by Rebecca Ross
Series: The Queen's Rising #1
Published on February 6, 2018 by HarperTeen
Format: ARC
Pages: 464
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.
Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and 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, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.
With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?
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I honestly can’t believe that The Queen’s Rising is a debut for Rebecca Ross. There are only a handful of debut books that I can think of that struck me this deeply. Perfect for fans of Graceling and Finnikin of the Rock, The Queen’s Rising will most definitely be a book that not only sticks with me, but one that I’ll go back to over and over again.
For me, a book’s story usually comes in second to its characters, but that wasn’t the case here. The story told within The Queen’s Rising kept me reading and reading and reading, I couldn’t get enough. I honestly could have read a thousand more pages of Brienna’s adventures, of her world. I loved the pacing- a slow burn story that unfolded a little more with each page, leading up to a climax that just felt right. The world itself felt so huge and full, but that just made me want to explore more of it. The places visited within Bri’s story are wonderful, and they made me want to see what else this world has to offer to readers.
Brienna is a fantastic lead. I think a good part of why I loved her is that the first-person narration is really well done. Bri is different from a lot of the fantasy heroines that I love- she isn’t some sword-wielding warrior/princess. Yes, she’s special, but it a way that’s a bit different from other leading ladies out there right now.
Part of what made The Queen’s Rising stand out so much for me is that it’s got so many of the typical things I love in a good fantasy, but it’s still unique. It builds it’s own story in a way that feels fresh, but with a hint of familiar that I loved. I absolutely can’t wait to read whatever else Rebecca Ross, and I really, really hope to see more books set in this world.
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
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