★ 入選「2017 Amazon Kindle First 五月選書」
★ 入選「2017 亞馬遜書店六月最佳奇幻/科幻選書」( Amazon Best Book of the Month)

新銳作家Emily R. King初試啼聲的處女作小說《The Hundredth Queen》是一部揉合奇幻、懸疑、魔法、背叛以及動作場景…等多項暢銷元素的系列奇幻冒險小說。故事講述從小被遺棄在山間廟宇中的病弱孤兒，如何以堅韌的信念與勇氣成為王國中最驍勇善戰的女戰士，進而發現內在的神秘力量，同時找到屬於自己的人生。宛如暢銷小說《決戰王妃》與《飢餓遊戲》的完美結合。

故事中的女主角卡琳達(Kalinda)仍在襁褓中時，即被父母親遺棄至一處位於山林間的廟宇之中，如今已經長成18歲少女的卡琳達卻瘦弱多病，並且經常發燒。她最大的心願便是每天和姊妹們一同在這座與世隔絕的山中小廟向神明祈禱，以此度過餘生。直到某天王國殘暴的君王拉賈‧塔雷克(Rajah Tarek)造訪了這座山間廟宇，並命令卡琳達成為她第一百位王后的人選，從此打亂了她原本平靜無波的生活。卡琳達被迫住進王國的首都，和拉賈其他九十九名妻子人選，參與爭奪王后寶座的殊死戰。

殘暴多疑的君王拉賈，在古老的帝國中四處挑選美麗的女子，將她們培訓成一位英勇忠誠的女戰士，接著這一百名女子必須在殘酷的戰鬥遊戲中浴血奮戰。最後一名存活下來的勇者，將成為拉賈的妻子，從此享盡榮華富貴。然而，卡琳達一點也不希望成為拉賈的妻子，但是為了存活，她必須使盡全力贏得每一場凶險的比賽。對生命感到孤單絕望的卡琳達，唯一的慰藉是她的隨身護衛德凡(Devan)。善良赤誠的德凡成為了卡琳達贏得每一場比賽的動力。隨著卡琳達對於德凡日漸萌生的愛意，讓她有了希望與德凡一起遠走高飛念頭。

但是卡琳達該如何說服對國王忠心耿耿的德凡，誠實的面對自己的心意。另一方面，卡琳達又該怎麼逃出層層戒護的都城，直到她學會控制那股潛藏於內在的神秘能量。然而，卡琳達與德凡之間禁忌的愛戀，又會將兩人帶往何處？

系列第二集《The Fire Queen》將於2017年9月出版，第三集《The Rogue Queen》也預計於2018春季出版。

 

Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.

 

“King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life. The ending is left open for sequels, and readers will eagerly follow Kalinda and Deven on their future adventures.” —Booklist

“The Hundredth Queen is a culturally rich tale of both self-discovery and self-mastery. Emily R. King transports readers to a lush and fascinating world where our heroine, Kalinda, pitted against hardened and clever antagonists, embraces her weaknesses and follows her heart. King leaves you wondering, ‘What happens next?’” —Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series

“Richly imagined and gracefully written, The Hundredth Queen is a vibrant tale of forbidden love and personal sacrifice.” —Becky Wallace, author of The Keepers’ Chronicles