Cavern of the Veil Queen

Without a doubt, Cavern of the Veil Queen has one of the best climaxes I’ve ever read! And why shouldn’t it? It’s really the climax for the series. (Or is it?)

In this fourth book in the Conquest of the Veil series, Princess Alexandria and Prince Tal continue their wedded bliss—still newlyweds—amid the army’s continued preparation for war with the evil Veil Queen. However, just as things are looking up and the army is able to move their personnel and supplies through the open portal quicker than before, something happens to quash their optimism. Something terrible that no one could see coming. Their only hope is to kill the Veil Queen before she kills them.

As soon as their optimism is squashed—about midway through the book—the race to the climax begins! I’ve never read a climax so well-planned as to keep me pinned to the edge of my seat for so long. I wanted to take breaks from the reading, but I couldn’t. If the characters I so enjoyed couldn’t take breaks, then neither would I. I read the final two-thirds of the book in one sitting.

Aside from the pacing, the incredible pacing, the characters become even more endearing. I suppose that’s something that’s only possible in a series. The characters—both good and bad—can be more refined. With royals and gnomes and wizards, the characters are very diverse, yet all come together to challenge the Veil Queen.

“He loved Alex with an intensity that burned within him like a blacksmith’s forge.”

—on Prince Tal’s love for Princess Alexandria

Once the climax begins, the story is told on several fronts. One front is Waldez, the symbolic outpost meant to blunt any attack by the Veil Queen’s army, and the other is the main castle fortress at Wheel. The author brings the reader to the brink of something, and he then changes to the other location. The back-and-forth continue throughout the climax.

The character arcs are long yet refreshing. It was interesting to see how the main characters changed throughout the story. If you read any of the prior books, the character arcs can be sewn together to create incredible extended arcs.

After the climax, and after things have settled down a bit, the story took a turn that completely floored me. It was quite unexpected, but it was, in my opinion, the perfect way to end this incredible series!

I gleefully give this book (and this series) my highest recommendation!