big cliffhanger. I can Barely wait to read Iron Crowned!

Thrilling, Dark and Captivating
This is the Second in the Dark Swan series, and picks up only months after the end of Storm Born.
Eugenie Markham is a Sharman who banishes Otherworldly beings from this world back to the Otherworld or in certain circumstances the Underworld. After the events of Storm Born Eugenie is now the reluctant Thorn Queen, ruler of ThornLand her kingdom in the otherworld. We find Eugenie attempting to devide her time between the two worlds and her kitsune boyfriend Kiyo; this wouldn't be so bad if Kiyo didn't spend most of his time recently with his VERY pregnant ex-girlfriend Queen Maiwenn of the Willow Land.
Then there's The Oak King Dorian, whose feelings for Eugenie, only seem to confuse our heroine whose already in a really bad place.
And of course there's the continuation of the story about the phrophecy that her first born will take control of the human world. Causing most male fey to attempt to father said child, and their not fussy wheather this is done through Rape or not.
Things start to take a sinister turn when Eugenie discovers that girls are being abducted from villages in her kingdom and Engenie being who she is sets out to discover where and who has these girls. Whilst trying to help the people of her kingdom reaclimatise to the changed environment they now find themselve in.
And if all this wasn't enough, theres the continuing battle with her ever growing powers, and the pressure from her family and friends to just stay human and not embrace her other side.

This book for me was far darker than Storm Born, I found certain parts of the book far darker than even I thought might be there. However, that said the book was captivating and thrilling from front to back. This series is the my first foray into the land of Richelle Mead, and honestly I couldn't be happier with it. Unlike a lot of books out there at the moment the twists and turns in this book were unexpected, and interesting.

The only unfortunate thing is the wait I have now for the third installment Iron Crowned.