A review by foggy_rosamund
The True Queen by Zen Cho

3.0

Sakti and Muna have no memories, and are taken into the care of Mak Genggang when they wake up on the island of Janda Baik off the coast of Malaysia. Sakti has considerable magical power, and a tendency to get into trouble. The narrative propels Muna to Fairyland, and then to the English Sorceress Royal, Prunella, beloved character of Zen Cho's first novel. This story is uneven -- sprawling where it should be tight, brief where it should be expansive, contains to many characters -- but it's a brisk and enjoyable read. I really liked getting Muna's perspective on the Unseen Realm, which the English call Fairyland, and on the Djinns. Using Malaysian characters allowed Cho to highlight and subvert various staples of English fantasy. This wasn't a totally satisfying narrative, but I'll definitely read more by Cho.