A review by cakt1991
The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

I’ve never read Greta Kelly before, but I was drawn to The Queen of Days because the blurb mentioned “a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves,” and a comparison to The Lies of Locke Lamora. And this is one of those cases where the comp absolutely fits, while also doing its own thing. 

The world is pretty interesting, and I liked the concept of time magic. But it definitely was more subtle, with the characters and the action taking precedence. And while I did wish the ARC included the map (the copy suggests there will be one in the final copy), I didn’t find it too jarring without it for that reason. 

The characters are pretty fun. While I did think the crew’s relationships being pre-established made things a bit odd, as it felt like you should know them, I did like that there were those bonds to suggest a history between them. There’s a great balance between Bal, who is the leader, providing that sense of familiarity, and the newcomer, Tass, allows the reader to acquaint themselves with the crew from her perspective. I loved that Tass had this mysterious “Queen of Days” persona, and she never takes off her mask. I also was pleasantly surprised that the story didn’t try to push a romance for the two of them. While I obviously love romance, romantic subplots in fantasy are so frequently hit-or-miss, so to have one that focused on them as part of a larger crew of friends was nice. 

The plot and pacing is another area it also shines. While the plot itself is fairly simple, it remains exciting throughout, and it’s fast-paced, keeping my attention consistently throughout. 

If you’re looking for a fantasy heist book, a la Lies of Locke Lamora or Six of Crows, I’d recommend checking this out!