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rants_n_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
annie_the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
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
3.75
I really liked Alyssa Cole’s writing, I just think the story wasn’t for me.
luizalikesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
andrea_author's review against another edition
5.0
Shanti has achieved her childhood dream of becoming a queen—but there's a catch: there's a 4-month trial period. No queen in the country's history has been invited to stay permanently.
Sanyu II is mourning the death of his father and convinced he has no chance of succeeding as absolute monarch of the kingdom he inherited. He agreed to the arranged marriage because it was his father's dying wish. Sanyu has no desire to get attached to his bride, when all the queens before her were forced to leave.
But Shanti has different ideas. She doesn't need love, but she does want to help Sanyu come into his own as monarch, and bring his country into the twenty-first century. But will she get the chance, when the patriarchal system insists on her silence?
Alyssa Cole has created a fascinating world in this fictional African kingdom. She did a brilliant job of depicting a despotic monarch who's driven by fear of failure—and the wise wife who helps him find his strength and his identity as a compassionate leader.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
Sanyu II is mourning the death of his father and convinced he has no chance of succeeding as absolute monarch of the kingdom he inherited. He agreed to the arranged marriage because it was his father's dying wish. Sanyu has no desire to get attached to his bride, when all the queens before her were forced to leave.
But Shanti has different ideas. She doesn't need love, but she does want to help Sanyu come into his own as monarch, and bring his country into the twenty-first century. But will she get the chance, when the patriarchal system insists on her silence?
Alyssa Cole has created a fascinating world in this fictional African kingdom. She did a brilliant job of depicting a despotic monarch who's driven by fear of failure—and the wise wife who helps him find his strength and his identity as a compassionate leader.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
mizpurplest's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
3.5
holdenehlinger's review against another edition
4.0
Read this for hours straight on a plane which is one of my favorite things ever. I feel like my interest started to wane towards the end, still really enjoyed it though. I picked up this book because I’d heard good thing about Alyssa Cole and I’ll definitely read another book by her.
-> “true intelligence always questions, even if it means questioning itself.”
-> “humans are terrible, and somehow they think they will get better just because they have a ring on their finger from another terrible human.” (
-> “true intelligence always questions, even if it means questioning itself.”
-> “humans are terrible, and somehow they think they will get better just because they have a ring on their finger from another terrible human.” (
blackfemmebaddie's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
This is a fun love story. I really like how Alyssa Cole does her world/country building. I trust her choices when she explores challenging emotions and her books usually also include fun twists.
daenknight's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
5.0
This book was a wonderful surprise, because there was so much to learn about the characters on each page. The main FMC is a delight to be with, and watching her fight hard to challenge the restrictive rules around her and work to heal the kingdom she's the queen of was, by itself, incredible. Shanti carried the marriage, the kingdom, and the whole book. There was also a lot of work she did to deconstruct the misyogny her husband had learned. Overall, this book had so much more than I first thought it would have, and is a great read I'd recommend to others.
girlwithsense's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75