The Girl King is an exciting action tale featuring court life with intricate traditions and brutal violence. Eldest daughter of the Emperor, Lu always expected to ascend the throne, but instead her father names her cousin -and enemy -Set as the new heir. Lu's aggressive nature leads her to reject a destiny as Set's wife, so she fights back and is soon ostracized by the court. As she gets close to Nokhai, a boy with extraordinary abilities who has experienced the brutal consequences of royalty asserting their control, Lu recognizes the responsibilities of true power as she learns to fight for herself even more than for her crown. Meanwhile, Lu's younger sister Min realizes that she does not have to stay in her fixed position as the weak, subservient girl in her sister's (and the throne's) shadow. Lu, Min, and Nokhai all discover who they really are and what they can do with all the violence and factions that exist in their Empire. All three of these characters find it difficult to stick to their stereotypical roles, and they break out as they discover their true power. This book has all the main elements of popular successful YA fantasy series: a cast of strong and diverse characters, a unique magic system, royal and court intrigue, and transcendent themes such as securing individual identity through outer turmoil. Yu's novel combines expert world-building with engaging characters, with a decent balance between action and dialogue. I wanted to give it five stars, but I felt as though the ending was holding back a little bit from the denouement I wanted to read. Instead the end felt more like a set-up for an upcoming book in the series rather than completing a stand-alone novel. Still, The Girl King lives up to its book jacket and provides an engaging reading experience.