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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
truly delightful, though at times especially in the early chapters you wanted to smack muna!! :)
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy.
This book was such a delight to read. I loved meeting Muna and exploring the worlds of Janda Baik, the Unseen Realm, and the newly-formed Academy in Britain. Like the first book, stakes felt high without diminishing the light and fun tone. None of the final reveal was much of a surprise, having been heavily foreshadowed (seriously, I've seen less explicit foreshadowing in the prophecies in a middle grade fantasy) but the journey was still enjoyable. I wish we had seen more of Zacharias and Prunella, and like the first book, the romance, while delightful, was mostly tacked on at the end. Still, I will keep reading things in this universe as long as Cho continues to write them.
This book was such a delight to read. I loved meeting Muna and exploring the worlds of Janda Baik, the Unseen Realm, and the newly-formed Academy in Britain. Like the first book, stakes felt high without diminishing the light and fun tone. None of the final reveal was much of a surprise, having been heavily foreshadowed (seriously, I've seen less explicit foreshadowing in the prophecies in a middle grade fantasy) but the journey was still enjoyable. I wish we had seen more of Zacharias and Prunella, and like the first book, the romance, while delightful, was mostly tacked on at the end. Still, I will keep reading things in this universe as long as Cho continues to write them.
I loved Zen Cho's first book, The Sorcerer and the Crown, and have been waiting with bated breath for this sequel. Although Prunella and Zacharias appear, this story focuses mainly on two new characters, sisters Muna and Sahkti, who travel from Malaysia to study at Prunella's new school for women magicians -- but of course nothing is nearly that simple, as Sahkti disappears enroute, and Muna is drawn into political machinations that threaten to take down both Faerie and England. Add in a couple of charming queer romances, and you have a delightful and fun story that sucked me in from beginning to end. I hope Cho writes a dozen more stories in this universe.
Disappointing. A couple of characters were interesting, but the writing was much more labored than the first book, and I kept losing interest in the story.
Exactly what I needed, and it brought a smile to my face to boot. I'll be keeping an eye out for more from Zen Cho for certain! 4.5/5
This book is even better than the first, because while the first must necessarily plod through a bunch of exposition, this one jumps right into the action, even if said action is happening halfway across the world from London. The story revolves around the mystery of two Malaysian sisters who wash up on a beach in Janda Baik, with no memory of who they are or where they've come from. Taken in by Mak Genggang, illustrious witch, they eventually decide they need to go to London to discover the mystery of their origins.
I don't really have much to say, except that this book inspired the same feelings of whimsy and delight as the first one did. I enjoy plenty of books, but it's rare that I find one that genuinely sparks joy like Zen Cho's novels do. The characters are all delightful - Prunella and Zacharias make frequent cameos, though they are not the main characters. Henrietta, a very minor character in the first book, becomes a major character in this particular installment. The writing is just as witty and tongue-in-cheek as ever; there were so many lines that had me doubled over, laughing, at the sheer, dry wit. There's also a sapphic relationship! The pacing is superb - I couldn't put this book down, and yet it never felt like it was going too fast. There are ebbs and flows to the narrative that allow the reader to take a step back and absorb everything that's happened without actually breaking from the flow of the story.
I literally have nothing to criticize. This was so much damn fun.
I don't really have much to say, except that this book inspired the same feelings of whimsy and delight as the first one did. I enjoy plenty of books, but it's rare that I find one that genuinely sparks joy like Zen Cho's novels do. The characters are all delightful - Prunella and Zacharias make frequent cameos, though they are not the main characters. Henrietta, a very minor character in the first book, becomes a major character in this particular installment. The writing is just as witty and tongue-in-cheek as ever; there were so many lines that had me doubled over, laughing, at the sheer, dry wit. There's also a sapphic relationship! The pacing is superb - I couldn't put this book down, and yet it never felt like it was going too fast. There are ebbs and flows to the narrative that allow the reader to take a step back and absorb everything that's happened without actually breaking from the flow of the story.
I literally have nothing to criticize. This was so much damn fun.
I love the magic of this world so much! And the mystery and intrigue was so well done. I had my suspicions but wasn’t sure until things were being revealed. And the slow burn romance between Muna and Henrietta was beautiful. I love the way Cho does the romances in this series; they’re slow to develop and both characters have a chance to be fully fleshed our outside of their relationship. I’m not sure I’m wording this well, but I love that the relationship is a slow transition from acquaintances to friends to romance.
This was fun and good. Can’t wait for the next book!
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The True Queen takes everything I fell in love with from Sorcerer to the Crown further. We are welcomed even more into the fairy lands, meet even more fascinating creatures, and get to see even more Prunella. Even more so, we are treated to Cho's signature characters with the addition of Muna and Skati. There's even a f/f romance within the book, even though it's very light, similar to the romance within Sorcerer to the Crown.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-the-true-queen-by-zen-cho/
The True Queen takes everything I fell in love with from Sorcerer to the Crown further. We are welcomed even more into the fairy lands, meet even more fascinating creatures, and get to see even more Prunella. Even more so, we are treated to Cho's signature characters with the addition of Muna and Skati. There's even a f/f romance within the book, even though it's very light, similar to the romance within Sorcerer to the Crown.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-the-true-queen-by-zen-cho/