Giveaway & Review: Queen & Commander by Janine A. Southard

Title: Queen & Commander

Author: Janine A. Southard 

Publication: May 2014

Publisher: Janine A. Southard 

Source: Author/Publisher

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Audience: 15+

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Synopsis: 
On a world where high school test scores determine your future, six students rebel. They’ll outrun society as fast as their questionably obtained spaceship will take them.

Rhiannon doesn’t technically cheat the Test. She’s smarter than the computers that administer it, and she uses that to her advantage. She emerges from Test Day with the most prestigious future career possible: Hive Queen.

Gwyn & Victor are madly in love, but their Test results will tear them apart. Good thing Rhiannon is Gwyn’s best friend. Rhiannon can fix this. Queens can do anything.

Gavin is the wild card. Raised off-planet, he can’t wait to leave again... and he’s heard of an empty ship in orbit. The Ceridwen’s Cauldron.

Both Luciano and Alan fit in the system. They don’t need to leave. Only their devotion to Rhiannon spurs them to join the Cauldron’s crew.

Spaceships. Blackmail. Anywhere but here.

My Thoughts: This is a story about friendship and loyalty. Rhiannon is a determined girl as are her friends. She is determined to be queen even though she is natural inclined toward perceiver. He need to be Queen was born out of her desire to be with others. The death of her mother was the driving force of this need. No one thought one could study for the test but Rhiannon found a way. 

This book has great character development. Time is spent getting to know each character a little and a basic understanding of their individual motivation for wanting to create/join the hive. During the course of the story many problems arise. As a result of these problems the hive's first mission could be their last. 

Author Bio:

Janine A. Southard writes and edits speculative fiction in between working on videogame projects. She’s attended more than the average number of universities, which she claims is a FEATURE. (“Oxford educated, but Californian at heart.”) She’s also lived and traveled in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle with a husband (and a cat) and sings with a Celtic band.

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Giveaway: This giveaway is for three (3) signed copies of both books in the Hive Queen Saga and one (1) ebook copy of both books in the Hive Queen Saga plus an unrelated novella. This giveaway is sponsored by the Author and/or Xpresso Book Tours. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 

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