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This review appeared on Narratess.com first.
Josie Jaffrey was kind enough to provide a review for The Gilded King in exchange for an honest review.
The society Jaffrey created is interesting. The Silver use fear to keep their servants in check. They share stories about the Red and punish the people who cross the line and banish them. None of the banished people ever return and confirm that the Red means death. It’s a dystopian society, but necessary for the Silver to survive. The worldbuilding is excellent, although I think there could’ve been a little more about how Europe changed geographically. Because a lot has to happen for Dresden to be seaside.
I prefer Cameron’s story over Julia’s story. Cameron explores the Red and you really get a taste of what’s going on, while Julia is working with people. Her story is more about relationships than it is about the world. This doesn’t mean that any character is flat or undeveloped. All of them were interesting and the main characters had enough obstacles to challenge them. Jaffrey did well to include both perspectives, even when they hardly intertwine. It gives a better view on what’s going on in the world, why the events are happening and how it influences the characters.
One thing that really stood out to me was the neatly woven plot. Even until the end, the reveals and plot twists kept my attention. It ends with one big cliffhanger and loose ends tied together. There’s just one big question that probably will be answered in the next book.
The Gilded King earned five stars. The fascinating world and the twists make for an interesting story to which I really want to know the ending. It’s one of the best self-published books I’ve read and highly recommend it for anyone who’s looking for YA fantasy.
The sequel, The Silver Queen is set to be released on the 17th of October. Be sure to keep your eye out for a review here. If you like this world, you can also check out Jaffrey’s other series, Solis Invicti, starting with A Bargain In Silver
Josie Jaffrey was kind enough to provide a review for The Gilded King in exchange for an honest review.
The society Jaffrey created is interesting. The Silver use fear to keep their servants in check. They share stories about the Red and punish the people who cross the line and banish them. None of the banished people ever return and confirm that the Red means death. It’s a dystopian society, but necessary for the Silver to survive. The worldbuilding is excellent, although I think there could’ve been a little more about how Europe changed geographically. Because a lot has to happen for Dresden to be seaside.
I prefer Cameron’s story over Julia’s story. Cameron explores the Red and you really get a taste of what’s going on, while Julia is working with people. Her story is more about relationships than it is about the world. This doesn’t mean that any character is flat or undeveloped. All of them were interesting and the main characters had enough obstacles to challenge them. Jaffrey did well to include both perspectives, even when they hardly intertwine. It gives a better view on what’s going on in the world, why the events are happening and how it influences the characters.
One thing that really stood out to me was the neatly woven plot. Even until the end, the reveals and plot twists kept my attention. It ends with one big cliffhanger and loose ends tied together. There’s just one big question that probably will be answered in the next book.
The Gilded King earned five stars. The fascinating world and the twists make for an interesting story to which I really want to know the ending. It’s one of the best self-published books I’ve read and highly recommend it for anyone who’s looking for YA fantasy.
The sequel, The Silver Queen is set to be released on the 17th of October. Be sure to keep your eye out for a review here. If you like this world, you can also check out Jaffrey’s other series, Solis Invicti, starting with A Bargain In Silver
This review appeared first on Narratess.com
Aliette de Bodard was kind enough to send me an ARC of In The Vanishers’ Palace in exchange for an honest review. I requested it shortly after she did the cover reveal of this amazing book. She promoted it as ‘an f/f retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a dragon’. That, and knowing it was written by Aliette de Bodard was enough for me to want this book.
I’ve been wanting to read more diverse books and In The Vanishers’ Palace has it all. Non-binary characters, Vietnamese culture, a female romance, and all incredibly well-written. The thoughtfulness she’s put into all of these areas is amazing. The characters are introduced with their pronouns as Yên learns them and used comfortably in the rest of the book. She does it naturally and that’s how it should be in real life as well.
If you don’t know this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, you might not recognise it at first. It doesn’t really matter, because the story in itself is an echanting tale. Yên is being taken by a dragon as a payment for a favour, but the attraction between the two was already there before that and Stockholm Syndrome is no longer relevant (as it was in other versions). I only wish to see more of Yên and Vu Côn together and how they’re doing with the transformation into a hospital.
De Bodard always amazes me with how well she integrates Viet culture into her stories. So far I’ve only read parts of The House of Shattered Wings and The Tea Master and the Detective (amazing Sherlock-inspired sci-fi story!), but the love she puts in them is clear. Her research is thourough and she wants correct translations for Viet words. De Bodard is excellent in creating a new world based on existing cultures and places without disregarding their importance. I honestly believe that her stories are magic and that her books will be to me as an adult what Harry Potter was to me as a teenager.
Aliette de Bodard was kind enough to send me an ARC of In The Vanishers’ Palace in exchange for an honest review. I requested it shortly after she did the cover reveal of this amazing book. She promoted it as ‘an f/f retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a dragon’. That, and knowing it was written by Aliette de Bodard was enough for me to want this book.
I’ve been wanting to read more diverse books and In The Vanishers’ Palace has it all. Non-binary characters, Vietnamese culture, a female romance, and all incredibly well-written. The thoughtfulness she’s put into all of these areas is amazing. The characters are introduced with their pronouns as Yên learns them and used comfortably in the rest of the book. She does it naturally and that’s how it should be in real life as well.
If you don’t know this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, you might not recognise it at first. It doesn’t really matter, because the story in itself is an echanting tale. Yên is being taken by a dragon as a payment for a favour, but the attraction between the two was already there before that and Stockholm Syndrome is no longer relevant (as it was in other versions). I only wish to see more of Yên and Vu Côn together and how they’re doing with the transformation into a hospital.
De Bodard always amazes me with how well she integrates Viet culture into her stories. So far I’ve only read parts of The House of Shattered Wings and The Tea Master and the Detective (amazing Sherlock-inspired sci-fi story!), but the love she puts in them is clear. Her research is thourough and she wants correct translations for Viet words. De Bodard is excellent in creating a new world based on existing cultures and places without disregarding their importance. I honestly believe that her stories are magic and that her books will be to me as an adult what Harry Potter was to me as a teenager.
This review appeared on Narratess.com first.
I was really excited when Josie Jaffrey mailed me asking I wanted to review her second book in the Sovereign series. I loved The Gilded King and I knew The Silver Queen would be an enjoyable read. Since this is the second book, if you haven't read the first one yet, this review might contain minor spoilers.
The characters are now familiar and their alliances become apparent throughout the book. The two sides are clear now and war is brewing. Cameron is out to save his queen, while Julia tries to survive the changes in the Blue. I like where the story is going. The air of mystery is lifting, alliances are clear and a war has started. Jaffrey knows how to keep a strong pace even when there are larger time jumps. She's an excellent storyteller who knows how to use the tools at hand. Be prepared to read deep into the night to finish the book.
The storyline of Julia and Cameron have finally crossed, which is a good development. It does make the alternating perspectives harder to do. In one of the last chapters, the points of view switch halfway through the chapter. It was needed and made sense, but it did feel a little awkward compared to the rest of the book. Maybe it was better to have two small chapters to keep the consistency of the alternating perspectives.
I still loved The Silver Queen. Emmy, the queen of the silver, is back, and how. She reminds the silver around her why she is queen. I love how she's written. Strong, but still vulnerable. Most women in the Sovereign series are strong in their own way, but Emmy is different. Maybe because she already had power before she was a real character, maybe not. She clearly knows what she has to do to remind others of their place without being backhanded about it, like some of the others. I'm looking forward to seeing how Emmy grows in the third book.
I give The Silver Queen a 4,5 stars. I don't think it's as good as The Gilded King, but that has to do with the mystery. All of the mystery that was built up in the first one, is now resolved. Only one remains, but I think I might have figured it out. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one.
I was really excited when Josie Jaffrey mailed me asking I wanted to review her second book in the Sovereign series. I loved The Gilded King and I knew The Silver Queen would be an enjoyable read. Since this is the second book, if you haven't read the first one yet, this review might contain minor spoilers.
The characters are now familiar and their alliances become apparent throughout the book. The two sides are clear now and war is brewing. Cameron is out to save his queen, while Julia tries to survive the changes in the Blue. I like where the story is going. The air of mystery is lifting, alliances are clear and a war has started. Jaffrey knows how to keep a strong pace even when there are larger time jumps. She's an excellent storyteller who knows how to use the tools at hand. Be prepared to read deep into the night to finish the book.
The storyline of Julia and Cameron have finally crossed, which is a good development. It does make the alternating perspectives harder to do. In one of the last chapters, the points of view switch halfway through the chapter. It was needed and made sense, but it did feel a little awkward compared to the rest of the book. Maybe it was better to have two small chapters to keep the consistency of the alternating perspectives.
I still loved The Silver Queen. Emmy, the queen of the silver, is back, and how. She reminds the silver around her why she is queen. I love how she's written. Strong, but still vulnerable. Most women in the Sovereign series are strong in their own way, but Emmy is different. Maybe because she already had power before she was a real character, maybe not. She clearly knows what she has to do to remind others of their place without being backhanded about it, like some of the others. I'm looking forward to seeing how Emmy grows in the third book.
I give The Silver Queen a 4,5 stars. I don't think it's as good as The Gilded King, but that has to do with the mystery. All of the mystery that was built up in the first one, is now resolved. Only one remains, but I think I might have figured it out. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one.
