lottiedaisy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hualianr's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
reginacattus's review against another edition
4.0
*Firstly, thank you to the O'Brien Press for the free ARC in exchange for this honest review - I was so excited to receive it!*
My goodness does this book bode well for the future! That Corcoran felt able to write this book, and furthermore that she has managed to get it published, makes me incredibly happy.
When I first started reading this book, if I hadn't really read the blurb I probably would have assumed that it was going to be Lia & Xania fighting over their mutual friend Matthias. But this is of course riotously incorrect, as all three are very much gay and it is magnificent. This is one of the first YA fantasy books I've read with fully realised LGBTQ+ protagonists, and it was an utter pleasure to read. Importantly, though, their sexuality isn't the sole thing driving the plot. Obviously, their love story is beautiful and very much gets told, but in this fantasy world, homosexuality in itself is a non-problem. An issue lies in producing an heir, sure, but that's pretty much it. The rest of the romantic tension lies more in the class divide between them.
I also loved the matter-of-fact presence of matriarchal neighbouring countries, and the understated prevalence of female characters in positions of power, but also those who have chosen to be mothers predominantly etc. There are also a good cast of male characters, such as Matthias but equally Xania's stepfather, with whom she (shock-horror) has a pretty positive relationship.
The characters are well-realised for the most part, though I would have liked to see more of Matthias, especially since he is pretty much the best friend to both protagonists. Naturally, they each have their weaknesses and imperfections, but that's what helps to make a character real. Thankfully, none of them were obnoxious to the point of making it annoying to read, though of course when the protagonists did something stupid I was silent-screaming (but tbh that's just a sign of a good book; you're invested enough to scream).
My only slight complaint was the slightly time jumps and prolonged periods of only Xania's POV towards the end - up until then, the pacing was so wonderfully tense I lost more sleep than advisable. I think it might have been possible to achieve the same level of tension while maintaining the ...X-L-X-L-X-L... chapter pattern from the rest of the book, and without giving too much away, but I do largely understand Corcoran's choices there.
This book has a similar feel to a lot of YA fantasy books (Throne of Glass comes to mind), filled with angst, knives, poison, books, assassins, secrets and passionate kissing. But at the same time there's plenty that kept me guessing, the fact it's not part of some long tiring series, and of course the LGBTQ+ inclusion, sets it well apart from other books of that ilk. So, if you're down for some kick-ass female characters, plenty of wholesome (and some villainous) men, thrilling action scenes, heart-wrenching tension, and some well-founded angst, this should 100% go on your 2020 to-read list!
My goodness does this book bode well for the future! That Corcoran felt able to write this book, and furthermore that she has managed to get it published, makes me incredibly happy.
When I first started reading this book, if I hadn't really read the blurb I probably would have assumed that it was going to be Lia & Xania fighting over their mutual friend Matthias. But this is of course riotously incorrect, as all three are very much gay and it is magnificent. This is one of the first YA fantasy books I've read with fully realised LGBTQ+ protagonists, and it was an utter pleasure to read. Importantly, though, their sexuality isn't the sole thing driving the plot. Obviously, their love story is beautiful and very much gets told, but in this fantasy world, homosexuality in itself is a non-problem. An issue lies in producing an heir, sure, but that's pretty much it. The rest of the romantic tension lies more in the class divide between them.
I also loved the matter-of-fact presence of matriarchal neighbouring countries, and the understated prevalence of female characters in positions of power, but also those who have chosen to be mothers predominantly etc. There are also a good cast of male characters, such as Matthias but equally Xania's stepfather, with whom she (shock-horror) has a pretty positive relationship.
The characters are well-realised for the most part, though I would have liked to see more of Matthias, especially since he is pretty much the best friend to both protagonists. Naturally, they each have their weaknesses and imperfections, but that's what helps to make a character real. Thankfully, none of them were obnoxious to the point of making it annoying to read, though of course when the protagonists did something stupid I was silent-screaming (but tbh that's just a sign of a good book; you're invested enough to scream).
My only slight complaint was the slightly time jumps and prolonged periods of only Xania's POV towards the end - up until then, the pacing was so wonderfully tense I lost more sleep than advisable. I think it might have been possible to achieve the same level of tension while maintaining the ...X-L-X-L-X-L... chapter pattern from the rest of the book, and without giving too much away, but I do largely understand Corcoran's choices there.
This book has a similar feel to a lot of YA fantasy books (Throne of Glass comes to mind), filled with angst, knives, poison, books, assassins, secrets and passionate kissing. But at the same time there's plenty that kept me guessing, the fact it's not part of some long tiring series, and of course the LGBTQ+ inclusion, sets it well apart from other books of that ilk. So, if you're down for some kick-ass female characters, plenty of wholesome (and some villainous) men, thrilling action scenes, heart-wrenching tension, and some well-founded angst, this should 100% go on your 2020 to-read list!
jo_kpunkt's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
parkergirod's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wintersorbit's review against another edition
4.0
honestly my rating is closer to a 3.5-75. i really liked all the court intrigue and the main romance once the two pov characters got together. as is often the case with standalone ya fantasy, however, the eventual plot resolution felt quite rushed and definitely could have been drawn out more. i was also missing a proper buildup in the romance; it seemed like suddenly xania and lia were talking about attraction to one another where a few pages before there had been none. all in all, a pretty solid ya fantasy, but one that definitely could have used some more work in certain aspects.
mgmaliska's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend the Queen of Coin and Whispers if you're looking for strong female leads, lesbian love, political machinations, and a royal setting.
The author does a good job providing depth to the characters, making you grow to love them. While there is a love story (and one I love), the love in this book goes beyond the singular relationship to show the power of love for family, friends, freedom, ideas, and nation.
I did feel like the heart of the story got a bit lost in all the political intrigue, but the author does wonders for weaving in mystery and cunning into the court life.
Finally, I love that it ends on a happy note (spoiler? not really).
I do recommend and would certainly read another installment.
The author does a good job providing depth to the characters, making you grow to love them. While there is a love story (and one I love), the love in this book goes beyond the singular relationship to show the power of love for family, friends, freedom, ideas, and nation.
I did feel like the heart of the story got a bit lost in all the political intrigue, but the author does wonders for weaving in mystery and cunning into the court life.
Finally, I love that it ends on a happy note (spoiler? not really).
I do recommend and would certainly read another installment.
pia_s_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
3.0
Even though I kept putting off reading this book for one reason or another, I was still quite excited for it now that I’d finally gotten to it! I mean, it has a sapphic romance, court politics, and assassination attempts, all things I generally love in fantasy! Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to that excitement, though I did still enjoy my time with the book. It just never ended up fully gripping me, and I found it harder and harder to get myself to continue reading the book.
One thing that this book definitely did well was the POVs. Even though the book was written in first person, it was typically quite clear which character we were reading through at any particular moment, and that’s usually quite hard to accomplish with first-person writing in fantasy. I felt like Xania and Lia were both quite clear and distinct characters, and the beginning of the book set them up quite clearly (even if I felt like things got a bit more muddled later on).
I was quite into the romance at first, but it quickly fizzled out for me, unfortunately. I was just never fully able to get on board once we got past the pining, and it felt like there wasn’t that much chemistry and love during the middle/second-half of the book, even if it did come back a bit for me right at the end. Since this was one of the big driving forces of the book, it made some scenes in the second-half of the book fall flat for me, and I found it harder and harder to be invested in the book.
I think my main disappointment was the ending itself, and I felt like it could’ve been done differently to make it more impactful. We miss the POV of one of the characters for most of it, and I felt like that choice made us lose the impact of the final few chapters a bit. If we had seen both sides of it, those final moments and the repercussions for Xania and Lia’s futures might’ve felt more built-up/fleshed out. As it was, I felt like it almost came out of nowhere, and we never got the time to truly sit with the consequences of it, either as the events were happening or afterwards. It just made the whole thing fall flat for me, in the end.
Overall, I am glad I finally read this book, and I still quite enjoyed reading it, even if it isn’t a new favorite.
One thing that this book definitely did well was the POVs. Even though the book was written in first person, it was typically quite clear which character we were reading through at any particular moment, and that’s usually quite hard to accomplish with first-person writing in fantasy. I felt like Xania and Lia were both quite clear and distinct characters, and the beginning of the book set them up quite clearly (even if I felt like things got a bit more muddled later on).
I was quite into the romance at first, but it quickly fizzled out for me, unfortunately. I was just never fully able to get on board once we got past the pining, and it felt like there wasn’t that much chemistry and love during the middle/second-half of the book, even if it did come back a bit for me right at the end. Since this was one of the big driving forces of the book, it made some scenes in the second-half of the book fall flat for me, and I found it harder and harder to be invested in the book.
I think my main disappointment was the ending itself, and I felt like it could’ve been done differently to make it more impactful. We miss the POV of one of the characters for most of it, and I felt like that choice made us lose the impact of the final few chapters a bit. If we had seen both sides of it, those final moments and the repercussions for Xania and Lia’s futures might’ve felt more built-up/fleshed out. As it was, I felt like it almost came out of nowhere, and we never got the time to truly sit with the consequences of it, either as the events were happening or afterwards. It just made the whole thing fall flat for me, in the end.
Overall, I am glad I finally read this book, and I still quite enjoyed reading it, even if it isn’t a new favorite.