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eleanorefiore's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
⚔️ Main character with little agency
⚔️ Love interest that had the same amount of personality as a video game npc
⚔️ Interesting worldbuilding, but needed a little more
Queen Among the Dead is a historical fantasy inspired by Celtic history and mythology. It sounds intriguing but ultimately ended up bland and lacking the feminist messages it promises.
The worldbuilding is the only part that I somewhat enjoyed. Queen Among the Dead focuses on how stories change over time and how women are represented in history, which sounds interesting, but it needs to go deeper. I got surface-level commentary, and I needed to be able to sink my teeth into more.
I wanted the religion fleshed out as well. The book overly relied on the "I just had a feeling" or "something was telling me" or "A god chose me for SOME reason..." and never truly gave me a picture of the gods or their role in the world. It felt like plot convenience because it was so under-explained.
Our main character is Neve, and she's...so frustrating. Neve tricks you into thinking she has agency by being an active main character with a strong personality who can fight. But she just gets dragged from place to place, and the only choices she ever truly makes are the ones where she chooses to leave the palace. Inevitably, she gets caught up in something, is forced to go back, or happens to stumble on the exact answers she needs. I can't think of very many times she moved the story forward.
We're supposed to believe she's some great leader, but she never grows into that label or shows any leader-like qualities. This is frustrating because she sees these qualities in other people. She points out side characters with fantastic leadership skills, which was the perfect opportunity for her to try to emulate as part of her arc. Yet, she does nothing but continue to be bull-headed and stumble into situations that resolve themselves for her.
The dual POV and LI is Ronan, and he has as much personality as a wet paper bag. What are his goals? What are his dreams? What are his opinions on the monarchy? What does he think about the gods? What is his ten-year plan? I have no idea, and neither does he.
This made his romance with Neve...nothing. Absolutely nothing. About halfway through, Neve says she's wanted to kiss him since they first met, but she didn't do us the honour of relaying that information. It was so out of left field and awkward, especially as they've both explicitly said they don't like or trust each other.
BUT WAIT. There's more. There's another man who Neve has a genuine connection with, is an excellent character, has many qualities that she's attracted to, and he explicitly likes her. He's set up as the other LI, because, of course, there's a love triangle, and I don't understand why she keeps going to Ronan. She tells and shows us that this other man is significantly better, and she even likes and trusts him more, and yet...why Ronan. Why. The series has more books, but I can't be dragged out only to watch her settle for the blandest man ever.
As a final note, Queen Among the Dead is set up to be very feminist, but, honestly, I wouldn't say I like the kind of feminism it went for. It's the kind where she chooses to abandon any feminine labels to rise to power. For example, she explicitly says not to call her Queen and instead call her the King....but they already have a gender-neutral label for the ruler? Dagda.
The first Dagda was originally going to be a woman, Neve's ancestor, and then she was betrayed. So Neve taking back this title and becoming Dagda would have been more powerful to me than shunning any feminine labels to be seen as valuable in society. She had other options.<--- I know this is entirely my preference. I'm sure this speaks to some people, just not me.
Look, I wouldn't say I liked this book. Clearly. However, would I recommend it to someone looking for books that have a historical focus? Sure. There aren't many Celtic-inspired SFF novels, so maybe you should read it.
But also, don't.
⚔️ Love interest that had the same amount of personality as a video game npc
⚔️ Interesting worldbuilding, but needed a little more
Queen Among the Dead is a historical fantasy inspired by Celtic history and mythology. It sounds intriguing but ultimately ended up bland and lacking the feminist messages it promises.
The worldbuilding is the only part that I somewhat enjoyed. Queen Among the Dead focuses on how stories change over time and how women are represented in history, which sounds interesting, but it needs to go deeper. I got surface-level commentary, and I needed to be able to sink my teeth into more.
I wanted the religion fleshed out as well. The book overly relied on the "I just had a feeling" or "something was telling me" or "A god chose me for SOME reason..." and never truly gave me a picture of the gods or their role in the world. It felt like plot convenience because it was so under-explained.
Our main character is Neve, and she's...so frustrating. Neve tricks you into thinking she has agency by being an active main character with a strong personality who can fight. But she just gets dragged from place to place, and the only choices she ever truly makes are the ones where she chooses to leave the palace. Inevitably, she gets caught up in something, is forced to go back, or happens to stumble on the exact answers she needs. I can't think of very many times she moved the story forward.
We're supposed to believe she's some great leader, but she never grows into that label or shows any leader-like qualities. This is frustrating because she sees these qualities in other people. She points out side characters with fantastic leadership skills, which was the perfect opportunity for her to try to emulate as part of her arc. Yet, she does nothing but continue to be bull-headed and stumble into situations that resolve themselves for her.
The dual POV and LI is Ronan, and he has as much personality as a wet paper bag. What are his goals? What are his dreams? What are his opinions on the monarchy? What does he think about the gods? What is his ten-year plan? I have no idea, and neither does he.
This made his romance with Neve...nothing. Absolutely nothing. About halfway through, Neve says she's wanted to kiss him since they first met, but she didn't do us the honour of relaying that information. It was so out of left field and awkward, especially as they've both explicitly said they don't like or trust each other.
BUT WAIT. There's more. There's another man who Neve has a genuine connection with, is an excellent character, has many qualities that she's attracted to, and he explicitly likes her. He's set up as the other LI, because, of course, there's a love triangle, and I don't understand why she keeps going to Ronan. She tells and shows us that this other man is significantly better, and she even likes and trusts him more, and yet...why Ronan. Why. The series has more books, but I can't be dragged out only to watch her settle for the blandest man ever.
As a final note, Queen Among the Dead is set up to be very feminist, but, honestly, I wouldn't say I like the kind of feminism it went for. It's the kind where she chooses to abandon any feminine labels to rise to power. For example, she explicitly says not to call her Queen and instead call her the King....but they already have a gender-neutral label for the ruler? Dagda.
The first Dagda was originally going to be a woman, Neve's ancestor, and then she was betrayed. So Neve taking back this title and becoming Dagda would have been more powerful to me than shunning any feminine labels to be seen as valuable in society. She had other options.<--- I know this is entirely my preference. I'm sure this speaks to some people, just not me.
Look, I wouldn't say I liked this book. Clearly. However, would I recommend it to someone looking for books that have a historical focus? Sure. There aren't many Celtic-inspired SFF novels, so maybe you should read it.
But also, don't.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexism
decodethebooks's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars★★☆☆☆
**I was provided with an ARC from Zando Projects and Netgalley for an honest review**
☞ Trigger warnings: **contains spoilers**
Spoiler
alcohol consumption, animal attack, arranged marriage, banishment, blackmail, blood & gore depiction, body horror, branding, burns, captivity & confinement, classism, colonialism, dead bodies & body parts, death of a parent, death of a sibling, disappearance of a loved one, drowning, exile, eyeball trauma, fire, grief & loss depiction, homelessness, intrusive thoughts, knife violence, loss of autonomy, loss of limb, military service, mind control & possession, misogyny, mugging, murder & attempted murder, physical assault, physical injuries, poisoning, poverty themes, regicide, scars, slavery & indentured servitude, war themes & military violence.✿ My review is also posted right here on my blog ✿
I loved [b:The Valiant|30375703|The Valiant (The Valiant, #1)|Lesley Livingston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469204120l/30375703._SY75_.jpg|47477473] by this author so I had such high hopes.
Livingston knows how to weave an enchanting story set in a rich historical setting. Her last series [b:The Valiant|30375703|The Valiant (The Valiant, #1)|Lesley Livingston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469204120l/30375703._SY75_.jpg|47477473] was set during the Roman Empire, and for [b:Queen Among the Dead|53457121|Queen Among the Dead|Lesley Livingston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654613346l/53457121._SY75_.jpg|83339626] is a Celtic tale in the land of Éire (google says its what Ireland used to be called before Britain made them change it). It's a story that involves the deities of the the Irish, but also surprisingly also the Egyptian deities. Personally, I don't know much but it was a bit of a surprise seeing both within this story, entwined with the fae, werewolves and wights.
Personally, I don't believe the synopsis does this book justice. It feels wanting, and almost deceitful. It says that Neve, the youngest daughter of the king, will become allies with an ex-Druid apprentice to seize the throne taking them to the outskirts of Eire, carving their future out with spells and swords. Sure, thats technically true but most of all that, the outskirts, the seizing of thrones, the carving of spells happens in the 80% mark. Thats almost the entire book before we get to what the synopsis tells us. Again, sure, Neve and the ex-Druid apprentice Ronan become allies but I think they are barely allies but people in a bad situation that are thrust in to each others orbit.
One of my many issues with this book was the emotional connection I felt towards most characters. I was starkly aware of this during big climatic scenes and I felt an overwhelming sense of apathy. I was more interested in finishing the book than what was going on in the book.
Given this is a Celtic tale, there are many Celtic mythology, words and meanings that not only need to be explained well but also used effectively. I was enjoying the mythology and learning more about a mythology I wasn't overly versed in. I soon realised the lore really bogged down the story, stopping the flow and changing the At a certain point I realised I was just generally confused about the world-building and how the fantasy aspects connected to the mythology. It was all muddled together in my head, with certain aspects explained more complicated than it needed to be.
"The heart of the tale is a woman. A woman loved and grieved and wanted - and took for herself - what men have always taken for granted. Power."
As much as I wanted to be invested and immersed within this story, I found myself checked out around 40% the way through. The overarching story is about Neve, and how she ascends into power, both in magic and into the seat of power in Éire. It is also about the threat of war. What I found confounding nothing much happened until 70% of this book. I kept looking at how much time was left in the book at the bottom of my kindle, and I was getting frustrated when I reached 80% only around then did the war start. The war didn't even last very long, only a few pages and then everything is resolved with a pretty little bow quite quickly afterwards. It was non-sensical as there are many issues that were never brought up like Neve's heritage and how she will navigate that, her relationship with the Ronan and their future as well as the logistics of the invaders settling onto the Éire. The ending felt rushed and I truely felt nothing during any harrowing moments.
Ronan's characterisation felt all over the place. He was annoying and unnecessarily mean towards Neve, which I think is uncalled for as she doesn't do anything too illicit such a reaction. Yes, in his P.O.V.'s its shown he wants to push her away for both their sakes but it comes so abrasive I don't really care about his reasonings and wish he would kick rocks. The love story was flat and I wished was developed more.
My last (small) gripe was the name of the book. I was lead to believe the main character was going to be the Queen Among the Dead, but not only is Neve who the book is named after, it isn't explained until the very end. I found myself forgetting what the name of this book was because it felt like there wasn't any connection to what the story was about.
I loved this author's work before but this was honestly very disappointing. I would read from them again but maybe after seeing reviews, and lowering my expectations.
Would I recommend this book?
No.
I recommend it for people who like
Will I re-read this book/series?
No.
✧ 23rd October 2022 ✧
happy halloween to me and one of my most anticipated books of 2023
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constantinareads's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this book a lot. Everything was great: the setting, the people, the main story and the "extra" stories. The people in these chapters were easy to relate to and likable, and they were written well. I really liked Neve and her personality. She's the strong female main character that I can easily relate to, at least for me. The wonders of this world appear to be fascinating and connected to old stories and beliefs. The book Queen Among the Dead had an interesting story based on Celtic mythology. However, it focused so much on describing the world and setting that the characters and plot were not as important.
toastqueen's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Neve quickly won my heart as the complete badass that she is. I loved her take no nonsense attitude combine with a “fine I’ll do it myself” outlook on things. Her combined with Rowan was an amazing duo that I just couldn’t get enough of and ended up savoring the story and reading it slow because I just didn’t want it to end. The twist about her heritage was the one part that I wish had played more of a role than just her having magic. Especially since it was proven magic was accessible by all if they tried or looked hard enough.
Neve quickly earned a spot as one of my favorite heroines I’ve read in a while. She fended for herself and loathed being in situations that she needed help. It was so nice to have a heroine that didn’t just play the part of the brave and strong protagonist. She actually was. I definitely recommend this book for a good fantasy read.
Neve quickly earned a spot as one of my favorite heroines I’ve read in a while. She fended for herself and loathed being in situations that she needed help. It was so nice to have a heroine that didn’t just play the part of the brave and strong protagonist. She actually was. I definitely recommend this book for a good fantasy read.
deena88's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
argrenier's review against another edition
Made it to the 100 page rule I have and was happy to leave it. World building clunky, characters shallow.
literary_valkyrie's review against another edition
3.0
Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston
“Now. Seize Destiny by the throat and make it bow to you.”
~~~
First off, I would like to thank Lesley Livingston, Zando Young Reader, and Netgalley for sending me an eARC. Queen Among the Dead out 1/17/23.
I enjoyed the idea of this book and enjoyed the characters. I loved the idea of using Irish mythology and then putting a twist on it for some fantasy. Some of the scenes were also really intense, mostly at the end. Which to me felt a little odd.
Personally, I think this will be a book that I will have to wait to reread when it is available on audiobook form. The reason I say that is because there were a lot of times where I was extremely confused by the context; whether it was describing the locations, magic system, politics, or just the relationship between some of the characters. Livingston’s writing is really neat, but some part in the book just got confusing where I could not figure out the story.
Now again, that’s a personal opinion. Others may be able to read it perfectly fine, that’s awesome. But as someone who’s dyslexic, this book would be one that I need someone else to read to make it make sense for me.
“Now. Seize Destiny by the throat and make it bow to you.”
~~~
First off, I would like to thank Lesley Livingston, Zando Young Reader, and Netgalley for sending me an eARC. Queen Among the Dead out 1/17/23.
I enjoyed the idea of this book and enjoyed the characters. I loved the idea of using Irish mythology and then putting a twist on it for some fantasy. Some of the scenes were also really intense, mostly at the end. Which to me felt a little odd.
Personally, I think this will be a book that I will have to wait to reread when it is available on audiobook form. The reason I say that is because there were a lot of times where I was extremely confused by the context; whether it was describing the locations, magic system, politics, or just the relationship between some of the characters. Livingston’s writing is really neat, but some part in the book just got confusing where I could not figure out the story.
Now again, that’s a personal opinion. Others may be able to read it perfectly fine, that’s awesome. But as someone who’s dyslexic, this book would be one that I need someone else to read to make it make sense for me.
emmalilien's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I found it incredibly boring. It took ages for the death to happen. In the hard copy of the book, it took 163 pages while the story ended after 404 or 406 pages. 40% of the book had to occur for the main event to happen. From what I have read, the main event usually happens within the first 25% of the book yet this was almost double that. The male lead was more like able and the female lead was just there.
While the idea of it having Celtic/Irish lore, 95% of it was barely explained. There should have been a map as they explained so many areas but you had no way of knowing where they were. There should have also been a glossary of the lore if it wasn’t going to be explained.
I really wanted to DNF it but I didn’t because I was stubborn. I would not recommend this. I’m glad that I got it at my library and didn’t buy it, I would have returned it in a heart beat to get my money back.
From the way it ended, it was unclear on if there will be a sequel. It doesn’t seem impossible for there to be a sequel but there is no way I will be reading it. Please read the reviews before buying it.
While the idea of it having Celtic/Irish lore, 95% of it was barely explained. There should have been a map as they explained so many areas but you had no way of knowing where they were. There should have also been a glossary of the lore if it wasn’t going to be explained.
I really wanted to DNF it but I didn’t because I was stubborn. I would not recommend this. I’m glad that I got it at my library and didn’t buy it, I would have returned it in a heart beat to get my money back.
From the way it ended, it was unclear on if there will be a sequel. It doesn’t seem impossible for there to be a sequel but there is no way I will be reading it. Please read the reviews before buying it.
thenovelllama's review against another edition
3.0
The moment that I saw this book was based on Celtic lore, I was excited to jump right in. The depth of the world building was evident from the very beginning, as the reader is thrown right into the action. I was drawn in and couldn't stop turning the pages for the first quarter of the book. From the magic system to the unexpected relationships, the beginning of the book left me with so many questions that I couldn’t wait to have answered.
Unfortunately, after that first quarter, the book began to stall for me. While I appreciated the depth of the world building, it quickly became too much for just one book. There were so many characters and connections that I struggled to keep track of it all. Letting the characters flesh out and breathe a bit would have helped this book along, possibly even separating it into two novels.
Other than the pacing issues, I enjoyed the story itself and would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a story with strong world building.
Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
Unfortunately, after that first quarter, the book began to stall for me. While I appreciated the depth of the world building, it quickly became too much for just one book. There were so many characters and connections that I struggled to keep track of it all. Letting the characters flesh out and breathe a bit would have helped this book along, possibly even separating it into two novels.
Other than the pacing issues, I enjoyed the story itself and would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a story with strong world building.
Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.