[Songs Of The Scorpion 03] • Queen of the North (Book 3) (Songs of the Scorpion)

The long cold sleep of winter is closing in on the Iron Marches and Rathe Lahkurin, the exiled Scorpion of Cerrikoth. He and his companions have a single chance to leave the frozen northlands, but relentless forces are working hard to ensure they can never escape.

One is a ruthless foe driven by old hatreds and guarded by the blackest of sorceries. Another enemy is a power-mad monk who, in order to have his revenge and take his spoil, is willing to scorch the Iron Marches in the flames of war. A mysterious band of outlanders has also joined the hunt. They will stop at nothing to bend Rathe to their will, even if that means using the lives of his friends against him.

Meanwhile Queen Erryn, once a thieving urchin with too much fire in her heart, learns that claiming a crown is easy, but keeping it is a bloody struggle. Threatened with sure annihilation, she and her general conceive of a daring plan to strike at her greatest adversary. To succeed, she and her army of mercenaries must survive crossing the Gyntor Mountains, but what she finds lurking within those merciless crags will change her destiny and haunt her for eternity.

Behind all the scheming and maneuvering, fate is pulling its own strings....

Q A with James A. West--Queen of the North

Question: Queen of the North is your third volume in the epic fantasy series, Songs of the Scorpion. What is this book about?

James: I hinted before that people from Rathe's recent past might show up again. Well, I didn't lie. Several familiar faces from Reaper of Sorrows and Lady of Regret appear in Queen of the North, and their budding roles will eventually expand further in the next volumes. As to the point of this latest book, most of everyone wants Rathe's head, but now there's a twist in that a few of those people want to capture and use him for rather nefarious purposes. I'll stop there to avoid revealing too much.

Q: The pacing of Queen of the North feels different from your previous work. Things still move along, but there definitely seems to be more of a suspenseful air to this book, a buildup before the explosive conclusion. Why is that?

JW: Although they are not, the first two volumes have the feel of standalone novels, with Lady of Regret picking up and expanding on some of the events that occurred in Reaper of Sorrows. In Queen of the North, the reader will begin to see the edges of a bigger picture, and realize that Queen of the North is the beginning of a much bigger story.

Q: How big?

JW: Epic....

Q: By introducing more characters, do you worry this takes away from Rathe serving as the centerpiece of the series?

JW: Not at all. It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. By broadening the storyline to include more characters, each with unique goals and motivations, it allows Rathe to have some breathing room. I would rather his fans look forward to seeing him again, than to roll their eyes and say, "Oh, gods, not him again." Not only that, I find the possibility of side missions and spinoffs set in the same world both exciting and appealing.

Q: You mention spinoffs. How would you manage those?

JW: I have a few ideas for a storyline set in the distant past. It would not impact Rathe's story, but I'm very intrigued by the chance to explore his ancient world. Right now, it's simmering on the back burner, but don't be surprised if I make an announcement one day about a new book or series.