• God Save the Queen

  • The Immortal Empire, Book 1
  • By: Kate Locke
  • Narrated by: Courtney Patterson
  • Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (271 ratings)

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God Save the Queen  By  cover art

God Save the Queen

By: Kate Locke
Narrated by: Courtney Patterson
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Publisher's summary

The first in an alternate fantasy series where vampires, werewolves, and goblins rule London.

Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. The undead matriarch presides over a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. It's a world where the nobility are infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic.

The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key - the prize - in a very dangerous struggle.

The fantastic start to The Immortal Empire series that continues with the spectacular undead books, The Queen is Dead and Long Live the Queen.

©2012 Kate Locke (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Rapid-paced action and an original interpretation of goblins...add much to differentiate Locke's fantasy from the rest of the pack." (The Library Journal)

"[A] fresh, witty, and darkly beautiful ride...you'll enjoy every minute of adventure and mystery." (Philippa Ballantine author of Geist)

"Locke's writing is smart and fast-paced, full of sharp dialogue and vivid detail. This stylish, original story is perfectly suited to a wonderfully constructed world." (Publishers Weekly on God Save the Queen)

What listeners say about God Save the Queen

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

We Were Amused

Interesting new series which is probably more Urban Fantasy meets Historical Romance than Steampunk. I would also put this as a crossover from Young adult to adult. Small amount of sex, a lot of English swearing and violence.

I could not help but find similarities to Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate but it is not any where near as amusing and is far more gritty and most of the humour comes from anachronistic paraphernalia and altered history lines. There were no World Wars, Hitler was a failed artist, tampons, rotaries, bloomers and corsets are every day regalia and Sid Vicious and Queen Victoria Co-exist. The humour is more wry. Queen Victoria, a Vampire is not deceased and still rules with a Fang of Iron. This is a new world that we have not been privy too before.

The author is Canadian from the East Coast and is a big anglophile. Although a lot of the terms and speech in the book is truly English you can tell in places it has been adopted for the NA market, this does not detract from the mainly authentic feeling of a modern day Victorian London. The narrator does a good job. She keeps the story moving at the fast pace it deserves and gives Xandra a feisty edge that makes her believable and eminently likable even though she is a little unhinged at times. She is rather spoiled and tunnel visioned believeing all she is told but is staunchly loyal and protective For the UK listeners: I did find the narrator's accent a little odd as most times she spoke with a middle to upper class accent but on occasion used the harder As used in the Northern part of the country.

The reason I do not find this novel to be truly Steampunk is that there are not inventions before their time and very little science jargon and the usual suspects of Steampunk and not a single derigible in sight. The science seems to be more genetic and torture related being of a most disturbing nature. Again like the Parasol Protectorate there is a lot of dialogue about the types of food consumed, relationships with family and work and the outcast protagonist having an alpha boyfriend. Although women seem to not be under the Rule Of Thumb and have a say.

After the Plague during Victoria's reign the virus slowly turned the aristocrats into vampires and some of them (especially the Scottish contingent) into werewolves. Humans still existed and another breed emerged, a cross of the strongest humans with the Aristos has produced another group called Halvies who are used to protect the Aristos. Our protagonist is one of these and they are distinguishable mainly by their unnaturally coloured hair, speed adn strength.. Last and not least there are the Goblins living under the City.... There is a vague harry Potter feel at times but there is no magic. It is all genetic.

In the present time, London operates as usual, only the aristocrats and Queen Victoria are still ruling. The vampires have some sort of celebrity status, while normal people live no different apart from donating a pint of their blood occasionally and keeping a record of their DNA with state's hospitals so they can be monitored for the virus development. Also they always keep their children in after dark knowing a seedy adn brutal underworld exists adn they are not safe..

There is much unrest and attempts of revolution which will give people more rights and diminish the rule of aristocracy. Bedlam, the infamous mental institution still exists and many Halvies end up behind it's formidable walls. There is also a strange destructive drug that allows people to borrow the supernatural strength of those affected by The Plague however. humans will not last long on this.

Xandra Vardan is quite content with her life as a special guard, living with her half sister and brother, until her younger sister, Dee Dee, goes missing and a body burned beyond recognition is identified as Dee Dee. Then the plot takes off and were are lead into the underworld and lots of truths are revealed and twists and turns occur that shake the foundations of Xandra's belief system. Forcing her to see the truth of those around her and herself. As everything falls away she does not know who to trust.

One of the things I was not so keen on was that there waas an invented words for this verse, a bit like in A Clockwork Orange, that got very overused which again made me feel it was aimed at a younger audience.

I loved Kate Locke's non nonsense style with likable characters, action and a good deal of punching, Xandra is straightforward and likable and I think there will be great times ahead in the rest of the series.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fresh take on a modern day steampunkish world

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, this is the type of fantasy adventure story that I enjoy.

Would you recommend God Save the Queen to your friends? Why or why not?

It would depend upon the friend. Not many of my friends read fantasy like I do.

What does Courtney Patterson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does a great job with the accents.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Why, yes, I would.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Locke Rules!

Re-read Update: I loved this book. I liked the direction that the author took with the character, but I can't really say why without some major, major spoilers, but those of you who like a good story won't be disappointed. One thing that I did enjoy is that the main character was surrounded by her 'people'. In a lot(most?) of UF the main character is so solitary they may as well have grown up in a test tube--despite years of life, there is no 'life' around them. Not here, Xandra's is full of siblings, mentors, long-term acquaintances, etc. It is as full and messy as real life and I appreciated that aspect.

If you are looking for PNR or the detailed love scene, I'm not sure this is the book for you. There is a love interest, but that is not the end game to the story, and while Xandra has a healthy respect for sex, it no more rules her story than it does her mind.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

It was just okay.

This book was just okay. It was a bit confusing trying to figure out the combinations of creatures and how they became what they were. Once you get past the confusion I think the story could have been better and it did have potential that didn't happen. I don't feel an urge to read the second book, so I think I will pass. The narrator was not the worst but by far not the best. Maybe if you catch this one on sale it would be worth listening to. Otherwise don't waste a credit on this one.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Underworld in steampunk apparel

Listener tip: To best enjoy the twists and turns in book 1, do not read the book summaries for books 2 &3.

Excellent paranormal thriller trilogy with enough twists on the vampire/werewolves trope to make things shiny and new. This has shades of the Underworld movie, including guardian “halvie” Xandra (a half-vampire), a modern day setting (2012), and plenty of supernatural/human politics.

The summary says this is steampunk, but that’s mostly on the apparel end with corsets & top-hats; there are no clockwork creations, mechanic limbs, or dirigibles. The romance element is more of a good side dish to the main supernatural conspiracy meal and, while it gives delicious chemistry, its fade to black style keeps things nicely in YA territory. Although there’s a gothic mood that can get bloody, this never went too far into the horror vibe (except the “meat” scene, which was fang-freaking-tastic!).

The cussing is more of the “fang me!” variety, although F-bombs pick up as the series continues. I love that family and friendship, in a variety of good, bad, and complex interactions, plays a big part in the series- it’s refreshing in a genre generally filled with lone-wolf MCs. I also appreciate the author’s willingness to sacrifice characters in support of a better story. Finally, although it’s more subtle in this book, I like the LGBTQ diversity effortlessly woven in (especially the Asian Penny Dreadful). I got the trilogy on sale, but found these credit worthy.

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2 people found this helpful

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Interesting!

For some reason, its rare to find the combintion of paranormal and historical romance. The once out there are mostly not very well done. That is what makes this a rare treasure.
It is really well written, with a perfect balance between the lore and the romance.
Good Job!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Imaginative and Engaging

I didn't know what to expect from GSTQ: I bought it on the strength of its rating and the reviews. I'm happy to say those positive reviews are warranted.

There is a strong romantic element to this story, and while I am not by any means a fan of romance novels, I have to admit I enjoyed experiencing the protagonist's budding romance with another major character.

I particularly liked the main character, who although strong and tough, is somewhat naive and rather bigoted. I particularly appreciated this aspect of the character, because her (anti-human, anti-Goblin) bigotry is a big part of her character, but is handled with delicacy. Moreover, like real-life prejudices, hers are not erased in the blink of an eye.

The speculative history is fun, and the author's note at the beginning helps straighten things out before the story even starts. However, I found the appendix at the end to be dry and more information than I wanted or needed. Still, it's short, and in no way detracts from the work as a whole.

The narrator adds a sophisticated and very listenable element to the story.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Not so much steampunk

If you are only looking at this book from a steampunk kind of view, you might be disappointed, but if you go in with an open mind you will be most surprised at how entertaining this book is.
Vampires, Royals, Werewolves, Goblins all in one story and all re-imagined. I was most pleasantly surprised and couldn't stop listening to the entire series. The only sad part was how quickly I was done with it and found myself missing the characters.

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  • W
  • 09-09-15

Loved it - One to marathon listen to

If you like vampires and weres you will enjoy this story. Even if they aren't as particular fascination for you it will pull you in.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not perfect but the world has potential

I quite like the narrator though there were some parts of the story that I found a little hard to swallow and some things that weren't different enough from reality based on the changes the story . That it's one of the problems I have with some alternate reality works of fiction.

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