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kirstencholewa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
greenteabookme's review
I tried really hard to get into Scorpica as I loved the premise, and the strong female led world that GR Macallister created but I just couldn’t get hooked / into the story. The writing dragged and felt a little flat for my tastes and I read about 15% of the book and decided not to finish.
vesybele's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
malimaan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
fermqs's review against another edition
2.0
Scorpica is a epic fantasy that folllows a matriarchal society. There are five queendoms that were at peace until one day no other girls were born.
I really don't get the comparison to Circe aside from being from the focus on powerful female main characters. Whilst Circe works as a character study that we really get to know her, to empathize with her, and see her reclaim her worth and her fate, in Scorpica we follow already established female characters that don't go through any sort of development. The characters are already well-formed and they don't really deviate from how they were in the beginning; the challenges that they have to face don't really impact them as people, nor change their trajectory. There are, in theory, Big Things happening but I couldn't really see the effects in their lives and in the plot itself. I really didn't felt compelled by any of the characters and there were some events that just came and went and nothing happened because of them; it seemed the author just wanted to show how ruthless some characters were and wanted to throw some plot twists but it just felt out of place. The main "antagonist" was kept away from the main threads until it was convenient and this character just felt like an one dimensional mustache twirling villain that was extremely power hungry, just to be power hungry.
The world is extremely interesting but we don't get to see much of it; we mainly follow 2 out of the 5 queendoms. I liked what we got to see from Arca and Scorpica, even though I found Arca extremely more interesting than Scorpica. I wonder if the author is going to explore the other queendoms in the next novels. And if the threads that were completely abandoned are going to be picked up again.
By the end of it, even though I liked what we got to see from the world, I couldn't care about the characters and I found the plot really lackluster.
Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.
I really don't get the comparison to Circe aside from being from the focus on powerful female main characters. Whilst Circe works as a character study that we really get to know her, to empathize with her, and see her reclaim her worth and her fate, in Scorpica we follow already established female characters that don't go through any sort of development. The characters are already well-formed and they don't really deviate from how they were in the beginning; the challenges that they have to face don't really impact them as people, nor change their trajectory. There are, in theory, Big Things happening but I couldn't really see the effects in their lives and in the plot itself. I really didn't felt compelled by any of the characters and there were some events that just came and went and nothing happened because of them; it seemed the author just wanted to show how ruthless some characters were and wanted to throw some plot twists but it just felt out of place. The main "antagonist" was kept away from the main threads until it was convenient and this character just felt like an one dimensional mustache twirling villain that was extremely power hungry, just to be power hungry.
The world is extremely interesting but we don't get to see much of it; we mainly follow 2 out of the 5 queendoms. I liked what we got to see from Arca and Scorpica, even though I found Arca extremely more interesting than Scorpica. I wonder if the author is going to explore the other queendoms in the next novels. And if the threads that were completely abandoned are going to be picked up again.
By the end of it, even though I liked what we got to see from the world, I couldn't care about the characters and I found the plot really lackluster.
Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.
agameofbooksblog's review against another edition
4.5
This epic fantasy tale shares similarities with others in its genre; however, it distinguishes itself by presenting a fascinating world where women hold dominion and establish Queendoms instead of Kingdoms. I was absorbed by the intricate world and dove right into the lives of the different queens. While this book takes us on a journey across various Queendoms, its primary focus is on land of Scorpia. As the series continues, I'm anticipating further exploration into the remaining regions. For the next book I hope there’s more character development. At times, it was a little challenging to keep track of the numerous perspectives presented, but the overall enchantment of the story kept me captivated.
stella94's review against another edition
3.0
If I could give it 3.5 I would.
Classic fantasy book with only female characters. Enjoyed it
Classic fantasy book with only female characters. Enjoyed it
karliecol's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 star rating, unsurprising that I’m waffling on the rating since I’m not sure if I truly liked it, but also will definitely read the next installment.
This book was such a strange read overall. Had you asked me half way through if I planned to read the next book, I would have said no. I was frustrated by characters we only seemed to know on the surface, a plot that didn’t seem like it was going anywhere, and the fact that I was never finding myself truly having the desire to pick it up and keep reading, despite enjoying it while actively reading it. I also found the role reversal of men and women in society kind of lazy - just flipping our own misogynistic world upside down instead of having queendoms where women rule in their own right without another gender being subjugated.
Then, right after the half way mark, the plot became just engaging enough to make me excited to dive back in each day. The characters still felt very surface level, but I found myself liking some more than others, and the ending left me eager to know where the story is heading next/hoping we get more of some of the characters we lost track of along the way.
However, if you are looking for a book with characters to get lost in and truly feel for, this isn’t for you. There are plenty of narrators but little makes them stand out from one another personality wise. It almost reads as if you’re being told a story that’s been watered down a few times, despite the rather interesting world.
Idk - it was ultimately a good read but what a weird journey I took to in trying to decide if I enjoyed it. I hope the next installment gives us more characters like Eminel, Sessadon, and Tamura and truly builds them out some more to make them seem a little less two dimensional.
This book was such a strange read overall. Had you asked me half way through if I planned to read the next book, I would have said no. I was frustrated by characters we only seemed to know on the surface, a plot that didn’t seem like it was going anywhere, and the fact that I was never finding myself truly having the desire to pick it up and keep reading, despite enjoying it while actively reading it. I also found the role reversal of men and women in society kind of lazy - just flipping our own misogynistic world upside down instead of having queendoms where women rule in their own right without another gender being subjugated.
Then, right after the half way mark, the plot became just engaging enough to make me excited to dive back in each day. The characters still felt very surface level, but I found myself liking some more than others, and the ending left me eager to know where the story is heading next/hoping we get more of some of the characters we lost track of along the way.
However, if you are looking for a book with characters to get lost in and truly feel for, this isn’t for you. There are plenty of narrators but little makes them stand out from one another personality wise. It almost reads as if you’re being told a story that’s been watered down a few times, despite the rather interesting world.
Idk - it was ultimately a good read but what a weird journey I took to in trying to decide if I enjoyed it. I hope the next installment gives us more characters like Eminel, Sessadon, and Tamura and truly builds them out some more to make them seem a little less two dimensional.
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
In this ambitious novel, historical fiction author Greer Macallister turns her talents to the world of fantasy, writing as G. R. Macallister. Because I’ve enjoyed her historical novels, and since I generally enjoy fantasy fiction, I thought I’d give Scorpica a try.
In Scorpica, the known world is divided into five queendoms, each with its own strengths and gifts. The land of Scorpica raises and trains warriors; Arca is known for magic; The Bastion is a stronghold for scholars and archives; Paxim is a crossroads and a center of trade and negotiation; and Sestia is a fertile land with thriving agriculture. The different lands worship different gods and goddesses and have different cultures and societal structures, but one thing they all have in common is that women rule.
The queendoms are matriarchal societies, where power belongs to women alone. From queens to warriors to any and all positions of power, all roles of importance are held by women. Men are subservient, there to support women and offer pleasure and participate in making babies, but they do not wield authority or take any role in combat.
The coexistence of the five queendoms and their continued survival are thrown into turmoil when baby girls stop being born. Known as the Drought of Girls, this lack of girl babies means there can be no future queens and no future warriors. As each of the queendoms struggles to figure out what to do if the drought doesn’t end, there’s another force at work in the shadows seeking to overthrow the queendoms entirely.
As the story progresses, we see events unfold from multiple perspectives, mainly through the Queens of Scorpica and Arca and various women of their queendoms. We get to learn the customs of the different lands, their superstitions and fears and politics, and for some of the characters, get insight into their more personal emotions and challenges.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and that’s not always easy. Fortunately, there’s a map of the Five Queendoms included at the front of the book, which helps a lot in terms of visualizing the basic geography and how that influences the plot. This is one of the rare occasions where a glossary of characters would have been helpful, although usually I shy away from those.
The premise of the book is quite interesting, and I liked a lot about the development of this world, how the queendoms interact, and the internal functioning of Scorpica and Arca. Where I think there’s some weakness is in the individual character development and, perhaps consequentially, in the emotional impact.
While there are some characters we spend more time with than others, this is a big book with a lot of ground and time to cover, and the individuals often get lost in the shuffle. There weren’t many that I felt I really knew well, and so I wasn’t able to develop an emotional connection with more than two or three of the characters — and even with these few, they only appear from time or time or in limited capacities.
I did enjoy the overall concepts of the book. It’s quite large in scope, and is supposedly the first in a series. I’d guess that there will be a book titled for each of the five queendoms, and that should help fill out and broaden the world quite a bit. In Scorpica, we mainly spend time with characters from Scorpica and Arca, and I imagine that there’s future action planned that will bring the other three lands into greater focus and importance.
Assuming the next book in the series comes out soon enough that I’ll still remember the details, I’d like to keep reading. Scorpica ends with a lot of loose-ends — major conflicts and problems are resolved, but there’s a sort-of cliff-hanger about what comes next, and plenty more to explore in this fantasy world.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
In Scorpica, the known world is divided into five queendoms, each with its own strengths and gifts. The land of Scorpica raises and trains warriors; Arca is known for magic; The Bastion is a stronghold for scholars and archives; Paxim is a crossroads and a center of trade and negotiation; and Sestia is a fertile land with thriving agriculture. The different lands worship different gods and goddesses and have different cultures and societal structures, but one thing they all have in common is that women rule.
The queendoms are matriarchal societies, where power belongs to women alone. From queens to warriors to any and all positions of power, all roles of importance are held by women. Men are subservient, there to support women and offer pleasure and participate in making babies, but they do not wield authority or take any role in combat.
The coexistence of the five queendoms and their continued survival are thrown into turmoil when baby girls stop being born. Known as the Drought of Girls, this lack of girl babies means there can be no future queens and no future warriors. As each of the queendoms struggles to figure out what to do if the drought doesn’t end, there’s another force at work in the shadows seeking to overthrow the queendoms entirely.
As the story progresses, we see events unfold from multiple perspectives, mainly through the Queens of Scorpica and Arca and various women of their queendoms. We get to learn the customs of the different lands, their superstitions and fears and politics, and for some of the characters, get insight into their more personal emotions and challenges.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and that’s not always easy. Fortunately, there’s a map of the Five Queendoms included at the front of the book, which helps a lot in terms of visualizing the basic geography and how that influences the plot. This is one of the rare occasions where a glossary of characters would have been helpful, although usually I shy away from those.
The premise of the book is quite interesting, and I liked a lot about the development of this world, how the queendoms interact, and the internal functioning of Scorpica and Arca. Where I think there’s some weakness is in the individual character development and, perhaps consequentially, in the emotional impact.
While there are some characters we spend more time with than others, this is a big book with a lot of ground and time to cover, and the individuals often get lost in the shuffle. There weren’t many that I felt I really knew well, and so I wasn’t able to develop an emotional connection with more than two or three of the characters — and even with these few, they only appear from time or time or in limited capacities.
I did enjoy the overall concepts of the book. It’s quite large in scope, and is supposedly the first in a series. I’d guess that there will be a book titled for each of the five queendoms, and that should help fill out and broaden the world quite a bit. In Scorpica, we mainly spend time with characters from Scorpica and Arca, and I imagine that there’s future action planned that will bring the other three lands into greater focus and importance.
Assuming the next book in the series comes out soon enough that I’ll still remember the details, I’d like to keep reading. Scorpica ends with a lot of loose-ends — major conflicts and problems are resolved, but there’s a sort-of cliff-hanger about what comes next, and plenty more to explore in this fantasy world.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fantastic idea, and the world building was second to none, but for me personally it went on too long with too many characters. I know people who adore doorstoppers and will no doubt dive into this one, but it just wasn't right for me, sadly.