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A review by olivialandryxo
Queen Takes Rose by Katee Robert
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Aurora has consistently been one of my favorite side characters in this series, and I was so excited to finally get to her book. I was doubly excited because this is the first KR book I’ve read with a sapphic couple; obviously The Sea Witch has sapphic rep, being FFM, but that’s different.
Now that I’ve finished Queen Takes Rose, I’m extremely conflicted. I love Aurora to pieces, don’t get me wrong, and I might have a not-so-small crush on her. I’d go so far as to call her one of my favorite KR protagonists, up there with Persephone, Tink, Meg and Ursa.
But Malone. She’s the one I don’t get. I respect her, for sure—I always respect ambitious, powerful women. And I’m usually not bothered if they’re “bad people” either. Morally grey women are hot. Usually. In this case, though, I found Malone obnoxious and very difficult to like. I know she’s based on Maleficent, so she’s not supposed to be nice. I get that, that’s fine. I just really don’t like the way she treated Aurora. I’ve gotten used to Dom/sub relationships from reading so many KR books, so it’s not that. Not exactly. More like, it has to do with how far she took it. The whole “you can’t speak unless I tell you to” thing, even outside of scenes??? Excuse me??? How the hell is that sexy???
[Update: I’ve been informed that this can happen in Dom/sub relationships, and apparently some find it very sexy. My ace is showing. Carry on.]
Moving on. I do my best to suspend my disbelief, at least to some extent, when reading smut; I’m not here for plot or world-building or morals. I’m here for smut. I’m here for the relationship, and I’m down for just about anything. That being said, I could not get behind this ship, no matter how hard I tried. Rant incoming in the spoiler tag.
HOW CAN AURORA LOVE THE WOMAN THAT KILLED HER MOTHER????? I know that Carver City follows its own rules. I know that her mother, according to multiple sources, was a terrible territory leader. BUT SERIOUSLY???? MALONE KILLED YOUR MOM, AURORA. STOP BEING SO HORNY. I’m all for enemies to lovers. I’m all for “I came to kill you, but I’m falling in love with you.” I’ve seen both tropes written brilliantly in other books. But I have to draw the line somewhere, and I’m drawing it here. Just because she wasn’t a good leader doesn’t mean she deserved to die. Sometimes I’m reading these books and figure that what I don’t understand must be because I’m ace. But this can’t be an ace thing, right??? IT’S ACTUAL MURDER. OF A FAMILY MEMBER. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
I was really hoping this would be my favorite, but honestly, it’s closer to the opposite. I settled on 3.5 stars because that’s what I gave Desperate Measures, and the two books are about on the same level for me. Neither of them are bad books. I just… I don’t know. This is very much not the review I thought I’d be writing for this book. Much confusion. Very sadness.
One positive thing: I loved seeing Aurora and Allecto’s friendship, and I loved seeing the way Hades cared for Aurora. It’s not really a father-daughter relationship, considering he’s her employer at a sex club—and they might’ve scened together at some point?? maybe?? I can’t remember—but it was still very sweet. <3
Although I won’t lie, I’m salty I was teased with getting to see Tink and Meg and then didn’t actually get to. Not a single cameo from any of my faves. Rude. :(((
This review is basically just me ranting and criticizing the book, but it wasn’t bad. I did like it. I just didn’t like it anywhere near as much as I’d hoped I would, unfortunately.
Final series ranking:
Now that I’ve finished Queen Takes Rose, I’m extremely conflicted. I love Aurora to pieces, don’t get me wrong, and I might have a not-so-small crush on her. I’d go so far as to call her one of my favorite KR protagonists, up there with Persephone, Tink, Meg and Ursa.
But Malone. She’s the one I don’t get. I respect her, for sure—I always respect ambitious, powerful women. And I’m usually not bothered if they’re “bad people” either. Morally grey women are hot. Usually. In this case, though, I found Malone obnoxious and very difficult to like. I know she’s based on Maleficent, so she’s not supposed to be nice. I get that, that’s fine. I just really don’t like the way she treated Aurora. I’ve gotten used to Dom/sub relationships from reading so many KR books, so it’s not that. Not exactly. More like, it has to do with how far she took it. The whole “you can’t speak unless I tell you to” thing, even outside of scenes??? Excuse me??? How the hell is that sexy???
[Update: I’ve been informed that this can happen in Dom/sub relationships, and apparently some find it very sexy. My ace is showing. Carry on.]
Moving on. I do my best to suspend my disbelief, at least to some extent, when reading smut; I’m not here for plot or world-building or morals. I’m here for smut. I’m here for the relationship, and I’m down for just about anything. That being said, I could not get behind this ship, no matter how hard I tried. Rant incoming in the spoiler tag.
I was really hoping this would be my favorite, but honestly, it’s closer to the opposite. I settled on 3.5 stars because that’s what I gave Desperate Measures, and the two books are about on the same level for me. Neither of them are bad books. I just… I don’t know. This is very much not the review I thought I’d be writing for this book. Much confusion. Very sadness.
One positive thing: I loved seeing Aurora and Allecto’s friendship, and I loved seeing the way Hades cared for Aurora. It’s not really a father-daughter relationship, considering he’s her employer at a sex club—and they might’ve scened together at some point?? maybe?? I can’t remember—but it was still very sweet. <3
Although I won’t lie, I’m salty I was teased with getting to see Tink and Meg and then didn’t actually get to. Not a single cameo from any of my faves. Rude. :(((
This review is basically just me ranting and criticizing the book, but it wasn’t bad. I did like it. I just didn’t like it anywhere near as much as I’d hoped I would, unfortunately.
Final series ranking:
- A Worthy Opponent
- The Sea Witch / Learn My Lesson
- The Beast
- Queen Takes Rose / Desperate Measures
Representation
- nearly full cast of queer, polyamorous and/or polysexual characters
- Black protagonist
- sapphic protagonist (Malone is the only one that’s not polyam, that I know of)
- sapphic main couple (f/f)
- nonbinary Māori side character (uses they/them)
- Black side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Aurora’s mom was in a coma for a long time, living only on life support, and at the start of the book, Aurora decides to cut off the life support. She’s grieving the loss of her mom, and also the person she thought her mom was while alive.