A review by taliatalksbooks
The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Sarah Beth Durst’s The Reluctant Queen is the second book in her Queens of Renthia series. I honestly think that I liked this book even better than the first in the series. I feel like the character list was more focused, the timeline felt more secure, and the pace was more enjoyable. While I enjoyed the first book, this one definitely improved upon character development present in the first, while allowing new characters to grow alongside characters we came to love in the first book. I think the plot of this book was also just more interesting overall. It didn’t feel repetitive or heavy handed in unnecessary detail either. I loved the interactions and I felt like the characters were genuine in their responses. I think that getting over the first book is definitely worth it (the first book was good too but felt more scattered) to read this one. I’m super excited to see where the story goes next, especially after that epilogue!