.jpg "The Queen's Key (Mary-Ellen Lang Collura)")
The Queen's Key: The story centers around a motherless girl, fighting to survive in a hostile world. Although set in the future, the inspiration for this novel was Queen Elizabeth I, and her childhood spent coping without a mother who had been beheaded, a father who rejected her, and a royal court that plotted her demise at every turn.
The Book has been published via CreateSpace and is available as eBook and Paperback - 267 pages - released in January 28, 2013.
About the Book
The Queen's Key follows Princess Zabeth from the age of five to fifteen. She suffers the sudden, unexplained loss of her mother and must learn to navigate a hostile world alone, surrounded by palace intrigue inside the walls of the Citadel, and growing rebellion and hatred beyond those walls.
As she grows and discovers more about the contradictions and conflicts her powerful father has inspired, she must come to terms with who she is, and her destiny. Along the way she is befriended by a stable boy, a horse, a pair of dwarfs and more than one wolf. Her search for answers about her mother and her thirst for the truth about many things find some resolution as the Queen’s key gives up its secret.
The Queen's Key is not a children’s book. It appeals to adults and good YA readers who appreciate a gripping story that is full of surprises and memorable, engaging characters and scenes.
.jpg "The Queen's Key (Mary-Ellen Lang Collura)") |
| Click to Read an Excerpt |
Reviews (Excerpts)
- "[...] There are so many touching and poignant moments in this book. It is hard to pick just one, but one of my favorite scenes is at the beginning. Zabeth is five years old and is trying to make sense of her mother's absence. "Zabeth did not know what to make of any of this. The world of grown-ups was impossible to understand. She must watch it closely of course, but figuring it out was beyond her. She preferred to think of ponies".
The Queen's Key is one of the most gripping and captivating novels I have read in a long time. It is the first of a trilogy, and I can't wait for the sequels to be published. I look forward to reading the rest of this author's work. " - Rocket7001 (Amazon)
- "This is one of the best books I have read in the past 2 years and I cannot wait for the second book to be released. As a mother, my heart was melting for Zabeth by the end of page 3 and I had to find out what was going to happen to her. I read the book in 2 evenings (actually, 2 long baths with a glass of wine after my children were in bed). Zabeth grows from an innocent, sheltered little princess into this courageous, strong-minded little woman who searches for truth in a world filled with secrets, despite the heavy penalties. The world created by the author is super easy to sink into and you can't help but get invested in the Zabeth and her quest for truth and discovery." - Stephany K. (Amazon)
- "A science fiction fantasy novel set in the years following the destruction of the world as we know it, Princess Zabeth, a sweet five year old girl, finds her intelligence, independence and creativity penned in by the constraints of her father's society.
In an interesting take on the woes of our modern world, author Mary-Ellen Lang Collura, reflects on the excesses and indulgences of contemporary society in both a positive and negative light. Zabeth, though taught about a world before "Something Bad" happened, lives in a world where discarded electricals are collected as items of interest and the people live under a pseudo-democracy where the people of the Plebian tribes are forced to provide part of their individual tribal production (meat, game, grain etc) as a tax to the King and those who live inside the walls of the Citadel.[...]"- Alyse Garner
About the Author
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| Mary-Ellen Lang Collura |
Her first novel, Winners, was an international best seller, as was her second, Sunny. Both these books attracted movie contracts. She also wrote an opinion/analysis column for CBC news for years.
She has spent her life teaching high school English, raising her kids, living and working with horses, dogs, goats and the occasional cat. She loves writing, as well as painting, gardening, and cooking.
Favorite animal: elephant. Favorite music: Beethoven and the Blues. Favorite sport: Show Jumping.
Links to the Author and the Book
Connect with the Author on Twitter: @zedinbcLang
Link to the Paperback The Queen's Key with Excerpt on Amazon
Link to the eBook The Queen's Key with Excerpt on Amazon
