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booksong 's review for:
The Exiled Queen
by Cinda Williams Chima
It's so great to see another series that just takes off like this; The Exiled Queen continues every bit of the great characters, fascinating world, and intriguing, magic-rich plot that The Demon King began.
Once again, the alternating stories of Raisa and Han are told, but these two are no longer just the headstrong princess and conflicted streetlord they once were. Raisa, now practically a fugitive, is fleeing the political web of power and betrayal the wizards have entangled the royal line in, and Han, grappling with his newly discovered status as a wizard, journeys to fulfill his side of a contract with the realm's spirit clans. But their paths are destined to cross again, this time at Oden's Ford, where the schools for wizards, soldiers, scholars, and dedicates collide.
I loved the way the story continued to twist and turn, with dashes of intrigue liberally thrown in. Han gets himself into several unusual alliances, reunites with unexpected old friends and enemies, and realizes that in order to keep his head above water in this new world, he will have to cultivate new skills in addition to his streetwise ways. Raisa, completely out of her element as a cadet in disguise, gets significant character development and becomes an even more admirable heroine (a scene in which she defends herself from assault with quite unladylike ferocity had me cheering inwardly). And their interactions together in this book, while again fairly brief, are very significant, taking things barely hinted at in the first novel and bringing them to the forefront. The author also continues the admirable skill of making sure the minor characters shine, and each of them is completely unique and integral to the story in some way.
The novel ends on another cliffhanger, perhaps even more suspenseful than the first, and it makes the wait ahead for the next Seven Realms book look way too long!
Once again, the alternating stories of Raisa and Han are told, but these two are no longer just the headstrong princess and conflicted streetlord they once were. Raisa, now practically a fugitive, is fleeing the political web of power and betrayal the wizards have entangled the royal line in, and Han, grappling with his newly discovered status as a wizard, journeys to fulfill his side of a contract with the realm's spirit clans. But their paths are destined to cross again, this time at Oden's Ford, where the schools for wizards, soldiers, scholars, and dedicates collide.
I loved the way the story continued to twist and turn, with dashes of intrigue liberally thrown in. Han gets himself into several unusual alliances, reunites with unexpected old friends and enemies, and realizes that in order to keep his head above water in this new world, he will have to cultivate new skills in addition to his streetwise ways. Raisa, completely out of her element as a cadet in disguise, gets significant character development and becomes an even more admirable heroine (a scene in which she defends herself from assault with quite unladylike ferocity had me cheering inwardly). And their interactions together in this book, while again fairly brief, are very significant, taking things barely hinted at in the first novel and bringing them to the forefront. The author also continues the admirable skill of making sure the minor characters shine, and each of them is completely unique and integral to the story in some way.
The novel ends on another cliffhanger, perhaps even more suspenseful than the first, and it makes the wait ahead for the next Seven Realms book look way too long!