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A review by deedireads
Scorpica by G.R. Macallister
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Scorpica is a solid epic fantasy novel that brings a fresh take to some tried-and-true tropes. It sets us up well for book two, and I’m looking forward to it.
For you if: You like epic fantasy with vast, sweeping worldbuilding and multiple POVs.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you to Saga Press for the advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed it.
Scorpica is the first book in a new epic fantasy series by super-successful historical fiction author Greer Macallister, writing here under the pen name G.R. Macallister. As soon as I read the premise — a matriarchal society of five queendoms in which girls stop suddenly stop being born — I was in.
Each queendom in this world has a specialty: battle, knowledge, trade, agriculture, and magic. The one that gets the most focus in this book is the warrior nation Scorpica, which of course is the title. We follow a handful of POV characters, including two Scorpican queens, a few Scorpican warriors, a mother and her daughter (one of the last four girls born) from Sestia (the queendom specializing in magic), the Sestian queen, and our villain.
This is a solid epic fantasy novel, and if you like books with sweeping worlds and lots of characters, I think you’ll like it. While the “each country has a specialty” trope is well-worn, I found that the twist of the fully matriarchal society helped it feel fresh. What’s especially noteworthy is that women didn’t have to take power in this world; they simply are more powerful and always have been, a true gender role reversal.
There are plenty of open questions and plot lines that set the next book up nicely; no cliffhanger, but not quite a tidy ending either. We also hardly got any worldbuilding outside Scorpica and a bit in Sestia, but given that the first book’s title is Scorpica while the series is called The Five Queendoms, that makes sense, and I think we can expect a lot more to come.
I’ll be watching for book two!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Scorpica is a solid epic fantasy novel that brings a fresh take to some tried-and-true tropes. It sets us up well for book two, and I’m looking forward to it.
For you if: You like epic fantasy with vast, sweeping worldbuilding and multiple POVs.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you to Saga Press for the advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed it.
Scorpica is the first book in a new epic fantasy series by super-successful historical fiction author Greer Macallister, writing here under the pen name G.R. Macallister. As soon as I read the premise — a matriarchal society of five queendoms in which girls stop suddenly stop being born — I was in.
Each queendom in this world has a specialty: battle, knowledge, trade, agriculture, and magic. The one that gets the most focus in this book is the warrior nation Scorpica, which of course is the title. We follow a handful of POV characters, including two Scorpican queens, a few Scorpican warriors, a mother and her daughter (one of the last four girls born) from Sestia (the queendom specializing in magic), the Sestian queen, and our villain.
This is a solid epic fantasy novel, and if you like books with sweeping worlds and lots of characters, I think you’ll like it. While the “each country has a specialty” trope is well-worn, I found that the twist of the fully matriarchal society helped it feel fresh. What’s especially noteworthy is that women didn’t have to take power in this world; they simply are more powerful and always have been, a true gender role reversal.
There are plenty of open questions and plot lines that set the next book up nicely; no cliffhanger, but not quite a tidy ending either. We also hardly got any worldbuilding outside Scorpica and a bit in Sestia, but given that the first book’s title is Scorpica while the series is called The Five Queendoms, that makes sense, and I think we can expect a lot more to come.
I’ll be watching for book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Sexual content, and Pregnancy