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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Maybe this isn’t for me, or maybe it’s the wrong time for me to enjoy it but I’m DNFing at 27%. I can’t focus on it and Jolie’s story isn’t compelling enough to stay focused currently.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
An interesting and intriguing story filled with Vietnamese history, fantasy, folklore, and gods reincarnated. It’s set up as a duology but there’s something about it that would have make it work as a standalone as well.
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was a very good fantasy book! While it is set in modern times, there are fantasy elements. I think this set up the duology very well. Additionally, I think the book took a little bit of time to set up, but I think it was needed for this YA book. I am invested in the characters and their chances to either continue their fate, or make a change for the better. The premise was cool, and I will definitely be picking up the second book when it comes out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel that is inspired by the legendary Trung sisters of Vietnam, dragon mythology, and reincarnation. It centers around Jolie, a high school sophomore who has been ostracized by her former best friends and bullied by some of her other classmates after she starts experiencing some strange and unwanted psychic visions.
The first half of the story takes place primarily at the high school Jolie attends. Her grandfather is a psychic and Jolie is showing signs of following in his footsteps. But because he is suffering from dementia, she has no one to turn to for advice on what is happening to her. While I found Jolie to be a very sympathetic character from the first and some of things that happen with her early on were strange and intriguing, the pacing for me in this part was a bit too slow and mundane. That could be because I'm reading this as an adult rather than the teen audience this book is geared toward. However, once we begin to realize that Jolie is something more than anyone realized, and the Vietnamese folklore in the story begins to unfold and become more of the focal point of Jolie's journey, the novel became very intriguing and fun.
I loved the bits of story interwoven into the plot through the book of mythology Jolie turns to in order to understand her past. I was suspicious of the people who seem to take her under they wing as friends. But I still didn't foresee all the twists and turns the story takes. The way Jolie's abilities grow and develop was entertaining and well entwined with the mythology that inspired them for her characterization.
My only complaint with this story was that I agree that the main villains that are hinted at throughout the book, when they are revealed, were a little two dimensional. They could have been fleshed out more in terms of their motivations and in terms of how they found Jolie in the first place. I felt that part of the narrative was a bit rushed and glossed over. But perhaps we will learn more about them in the sequel since this is a duology. The end was heartbreaking and left me wondering how the story will continue from here, but in a good way. So, I will be interested in reading the sequel. All in all this was a solid 4 stars for me and I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in exchange for this honest review.
The first half of the story takes place primarily at the high school Jolie attends. Her grandfather is a psychic and Jolie is showing signs of following in his footsteps. But because he is suffering from dementia, she has no one to turn to for advice on what is happening to her. While I found Jolie to be a very sympathetic character from the first and some of things that happen with her early on were strange and intriguing, the pacing for me in this part was a bit too slow and mundane. That could be because I'm reading this as an adult rather than the teen audience this book is geared toward. However, once we begin to realize that Jolie is something more than anyone realized, and the Vietnamese folklore in the story begins to unfold and become more of the focal point of Jolie's journey, the novel became very intriguing and fun.
I loved the bits of story interwoven into the plot through the book of mythology Jolie turns to in order to understand her past. I was suspicious of the people who seem to take her under they wing as friends. But I still didn't foresee all the twists and turns the story takes. The way Jolie's abilities grow and develop was entertaining and well entwined with the mythology that inspired them for her characterization.
My only complaint with this story was that I agree that the main villains that are hinted at throughout the book, when they are revealed, were a little two dimensional. They could have been fleshed out more in terms of their motivations and in terms of how they found Jolie in the first place. I felt that part of the narrative was a bit rushed and glossed over. But perhaps we will learn more about them in the sequel since this is a duology. The end was heartbreaking and left me wondering how the story will continue from here, but in a good way. So, I will be interested in reading the sequel. All in all this was a solid 4 stars for me and I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in exchange for this honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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:
Yes
Firstly thanks so much Penguin for the advanced readers copy via Netgalley!
I saw this book listed on an upcoming releases insta post and was so very intrigued by the title and story blurb. Let me say this, it really didn’t disappoint.
I was hooked on this mythology retelling that was full of mystery and magic and folklore tales.
I struggled a little bit to get into the story only because it’s on the younger side of the YA genre and I can not stress enough that this isn’t a bad thing at all, just a fact.
I’m so glad I stuck it out though because by the last 1/3 I was so engrossed I truly couldn’t put it down.
Jolie goes through a truly beautiful character arc of self discovery, healing and reconnection while battling against some divine evils and unexpected traitors.
I also enjoyed walking into a world influenced by a new culture for me, the Vietnam influences and details were lovely to experience.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book started off with a really interesting premise, a very Percy Jackson-style setup where a presumably normal human teen finds out they are actually something greater. There was some really great reveals throughout the first half the book where you wondered what was real, what things the main character was maybe misunderstanding, as you start to piece together the whole situation.
However, with the second half of the book, once it was sort of "revealed" the big picture of the story(that the MC was one of the lost queens of Vietnam/one of the original dragons) , I felt like things sort of fell apart and got confusing. As the story went on, the writing seemed to suffer a bit. It seemed jumpy, hopping from one thing to the next super fast without a lot of time to understand what was really happening. It also felt like the author relied on things like the psychic connections between characters to have to avoid ever having to explain a lot of things–she just said things like "I explained everything to her" or "She could suddenly see everything that happened over the last month" and that just felt like convenient ways to loop more people into the story without having to actually explain anything.
I also feel like the ending was rushed and I can't say that I felt like I left the book feeling like I really understood what the moral of the story is or what it was trying to say.
Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
However, with the second half of the book, once it was sort of "revealed" the big picture of the story
I also feel like the ending was rushed and I can't say that I felt like I left the book feeling like I really understood what the moral of the story is or what it was trying to say.
Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA fantasy and I found myself really enjoying this one! Our FMC was young (high school) but the writing felt mature (in my opinion). I enjoyed the twists and turns with the Vietnamese lore woven in. I really did not see any of the plot twists coming which made it a really fun listen.
The audiobook was really well done and I enjoyed the narrator a lot.
Thank you to PRH Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!
The audiobook was really well done and I enjoyed the narrator a lot.
Thank you to PRH Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Lost Queen follows Jolie Lam, an Asian-American high school sophomore who begins experiencing visions that gradually unravel a mystical past, while also navigating the social fallout of an incident from the previous year. Things turn around for Jolie when she is taken under the wing of Huong Pham, a charismatic upperclassman who offers her friendship and guidance. As the visions progress, the girls discover that their fates are intertwined, revealing an ancient conflict that spans millennia. Together, they must piece together their past lives and locate the elements of their power in order to combat an encroaching evil that threatens to upend their world.
I had mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the narrative moves slowly, with a heavy emphasis on high school dynamics and contemporary issues that felt drawn out and disconnected from the more compelling mythological thread. However, the second half picks up the pace, offering a more compelling story filled with action and purpose.
One of the novel’s strongest elements is its incorporation of Vietnamese mythology, particularly the moments when Jolie begins recovering fragmented memories of her past life. These scenes are intriguing and elevate the narrative. I also appreciated the novel’s exploration of moral ambiguity—especially through its depiction of immortal beings wrestling with notions of duty and power through their interactions with humankind.
However, the novel suffers from uneven pacing and structural imbalance. The initial chapters linger too long in the mundane without sufficiently developing the mythological underpinnings, while the latter portion feels rushed, culminating in an abrupt ending that leaves many plot threads unresolved. Although withholding information can be a useful and necessary narrative device, the delay in revealing the significance of Jolie’s visions—nearly halfway through the novel—dampens the story’s momentum.
From a personal standpoint, I found the contemporary high school elements less engaging, though I acknowledge that this is likely a result of my reading as an adult and not as a member of the book’s intended young adult demographic. I believe the novel might have benefitted from a dual timeline narration, allowing the reader to experience the historical and mythological context unfold alongside the present-day story rather than being revealed primarily through dreams, visions, and readings through a mythology textbook.
Despite its flaws, The Lost Queen has a compelling premise and a unique cultural lens that will likely resonate with its intended YA audience. I remain curious about how the author will develop and resolve the overarching narrative in the second installment of the duology.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for access to the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for access to the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted copy!
Jolie is a high schooler who has been outcast after an incident last year. Even her best friends have started avoiding her. That all changes when she saves the most popular girl in school, Huong. As Huong and Jolie become friends, they start unlocking telepathic abilities, and eventually discover that they are the long lost queens, the Trung sisters. Jolie is forced to navigate her newfound life, and determine who her allies actually are.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, seeing Jolie navigate school and her powers. Jolie's fortune teller grandfather, with visions of dragons, was such a fascinating character, and the family dynamics were interwoven into the story really well. I love the way that Vietnamese history and mythology were included and the writing style was gorgeously lyrical. About halfway through, things started to get a little repetitive. There was a lot of information being told instead of shown, and the ending felt a little bit rushed.
The audio was well done, and the narrator, Quyen Ngo really brought the story and the characters to life.
Jolie is a high schooler who has been outcast after an incident last year. Even her best friends have started avoiding her. That all changes when she saves the most popular girl in school, Huong. As Huong and Jolie become friends, they start unlocking telepathic abilities, and eventually discover that they are the long lost queens, the Trung sisters. Jolie is forced to navigate her newfound life, and determine who her allies actually are.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, seeing Jolie navigate school and her powers. Jolie's fortune teller grandfather, with visions of dragons, was such a fascinating character, and the family dynamics were interwoven into the story really well. I love the way that Vietnamese history and mythology were included and the writing style was gorgeously lyrical. About halfway through, things started to get a little repetitive. There was a lot of information being told instead of shown, and the ending felt a little bit rushed.
The audio was well done, and the narrator, Quyen Ngo really brought the story and the characters to life.