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booksandladders's review against another edition
4.0
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
The sequel to the ah-mazing SORCERER TO THE CROWN, THE TRUE QUEEN has magic, mayhem, and strong female characters that you root for the whole way through. I loved seeing the old characters, meeting new ones, and being introduced to more magic in this than we previously saw. Cho has created a masterpiece of Fantasy and I hope you pick it up. The best part? If you haven't read SORCERER TO THE CROWN, you can still read this! There is enough explanation to get you through some aspects.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
The sequel to the ah-mazing SORCERER TO THE CROWN, THE TRUE QUEEN has magic, mayhem, and strong female characters that you root for the whole way through. I loved seeing the old characters, meeting new ones, and being introduced to more magic in this than we previously saw. Cho has created a masterpiece of Fantasy and I hope you pick it up. The best part? If you haven't read SORCERER TO THE CROWN, you can still read this! There is enough explanation to get you through some aspects.
chillvamp's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one! I think it had a younger feeling to it than I was anticipating (or else I missed Muna's age and assumed she was a teenager) and there were no great surprises, but seeing the ending develop was very enjoyable, and I liked all the characters a lot. The polong was the best, though. This was a fun read!
qog's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
charlotekerstenauthor's review against another edition
“I shall lay the path for you. There is no reason you should run into any trouble, provided you are sensible.”
“It sounds perfectly straightforward,” said Sakti, who had never been sensible in her life.”
So What’s It About? (from Goodreads)
“When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic.
If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she’s drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed.”
What I Thought
Between this book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Sorcerer to the Crown, I have absolutely loved every Regency-era fantasy I have read for this project. Zen Cho has the most delightful, charming writing style and this book was a delight. It features a clever puzzle of a plot, a witty, gentle sense of humor and the absolute sweetest relationships.
One of my favorite things about Sorcerer to the Crown was its meaningful analysis of oppression through the contrasting stories of Zacharias and Prunella each fighting for their place in society. I think there is a little bit less upfront analysis of oppression in The True Queen, and I have to say that I missed it. In exchange, though, there is an emphasis on the importance of relationships between women, from sisterhood to friendships to romances. I loved this, and I was especially a fan of the relationship between Muna and Henrietta.
Although I would have liked their romance to be a little bit less understated, I think it received about the same amount of emphasis as the romance between Zacharias and Prunella in the first book, and I also think Cho did a good job of demonstrating the struggles that Muna and Henrietta faced knowing that they weren’t interested in men but unsure of how to articulate exactly what they do feel in a society that doesn’t even acknowledge that women like them exist. There are some great touches, from Henrietta idolizing the life of a spinster and Muna assuming that Henrietta loves Zacharias.
It turns out that heterosexuality is not hegemonic in Fairy society, and Rollo and Damerell provide an inspiring example for Muna and Henrietta. Rollo in particular is probably my favorite character in the series- he was so charming and hilarious! Prunella was also just as delightful as ever; I think Cho has quite a knack for writing these women who are ambitious and clever and pretty much stone cold, and I think Sakti also joins these brilliant ranks.
Finally, although the book does not not necessarily spend as much time focusing on the intersections between colonialism, sexism and racism as the first book, there are still some very astute touches here. One great example is the double standard surrounding women performing magic in an Eastern and a Western context: the British condone the practice of magic in other British women, while they exoticize and romanticize the practice of magic in women of color from other parts of the world.
“It sounds perfectly straightforward,” said Sakti, who had never been sensible in her life.”
So What’s It About? (from Goodreads)
“When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic.
If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she’s drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed.”
What I Thought
Between this book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Sorcerer to the Crown, I have absolutely loved every Regency-era fantasy I have read for this project. Zen Cho has the most delightful, charming writing style and this book was a delight. It features a clever puzzle of a plot, a witty, gentle sense of humor and the absolute sweetest relationships.
One of my favorite things about Sorcerer to the Crown was its meaningful analysis of oppression through the contrasting stories of Zacharias and Prunella each fighting for their place in society. I think there is a little bit less upfront analysis of oppression in The True Queen, and I have to say that I missed it. In exchange, though, there is an emphasis on the importance of relationships between women, from sisterhood to friendships to romances. I loved this, and I was especially a fan of the relationship between Muna and Henrietta.
Although I would have liked their romance to be a little bit less understated, I think it received about the same amount of emphasis as the romance between Zacharias and Prunella in the first book, and I also think Cho did a good job of demonstrating the struggles that Muna and Henrietta faced knowing that they weren’t interested in men but unsure of how to articulate exactly what they do feel in a society that doesn’t even acknowledge that women like them exist. There are some great touches, from Henrietta idolizing the life of a spinster and Muna assuming that Henrietta loves Zacharias.
It turns out that heterosexuality is not hegemonic in Fairy society, and Rollo and Damerell provide an inspiring example for Muna and Henrietta. Rollo in particular is probably my favorite character in the series- he was so charming and hilarious! Prunella was also just as delightful as ever; I think Cho has quite a knack for writing these women who are ambitious and clever and pretty much stone cold, and I think Sakti also joins these brilliant ranks.
Finally, although the book does not not necessarily spend as much time focusing on the intersections between colonialism, sexism and racism as the first book, there are still some very astute touches here. One great example is the double standard surrounding women performing magic in an Eastern and a Western context: the British condone the practice of magic in other British women, while they exoticize and romanticize the practice of magic in women of color from other parts of the world.
pavedwithbookss's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.0
raeanne's review against another edition
5.0
I read Sorcerer to the Crown for the first time right before reading this one TBH. The True Queen flows perfectly from it.
I still really fucking love Prunella. Zacharias continues to get better. We see little of them as a honeymoon phase couple, sadly. But what I see, I like.
The romance level is exactly the same: companionship, glances & guesses. Except no one is suggestive or teasing about the w/w couple. Which sucks. I felt cheated out of more in a way absent from the Sorcerer to the Crown.
I love the unique POVs while learning more about Faerie, dragons, and the island.
I didn't see villian coming. I didn’t see the solution to the character’s problems though it was obvious retrospectively. I saw part of the ending coming & I think most would but how it comes about & turns out was all surprise. And getting there was all good.
I'd love more of the series. BUT I'd want more resoluteness & on page romance before the very end. Especially if the couple is marginalized. Why only white ppl & supernatural get to romance on page in fantasy?
I mean, I’ll read them but I won’t be as satisfied even if the other qualities continue to remain the same gold standard.
I still really fucking love Prunella. Zacharias continues to get better. We see little of them as a honeymoon phase couple, sadly. But what I see, I like.
The romance level is exactly the same: companionship, glances & guesses. Except no one is suggestive or teasing about the w/w couple. Which sucks. I felt cheated out of more in a way absent from the Sorcerer to the Crown.
I love the unique POVs while learning more about Faerie, dragons, and the island.
I didn't see villian coming. I didn’t see the solution to the character’s problems though it was obvious retrospectively. I saw part of the ending coming & I think most would but how it comes about & turns out was all surprise. And getting there was all good.
I'd love more of the series. BUT I'd want more resoluteness & on page romance before the very end. Especially if the couple is marginalized. Why only white ppl & supernatural get to romance on page in fantasy?
I mean, I’ll read them but I won’t be as satisfied even if the other qualities continue to remain the same gold standard.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
The voice is as lovely and delightful as ever, but some of the information that the reader can glean is kept secret from the characters and the amount of knowledge they do not possess (about themselves) makes for a rather frustrating experience at times. If characters don't know what they want, it can be difficult to want it for them. I really enjoyed the characters, especially the secondary ones, but the romantic parts didn't quite work for me.
Still, such a delightful voice and so great to see characters from Sorcerer Royal again.
Still, such a delightful voice and so great to see characters from Sorcerer Royal again.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
5.0
If you haven’t read [b:Sorcerer to the Crown|23943137|Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)|Zen Cho|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430239646s/23943137.jpg|43548024], you should definitely read that first before jumping into The True Queen, not because the books can’t stand alone, but because they’re both so delightful you owe it to yourself to read them both. (We named our cat, Prunie, after Prunella Gentleman from Sorcerer to the Crown!) In this follow-up novel, Muna and Sakti are sisters who washed up on a beach with no memory of where they came from. They’re taken in by a powerful magician, but even her magic can’t restore their memories. When Sakti starts fading away before Muna’s eyes, the sisters undertake a dangerous journey through Fairy to England, where they hope the Sorceress Royal will be able to help them. Cho is a lovely writer, and the fantasy world she’s created is one I love getting lost in.
sillypunk's review against another edition
5.0
I love Zen Cho: https://blogendorff.com/2019/08/30/book-review-the-true-queen/