This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend. Read the full disclosure here.
Book: “The King-Killing Queen” by Shawn Speakman
Publishing Info: Grim Oak Press, October 2023
Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!https://amzn.to/46p7y5w
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: In this first book of a new trilogy author Anna Smith Spark calls “a dark love letter to high fantasy,” a woman discovers her unknown past carries with it a terrible future.
When Alafair Goode lay wounded during his quest to destroy Mordreadth the Great Darkness, a witch magicked and saved the future High King’s life to fulfill his destiny. Thereafter, all born to his line also cannot die, to be only undone by natural death.
Decades later, Sylvie Raventress is the devoted apprentice to the Master Historian stepbrother of the High King. It is a life of scholarly pursuit and privilege where one day she will take her instructor’s place and write her own histories. But beside Alafair’s deathbed, Sylvie and his scions learn a surprising truth—she is no orphan but is his named heir. Worse, when he dies, the witch’s curse is no more, leaving all of them suddenly mortal and vulnerable.
With her siblings loathing Sylvie’s selection and vying for her throne, she must rely on a Fae guide, a disgraced former First Knight, and a cantankerous light-weaver to restore the fracturing kingdom and become High Queen. And yet the thing none of them know is destiny has its own part to play too.
Review: I always love supporting authors who publish through smaller publishers, so I was excited to jump on the opportunity to read and review this book when I saw that it was coming out this fall. The cover is simply gorgeous, and a title like that is sure to catch the eye! While the book description itself sounded a bit generic as far as high fantasy goes, there’s also nothing wrong with going back to the basics if it’s done well! And other than few quibbles here and there, I think this was a solid fantasy read.
Right away, the overall tone of this book will hit nicely for classic fantasy readers. While the word “trope” gets thrown around a lot with much derision, often things only become tropes because some core part of the concept appeals to large swaths of readers. Such is the case with this book. We have family curses, orphans who are long-lost heirs, historic battles between Fae and humankind, and, of course, a good ole political battle between siblings all vying for a throne. All of these elements, while familiar, fit together neatly, pulling the reader into an almost nostalgic story that gallops from one scene of intrigue and danger to the next. The book is on the shorter side, but tons of plot and action is stuffed within the pages that we have.
What stood out most of all, however, was the main character, Sylvie. Not only was it also a breath of fresh air to be reading a fantasy novel that wasn’t comprised of a million and one POVs, but Sylvie herself was a fantastic leading lady. While some of the plot of the book wasn’t overly surprising, Sylvie often was. We are introduced to a fairly reserved, bookish sort of character who envisions a quiet future for herself. However, her ability to morph into a clear-eyed, and at times ruthless, heir to the throne who takes the responsibilities and sacrifices of that role seriously was incredibly impressive. It didn’t read as a character switch, which was also quite impressive. Somehow both versions of Sylvie fit alongside one another well, all anchored by her strong sense of commitment to those she loves and her role in the world. It seems like a strange thing to say, but I was so pleased that the author didn’t back down from some of the more ruthless moments that Sylvie must take part in. She doesn’t quibble, she doesn’t waver. It was refreshing, to say the least, to read a female character coming into power who doesn’t feel the need to apologize for the same decisions that a male counterpart would make without blinking an eye.
All of that said, towards the middle of the book, there were a few writing choices that began to grate on me a bit. There were a few moments that I was thrown out of the book by the repetition of facts or by the writing falling too closely to the “telling” side of things, rather than the “showing.” A few more edits could have potentially ironed out a few of these issues, but still, overall I found this to be a very enjoyable read. If you’re looking for a classic-feeling high fantasy novel, definitely give this one a go!
Rating 8: A jubilant return to classic high fantasy, Sylvie’s story is one of action, betrayal, and the strength it takes to rise to the challenges set before you.
Reader’s Advisory:
“The King-Killing Queen” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Fantasy Royalty.
The Library Ladies 