The Queen's Rising
Author: Rebecca Ross
Publication Date: February 6th, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
The Queen's Rising is an epic fantasy by debut author Rebecca Ross. When Brienna was ten years old, she was taken to Magnalia House by her grandfather. The girls who live there must study and master one of the five passions - art, music, dramatics, wit or knowledge. Brienna is not like the other girls, who are all from wealthy families. Her Valenian mother died when Brienna was still young and her Maevan father is unknown to her. Now seventeen, she is hoping to master the passion of knowledge by the upcoming summer solstice and gain a patron. Things don't go as planned for her though, as she unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the king of Maevana.
Brienna is a mass of contradictions. She doesn't know who she really is or what she wants. While her friends at Magnalia House come from important noble families, Brienna's own remains a mystery to her. This affects her more deeply than she realizes and leads her down an uncertain path. The story itself sounds more complex than it is, and I found it quite easy to read. The importance of having a passion was inspiring. There is also a strong focus on female bonds and family relationships. The novel relies more heavily on the development of the characters and the dynamics between them, than on a lot of action, although there is an exciting battle scene which kept me on the edge of my seat. From descriptions of the past to interactions in the present, everything is composed with exquisite detail. The settings are gorgeous, and I became immersed in the sublime backdrops of castles and sumptuous landscapes.
Elegantly written and visually stunning, The Queen's Rising reads as a standalone, so I'm intrigued to find out how Ross will follow it up in the sequel.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC provided for review.
From the publisher:
Grave Mercy meets Red Queen in this epic debut fantasy, inspired by Renaissance France, about an outcast who finds herself bound to a disgraced lord and entangled in his plot to overthrow the current king.
Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—she is left without a patron.
Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.
And now, with war brewing, Brienna must choose which side she will remain loyal to: passion or blood.
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