REVIEW: The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross

Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 0062471341

Format: Hardback, Paperback, Audio-book
E-book

Release Date: February 6th 2018


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Rating: 7/10


Synopsis:

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 and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. 

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? 

Review:

**I was sent this book, for free, in return for my honest review by Harper Collins Canada**

This YA novel is set in a fantasy world during the 1500/1600's. It was refreshing to read a fantasy world not set in the present/future as many I've read recently have been. I also loved the inclusion of the family trees at the start of the novel. However, it did have a few spoilers in as to who our main character's father is as well as some other characters whose names had been hidden. So if you would rather keep it under wraps I would recommend perhaps not reading the family trees before reading the main story.

The main character is Brienna who struggles to find a 'passion' that she fits into. After trying each one she settles on the passion of knowledge. I really enjoyed reading about her struggles and her trying to find her place in the world. When she finds out about her family lineage she doesn't let it define her future. She was never power hungry but takes everything in her stride, standing up for what is right.

I did find her love interest a little strange at first. The small moments between Brienna and her master were a little odd which was perhaps due to the teacher-student relationship. I personally pictured him as older. However, the moments between them were written beautifully and I was hoping the two would end up together by the end of the novel.

The world building is fantastic. I loved reading the differences about Maevana and Valenia and would love to know even more. Choosing a 'passion' was my favourite aspect of the novel. I found the entire concept fascinating. The maps included at the start of the novel help build a picture of the world and how complex it is. The story starts off a little slow but quickly picks up. I found that I couldn't put the novel down until I was done.

Rebecca Ross has done a fantastic job with weaving the elements of fantasy with tension and beauty. I am unsure if this novel is a standalone or part of a series, but this novel wraps up beautifully with a satisfying ending.