Thank you Allen & Unwin for this book in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.
With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.
Review:
Sit down and brace yourself because what we have here is a YA fantasy bloody gem!!!
I crave YA fantasy’s that aren’t like every other YA fantasy. You know the ones I’m talking about, the ones that are hyped up, all over your Instagram feed and the author is practically breathing down your throat for phrase. Four Dead Queens was a marvel from start to finish and I WANT MORE. Actually, I really do, the end of the book has be shook and I am sitting in the corner wrapped in a blanket needing the next instalment. Talk about withdrawals.
Where to start on bragging about how phenomenal this book is…
Well for starters the characters were all different ages. Stupid I know but think of a YA book where the main characters (not parents) were a variety of ages. I’ll give you a few minutes…. Got nothing.. Thought so. A massive majority of YA books always feature angst filled teenagers making the wrong life choices, Four Dead Queens as a variety of characters (not parents) that were a variety of ages and I loved it. Let’s face it people, not everyone needs to be between the ages of 18 -22 in YA. Because we all know there is no age limit on YA and a mixture of the younger generation read it as well as the old, so having ages vary from 18- 40 in Four Dead Queens, was like having a mouthful of hot coffee after spending the day tied to a tree in a snow storm freezing your ass off. Refreshing and gives you a real warm fuzzy feeling all the way to your toes.
Also Four Dead Queens made my toast and buttered it for me with all the sexual innuendoes. Holy balls, these were great, brilliant, sassy and I love it. I live for this kind of humour and boy did it deliver. Snort out loud in public funny. It was nort-tacular.
Besides the sass, you are dragged on an unforgettable adventure, where every corridor is filled with death and every step could be a trap, and every slither of an escape will have you on the edge of your seat.
While you are questing on this adventure, you find out that there are four queens, that rule over a separate quadrant and rule that area as how they see fit and they see to the rules and acceptable grace of that society. You quickly learn about the queens and their personalities and then well, you guessed it, one of them dies. Actually, they get murdered.
Meanwhile while the queens are getting murdered you get introduced to Keralie, a thief and a damn good one at that carries a secret and is hunted down for it.
Oh and before I forget, to all my girls that like me love a brooding bad guy, don’t worry there is one. And damnnn does Mackiel let your mind wonder. Imagine a Kaz Brekker…. There you go.. Now dod you want to buy the book? Who doesn’t love characters with hidden motives???
Don’t stress though, this story alternates between the queens and their different opinions and personalities which were fabulously written by the way, and Keralie, the thief. You will be kept on your toes and the suspense will kill you. It will. The suspense in this book is like ghost face, tormenting, maniacal and you will love it.
Also, I really hope Scholte is a literate teacher of some sort, because if she is this incredible with her writing, I would love to hear her talk. After she writes the sequel of course.
This complex and wonderfully woven book was just too brilliant, and I already know that this is in top ten reads for 2019 and it is only Feb. Honestly, for the love off all things pure and cynical please get this book onto your TBR ASAP!!
Rating: 5/5
ISBN: 9780525513926
Publisher: Allen & Unwin