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erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
The Cursed Queen is book two in The Impostor Queen series by Sarah Fine and if you haven’t read that book yet, what are you waiting for? I really enjoyed book one so of course, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book two. But…I was a bit confused. The Cursed Queen is listed as a companion and I wasn’t prepared to get a completely different side of the story but now that I finished I understand why Fine wrote the books the way she did and I honestly can’t wait to see how book three goes!
The Cursed Queen introduces us to Ansa as the main character and the Krigere tribe. Ansa’s village was invaded by the Krigere when she was young and she was taken as a raid prize. As she grew up within the tribe, she fought to be considered one of them even though they were the ones who murdered her family. If there was one thing that stood out most to me about Ansa, it was her desire to belong. She wanted to be a part of something and she actually blamed her parents for not being strong enough to survive the attack which I found interesting. Ansa’s biggest desire was to be a warrior and to be by Thyra’s, the daughter of the Chieftain, side no matter what.
The event that changes everything for everyone in the tribe is the Krigere’s invasion of Kupari. The Krigere are known for taking anything they want and the Chieftain’s plan is to invade Kupari and make it his. Unfortunately for everyone, the witch queen of Kupari has other plans for them. As she decimates almost their entire population of warriors, Ansa makes a last ditch effort to kill the witch queen and surprisingly, she survives but she has been cursed with fire and ice.
With the majority of their warriors gone and the chieftain dead, Thyra has to figure out what to do. As a warrior she knows how to fight but she also has this weird notion that they don’t always have to be taking and this makes some of the warriors think she isn’t a strong leader. Immediately, Thyra is challenged to earn the respect of the remainder of her tribe and Ansa is right there by her side to fight with her, despite the issues she is having with the curse.
In addition to all of those things going on, we find out the tribe is in even more danger Thyra’s traitorous uncle, Nisse, finds out that Lars is dead, he sends his son and a small army to bring them to him in a town he invaded and has been living in for the last year. There is definitely some bad blood between Thyra, Nisse, and Jasper (son/cousin) because of what happened to get them expelled from the tribe. As Ansa tries to not only control the curse, but figure out where her place is, she is pushed to make decisions that she isn’t prepared to make. That was one of the most frustrating things about her character. She wanted to belong so much, she was afraid to make the wrong choice – or to quote Sander – “jump”.
Fine did a fantastic job of building out the world these characters live in. Whether they are fighting for their lives in the water, trekking across the land to get to an invaded town, or surviving in a town that doesn’t belong to them, I was able to picture everything clearly. All of the characters were well developed and the secondary characters really helped push the story along. There are quite a few and I can’t name them all but Sander, Halina, Jasper, and Sig all stood out for me.
As I mentioned, this book is listed as a companion to the Impostor Queen and there were times where I was trying to figure out the correlation…outside of the invasion. But Fine ties I all together toward the end when we learn more about who Ansa really is and the curse she has. I was happy to see that when she thought about what Sig was trying to tell her, she was able to control herself and protect those important to her vs. just letting the curse take over. I do admit, there were times where I found myself flipping back to my copy of book one just so I could tie the stories together and I kind of wished I had done a reread of The Impostor Queen before I read this one just so it was all fresh in my mind as there are references to the Valtia and Kupari…things I wanted to remember.
With all of that said, I like how Fine set these stories up as separate books instead of alternating chapters in one or two books. Like I said, at first I was sad I wouldn’t get more of Elli’s story in this one but now that I see how Ansa’s and Elli’s stories will intersect I can’t even wait to get my hands on book three! If you haven’t started this series yet, you should totally fix that. If you are looking for something that has magic, friendship, danger, and deception…this is the book for you. Check it out when you can!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
The Cursed Queen introduces us to Ansa as the main character and the Krigere tribe. Ansa’s village was invaded by the Krigere when she was young and she was taken as a raid prize. As she grew up within the tribe, she fought to be considered one of them even though they were the ones who murdered her family. If there was one thing that stood out most to me about Ansa, it was her desire to belong. She wanted to be a part of something and she actually blamed her parents for not being strong enough to survive the attack which I found interesting. Ansa’s biggest desire was to be a warrior and to be by Thyra’s, the daughter of the Chieftain, side no matter what.
The event that changes everything for everyone in the tribe is the Krigere’s invasion of Kupari. The Krigere are known for taking anything they want and the Chieftain’s plan is to invade Kupari and make it his. Unfortunately for everyone, the witch queen of Kupari has other plans for them. As she decimates almost their entire population of warriors, Ansa makes a last ditch effort to kill the witch queen and surprisingly, she survives but she has been cursed with fire and ice.
With the majority of their warriors gone and the chieftain dead, Thyra has to figure out what to do. As a warrior she knows how to fight but she also has this weird notion that they don’t always have to be taking and this makes some of the warriors think she isn’t a strong leader. Immediately, Thyra is challenged to earn the respect of the remainder of her tribe and Ansa is right there by her side to fight with her, despite the issues she is having with the curse.
In addition to all of those things going on, we find out the tribe is in even more danger Thyra’s traitorous uncle, Nisse, finds out that Lars is dead, he sends his son and a small army to bring them to him in a town he invaded and has been living in for the last year. There is definitely some bad blood between Thyra, Nisse, and Jasper (son/cousin) because of what happened to get them expelled from the tribe. As Ansa tries to not only control the curse, but figure out where her place is, she is pushed to make decisions that she isn’t prepared to make. That was one of the most frustrating things about her character. She wanted to belong so much, she was afraid to make the wrong choice – or to quote Sander – “jump”.
Fine did a fantastic job of building out the world these characters live in. Whether they are fighting for their lives in the water, trekking across the land to get to an invaded town, or surviving in a town that doesn’t belong to them, I was able to picture everything clearly. All of the characters were well developed and the secondary characters really helped push the story along. There are quite a few and I can’t name them all but Sander, Halina, Jasper, and Sig all stood out for me.
As I mentioned, this book is listed as a companion to the Impostor Queen and there were times where I was trying to figure out the correlation…outside of the invasion. But Fine ties I all together toward the end when we learn more about who Ansa really is and the curse she has. I was happy to see that when she thought about what Sig was trying to tell her, she was able to control herself and protect those important to her vs. just letting the curse take over. I do admit, there were times where I found myself flipping back to my copy of book one just so I could tie the stories together and I kind of wished I had done a reread of The Impostor Queen before I read this one just so it was all fresh in my mind as there are references to the Valtia and Kupari…things I wanted to remember.
With all of that said, I like how Fine set these stories up as separate books instead of alternating chapters in one or two books. Like I said, at first I was sad I wouldn’t get more of Elli’s story in this one but now that I see how Ansa’s and Elli’s stories will intersect I can’t even wait to get my hands on book three! If you haven’t started this series yet, you should totally fix that. If you are looking for something that has magic, friendship, danger, and deception…this is the book for you. Check it out when you can!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
storytimed's review against another edition
5.0
I purposely seek out queer lit and diverse content, so I'm almost never surprised by representation. That happened with The Cursed Queen, which features a romance between Ansa, a girl beginning to discover strange powers, and Thyra, the chief she is sworn to serve, and, let me tell you, surprise queer girls are the best thing in the world.
As a consequence, I loved the shit out of this book. Even when Ansa made some choices that didn't really seem logical (and trusted a ton of people she should not have trusted), I was just like, OK, you're making a bad choice right now, but you're my murder baby and I love you, please be okay. And in Fine's defense, she definitely makes sure the decisions Ansa makes are internally consistent, especially to the values of the culture she was raised in. I respect that, especially since YA fantasy is usually chock full of protagonists with inexplicably modern beliefs.
Thyra is our avatar of modern morality instead, and viewing her through Thyra's lens makes them instantly both more interesting. Ansa loves the harsh, warlike characteristics of Thyra, and doesn't understand these modern notions of "trade" and "diplomacy" and "maybe constant conquest isn't the best way of life for our people??". Their relationship also contains a lot of the bite that I've been wanting from f/f romance: there's so much bound up in their interactions, from different values, to loyalty and power differential (every time Thyra calls Ansa her wolf, oh my god), to Ansa's (uncontrollable, murdery) powers.
Overall, loved it. Fascinating society, a plot stuffed full of atypical intrigue and politics (warrior culture politics versus fancy court shenanigans), and a romance that brings a lot to the narrative both thematically and in terms of emotional weight.
As a consequence, I loved the shit out of this book. Even when Ansa made some choices that didn't really seem logical (and trusted a ton of people she should not have trusted), I was just like, OK, you're making a bad choice right now, but you're my murder baby and I love you, please be okay. And in Fine's defense, she definitely makes sure the decisions Ansa makes are internally consistent, especially to the values of the culture she was raised in. I respect that, especially since YA fantasy is usually chock full of protagonists with inexplicably modern beliefs.
Thyra is our avatar of modern morality instead, and viewing her through Thyra's lens makes them instantly both more interesting. Ansa loves the harsh, warlike characteristics of Thyra, and doesn't understand these modern notions of "trade" and "diplomacy" and "maybe constant conquest isn't the best way of life for our people??". Their relationship also contains a lot of the bite that I've been wanting from f/f romance: there's so much bound up in their interactions, from different values, to loyalty and power differential (every time Thyra calls Ansa her wolf, oh my god), to Ansa's (uncontrollable, murdery) powers.
Overall, loved it. Fascinating society, a plot stuffed full of atypical intrigue and politics (warrior culture politics versus fancy court shenanigans), and a romance that brings a lot to the narrative both thematically and in terms of emotional weight.
briannadasilva's review against another edition
4.0
This series is A+ escapist fantasy.
I will say the book started off as a 3-star deal for me; it took me a while to really connect with Ansa, and I wasn't shipping the romance. I didn't like or trust Thyra, and Ansa's blind devotion to her struck me as childish and a little over-the-top.
BUT, as it progressed, the twists and turns of political intrigue brought it up to a 4. Like Ansa, I had a difficult time parsing out who I trusted, and couldn't make up my mind where *I* thought her loyalties should lie. In the end, I was very content with how it all turned out - and it was satisfying seeing the truths revealed.
Also a moment of appreciation for SIG 😭💙 My heart broke when he walked into the scene - I was so so worried for him with the way Book 1 ended!! Ah!! Sig!!!
A final note: I can tell the Krigere culture is supposed to be inspired by Norse (Viking) culture. And, um, well, as someone who is a Viking nerd and has researched that culture in great depth, let's just say it was veerrry LOOSELY inspired by actual Norse culture. Lol. The way they had disdain for "setting down" and farming. 😂 For the record, historical Norsemen were farmers first! That defined their identity far much more than the few centuries when they went raiding. The Norse people were farmers for thousands of years, and even at the end of the day, the most brutal, far-sailing Viking was - at the end of the day - a farmer first and foremost. So, yeah, that aspect of Krigere culture was quite different from the historical source of inspiration. JUST HAD TO SET THAT STRAIGHT. Okay, historical-Norse-fangirl moment over.
I will say the book started off as a 3-star deal for me; it took me a while to really connect with Ansa, and I wasn't shipping the romance. I didn't like or trust Thyra, and Ansa's blind devotion to her struck me as childish and a little over-the-top.
BUT, as it progressed, the twists and turns of political intrigue brought it up to a 4. Like Ansa, I had a difficult time parsing out who I trusted, and couldn't make up my mind where *I* thought her loyalties should lie. In the end, I was very content with how it all turned out - and it was satisfying seeing the truths revealed.
Also a moment of appreciation for SIG 😭💙 My heart broke when he walked into the scene - I was so so worried for him with the way Book 1 ended!! Ah!! Sig!!!
A final note: I can tell the Krigere culture is supposed to be inspired by Norse (Viking) culture. And, um, well, as someone who is a Viking nerd and has researched that culture in great depth, let's just say it was veerrry LOOSELY inspired by actual Norse culture. Lol. The way they had disdain for "setting down" and farming. 😂 For the record, historical Norsemen were farmers first! That defined their identity far much more than the few centuries when they went raiding. The Norse people were farmers for thousands of years, and even at the end of the day, the most brutal, far-sailing Viking was - at the end of the day - a farmer first and foremost. So, yeah, that aspect of Krigere culture was quite different from the historical source of inspiration. JUST HAD TO SET THAT STRAIGHT. Okay, historical-Norse-fangirl moment over.
emilyanne3000's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved The Cursed Queen. This story is fierce, dark, action-packed, and offers a new, unexpected perspective. However, I am forewarning you that we have a new cast of characters. No Elli. No Oscar. Now we have Ansa, Thyra, and others. Be prepared for the sister story to the Impostor Queen; It's around the same timeline in a different place. And it reveals the true queen of the Kupari!
Ansa is in the Solturi tribe, although they call themselves the Krigere. Ansa is ruthless, scary, and flawed. She's sometimes even unlikable. And that's what made her a real and intriguing character. After a battle with the Kupari "Witch Queen", Ansa is certain she has been cursed with witchcraft. She suddenly has powers over fire and ice (If you've read the Impostor Queen you'll know what this means). Ansa has to come to terms with recognizing the significance of her newfound magic.
I love Sarah Fine's openness for diversity and lgbtq characters. I also love how she doesn't make a big deal of these things. The characters love who they love, and that's that. Ansa and Thyra are our main couple. They have a lot of chemistry but boy do they have a lot of difficulties! They have trust problems, rank problems, and they disagree on a lot of moral principles. Thyra, the Solturi leader, was a very interesting character. In fact, in some ways, she way more likable than Ansa. She is deadly, but, unlike her tribespeople, Thyra doesn't have a taste for killing, plundering, and raiding. This difference in values causes rifts between the Solturi and Thyra.
Our new characters are... well... some are good, some are bad, and a lot are a bit of both. Fine's characters have layers, and faults, and secrets. But let me just say I loved Halina as a character. Others of the cast included Sanders, Jasper, Nisse, and more.
Overall, the Cursed Queen was an interesting, surprising, and twisty read. Fine's decision to give us a key character from an "enemy" tribe was both brave and ingenious. I can't wait to see how the fates of Elli and Ansa entwine in the third book. I'm so excited!
Note: I read this immediately after the Impostor Queen, and I think reading these back-to-back is a good idea because, while the characters are new, the stories obviously go hand in hand. The reader probably should try to remember the significance of the Solturi, the Kupari, the Valtia, Sig, Keiko, and more.
*I received this book for free from the publisher. Thank you Simon and Schuster!
Ansa is in the Solturi tribe, although they call themselves the Krigere. Ansa is ruthless, scary, and flawed. She's sometimes even unlikable. And that's what made her a real and intriguing character. After a battle with the Kupari "Witch Queen", Ansa is certain she has been cursed with witchcraft. She suddenly has powers over fire and ice (If you've read the Impostor Queen you'll know what this means). Ansa has to come to terms with recognizing the significance of her newfound magic.
I love Sarah Fine's openness for diversity and lgbtq characters. I also love how she doesn't make a big deal of these things. The characters love who they love, and that's that. Ansa and Thyra are our main couple. They have a lot of chemistry but boy do they have a lot of difficulties! They have trust problems, rank problems, and they disagree on a lot of moral principles. Thyra, the Solturi leader, was a very interesting character. In fact, in some ways, she way more likable than Ansa. She is deadly, but, unlike her tribespeople, Thyra doesn't have a taste for killing, plundering, and raiding. This difference in values causes rifts between the Solturi and Thyra.
Our new characters are... well... some are good, some are bad, and a lot are a bit of both. Fine's characters have layers, and faults, and secrets. But let me just say I loved Halina as a character. Others of the cast included Sanders, Jasper, Nisse, and more.
Overall, the Cursed Queen was an interesting, surprising, and twisty read. Fine's decision to give us a key character from an "enemy" tribe was both brave and ingenious. I can't wait to see how the fates of Elli and Ansa entwine in the third book. I'm so excited!
Note: I read this immediately after the Impostor Queen, and I think reading these back-to-back is a good idea because, while the characters are new, the stories obviously go hand in hand. The reader probably should try to remember the significance of the Solturi, the Kupari, the Valtia, Sig, Keiko, and more.
*I received this book for free from the publisher. Thank you Simon and Schuster!
rsarnelli's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay, but not as good as [book:The Impostor Queen|23495112]. Review to come.
whatsarahread's review against another edition
4.0
"The Cursed Queen" by Sarah Fine was my final read of 2016, which was so perfect, considering my final read of 2015 was the first installment in the series, "The Impostor Queen". If you read my review last year, you'll know that I LOVED it. So, did I love "The Cursed Queen" as much? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out.
Although, some people have billed "The Cursed Queen" as a sequel to "The Impostor Queen", it definitely ended reading as more of a companion novel to me. While this book takes place in the same world and deals with the same conflicts as Impostor Queen, we follow a completely different branch of the story with new characters, new lands and new societies. The world that Sarah Fine so expertly crafted in her first book continues to expand in scope, which gave me an even greater understanding and appreciation of BOTH books.
In Cursed Queen we follow Ansa and her quest to find her place in the world after having it completely turned upside down. Throughout the book she is tested and tried...her loyalties, actions and motives are all questioned, and she never quite knows where she fits in. For every revelation she makes, she's faced with another mystery, and that leads to a lot of twists and revelatory moments for the reader. The whole time I was reading this book, I never quite felt like I had it all figured out..and I loved it.
I found it refreshing to read a book in which same-sex relationships were a simple fact of the society. It wasn't a big revelation or plot device...it just was. Ansa's relationship with her love interest was complicated and dynamic, and it led to a whole lot of drama and confusion. Which, of course, only added to the intrigue of the story.
Cursed Queen is a bit more of a slow burn than Impostor Queen was. There is a lot of build-up and uncovering of secrets in hushed tones and dark corners. I was totally intrigued by the competing forces working with and against Ansa and loved that fact that I was left guessing until the very end. I'm so eager for the third book, "The True Queen", to be released so I can put it all together. By the end of Cursed Queen, it's clear the first two books will finally come together in an epic finale!
Although, some people have billed "The Cursed Queen" as a sequel to "The Impostor Queen", it definitely ended reading as more of a companion novel to me. While this book takes place in the same world and deals with the same conflicts as Impostor Queen, we follow a completely different branch of the story with new characters, new lands and new societies. The world that Sarah Fine so expertly crafted in her first book continues to expand in scope, which gave me an even greater understanding and appreciation of BOTH books. In Cursed Queen we follow Ansa and her quest to find her place in the world after having it completely turned upside down. Throughout the book she is tested and tried...her loyalties, actions and motives are all questioned, and she never quite knows where she fits in. For every revelation she makes, she's faced with another mystery, and that leads to a lot of twists and revelatory moments for the reader. The whole time I was reading this book, I never quite felt like I had it all figured out..and I loved it.
I found it refreshing to read a book in which same-sex relationships were a simple fact of the society. It wasn't a big revelation or plot device...it just was. Ansa's relationship with her love interest was complicated and dynamic, and it led to a whole lot of drama and confusion. Which, of course, only added to the intrigue of the story.
Cursed Queen is a bit more of a slow burn than Impostor Queen was. There is a lot of build-up and uncovering of secrets in hushed tones and dark corners. I was totally intrigued by the competing forces working with and against Ansa and loved that fact that I was left guessing until the very end. I'm so eager for the third book, "The True Queen", to be released so I can put it all together. By the end of Cursed Queen, it's clear the first two books will finally come together in an epic finale!
sarahelisewrites's review against another edition
4.0
The companion to The Imposter Queen. This story takes place over approximately the same time period, then extends shortly beyond the events of The Imposter Queen.
Ice and fire magic, except in this book it's considered witchcraft and causes the main character endless troubles.
A dichotomy between tradition and changing for survival.
Character-driven narrative which demonstrates how quickly individuals can alter their lives.
An excellent sequel, and a great set-up for the final book in the trilogy!
Ice and fire magic, except in this book it's considered witchcraft and causes the main character endless troubles.
A dichotomy between tradition and changing for survival.
Character-driven narrative which demonstrates how quickly individuals can alter their lives.
An excellent sequel, and a great set-up for the final book in the trilogy!
cadie_quick's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t know how I feel about this book. It took forever to get into, and I kept wondering at the beginning what Elli was doing at the times Ansa talks about. By the end I enjoyed it though.
kparrbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Gosh I enjoyed this book from the first sentence to the last! I loved the main character's struggle as she fought to find her place and do what was right. I really identified with her, and the plot was excellently paced. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this wonderful trilogy!
itsme_lori's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this one just as much as the first. It's different characters but the stories overlap and intertwine so well, I highly recommend reading them close together if you can. I read one right after the other and the way the stories go together is pretty awesome. And even though the characters are different, I still love that this is a story about a girl figuring out who she is, who to trust, who she wants to be, and what's important to her. This is a story of a girl coming into her own and learning to believe and trust in herself and not be who everyone else wants her to be. I'm so excited for the next book and to see what happens when these two stories come together. Both main characters are strong and so sure of their own stories, I really have no idea what's going to happen but I hope it's epic!