Bane Chronicles (2) - The Runaway Queen by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson
The Runaway Queen – part 2! By Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson and (In German Die Flucht der Königin, La reine en fuit). I read it in German, where it was 53 pages long.
Paris is Magnus' favourite city. Full of décadence, la mode and nice young men and women. Paradise! Especially just before the French revolution… and one particular person caught his eye, Axel von Fersen. Magnus just can’t resist his blue eyes when he asks him to help save Marie Antoinette. But the vampires of Paris come in the way – and the plan for the rescue-mission isn't entirely thought through...
Overdone. Unrealistic. And not even funny. Seriously.
Okay, let's start with the historic mistake: There isn't one document that actually makes it clear Marie Antoinette was the one who said “Then they should eat cake”. It's quite possible they simply put these words in her mouth.
Second: Axel. Axel is obviously in love with his queen – and she with him. But nevertheless he kisses Magnus at a point where she can see it. Which would hurt her – and there isn’t even one reason why this was necessary. Axel neither has to make her jealous nor manipulate Magnus into doing something. All at a time when it's strategically inconvenient to waste any minutes AND in an age when homosexuality wasn't seen as something normal, more as something evil. So, even if he really did love Magnus after two conversations and this favour, which is highly unlikely (since he is in love already), Axel would not have risked Marie Antoinette / Magnus, his status and the mission like this. He's far too sensible for that. This is absolutely out of the character.
The vampires were nicely done though, but not extra-ordinary.
In brief:
One star for style, minus one for characters.
Prequel:
Sequel:
Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale