Rating: 
Summary: never buy a sequel without checking these reviews!
Review: I actually shelled out for a hardcover version of this book, but not before checking the last page for the dread phrase "Continued in XXXXX" which was absent. But the author and publisher LIED to me. A grotesquely disappointing and depressing sequel to a sequel and she still hasn't wrapped it up. I'm beginning to smell "Riverworld Syndrome" here. I admire Barbara Hambly's writing but publication of the last two books in this series, at least as they currently stand, was a Very Bad Idea.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad and grim
Review: I enjoy most of Hambly's books and as a (very) amatuer fiction writer, I appreciated the conflict and tension she creates in "Night of the Demon Queen." Be warned, readers new to Hambly, that this novel is probably her darkest, grimmest and saddest to date. When I finished it, my first reaction was, "That's it? It's ending there? When the next book coming out?" I agree with other reviewers who recommend starting with Dragonsbane. Her other works are very entertaining and my personal favorite is "Ishmael," a Star Trek novel. Bear in mind that "Queen" is the second of a trio and we all know how unsatisfying such middle parts can be. I hope Hambly's publishers will get the final book out in record time, and disclose the release date, because I want to see how the author gets John and Jen out of their predicaments.
Rating: 
Summary: Bleak is not the same as bad
Review: I hope people read the reviews of this book, as opposed to just looking at the star count. The book is horribly, possibly too stark and pessimistic, but it is still well written and imaginative. Dragonsbane was not a walk in the park and this is going on with the waning world theme that pervades this series and the Darwath books. Fantasy is not always an escape.
Rating:
Summary: It can't end there
Review: I hope there's a sequel coming soon.The world of Aversin is one of my favorite universe that Hambly created second only to The Windrose chronicles. It can't end there. She can'tjust leave us with the image of Aversin burned at stake.This universe has at least two more if not three books in it.
Rating: 
Summary: Knight of the demon queen
Review: I really look forward to Barbara Hambly's work. I expect a lot from her and each time I buy a book it worries me that this may be the sell out. Strangely, the fact that this book seems more like an interlude than a novel comes as some comfort in that regard. The fact that a bunch of stuff happens but nothing really moves forward is a disappointment. The main characters were already strong enough to carry a story, a large group of new characters are introduced but never developed or carried forward. Thinking you were at the climax of a trilogy, this book was a bit of a disappointment, however it was still good escapist literature; colorful and interesting, but no new character moves forward to complicate the next story and John and Jenny are frankly getting a bit tired. Good grief I'm getting tired of watching them abused. It's hard to imagine how this series can resolve happily, thankfully that's Barbara's problem and not mine. Can't give this author up.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the love??
Review: I started the series in the middle, with Dragonshadow, and absolutely loved it. It was dark and powerful, not a predictable fantasy tale where everything works out sickeningly (and unbelievably) perfect. I found Dragonsbane a little lacking, but still quite impressive. Knight of the Demon Queen, however, made me furious. At the dismal ending of this dismal novel, I got the feeling that something terrible happened to the author, and she was taking it out on her characters. Although I did enjoy the cyberpunk world at moments, overall, this novel should not have been written, unless Dragonstar is somehow able to make it all worth it... Good luck...!
Rating:
Summary: A Hambly is a Hambly, but...
Review: I thought "Dragon Shadow" (the previous book in this series) was brilliant but depressing. It could have been subtitled, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". However, things get much worse for Jenny and her bespectacled husband, Lord John in "Knight of the Demon Queen". The book opens with their son's attempted suicide. Lord John's people begin to die from a demon-caused plague...and the situation deteriorates from there. Lord John goes hunting for a demon on a world that resembles a half-drowned, New York City of the near future. His only allies are wired-in, wannabe wizards in a world of violent gangs, bad smells, and screaming, in-your-face-24-hours-a-day drug ads.Ugh. Get me out of this world, and don't send me back! Jenny spends her part of the novel trying to come to grips with her loss of magic. At least she gets to hang around with a dragon. At any rate, Hambly leaves us hanging at the end of "Knight of the Demon Queen". We don't know whether Jenny and Lord John are alive or dead. They seemed to have jumped from Purgatory straight into Hell. And here I am, still waiting for a reasonably happy ending. I'll read the sequel, but I wish I'd skipped "Knight of the Demon Queen".
Rating:
Summary: A tedius journey to destruction
Review: In this latest battle of our heroes, John and Jenny Aversin and the dragon Morkeleb vs. assorted really rotten demons, John finds himself in an alternate universe that resembles New York city taken to ridiculous extremes. The idea that a primitive man, even though brilliant, could function in such a strange environment seems farfetched. Close attention to detail is required in reading this work because things move so fast. The demons have the upper hand turning usual concepts on their heads. Don't expect a happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Emotional turmoil
Review: It's been several weeks since I read this book. I have been trying to find words to describe my reaction. "Dragonsbane" is one of my favorite books, and Hambly one of my favorite authors. I truly respect what she has done with "Dragonshadow" and "Knight of the Demon Queen". This is a gritty, hard world where there are a thousand ways to die, and no one thinks of magic as soft, friendly, or fun. If you are looking for an escapist fantasy world, don't look in this series. It will make YOUR daily grind look like a trip to an amusement park. At the end of "Dragonshadow", our heroes have achieved their goals at great personal loss. This book continues just where the previous ended, down to the sleep deprivation and deep grief. As a case study in how families deal with grevious events, it is interesting. As an observation of how Jenny and John deal with these terrible events, it is heart-wrenching. I don't think I would have survived if John wasn't bent on raising the spirits of all those about him... including the Demon Queen. But that ending is very hard to take. In fact, my mind is still rejecting it. There's a voice deep inside me saying "But wait! She'll explain it in the sequel! Things will be all better then!" I will not go into more detail in order to avoid spoilers. I would encourage those who like Hambly and loved "Dragonsbane" to put this book on a shelf for a while and see if a sequel is forthcoming. However, I suspect it is not. Anyone want to start a support group for readers of this book?
Rating:
Summary: Emotional turmoil
Review: It's been several weeks since I read this book. I have been trying to find words to describe my reaction. "Dragonsbane" is one of my favorite books, and Hambly one of my favorite authors. I truly respect what she has done with "Dragonshadow" and "Knight of the Demon Queen". This is a gritty, hard world where there are a thousand ways to die, and no one thinks of magic as soft, friendly, or fun. If you are looking for an escapist fantasy world, don't look in this series. It will make YOUR daily grind look like a trip to an amusement park. At the end of "Dragonshadow", our heroes have achieved their goals at great personal loss. This book continues just where the previous ended, down to the sleep deprivation and deep grief. As a case study in how families deal with grevious events, it is interesting. As an observation of how Jenny and John deal with these terrible events, it is heart-wrenching. I don't think I would have survived if John wasn't bent on raising the spirits of all those about him... including the Demon Queen. But that ending is very hard to take. In fact, my mind is still rejecting it. There's a voice deep inside me saying "But wait! She'll explain it in the sequel! Things will be all better then!" I will not go into more detail in order to avoid spoilers. I would encourage those who like Hambly and loved "Dragonsbane" to put this book on a shelf for a while and see if a sequel is forthcoming. However, I suspect it is not. Anyone want to start a support group for readers of this book?
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