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A review by thebakersbooks
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
2.0
2.5/5 stars, rounded down because it fridged women and buried gays
We almost had it all—major female characters over 17, a wlw relationship, a mystery-solving duo that was also an enemies-to-lovers relationship—but then the adult women (two of whom were also the wlw relationship) died, one half of the mystery-solving team turned out to've been groomed into a criminal and then mind-controlled into a weapon, and to top it off, one of the main antagonists likely has a mental illness that is portrayed as making her dangerous.
I also have issues with the setting, which is underdeveloped at best and a harmful mirror of contemporary society at worst. Quadara has four sections (hence "quad," in the name, which seems a little on the nose), and the people from each are known for one trait. For example, Ludia is known for fashion; its citizens are lighthearted and frivolous. Every time the main character, Karalie, meets someone, she assesses them on the basis of which quadrant they're from. If you're from one quadrant, you're outgoing and curious; from another, you're cold and logical. And every person falls into those divisions. This may be a reach, but I felt uncomfortable reading about a world that was intentionally built around reducing people to stereotypes when that's a devastating type of discrimination that's happening all over the real world right now.
Other issues become apparent in examining the book from a craft standpoint. A large part of the story is structured like a mystery, but one of the two perpetrators doesn't even come into play until the third act. The romance arc between Keralie and Varin feels forced, tripping up the main plot. (Plus, are we really expected to believe they have such a close relationship when the whole story spans only a few days?)
I don't think the author wrote any of this with harmful intent and I don't like to be so critical of a debut, but I see a book—like any work of art—in the context of the time and place in which it was written. This novel hits too many harmful tropes for me to find it enjoyable, and I don't recommend it.
We almost had it all—major female characters over 17, a wlw relationship, a mystery-solving duo that was also an enemies-to-lovers relationship—but then the adult women (two of whom were also the wlw relationship) died, one half of the mystery-solving team turned out to've been groomed into a criminal and then mind-controlled into a weapon, and to top it off, one of the main antagonists likely has a mental illness that is portrayed as making her dangerous.
I also have issues with the setting, which is underdeveloped at best and a harmful mirror of contemporary society at worst. Quadara has four sections (hence "quad," in the name, which seems a little on the nose), and the people from each are known for one trait. For example, Ludia is known for fashion; its citizens are lighthearted and frivolous. Every time the main character, Karalie, meets someone, she assesses them on the basis of which quadrant they're from. If you're from one quadrant, you're outgoing and curious; from another, you're cold and logical. And every person falls into those divisions. This may be a reach, but I felt uncomfortable reading about a world that was intentionally built around reducing people to stereotypes when that's a devastating type of discrimination that's happening all over the real world right now.
Other issues become apparent in examining the book from a craft standpoint. A large part of the story is structured like a mystery, but one of the two perpetrators doesn't even come into play until the third act. The romance arc between Keralie and Varin feels forced, tripping up the main plot. (Plus, are we really expected to believe they have such a close relationship when the whole story spans only a few days?)
I don't think the author wrote any of this with harmful intent and I don't like to be so critical of a debut, but I see a book—like any work of art—in the context of the time and place in which it was written. This novel hits too many harmful tropes for me to find it enjoyable, and I don't recommend it.