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amandabuckley's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bumblehui's review against another edition
3.0
There were a lot of loose ends that didn’t get tied up or were very loosely resolved. Also a bit anticlimactic in parts. This was a decent duology for a debut and I look forward to seeing more from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
briandherreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
jmbibliolater's review
4.0
After devouring The Frozen Crown this summer, I was extremely excited to read The Seventh Queen. From the first page I was absolutely, completely entranced by Askia's story. I love how Greta Kelly made the story a dual point of view but still kept it mostly on Askia. Askia is a complete badass warrior witch queen. She's smart and cunning and finally takes something for herself instead of sacrificing everything for her kingdom.
Overall, I recommend The Seventh Queen to readers who:
* Have read The Frozen Crown - do not read this book without reading the first
* Love ghosts especially of the queen variety
* Love shocking curves in a plot. I had no idea how the story would go although I did predict part of the ending.
* Love a swoon-worthy warrior who accepts a queen for who she is
* Love a villain who thinks he has good intentions
My only complaint is that I wanted more on an ending! I want to know if certain plot lines occur (as in a certain marriage) and how other plot lines commenced (as in how the other kingdoms fare). An epilogue would have been best UNLESS there is a plan for more books to come.
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advance copy
Overall, I recommend The Seventh Queen to readers who:
* Have read The Frozen Crown - do not read this book without reading the first
* Love ghosts especially of the queen variety
* Love shocking curves in a plot. I had no idea how the story would go although I did predict part of the ending.
* Love a swoon-worthy warrior who accepts a queen for who she is
* Love a villain who thinks he has good intentions
My only complaint is that I wanted more on an ending! I want to know if certain plot lines occur (as in a certain marriage) and how other plot lines commenced (as in how the other kingdoms fare). An epilogue would have been best UNLESS there is a plan for more books to come.
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advance copy
aliceruth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
claudiacantread's review
4.0
3.5/5 rounded up.
So I very much want to chime into the book world and say that this duology (The Frozen Crown being the first!) deserves a bit more attention than its gotten. I hadn’t heard anything about it and just picked it up at a used book sale for a pretty cover. Is this amazing, ground breaking work? No. But it is a LOT better (in my opinion of course!) then a lot of books in the YA/NA fantasy field that seem to get weighed down in attention. Though maybe the no expectations made it better for me? *Shrug* Either way, I look forward to Greta Kelley’s work in the future as she maybe smooths out some of the rough edges from her debut novels.
Now I was super vague in the first book because honestly I liked how twisty the book ended up being for me. This one is less so but I don’t want to spoil anything still especially the ending of the last book. So sorry you don’t really get a summary.
Our main character Askia is back though of course, and I continued to love her. I’m basically a sucker for snark and someone willing to defend others. Our world building expanded and we got a look at other places and the society within them. With that, came new and interesting characters. Kelly is really good at character writing, dialogue, and tension. She slips in rather powerful moments in quiet ones. I absolutely loved and wanted to highlight random lines in the book. ("Only a man would think a woman was safer without her voice," - one I can literally quote just from the top of my head at this point days later).
The big problem with this novel is the pacing though. I don’t know if Kelly was trying to avoid the dreaded ‘second book syndrome’ by creating just two books, but what we ended up with was a book that went slow, slow, slow and then super duper fast. I’m a total weirdo in the book community who LOVES benign world building. You could tell me how taxes work in the society and I would be like huh, cool! The first half of this book is a LOT of that (well ok, not taxes but world building) and political maneuvering and backstabbing and I liked it! buuuut I kept looking at the page count and wondering how on earth it would be wrapped up well enough for satisfaction with less and less time available. I was right to be worried. The fate of two kingdoms is wrapped up in about twenty pages. That’s not enough! And while I understood the reasoning of the ending, I think it wasn’t the best move to have us so separated from characters and places we had already grown attached to. I could have read an entire third book of Askia dealing with all the fallout from this one. We don’t even know the fates of some characters! (….spin off novel?)
But other than that rather glaring problem, I still enjoyed it.
I do hope in the future Kelly gives herself or is given free reign to make the epic political drama/romance I think she is capable of. Because here, I think she was a little hobbled by fitting it into a neat little duology. I will one hundred percent check out her next books.
Also, maaaybe higher a new editor. This was a first edition but I should not be catching misspellings and errors. I'm not that good at grammar (see entire above as proof).
Conversation question: Any favorite underhyped books recently? least favorite overhyped ones?
So I very much want to chime into the book world and say that this duology (The Frozen Crown being the first!) deserves a bit more attention than its gotten. I hadn’t heard anything about it and just picked it up at a used book sale for a pretty cover. Is this amazing, ground breaking work? No. But it is a LOT better (in my opinion of course!) then a lot of books in the YA/NA fantasy field that seem to get weighed down in attention. Though maybe the no expectations made it better for me? *Shrug* Either way, I look forward to Greta Kelley’s work in the future as she maybe smooths out some of the rough edges from her debut novels.
Now I was super vague in the first book because honestly I liked how twisty the book ended up being for me. This one is less so but I don’t want to spoil anything still especially the ending of the last book. So sorry you don’t really get a summary.
Our main character Askia is back though of course, and I continued to love her. I’m basically a sucker for snark and someone willing to defend others. Our world building expanded and we got a look at other places and the society within them. With that, came new and interesting characters. Kelly is really good at character writing, dialogue, and tension. She slips in rather powerful moments in quiet ones. I absolutely loved and wanted to highlight random lines in the book. ("Only a man would think a woman was safer without her voice," - one I can literally quote just from the top of my head at this point days later).
The big problem with this novel is the pacing though. I don’t know if Kelly was trying to avoid the dreaded ‘second book syndrome’ by creating just two books, but what we ended up with was a book that went slow, slow, slow and then super duper fast. I’m a total weirdo in the book community who LOVES benign world building. You could tell me how taxes work in the society and I would be like huh, cool! The first half of this book is a LOT of that (well ok, not taxes but world building) and political maneuvering and backstabbing and I liked it! buuuut I kept looking at the page count and wondering how on earth it would be wrapped up well enough for satisfaction with less and less time available. I was right to be worried. The fate of two kingdoms is wrapped up in about twenty pages. That’s not enough! And while I understood the reasoning of the ending, I think it wasn’t the best move to have us so separated from characters and places we had already grown attached to. I could have read an entire third book of Askia dealing with all the fallout from this one. We don’t even know the fates of some characters! (….spin off novel?)
But other than that rather glaring problem, I still enjoyed it.
I do hope in the future Kelly gives herself or is given free reign to make the epic political drama/romance I think she is capable of. Because here, I think she was a little hobbled by fitting it into a neat little duology. I will one hundred percent check out her next books.
Also, maaaybe higher a new editor. This was a first edition but I should not be catching misspellings and errors. I'm not that good at grammar (see entire above as proof).
Conversation question: Any favorite underhyped books recently? least favorite overhyped ones?
_camk_'s review
2.0
/ Askia is a character I neither really like nor really hate. She is strong and fierce. However, I feel as if it's one rule for her and another for the others in her mind. Anytime someone did something morally gray, she judged them so harshly when she has similar things to help save her country. Her moral high ground was very frustrating.
- This story is a follow on. It has a brand new location and cast and I feel as if there was a build in the previous book about Vashir and the characters for that to be just pushed aside.
- This story is a follow on. It has a brand new location and cast and I feel as if there was a build in the previous book about Vashir and the characters for that to be just pushed aside.
alexisxguzman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
adventure_in_books's review
4.0
So this book was high on my list for most anticipated reads of fall 2021! I squealed with excitement when I was gifted a copy for my honest review. So here it goes. I loved it! It’s really that simple! It had everything I needed.
The first book in this duology leaves you with quite a cliffhanger. So I was eagerly awaiting to find out what was going to become of Askia. The author did not disappoint. Greta has a nice style of writing that transports you into the book making you invested in the story and all it holds.
Askia is full of so much strength and determination it makes her an easy character to love. This is a great book! It’s quick and fun to read. It gives you magic, love and suspense. It is YA so the steam level is a little mild LOL but it’s not a deal breaker for me! Now I can share these books with my daughter! She’s going to love them!
Of course this book has twists and turns. Villainous men full of rage and the lust for love. You must read it to find out if Askia can make history or if she will lose herself to the wants of a man.
In short :
Did I like it ? Sure as hell did.
Would I recommend it? UMM YES! Hello!
Would I read more by this author? YES YES and YES!
The first book in this duology leaves you with quite a cliffhanger. So I was eagerly awaiting to find out what was going to become of Askia. The author did not disappoint. Greta has a nice style of writing that transports you into the book making you invested in the story and all it holds.
Askia is full of so much strength and determination it makes her an easy character to love. This is a great book! It’s quick and fun to read. It gives you magic, love and suspense. It is YA so the steam level is a little mild LOL but it’s not a deal breaker for me! Now I can share these books with my daughter! She’s going to love them!
Of course this book has twists and turns. Villainous men full of rage and the lust for love. You must read it to find out if Askia can make history or if she will lose herself to the wants of a man.
In short :
Did I like it ? Sure as hell did.
Would I recommend it? UMM YES! Hello!
Would I read more by this author? YES YES and YES!