Reviews

The Queen of Thieves by Johan Rundberg

caniboopthesnoot's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

oneanjana's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It's always a delight to read a sequel that follows up better than the first book. Just like how I read The Night Raven in one sitting, it goes the same with The Queen of Thieves. I enjoyed this a lot. There is more character development and emotional involvement involved. 

This second book of the Moonwind Mysteries series reveals a darker plot. There were numerous reports of theft, and it was suspected that children from the orphanage were involved. Then, the disappearance of one of her orphan friends, Ossian, just before he was going to be adopted, slowly opens up the mystery of the person behind the theft cases.

Why did I say it's getting darker? It's because in this book, Mika mostly does the 'investigation' by herself. Valdemar, the constable who became her partner in the first book, is not prominently featured. Despite this, they are still a great, dynamic pair here. 

There has been a lot of development in Mika's character. She develops bravery to take bold steps, cleverness with her plans and resources, and she learns to accept things she can't control. Some of Mika's fellow orphan characters also have interesting roles here. I was drawn to the sweetness and hopefulness of their friendships. 

This sequel also got better due to more emotion involved. There is a betrayal involved, and I admit it caught me off guard. I suffered from that as well. 

The Dark Angel from the first book remains unanswered, and there are plot holes everywhere. But, I believe the journey still has a long way to go. While there are some plot holes, I still consider it to be a perfect read for middle grade. I hope the next sequels will be available sooner. 

mrsdaliborreads's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

electablue's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

zoe_94's review

5.0

Another amazing read with this second book in the Moonwind Mysteries series. Although I had very much liked the first book, I had remarked on how dark it was for such young readers. I think this book, however, was just right: a bit sombre for the thrills and mystery, but not enough to upset young readers. I realised that I'd actually become rather attached to some of the characters, including Mika and Valdemar, and joining them on this second adventure was very enjoyable. I have not seen the original text, but this English translated version is beautifully written.
Thank you to Amazon Crossing/NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review of the title.

line_magnus's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

starmaiden's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

4.5

 I am well aware that I am not the target audience for this book, and that did make writing this review slightly difficult. Did I, an adult, particularly enjoy this book? Not really. It was too simple and juvenile to fully draw me in, but that is a feature of this book and it would be silly to fault it for that. Had I read this book at a younger age, I think I would’ve loved it. It was so reminiscent of beloved books from my childhood; young girls (often in historical settings) solving mysteries was definitely my jam. 

There was one thing that did really interest me despite the genre and that was the setting. I’ve never read a book set in 19th century Sweden before, so I was kinda obsessed with it here. It was new, both similar and different from other historical fictions I’ve read, and I thought it was really well executed. I always love when books interact with historical events, as this one does with the Vega Expedition of Adolf Nordenskiöld. 

I gave this book 4.5 stars, based on how younger me would have likely rated it. I’m sure there are plenty of kids now that are just like I was, and will really enjoy reading this book!

Thank you Amazon Crossing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Alcohol, and Violence

Minor: Murder

zombehdoll's review

5.0

This is the second book in the translated Swedish Moonwind series, and it's just as bold and captivating as the first book, Night Raven. It picks up in the spring of 1880, two months after the events of the first book, and 12 year old Mika is caught up in another mysterious adventure when some of the older children in the orphanage begin acting suspiciously.

In this installment, we get to spend more time with the other orphans, and learn more about Mika, especially through her care and concern for the other children. She's a lovable main character - clever, brave, and capable, without ever being annoying or saccharine. In this book, the author again deftly and sensitively portrays the stark realities of class division, poverty, and callousness the poor orphans are subject to, and their yearning for belonging, connection, and comfort, but he also lets their strength, resilience, and devotion to each other shine through. The book also explores themes of found family, freedom, self-determination, and moral grey areas such as breaking rules for good purposes.

The pacing is brisk and energetic, the writing is smart and engaging, and the story pulls you in right from the start until the dramatic conclusion. It's a bit dark, there's some violence and peril, and a villain character is ableist towards a child, but nothing is gratuitous or excessive for upper middle grade or YA readers. Each story answers some questions, but reveals more layers of overarching mysteries that I look forward to exploring in the rest of this thoroughly enjoyable series. I highly recommend it.

indigovazvezda's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.25

linnjbookis's review against another edition

5.0

Fängslande och dramatisk! Barnhemsbarnens största önskan är en familj, men hur mycket är priset? Mika får snart veta vad hennes vänner gör och hamnar snart i ett stort brott.

Spänningen stiger med varje sida och den stora längtan, drömmen om något bättre speglas i barnens agerande. Alla saknar något, men ibland måste man se verkligheten och inte bara en drömmande illusion.