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A review by devlaluna2
The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
really really interesting!!
mina fears' the scorpion queen is based on a Malian fairytale, and follows the disinherited daughter of a well-off merchant, Amie, as she is thrust into servitude to Princess Mariama of Mali. Mariama has watched 99 suitors be challenged to a series of fatal trials, and with the help of Amie and two of Mariama's maids, the four begin to develop a plan to ensure that no other suitor shall lose his life to the massive kettle in which the last 99 men have been boiled alive publically. Amie wishes for nothing more than to escape Timbuktu and run away with her love, Kader, and she quickly finds herself torn between her desire for a chance at freedom and a happy life with her lover, and her drive to end the bloodshed that haunts the princess' nightmares.
above all, I loved the nuance of this book. i find that dark fantasies can sometimes latch onto systems of black-and-white thinking and i really enjoyed the moral ambiguity both in the plot and the characters themselves. the cast of characters felt unique, and i became hooked very quickly, reading 65% of this in one sitting!
also was not expecting this to be queer!! loveddddd that! surprised storygraph doesn't have that listed as a genre tbh
really really cool read!
thank you so much to netgalley and to flatiron books for the advanced reader copy of the gorgeous new limited edition sprayed edge copy of this book!!
mina fears' the scorpion queen is based on a Malian fairytale, and follows the disinherited daughter of a well-off merchant, Amie, as she is thrust into servitude to Princess Mariama of Mali. Mariama has watched 99 suitors be challenged to a series of fatal trials, and with the help of Amie and two of Mariama's maids, the four begin to develop a plan to ensure that no other suitor shall lose his life to the massive kettle in which the last 99 men have been boiled alive publically. Amie wishes for nothing more than to escape Timbuktu and run away with her love, Kader, and she quickly finds herself torn between her desire for a chance at freedom and a happy life with her lover, and her drive to end the bloodshed that haunts the princess' nightmares.
above all, I loved the nuance of this book. i find that dark fantasies can sometimes latch onto systems of black-and-white thinking and i really enjoyed the moral ambiguity both in the plot and the characters themselves. the cast of characters felt unique, and i became hooked very quickly, reading 65% of this in one sitting!
really really cool read!
thank you so much to netgalley and to flatiron books for the advanced reader copy of the gorgeous new limited edition sprayed edge copy of this book!!