*This book was reviewed via Lola’s Blog Tours

Destiny of the Queen, third in the Brajj series by Jacqueline Patricks, concludes the entrancing tale of Cass Baros, Jeamon, and Captain Lewis. Through time untold, and across distance unfathomable, Captain Lewis and Ta’mat have been thrown into the future of the multiverse by an unstable wormhole. They end up in a future where space travel depends upon specialised engineers called SLEs, who control tethered wormholes. Unfortunately, their accidental arrival on the Fatum Reginae severely damages the gravity well, and kills both SLEs. Can they assist repairs, and return to where they belong? In order to do so, they must contend with the dangers of the virulent, corrupting Pax faith, and the fanatical 'true believers’.

Meanwhile, back on the Earth they left, the Brajj have been taken into custody, along with Cass, Jeamon, Mathews, and Lars. Ostensibly, this is to protect the Brajj and others by keeping them in a mandatory quarantine. Cass and her small group are kept in the same facility, though not under quarantine. In order to find Lewis and Ta’mat, Cass agrees to cooperate with Dr Saniya in the hopes of improving her own control of dark matter and energy. Not surprisingly, things are far from what they seem at this research facility. Can Cass find Lewis in time? Can the others free the Brajj and get them to safety?

I loved this finale! It is rather different in tone from its predecessors. There was less pure viciousness seen here than in the prior books. Indeed, things felt playful at times. No need to give a graphic rape warning. I really enjoyed the banter between Ta’Mat and Lewis. It was truly touching, how each had grown. We get a glimpse of more of the things that shaped each into who they are today, and who they want to be. As with the previous two books, there is a theme of interconnection.

This wraps up some storylines, but it opens possibilities for the story to continue on, either along the same series, or as a spin-off. I've truly come to care about these characters and want to continue in their adventure.

📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended, especially if you are a fan of Dr Who or Stargate, or enjoy sci-fi that involves physics experiments gone awry. ( )