Take a photo of a barcode or cover
whatjackiereads 's review for:
Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars
"In the end, one must make the best deals for oneself."
Keralie is a skilled thief living in one of the four quadrants of the kingdom of Quadara. Varin is an honest, upstanding messenger from the region of Eonia. When Keralie and Varin are unexpectedly united by the murders of the four queens of Quadara, they must race against time to solve the crime.
I did not know what to expect when I started this ARC, but I ended up totally loving this creative thriller. The four regions of Quadara are ruled by their respective queens so that the "character" of each region is preserved while also preventing the wars over the territories that previously plagued the kingdom. The concept seemed strange at first, but it grew on me as a got used to it and, in fact, the world-building in this book became one of my favorite parts. I mean, a futuristic/fantasy world ruled by women? What's not to like?!
I also really liked the lead, first-person character, Keralie. She was a wonderful, relatable, clever, and funny unreliable narrator. As the mystery begins to unfold, her role in it changes again and again, along with pretty much every other character. I was also happy to be unable to guess the killer in this book. I had several suspicions, but they were mostly wrong which lead to an exciting ending once the entire plot was revealed.
Oh, and don't even get me started on my sweet, innocent son, Varin. You're all guaranteed to fall for him, too. I have no doubt.
Oh! And don't let me forget to mention just how well-written this was. The plot and prose both flowed so well, I flew through this book in just a couple of days without an issue. It was an easy, but still thought-provoking, read.
This is a fast-paced murder mystery set in a richly-built, futuristic/fantasy world. It might not seem like it could work, but it does! You won't be able to put this unique thriller down.
"Having had something, even in the past, is better than having nothing at all."
4/5 stars
"In the end, one must make the best deals for oneself."
Keralie is a skilled thief living in one of the four quadrants of the kingdom of Quadara. Varin is an honest, upstanding messenger from the region of Eonia. When Keralie and Varin are unexpectedly united by the murders of the four queens of Quadara, they must race against time to solve the crime.
I did not know what to expect when I started this ARC, but I ended up totally loving this creative thriller. The four regions of Quadara are ruled by their respective queens so that the "character" of each region is preserved while also preventing the wars over the territories that previously plagued the kingdom. The concept seemed strange at first, but it grew on me as a got used to it and, in fact, the world-building in this book became one of my favorite parts. I mean, a futuristic/fantasy world ruled by women? What's not to like?!
I also really liked the lead, first-person character, Keralie. She was a wonderful, relatable, clever, and funny unreliable narrator. As the mystery begins to unfold, her role in it changes again and again, along with pretty much every other character. I was also happy to be unable to guess the killer in this book. I had several suspicions, but they were mostly wrong which lead to an exciting ending once the entire plot was revealed.
Oh, and don't even get me started on my sweet, innocent son, Varin. You're all guaranteed to fall for him, too. I have no doubt.
Oh! And don't let me forget to mention just how well-written this was. The plot and prose both flowed so well, I flew through this book in just a couple of days without an issue. It was an easy, but still thought-provoking, read.
This is a fast-paced murder mystery set in a richly-built, futuristic/fantasy world. It might not seem like it could work, but it does! You won't be able to put this unique thriller down.
"Having had something, even in the past, is better than having nothing at all."