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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte
CW: death, murder, imprisonment, abusive relationship, poison, throat cutting, blood, drowning, burns/death by fire
While I didn’t hear much about this novel prior to reading it, I was excited by the idea of a murder mystery in a fantasy world. Four Dead Queens delivered that and more, a story of glamour, suspense, romance, and, of course, murder.
Let me start by saying that the world-building in this novel is amazing. In the beginning there’s a brief overview of each of the four quadrants in Quadara, what they’re known for, which queen rules them. Marguerite is the queen of Toria, the ambitious, education-centered quadrant. Iris is the queen of Archia, the fertile quadrant and supplier of crops. Corra is the queen of Eonia, the cold, medically and technologically focused quadrant. Stessa is the queen of Ludia, the center of art, fashion, and pleasure. Together they rule Quadara, striving to improve it even more, while also obeying the queenly laws that are listed at the start of the novel. Nearly every chapter was rich with detail without ever coming off as overwhelming or forced, and I applaud Scholte for pulling that off.
Even though this is a stand-alone, I would happily read more set in the world of Quadara, as there are so many possibilities with characters both familiar and unknown. That being said, I’m glad the story was condensed into one thrilling book, rather than drawn out into a duology, trilogy, or five book series. We have plenty of that in YA already, thank u, next.
The characters absolutely won me over. Keralie and Varin were great protagonists, and I enjoyed their dynamic, as the former is a skilled thief and the latter is a good, innocent messenger. Every major character had a backstory and a personality. The queens and antagonists felt as fleshed out as Keralie and Varin, something that I truly appreciated.
There’s a subtle romance in this novel, between our two protagonists. It’s a lovely, simmering slow-burn relationship. Is it necessary? Not at all. Do I ship it? You better believe I do. It takes forever for them to kiss, but once they did, I was invested. There are no grand declarations of love, only small acts and attention to detail, but it will tug at your heartstrings all the same. Or maybe that’s just my hopeless romantic side showing.
On the subject of romance, there’s one detail I can’t help but question. Two of the queens are sapphic and in a relationship, and since none of the queens are related, I would usually be on board. However, this isn’t mentioned until one is already dead, and the other dies soon after. Of course, given the title, this is necessary. But I wonder why Scholte decided to tease readers with this rep when ultimately, she had to take it away. As much as I tend to love sapphic characters and relationships, I think, in this situation, it would’ve been better to leave it out altogether. Bury the bury your gays trope 2019.
The murder mystery was done very well. I suspected someone new every few chapters, even had a couple of wild theories, but never managed to guess who the killer was. There was a brilliant amount of intricate scheming, and a couple of twists in the last fifteen percent of the story really packed a punch.
Despite that, I have to admit that I was confused. Not only did some minor details seem to contradict each other — though it’s possible I missed a clarifying detail — I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the reveal of the culprit. It made enough sense to satisfy me, but it was a bit of a letdown. The motive felt cliché, and I think certain decisions lessened the effect. I can’t say more without spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.
Lastly, I want to mention that I listened to this on audio and was very impressed. There are two narrators, and both did well, making an excellent final product. I recommend it, if you like/can access audiobooks.
Four Dead Queens exceeded my expectations in almost every way. It’s honestly a wonderful debut, and I think Scholte is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
While I didn’t hear much about this novel prior to reading it, I was excited by the idea of a murder mystery in a fantasy world. Four Dead Queens delivered that and more, a story of glamour, suspense, romance, and, of course, murder.
Let me start by saying that the world-building in this novel is amazing. In the beginning there’s a brief overview of each of the four quadrants in Quadara, what they’re known for, which queen rules them. Marguerite is the queen of Toria, the ambitious, education-centered quadrant. Iris is the queen of Archia, the fertile quadrant and supplier of crops. Corra is the queen of Eonia, the cold, medically and technologically focused quadrant. Stessa is the queen of Ludia, the center of art, fashion, and pleasure. Together they rule Quadara, striving to improve it even more, while also obeying the queenly laws that are listed at the start of the novel. Nearly every chapter was rich with detail without ever coming off as overwhelming or forced, and I applaud Scholte for pulling that off.
Even though this is a stand-alone, I would happily read more set in the world of Quadara, as there are so many possibilities with characters both familiar and unknown. That being said, I’m glad the story was condensed into one thrilling book, rather than drawn out into a duology, trilogy, or five book series. We have plenty of that in YA already, thank u, next.
The characters absolutely won me over. Keralie and Varin were great protagonists, and I enjoyed their dynamic, as the former is a skilled thief and the latter is a good, innocent messenger. Every major character had a backstory and a personality. The queens and antagonists felt as fleshed out as Keralie and Varin, something that I truly appreciated.
There’s a subtle romance in this novel, between our two protagonists. It’s a lovely, simmering slow-burn relationship. Is it necessary? Not at all. Do I ship it? You better believe I do. It takes forever for them to kiss, but once they did, I was invested. There are no grand declarations of love, only small acts and attention to detail, but it will tug at your heartstrings all the same. Or maybe that’s just my hopeless romantic side showing.
On the subject of romance, there’s one detail I can’t help but question. Two of the queens are sapphic and in a relationship, and since none of the queens are related, I would usually be on board. However, this isn’t mentioned until one is already dead, and the other dies soon after. Of course, given the title, this is necessary. But I wonder why Scholte decided to tease readers with this rep when ultimately, she had to take it away. As much as I tend to love sapphic characters and relationships, I think, in this situation, it would’ve been better to leave it out altogether. Bury the bury your gays trope 2019.
The murder mystery was done very well. I suspected someone new every few chapters, even had a couple of wild theories, but never managed to guess who the killer was. There was a brilliant amount of intricate scheming, and a couple of twists in the last fifteen percent of the story really packed a punch.
Despite that, I have to admit that I was confused. Not only did some minor details seem to contradict each other — though it’s possible I missed a clarifying detail — I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the reveal of the culprit. It made enough sense to satisfy me, but it was a bit of a letdown. The motive felt cliché, and I think certain decisions lessened the effect. I can’t say more without spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.
Lastly, I want to mention that I listened to this on audio and was very impressed. There are two narrators, and both did well, making an excellent final product. I recommend it, if you like/can access audiobooks.
Four Dead Queens exceeded my expectations in almost every way. It’s honestly a wonderful debut, and I think Scholte is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.