A QUEEN IN HIDING by Sarah KozloffRating: 3/5 StarsThank you to NetGalley for providing me with an A
A QUEEN IN HIDING by Sarah KozloffRating: 3/5 StarsThank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Rating this one was difficult. There were parts I enjoyed, and parts I was less enthusiastic about. I’ll start by saying that this book it is without question a prequel to a larger story. It is very much about introducing characters and gathering together the threads of a larger plot. And my goodness, there are many threads. With upwards of ten different perspectives, some more prominent than others, at times learning about the world felt like drinking from a waterfall. I will say that the world-building was fantastic. I’m certain this series will garner many comparisons to Game of Thrones minus the unfettered violence and sexuality, but to me one of the most significant similarities was the author’s talent in slowly revealing different parts of the world through the introduction of new characters and realms.*SPOILERS AHEAD*My qualm with the book, and where it lost a star for me, is unfortunately more of a personal one. While the plot and characters were interesting, it simply did not do enough to stand out from other epic/political fantasy I have read in recent memory, There were obvious distinctions, and clever quirks such as the Queen’s Talent and the Old Color hair, but there was nothing in particular that struck a chord with me as being unique. Furthermore, I found certain aspects to be predictable. For example, it is obvious from the beginning that Cerulia is going to be the character of focus. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it lowered the stakes for me in the chapter’s following her mother because I was so absolutely certain that she was going to die that it came as 0% of a shock when she did. I also wasn’t yet invested as strongly n the other character storylines, though I’m sure this would change in reading following novels. Overall, a sweeping, epic fantasy that kept me hooked but didn’t quite do enough to etch itself into my memory. SONG PAIRING: Wishing Well by The Oh Hellos -- source link
#book reviews#3 stars