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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was pretty good. I liked the ending, but didn't want it to end.
slow-paced
The Lost Queen is the retelling of the Trung sisters' rebellion retellings, the story of China's invasion of Vietnam. Jolie is high school student who does not really feel like she fits in. It does not help her grandfather is seen as a joke within their community of being some sort of fortune teller. One day, she finds herself saving Huong, a popular girl, and developing a bond that will unlock buried secrets and past lives.
The longer I sit on this and think about the review, the more I am inclined to feel a little let down by this story. It was very confusing at times the when reality was being blurred by the characters' abilities to jump through realms and times. So the events that were happening were questionable of "how is this happening in a pool?" The Lost Queen deserved to have more time and better editing, as it has the potential to be a great story. I did enjoy some aspects, such as the mixing in the mythology and retellings with the story, and of course the dragons. However, no matter how much I loved certain parts of the book, the parts that were lacking were hard to overlook. Rooting for the next book.
Thank you to Netgalley, GP Putnam's Sons books for Young Readers for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review. Full reviews on Storygraph and GR.
The longer I sit on this and think about the review, the more I am inclined to feel a little let down by this story. It was very confusing at times the when reality was being blurred by the characters' abilities to jump through realms and times. So the events that were happening were questionable of "how is this happening in a pool?" The Lost Queen deserved to have more time and better editing, as it has the potential to be a great story. I did enjoy some aspects, such as the mixing in the mythology and retellings with the story, and of course the dragons. However, no matter how much I loved certain parts of the book, the parts that were lacking were hard to overlook. Rooting for the next book.
Thank you to Netgalley, GP Putnam's Sons books for Young Readers for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review. Full reviews on Storygraph and GR.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the earc in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn't exactly what i was expecting which is my own fault. I was expecting more focus in the mythology than we got especially at the start.
I did not connect much to the characters which made me enjoy the book a bit less, the story feels incredibly slow and incredibly rushed at the same time.
The writing is really easy to follow and get into and i really love all the cultural bits especially relating to fortunetellers and mythology.
This book wasn't exactly what i was expecting which is my own fault. I was expecting more focus in the mythology than we got especially at the start.
I did not connect much to the characters which made me enjoy the book a bit less, the story feels incredibly slow and incredibly rushed at the same time.
The writing is really easy to follow and get into and i really love all the cultural bits especially relating to fortunetellers and mythology.
This was a cool concept with exciting Vietnamese mythological elements, but I really wanted more time with the fantastical side. Some of the contemporary situations felt convenient or unrealistic, even for this genre: "Oh, a magic vision just ended? Better study for my quiz." The character development was off for me; I think the flat character arcs with reincarnation made the conflicts feel somewhat stale/inevitable. Such a great idea for a book though!
The Lost Queen by Aimee Phan is the first in this YA Fantasy Duology and is so freaking cool, wild, and an exciting ass journey!
I love the water aspect and how everything starts in the pool. Between things like the random murkiness of the water and Jolie essentially being in two places at once while swimming in the beginning, it automatically pulled me in!
I also really enjoyed the deep rooted Vietnamese lore mixed in with the more well known style of fantasy. It was a cool way to bridge the two together while also bringing more awareness to Vietnamese culture. I can’t wait to see more things like this coming to the forefront of fantasy, and genre fiction in general. The more diverse, the better. There’s so many stories around the world that want to be told and deserve to be told, so let’s keep sharing them!
I’m so excited for more people to dive deep into this amazing story!
If you love a good retelling with a deep rooted Vietnamese lore, magic, and mythology, then this is for you! Not to mention the aspects and of course the entire thing being fantasy. There’s so much going on in this story and it’s waiting for you to experience it too!
I know this just came out, but I’m so ready for book 2!
*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of The Lost Queen from Aimee Phan via NetGalley
slow-paced
DNF at 33%. This is just not for me at this time.
The premise is really cool: the Vietnamese legends, the Trung Sisters, are reincarnated into two modern-day high school girls. They don't know that yet, though, and are beginning to see mystical traits emerge from within them. Jolie, the MC, hates this, as some of these traits and visions have ostracized her and caused people to bully her. Huong, the other girl, is saved during a swimming accident by Jolie one day though (Thanks to Jolie's visions) and they strike up a friendship.
To me, this book was written in a much younger perspective than it should have been. Jolie is a sophomore in high school, around 15, but talked and acted like a middle schooler. The scenarios all seemed extra far-fetched, and even for an urban fantasy, I couldn't get into it. The plot, pacing, and scenes are really confusing to me, where one moment we're in a vision, the next, we're driving somewhere with people who seemed to appear out of nowhere, in the vision, except in reality actually? If that sentence confused you, yeah, that's where I'm at too, which is why I needed to give it up, at least for now.
I just was not hooked and had no desire to keep going. Which I hate, because the Trung Sisters are really cool to learn about, and I love mythology-based books. Others might love this though, so give it a try if it sounds cool to you!
Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the e-ARC!
The premise is really cool: the Vietnamese legends, the Trung Sisters, are reincarnated into two modern-day high school girls. They don't know that yet, though, and are beginning to see mystical traits emerge from within them. Jolie, the MC, hates this, as some of these traits and visions have ostracized her and caused people to bully her. Huong, the other girl, is saved during a swimming accident by Jolie one day though (Thanks to Jolie's visions) and they strike up a friendship.
To me, this book was written in a much younger perspective than it should have been. Jolie is a sophomore in high school, around 15, but talked and acted like a middle schooler. The scenarios all seemed extra far-fetched, and even for an urban fantasy, I couldn't get into it. The plot, pacing, and scenes are really confusing to me, where one moment we're in a vision, the next, we're driving somewhere with people who seemed to appear out of nowhere, in the vision, except in reality actually? If that sentence confused you, yeah, that's where I'm at too, which is why I needed to give it up, at least for now.
I just was not hooked and had no desire to keep going. Which I hate, because the Trung Sisters are really cool to learn about, and I love mythology-based books. Others might love this though, so give it a try if it sounds cool to you!
Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the e-ARC!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
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
The Lost Queen is a new duology for young adults or middle-grade readers. Its contemporary set in California, inspired by Vietnamese folklore, Jolie Lam has grown up listening to her family's stories, prophecies, and legends, her grandfather is a fortune teller and although it's a power inherited by men, she also begins to have visions, and an accident will happen that will get her into trouble at school.
It's like a coming of age with magic. Jolie doesn't know what is happening. Since an incident last year, she has lost friends, she has been the target of bullying, her grandfather has become ill, and more earthquakes are happening in the city. A new popular girl arrives at school (Huong) just when Jolie needs someone, and they soon become friends, just like sisters.
It is contemporary, it's not super heavy in fantasy, but it was one of my favorite parts. The legend of the warrior sisters, dragons, and their fight against evil is fascinating. Another of my favorite parts is Jolie's relationship with her grandfather; it's sweet, and I like all the knowledge her grandfather has.
All the incidents that happened last year are no coincidence. Jolie learns more about family secrets, her grandfather's stories are true, and now she and Huong will have to save the city. Jolie trusts Huong completely, but as the story progresses, she discovers that there are still secrets to uncover. She has to trust her instinct and have more confidence in herself.
Its fast passed, kind of messy and that's why it hooks you, its a cool mix between teen high school drama with mythology and adventure, as an adult I think there are things that don't take you by surprise and that you guess, but I think teen will enjoy it and I'm curious for the sequel.
Thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours, Penguin Teen and Aimee Phan for the copy.
Read it if you like:
Middle Grade or Younger YA Fantasy
Rick Riordan Presents Books
Vietnamese Folklore
Family and friendship
DNF-ing at 32%
The exerts about Vietnamese folklore are interesting and Jolie’s grandfather is a really fascinating character, but Jolie is such a poorly written character that it’s difficult to look past her weak character writing to see any of the strengths of the story.
The dialogue with her and her classmates is stilted and awkward, lacking any natural conversational flow, with her dead mother being a constant topic in every conversation. “Oh, did your mom teach your Vietnamese?” “No she’s white and she’s dead” is almost verbatim a real conversation in the story, matching the cadence of every other dialogue in the book.
The animosity she feels towards her former friends feels far too forced in light of how obvious the telepathic communication is, and her inability to decipher it as such makes the plot drag. This is also in line with her inability to recognize the fire breathing abilities she wields, and it’s hard to figure out whether the author has written a stupid main character or whether she believes her readers require hand holding.
All in all not a book for me!
The exerts about Vietnamese folklore are interesting and Jolie’s grandfather is a really fascinating character, but Jolie is such a poorly written character that it’s difficult to look past her weak character writing to see any of the strengths of the story.
The dialogue with her and her classmates is stilted and awkward, lacking any natural conversational flow, with her dead mother being a constant topic in every conversation. “Oh, did your mom teach your Vietnamese?” “No she’s white and she’s dead” is almost verbatim a real conversation in the story, matching the cadence of every other dialogue in the book.
The animosity she feels towards her former friends feels far too forced in light of how obvious the telepathic communication is, and her inability to decipher it as such makes the plot drag. This is also in line with her inability to recognize the fire breathing abilities she wields, and it’s hard to figure out whether the author has written a stupid main character or whether she believes her readers require hand holding.
All in all not a book for me!