The Raven Queen by Jules Watson
Jules Watson’s The Raven Queen is a historical fantasy based on the ancient Irish legends about Queen Maeve. Red-haired and fiery-tempered, since childhood Maeve has resented being used by her father, King of Connacht, as a political tool… Maeve doesn’t tend to actually foster peace anywhere she goes… Despite her admirable independence and courage, Maeve is not a likable heroine. You might argue that, based on the legends, she is not meant to be, but even a villainess can be a great heroine if the author can persuade the reader to believe it (and I’ve been persuaded many times). But there was no reason to sympathize with Maeve… Maeve became more likable by the end of the book, but by that time it was too late for me to start cheering for Maeve… Readers who don’t mind an unlikable heroine (who does get better by the end of the book) and can overlook some editorial negligence will enjoy The Raven Queen more than I did. The story is fast-paced and includes some lively characters and plenty of action… Read the rest.
Yeah, Maeve has got to be hard to write. It might work better if she were just straight-up bitchy without the idealism, or if it were a “the legends got it all wrong!” interpretation where she was less selfish.