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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Wow. Where to start! The Girl King has so much going on in it. I loved all three of the characters telling the story. Lu and her sister Min almost couldn’t be more opposite. Where Lu is bold and brash, Min is timid and constantly worries about disappointing or offending anyone. As Lu runs from home and the man who would kill her to secure his seat as emperor, she learns to depend on and value others. Left behind, Min gains a new boldness herself when her bitterness at being overlooked grows to overtake the shyness that’s kept her quiet until now.
And then there’s Nokhai, who wants to live a simple life in hiding, and instead has this huge task (saving the princess, saving his mentor, ultimately saving his people) thrust upon him. He’s smart and sweet and totally not charmed by Lu’s position or her temper.
Beyond the characters, The Girl King has a rich story world packed with history and conflict between ethnic groups. It felt very real and added lots of layers to the plot and the characters’ relationships.
For me the only struggle was with the amount of violence in The Girl King. I’m kind of a pansy where it comes to that sort of thing, and lots of the descriptions had me cringing. I might have skimmed over the aftermath of one particular battle late in the story. So I wish it hadn’t been so graphic in that way.
But I enjoyed the story and the characters so much. I felt like all three main characters grew so much through The Girl King, and the plot carried me away. Next year when the sequel comes out, I’m sure I’ll be looking for it.
If you like books by Leigh Bardugo (I loved Six of Crows, but I think Shadow and Bone probably makes a better comparison here, and I haven’t finished reading that one.) then you will want to check out The Girl King.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
And then there’s Nokhai, who wants to live a simple life in hiding, and instead has this huge task (saving the princess, saving his mentor, ultimately saving his people) thrust upon him. He’s smart and sweet and totally not charmed by Lu’s position or her temper.
Beyond the characters, The Girl King has a rich story world packed with history and conflict between ethnic groups. It felt very real and added lots of layers to the plot and the characters’ relationships.
For me the only struggle was with the amount of violence in The Girl King. I’m kind of a pansy where it comes to that sort of thing, and lots of the descriptions had me cringing. I might have skimmed over the aftermath of one particular battle late in the story. So I wish it hadn’t been so graphic in that way.
But I enjoyed the story and the characters so much. I felt like all three main characters grew so much through The Girl King, and the plot carried me away. Next year when the sequel comes out, I’m sure I’ll be looking for it.
If you like books by Leigh Bardugo (I loved Six of Crows, but I think Shadow and Bone probably makes a better comparison here, and I haven’t finished reading that one.) then you will want to check out The Girl King.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book seems like a mashed up version of multiple YA novels. But it doesn’t do it in a fulfilling way. You have sibling rivalry, oppressed magical beings, a mean queen, and a love triangle. Plus it has multiple point of views in the third person. Blech!
Lu is the heir to the throne. Min is her timid younger sister. Their father declares he is giving the throne to his nephew if he marries Lu. Lu loathes her arranged fiancé, Set. Drama ensues when she refuses to marry him and he tries to kill her. Add in some shapeshifters and a vicious queen who no one loves. I didn’t care strongly for any of the characters. Lu was too headstrong. Min too timid and weirdly possessed. Nok was my favorite. I think my favorite chapter was the epilogue. That’s when Nok hit his stride. He wasn’t catering to an opinionated royal but gaining the skills needed to fight for his people. I might read the second book if it focused more on him and less on Lu and Min.
Lu is the heir to the throne. Min is her timid younger sister. Their father declares he is giving the throne to his nephew if he marries Lu. Lu loathes her arranged fiancé, Set. Drama ensues when she refuses to marry him and he tries to kill her. Add in some shapeshifters and a vicious queen who no one loves. I didn’t care strongly for any of the characters. Lu was too headstrong. Min too timid and weirdly possessed. Nok was my favorite. I think my favorite chapter was the epilogue. That’s when Nok hit his stride. He wasn’t catering to an opinionated royal but gaining the skills needed to fight for his people. I might read the second book if it focused more on him and less on Lu and Min.
Two sisters fighting for the throne and kingdom go from family to enemies. Lu, the fighter and fiercely independent one, and be readying herself to become the first female leader of the kingdom. But her hopes are shattered when her father makes the unexpected decision to give the throne to her younger sister's, Min, fiance. A fiance that has ulterior motives and plans to rule with an iron fist.
Lu is a very strong, but unfortunately stubborn, character. She has a picture in her mind of how things should be and struggles to accept it when that picture is shattered by events unfolding around her. Forced to make allies in unusual places, we are introduced to Nokhai, a man from a culture and magical background thought to have vanished. But they will both find out that he is far more than what he seems, and his race is far from disappeared.
While Lu is a strong and likable character, I felt drawn to the story of Min. The younger daughter that grew up in the shadow of her sister. When she discovers she could be so much more, the power calls to her and she finds herself in the hands of a skilled manipulator that would do anything to keep her under his heel and under his control. He sees her ancient magic as a tool to recreate the world under his rule and wipe everyone who opposes him off the face of existence. She struggles to find out who she is and what her place in the world will be.
This is the first book in the Girl King series, and while it sets the stage for an epic fantasy battle, it is an amazing story on its own as well. There is much more to come in the world, and I feel several surprise revelations on the horizon as the sisters battle each other for the title of King.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book**
Lu is a very strong, but unfortunately stubborn, character. She has a picture in her mind of how things should be and struggles to accept it when that picture is shattered by events unfolding around her. Forced to make allies in unusual places, we are introduced to Nokhai, a man from a culture and magical background thought to have vanished. But they will both find out that he is far more than what he seems, and his race is far from disappeared.
While Lu is a strong and likable character, I felt drawn to the story of Min. The younger daughter that grew up in the shadow of her sister. When she discovers she could be so much more, the power calls to her and she finds herself in the hands of a skilled manipulator that would do anything to keep her under his heel and under his control. He sees her ancient magic as a tool to recreate the world under his rule and wipe everyone who opposes him off the face of existence. She struggles to find out who she is and what her place in the world will be.
This is the first book in the Girl King series, and while it sets the stage for an epic fantasy battle, it is an amazing story on its own as well. There is much more to come in the world, and I feel several surprise revelations on the horizon as the sisters battle each other for the title of King.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book**
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book could be described as a typical YA fantasy. And I might be inclined to agree except for one major thing. Min's character is critical to making this book stick out in my mind. Her progression through the story is fascinating to me and genuinely made me NEED to know what happens next. Min is a very meek and easily manipulated character to the point of it being pitiful. But as she progresses and learns more of the power she holds, the reader sees a very different side of her. It demonstrates how people who have been manipulated and used for so long can slowly begin to snap.
Lu is more of the classic YA character: headstrong, brave, and stubborn. She definitely shows development as well but I just didn't find it as interesting. Nok is the main love interest of Lu and comes from a family of animal shapeshifters who have been all but wiped out by Lu's empire. Nok is different because he's a very anxious and reluctant character. He's been hurt a lot and doesn't want to open up his life to more pain. I liked his progression as a character but the final moments of the book with him felt sort of cheap to me.
Overall I enjoyed the book but some of it was a little bit of the same as things I've already read.
Lu is more of the classic YA character: headstrong, brave, and stubborn. She definitely shows development as well but I just didn't find it as interesting. Nok is the main love interest of Lu and comes from a family of animal shapeshifters who have been all but wiped out by Lu's empire. Nok is different because he's a very anxious and reluctant character. He's been hurt a lot and doesn't want to open up his life to more pain. I liked his progression as a character but the final moments of the book with him felt sort of cheap to me.
Overall I enjoyed the book but some of it was a little bit of the same as things I've already read.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
I enjoyed this a lot more than I anticipated, and the Girl King has easily become one of my favourite fantasy novels. From the mythology and wordbuilding, to the vividly crafted prose, each page sweeps you into a story about magic, destiny, hope, power, whilst also touching upon themes of colonialism. These themes, particularly the first three are embedded in the characters' journeys, which the story explores through the multiple (third person limited) points of view of Lu, Min, and Nokhai. Overall this is certainly a great fantasy duology to read, and I'm looking forward to next installment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War
Minor: Sexual assault