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dr_matthew_lloyd 's review for:
The True Queen
by Zen Cho
Sisters Muna and Sakti awaken on the beach of fictional island of Janda Baik, with no memories except for their names and that they are sisters. They are taken in by the witch Mak Genggang, who teaches the magical Sakti while the magicless Muna does housework. But an ill-advised adventure to break the curse that robbed them of their memories brings Sakti and Muna into conflict with the British, leading them to flee to the academy of Sorceress Royal Prunella Wythe (née Gentleman) via the Unseen Realm, also known as Fairyland. On their journey Sakti disappears completely, and Muna is left trying to fake her way through magic school - and British society - until she can find a way to rescue her sister.
There's a fair bit of drama and tension in the story outlined above, but The True Queen falls into that wonderful niche where a genuinely interesting adventure/rescue story also involves Regency English manners and delightful comedy. As Muna tries to make her way in Prunella's Academy without revealing that it was her missing sister, Sakti, that was the magical protegé of Mak Genggang, not her, that she in fact has no magic at all, all the while becoming closer friends with Academy teacher and Prunella's friend Henrietta Stapleton, the story contains mishaps, misunderstandings, and genuine peril. It was mostly toward the end of the novel that I actually laughed-out-loud, but I was engaged throughout.
Mostly, this is because of the characters. It has been a while since I read Zen Cho's [b:Sorcerer to the Crown|25615305|Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)|Zen Cho|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434730004s/25615305.jpg|43548024]; long enough that a few details have faded from memory (and my copy remains in the UK, so I didn't re-read it). But as I thought of that novel (according to my Goodreads review) Cho has a skill at writing wonderful characters and Muna and Henrietta are no exception. There are perhaps a few things that I, reading the story, figured out long before Muna did, but this, too, is part of her character and I believe entirely intentional on Cho's part, because it works right up to the end.
I hovered between four and five stars for this book. It's the kind of book that, while I had a few problems with the story throughout, the end really makes me forget them and just enjoy everything that has happened. But you know what? Books deserve to be rated well because they are fun, enjoyable, and delightful, and this book is all of those things.
There's a fair bit of drama and tension in the story outlined above, but The True Queen falls into that wonderful niche where a genuinely interesting adventure/rescue story also involves Regency English manners and delightful comedy. As Muna tries to make her way in Prunella's Academy without revealing that it was her missing sister, Sakti, that was the magical protegé of Mak Genggang, not her, that she in fact has no magic at all, all the while becoming closer friends with Academy teacher and Prunella's friend Henrietta Stapleton, the story contains mishaps, misunderstandings, and genuine peril. It was mostly toward the end of the novel that I actually laughed-out-loud, but I was engaged throughout.
Mostly, this is because of the characters. It has been a while since I read Zen Cho's [b:Sorcerer to the Crown|25615305|Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)|Zen Cho|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434730004s/25615305.jpg|43548024]; long enough that a few details have faded from memory (and my copy remains in the UK, so I didn't re-read it). But as I thought of that novel (according to my Goodreads review) Cho has a skill at writing wonderful characters and Muna and Henrietta are no exception. There are perhaps a few things that I, reading the story, figured out long before Muna did, but this, too, is part of her character and I believe entirely intentional on Cho's part, because it works right up to the end.
I hovered between four and five stars for this book. It's the kind of book that, while I had a few problems with the story throughout, the end really makes me forget them and just enjoy everything that has happened. But you know what? Books deserve to be rated well because they are fun, enjoyable, and delightful, and this book is all of those things.