Lisbeth Campbell

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books Publishing for letting me read and review this book. It was an interesting fantasy story and I had hoped to like it more than I did, but it was a bit too dark for me.
At any rate, this has a good storyline and characters and I did like it some. This story is about a Queen who is said to have vanished or have been killed by a neighboring country, but everyone knows that it was because of the King that she disappears and is said to have died.
It's years later that a young woman, Anza, who's going to college and graduates and finds the journal of the vanished queen and learns some more about the queen and what happened to her. Anza also has a father who was in the evil King's service that was killed so she decides to join the resistance to overthrow the King and get vengeance for her father's death.
After Anza has joined the resistance and is working with them to overthrow the King so they can have the Prince Tevin take his place as a better, more just ruler and King, then the other Prince Esvar joins the resistance as well to help them overthrow his father and get his brother to take over as King. Prince Esvar is stuck and feels trapped with the evil King Karojle, his father in control, and wants him to pay for killing his mother, the vanished queen.
Also, Sparrow, who's in the resistance as a leader has her reasons for wanting King Karojle dead as well and she helps to train Anza and tells Anza about her father who was killed because Anza's father saved Sparrow at one point and Sparrow helps Anza as repayment for what Anza's father did for her.
There's a lot of political intrigue, lies, deceit, secrets, and duplicity all around. When it comes to the end, there is a bit of a bright spot and some hope amid the darkness of this story with what happens with everything and some truths being revealed and such, but this is a very dark story and it's not always easy to read this kind of book.
In this story, there is a lot of profanity and explicit language about romance and intimacy in some places that I didn't like and would have liked a content/trigger warning about that. Also, I think it could use some other content/trigger warnings about other heavy, dark, and hard topics that were talked about throughout this book like rape/marital rape, abuse/domestic abuse, murder/suicide-suicidal thoughts, forced abortion and things like that. If any of those things or types of things are not what you like to read about or can tolerate then I wouldn't recommend this story for you.
If you like these kinds of epic fantasy stories with the grimdark vibe and don't have as much of a problem with those kinds of things then you could enjoy this because it does have a good storyline despite the darkness and things that I had a hard time with when I read it so if you want to read it then, by all means, check it out, you could very well like and enjoy it more than I did.… (meer)

I picked this up very much at random because I wanted something *now* and it was on the library shelf. And it's exactly what I've been looking for. Tropes played straight without talking down to you. It doesn't have an agenda, or YA drama, or tounge-in-cheek sniping at the 4th wall, or lurid overblown romance. Instead it has an Evil King, and a Good Prince, and a Brave Peasant doing al lthe things you hope those people will do in your escapist fantasy. There's some darkness, but it's mostly threatened or off camera - nothing to keep you up at night. Instead the good people win by being good and trying hard.
This is making it sound trite, but it avoids that too. Things are three dimensional, and feel as realistic as you want in this genre. But it doesn't get ahead of itself. It's a warm comfy blanket.… (meer)

Pros: great characters, lots of political intrigue, slow-burn romance, standalone

Cons:

Twelve years ago the queen disappeared. Her sons, and many others, believe the tyrant king had her executed in secret. Rebels are stirring up trouble in the royal city and Prince Esvar is tasked with quelling it. But in administering a small justice, he chances upon Anza, a member of the rebellion. Years before, in collage, Anza stole two forbidden books: one a book of poetry, the other the queen’s journal. Negotiating various levels of politics, the two are drawn together even as the city is pulled apart by the king’s policies.

The book is told from three points of view: Anza, Esvar, and Queen Mirantha. The queen’s entries are done in a different verb tense, so it feels more remote and historical rather than the third person action the other two used. Both women are highly educated and competent in their roles, which made the book feel delightfully feminist in some ways.

I loved all of the main characters. They each have flaws and do their best despite challenging circumstances. There’s so much political intrigue and second guessing motives and actions. The book does a fantastic job of showing how people survive prolonged abuse and fear, how they compartmentalize and cut themselves off from their emotions. It also does a great job of showing how difficult resisting evil can be.

The romance element is small but develops organically and was highly satisfying. Both characters have had past relationships and are very reasonable in their expectations, which I appreciated. Anza is bisexual, a state that goes without notice (indicating that in this world it’s considered normal).

There’s no graphic sexual or violent content, though rape and prostitution are mentioned. There’s so much grimdark fiction nowadays that I enjoy finding books that leave me feeling uplifted instead of depressed.

This was a fantastic book. I read it slowly so I could savour the intrigue. It does get intense at times. It’s a standalone novel, which is great if you don’t have time (or desire) to read 3-15 books. I highly recommend it.… (meer)