lizzuplans's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this fantasy book, but I did not love it unfortunately.
But, special mention to the gorgeous cover!
I loved the premise that Emilia, a twenty-or-thirty-something from our world somehow gets reincarnated in her favourite fantasy book.
But, this was not covered in the book!!! Boohoohoo! I would have LURVED to see this adult woman being thrown into the body of a very minor young character in a world she knows well but knows as fiction, and how she survived and set herself up to thrive in this strange new place.
The switching of POV between Emilia, the foreign prince, and his knight was OK but made the story a bit "staccato" at times. It took a while to get into the story properly, but then it kept my attention.
I really liked all the side characters and I feel they are solid and interesting. The story could have really sung with perhaps a bit more world-building. It is almost like the stage is very nicely set, but you can still see that it is paint and the people moving the stage pieces around.
Still, solid, interesting, easy to read, fresh fantasy book and I am excited to read book 2 in this series.
Also, evil cliffhanger so I am thankful I already have Queen of Ashes on my e-reader.
Would recommend.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
But, special mention to the gorgeous cover!
I loved the premise that Emilia, a twenty-or-thirty-something from our world somehow gets reincarnated in her favourite fantasy book.
But, this was not covered in the book!!! Boohoohoo! I would have LURVED to see this adult woman being thrown into the body of a very minor young character in a world she knows well but knows as fiction, and how she survived and set herself up to thrive in this strange new place.
The switching of POV between Emilia, the foreign prince, and his knight was OK but made the story a bit "staccato" at times. It took a while to get into the story properly, but then it kept my attention.
I really liked all the side characters and I feel they are solid and interesting. The story could have really sung with perhaps a bit more world-building. It is almost like the stage is very nicely set, but you can still see that it is paint and the people moving the stage pieces around.
Still, solid, interesting, easy to read, fresh fantasy book and I am excited to read book 2 in this series.
Also, evil cliffhanger so I am thankful I already have Queen of Ashes on my e-reader.
Would recommend.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
hmevans's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
chzypotatogrl's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I feel like this was a good outline of a story. It had a solid cast & ideas. I just think the ideas were scattered and that there’s a lot of background information that’s needed. Emilia’s origin/internal monologue for example is very confusing to me. I’m really hoping that the following book in this series expands more on everyone’s past and doesn’t feel as rushed with multiple open endings.
I feel like this was a good outline of a story. It had a solid cast & ideas. I just think the ideas were scattered and that there’s a lot of background information that’s needed. Emilia’s origin/internal monologue for example is very confusing to me. I’m really hoping that the following book in this series expands more on everyone’s past and doesn’t feel as rushed with multiple open endings.
cel_may's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
stxrlight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Queen of Deception is a YA fantasy story about reincarnation into a fantasy, ancient era novel. It has three pov's and while I usually am not a fan of that, it works amazingly well for this book. The storyline is intriguing, intense and I love the hints to other creatures and magical elements! The writing reads away smoothly and pulls you in right from the start. The story picks up right off the bat and is more fast than medium paced, which I personally prefer in a book! It works well and despite the fast pace is has plenty of depth. There is hints to romance but they are too vague to tell who's interested in who, and I actually adore that.
The prince and his second in command, basically any interactions between them give me life! I kind of ship them 😂 Though I don't think that they are gay/bisexual, I would genuinely absolutely adore it if they are.
This book has so many elements and I loved all diverse characters from the start! I recommend everyone to read this book. Personally I can't wait to read more! 📖✨
The prince and his second in command, basically any interactions between them give me life! I kind of ship them 😂 Though I don't think that they are gay/bisexual, I would genuinely absolutely adore it if they are.
This book has so many elements and I loved all diverse characters from the start! I recommend everyone to read this book. Personally I can't wait to read more! 📖✨
chapterswithrae's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
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
4.25
Queen of Deception is a young adult fantasy novel with comedic elements. May Freighter pulled me in right away and left me wanting more at the end!
Thank you May Freighter for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my fair and unbiased review!
What I loved:
Thank you May Freighter for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my fair and unbiased review!
What I loved:
- The pacing was perfect. It was fast, engaging, and held my attention.
- The cast of characters was so great! I loved Emilia as a FMC - she was cunning, intelligent, and overall badass. She kept me on my toes, and I was impressed by her strength, both mentally and physically.
- The supporting cast was amazing tbh. I loved Lionhart, Ambrose, Cali, Clayton, Sir Rowell… all of them! They were dependable, lovable, and kept the plot moving.
- The premise of the plot was very interesting. While the idea living inside of a book is not uncommon, Freighter took this idea to a new level with inserting Emilia into a book as a main player who could shape the future of the book. This was super cool and I look forward to where this goes!
Room to improve:
- I wish we had more insight into how Emilia died in her first life, how or why she got reincarnated, and how she ended up in the Kingdom of Dante.
Overall, I was quite pleased with Queen of Deception and am rating it 4.25 out of 5 stars! This rating is equivalent to “this was very entertaining and I’d recommend it to others!” on my personal rating scale. This is perfect for fantasy readers who want something fast-paced, engaging, and lighthearted.
sammiiee's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Honestly this was a great read!
For me I found it got better as the book went on, and I cant wait for book 2 as what a cliffhanger that was!
"After all, the Queen is always on time while everyone else is simply early.”
Altho I found Emilia and the novel a bit confusing at first it made sense as time went on, I'd love a book based just around that, so we can learn more about the history of Emilia.
I absolutely love Ambrose, her dedication 😍
🖤Multiple POVs (Emilia, Thessian and Laurence)
🖤Fantasy
🖤Cliffhanger Ending
🖤Book one of 2 in the series of the Empire of Shattered Crowns.
Also the dedication for this book was just...
"To the love of my life who drives me crazy at times. May we survive the trials ahead with sharpened blades and smiles on our faces."
There was lots of parts that made me giggle, definitely a fantastic read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For me I found it got better as the book went on, and I cant wait for book 2 as what a cliffhanger that was!
"After all, the Queen is always on time while everyone else is simply early.”
Altho I found Emilia and the novel a bit confusing at first it made sense as time went on, I'd love a book based just around that, so we can learn more about the history of Emilia.
I absolutely love Ambrose, her dedication 😍
🖤Multiple POVs (Emilia, Thessian and Laurence)
🖤Fantasy
🖤Cliffhanger Ending
🖤Book one of 2 in the series of the Empire of Shattered Crowns.
Also the dedication for this book was just...
"To the love of my life who drives me crazy at times. May we survive the trials ahead with sharpened blades and smiles on our faces."
There was lots of parts that made me giggle, definitely a fantastic read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
jasmine04's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
**ARC Review**
I enjoyed this book. The plot is great and I loved the idea behind it! There are two issues I have with it. First, the circumstances of Emilia's death are slightly confusing. It's said she dies in her previous life but we aren't given a how/why and details about her previous life aren't given until later in the story. May does mention multiple times that Emilia's mentally 40 so we can assume she was about 20-21 when she passed. But then she is reborn in this story as one of the characters of the royal family. From the way it is written it seems that Emilia just woke up one day in her childhood as this new person, but that confuses me a bit because when you say reborn I would assume she was a baby and grew up from birth in her new life. My other issue with the story is the introduction of magic, monsters, and fae in the end of the book. It felt like a random plot point added in the end to carry on the story and make it so more books can be written. That's fine! I just wish more talk of these creatures had been added earlier in the story so it didn't feel so randomly added. Overall, it's a good story and I am excited to see how it plays out in the rest of the series!
I enjoyed this book. The plot is great and I loved the idea behind it! There are two issues I have with it. First, the circumstances of Emilia's death are slightly confusing. It's said she dies in her previous life but we aren't given a how/why and details about her previous life aren't given until later in the story. May does mention multiple times that Emilia's mentally 40 so we can assume she was about 20-21 when she passed. But then she is reborn in this story as one of the characters of the royal family. From the way it is written it seems that Emilia just woke up one day in her childhood as this new person, but that confuses me a bit because when you say reborn I would assume she was a baby and grew up from birth in her new life. My other issue with the story is the introduction of magic, monsters, and fae in the end of the book. It felt like a random plot point added in the end to carry on the story and make it so more books can be written. That's fine! I just wish more talk of these creatures had been added earlier in the story so it didn't feel so randomly added. Overall, it's a good story and I am excited to see how it plays out in the rest of the series!
revengelyne's review against another edition
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? Yes
5.0
When I saw that this book was inspired by the manga/manhua/manhwa with the isakei'd theme I was ecstatic. I had not seen a novel have this sort of theme attached. Mostly seen in Asian comics but never tried out in American novels. So, this was exciting to see.
Our female lead has died in her real life and has been reincarnated into a character from her favorite novel, The Cruel Kingdom. Her character, a young princess named Emilia also known as the Cursed Princess, was destined to share the same fate as her own family, but with her knowledge of the novel's plot, she uses it to her advantage - gather her own network of people and offer the information on her family to the one destined to kill them - Thessian, Duke of Darkgate.
As she navigates through this novel, she must use her knowledge of the book's details in order to continue widening her alliance while making good on her promise to make Thessian the future king of Hellion.
But as she uses the storyline to her advantage, things are starting to change in the novel, characters never mentioned have begun to appear and the novel's story is beginning to change altogether.
It is finally nice to find a strong female character in the fantasy genre. It is essential for diversifying and enriching the stories and characters in the genre. It helps break gender stereotypes and encourages inclusivity, ultimately leading to a more significant and engaged audience.
It is true that strong female leads are not always found in the Isakei realm. More often than not, they are relegated to supporting roles or are portrayed as heartless villains that need to be vanquished.
However, Emilia is an exception to this rule. She defies the stereotypical portrayal of female characters in this genre. Instead of being a passive participant in her own story, she is an active character who takes charge of her own destiny.
In addition, while romance does play a significant role in the Isakei genre, it is refreshing to see that it is not the only driving force in Emilia's story. Her character development is not solely focused on her relationship with the male lead, but rather, on her experiences and growth as an individual.
Regarding the assumption that romance may begin to appear in the second novel, it is entirely possible. However, it is also essential to note that the Isakei genre is not solely focused on romantic relationships. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the author chooses to develop Emilia's story in future installments.
Our female lead has died in her real life and has been reincarnated into a character from her favorite novel, The Cruel Kingdom. Her character, a young princess named Emilia also known as the Cursed Princess, was destined to share the same fate as her own family, but with her knowledge of the novel's plot, she uses it to her advantage - gather her own network of people and offer the information on her family to the one destined to kill them - Thessian, Duke of Darkgate.
As she navigates through this novel, she must use her knowledge of the book's details in order to continue widening her alliance while making good on her promise to make Thessian the future king of Hellion.
But as she uses the storyline to her advantage, things are starting to change in the novel, characters never mentioned have begun to appear and the novel's story is beginning to change altogether.
It is finally nice to find a strong female character in the fantasy genre. It is essential for diversifying and enriching the stories and characters in the genre. It helps break gender stereotypes and encourages inclusivity, ultimately leading to a more significant and engaged audience.
It is true that strong female leads are not always found in the Isakei realm. More often than not, they are relegated to supporting roles or are portrayed as heartless villains that need to be vanquished.
However, Emilia is an exception to this rule. She defies the stereotypical portrayal of female characters in this genre. Instead of being a passive participant in her own story, she is an active character who takes charge of her own destiny.
In addition, while romance does play a significant role in the Isakei genre, it is refreshing to see that it is not the only driving force in Emilia's story. Her character development is not solely focused on her relationship with the male lead, but rather, on her experiences and growth as an individual.
Regarding the assumption that romance may begin to appear in the second novel, it is entirely possible. However, it is also essential to note that the Isakei genre is not solely focused on romantic relationships. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the author chooses to develop Emilia's story in future installments.
Final Thought:
To finally have Isakei coming into American fantasy novels is wonderful to see. I hope that this book will encourage other American writers to dip their toes into this particular genre. I would love to see it grow.
literarylibra_'s review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Have you ever wished you could live in the world of your favorite book?
Emilia may not have wished for it, but after dying in her 20s, she is granted a second life, which happens to be in her favorite book. She eventually realizes that she has taken on the life of a character who is written to die in her 20s. To survive, she must use her eidetic memory to change her character's fate.
The book starts with her changing her fate and securing her original death with not occur. This secures her role as Regent and plunges her into a world of nobles, information networks, spies, and lies. Her knowledge of the world and the storyline can help her navigate, but only to a point as things get further away from the original novel's plot and new characters emerge.
Queen of Deception is a fast-paced fantasy novel with a strong female main character who quickly finds herself surrounded by hot men as she navigates new political situations when all she really wants is to survive past her 20s and have a peaceful life.
The book is a fun read. Some points could have stronger world-building, and there are a few points with awkward dialogue, but I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I can’t wait for book two to come out and to continue reading the series.
I received this ARC for free and am leaving this voluntarily. All thoughts/opinions are my own!