The Queen and the Cure by Amy Harmon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: A mild sex scene without detail 


Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He'd never envied his brother or wanted to be king. The ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.

The Bird and the Sword is one of my favorite books so I was looking forward to reading this companion novel. For the most part I really liked this book, just not quite as much as The Bird and the Sword. Although very good, this one had a slightly different feel to me. Although not completely absent, it was lacking a bit in that magical fairy tale feeling that The Bird and the Sword had. However this is a good read all on its own and I'm not disappointed at all. I liked reading about Kjell. He was a complex character and his inner struggle about who and what he was made for a compelling read. I loved that Sasha came into his world and completely turned it upside down. The way their relationship slowly evolved was nice to read and also wildly romantic at times.

"Come to me, and I will try
to heal you. I will try to
heal you, if you but come
back.

Come to me, and I will
give you shelter, I will give
you shelter, if you but come
back.

Come to me, and I will try
to love you. I will try to love
you, if you but come back."

The only thing I wasn't too crazy about in this book was the addition of so many other types of abilities. This is strictly a romantic fantasy, and I think the insertion of so many abilities didn't feel like it fit quite right. I think it was because it just reminded me too much of super heroes with powers. Honestly though, that is such a small thing compared to everything I liked about this book. This is only the second book I've read by this author, but I don't think Amy Harmon is capable of writing a book that wouldn't touch my heart in some way. Her prose is beautiful without being overwrought. I'm interested in reading some of her contemporary stories, even though that isn't my typical genre.