There’s the typical mix of heroes and villains, and as always, it’s fun to try and work out who fits in where. It wouldn’t be a true fantasy book, without a whole bunch of other characters, too many to name here. Her little family were also adorable, I loved how normal they all were, and reading about Cérulia fitting in with them was the highlight of the book for me. The titled queen in hiding, I found her by far the most interesting, and I can’t wait for her story to continue. This definitely gave Cérulia an unfair advantage over the other characters, her gift is one I’d probably choose if I was able to, so she already had brownie points in my book. The magic system was wonderful, in particular, the idea of each queen being granted a unique gift, based on the individual threats during their rule. There was something a little bit different happening in each chapter, in each characters life, enough so that it always held your interest. I thought the balance between politics, action and story building, was pretty perfect.

For me the politics of the world were fascinating, I love a good bit of behind the scenes scheming, and there is some excellent plotting on offer here. This is High Fantasy, with a sprinkle of realism, and a dash of magic. Although there is a lot of information to take in, its a solid start to the series, painting a clear picture of the world and the characters within it. Genius!Ī Queen in Hiding was completely devourable. Nine Realms fixes that problem entirely, as each previous book will still be fresh in the mind when you read the next instalment. Martin!!) for the next book, it’s a struggle to remember who everyone is, what happened in the last book, and just what the heck the author is actually talking about. That means that when you wait a year (or multiple years…I’m looking at you George R.R. One of the struggles with fantasy, is that almost every book has a complex world, a whole host of characters and a unique magic system. A book will be released each month starting in January, with The Cerulean Queen completing the series in four months time. Reviewįirstly, the publishing schedule for The Nine Realms series is pure genius.

Orphaned, exiled and hunted, Cérulia, Princess of Weirandale, must master the magic that is her birthright, become a ruthless guerilla fighter, and transform into the queen she is destined to be.īut to do it she must win the favor of the spirits who play in mortal affairs, assemble an unlikely group of rebels, and wrest the throne from a corrupt aristocracy whose rot has spread throughout her kingdom.

A queen in hiding by sarah kozloff