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The Frozen Crown #2
The Seventh Queen
After the gasp-inducing cliffhanger ending of The Frozen Crown, the exciting conclusion to the epic story of Askia—a warrior, witch, and queen-to-be—as she confronts the monster that stole her throne…and is holding her prisoner to steal her magic.
The Empire of Vishir has lost its ruler, and the fight to save Seravesh from the Roven Empire is looking bleak. Moreover, Askia has been captured by power-hungry Emperor Radovan, who plans on making her his wife simply so he can take her magic as his own, killing her in the process. Aware of his ex-wives’ fates, Askia must find a means of avoiding this doom, not only for the sake of Seravesh, but now for Vishir as well. She must put both nations first and remember Ozura’s advice: you must play the game in order to survive. Askia was born a soldier, but now it’s time to become a spy.
But it’s hard to play a game where the only person who knows the rules wants to kill her.
And time is a factor. The jewel Radovan has put around her neck will pull her power from her in thirty days. Worse, Vishir might not even have that long, as the two heirs to the throne are on the verge of civil war. Without any hope for help from the south, without any access to her magic, alone in a hostile land, Askia is no closer to freeing her people than she was when she fled to Vishir. In the clutches of a madman, the only thing she’s close to is death.
Yet she’d trade her life for a chance to save Seravesh. The problem: she may not have that choice.
The Empire of Vishir has lost its ruler, and the fight to save Seravesh from the Roven Empire is looking bleak. Moreover, Askia has been captured by power-hungry Emperor Radovan, who plans on making her his wife simply so he can take her magic as his own, killing her in the process. Aware of his ex-wives’ fates, Askia must find a means of avoiding this doom, not only for the sake of Seravesh, but now for Vishir as well. She must put both nations first and remember Ozura’s advice: you must play the game in order to survive. Askia was born a soldier, but now it’s time to become a spy.
But it’s hard to play a game where the only person who knows the rules wants to kill her.
And time is a factor. The jewel Radovan has put around her neck will pull her power from her in thirty days. Worse, Vishir might not even have that long, as the two heirs to the throne are on the verge of civil war. Without any hope for help from the south, without any access to her magic, alone in a hostile land, Askia is no closer to freeing her people than she was when she fled to Vishir. In the clutches of a madman, the only thing she’s close to is death.
Yet she’d trade her life for a chance to save Seravesh. The problem: she may not have that choice.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
78 people are currently reading
4414 people want to read
About the author
Greta Kelly
6 books315 followersGreta K. Kelly is (probably) not a witch, death or otherwise, but she can still be summoned with offerings of too-beautiful-to-use journals and Butterfingers candy. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband and daughters who are doing their level-best to take over the world.
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Want to read
April 14, 2021ARC received! After that cliffhanger ending in book #1 I'm so tempted to dive in now, but I'll probably wait until closer to release. 😬
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 25, 2022
3.5/5 rounded up.
So I very much want to chime into the book world and say that this duology (The Frozen Crown being the first!) deserves a bit more attention than its gotten. I hadn’t heard anything about it and just picked it up at a used book sale for a pretty cover. Is this amazing, ground breaking work? No. But it is a LOT better (in my opinion of course!) then a lot of books in the YA/NA fantasy field that seem to get weighed down in attention. Though maybe the no expectations made it better for me? *Shrug* Either way, I look forward to Greta Kelley’s work in the future as she maybe smooths out some of the rough edges from her debut novels.
Now I was super vague in the first book because honestly I liked how twisty the book ended up being for me. This one is less so but I don’t want to spoil anything still especially the ending of the last book. So sorry you don’t really get a summary.
Our main character Askia is back though of course, and I continued to love her. I’m basically a sucker for snark and someone willing to defend others. Our world building expanded and we got a look at other places and the society within them. With that, came new and interesting characters. Kelly is really good at character writing, dialogue, and tension. She slips in rather powerful moments in quiet ones. I absolutely loved and wanted to highlight random lines in the book. ("Only a man would think a woman was safer without her voice," - one I can literally quote just from the top of my head at this point days later).
The big problem with this novel is the pacing though. I don’t know if Kelly was trying to avoid the dreaded ‘second book syndrome’ by creating just two books, but what we ended up with was a book that went slow, slow, slow and then super duper fast. I’m a total weirdo in the book community who LOVES benign world building. You could tell me how taxes work in the society and I would be like huh, cool! The first half of this book is a LOT of that (well ok, not taxes but world building) and political maneuvering and backstabbing and I liked it! buuuut I kept looking at the page count and wondering how on earth it would be wrapped up well enough for satisfaction with less and less time available. I was right to be worried. The fate of two kingdoms is wrapped up in about twenty pages. That’s not enough! And while I understood the reasoning of the ending, I think it wasn’t the best move to have us so separated from characters and places we had already grown attached to. I could have read an entire third book of Askia dealing with all the fallout from this one. We don’t even know the fates of some characters! (….spin off novel?)
But other than that rather glaring problem, I still enjoyed it.
I do hope in the future Kelly gives herself or is given free reign to make the epic political drama/romance I think she is capable of. Because here, I think she was a little hobbled by fitting it into a neat little duology. I will one hundred percent check out her next books.
Also, maaaybe higher a new editor. This was a first edition but I should not be catching misspellings and errors. I'm not that good at grammar (see entire above as proof).
Conversation question: Any favorite underhyped books recently? least favorite overhyped ones?
So I very much want to chime into the book world and say that this duology (The Frozen Crown being the first!) deserves a bit more attention than its gotten. I hadn’t heard anything about it and just picked it up at a used book sale for a pretty cover. Is this amazing, ground breaking work? No. But it is a LOT better (in my opinion of course!) then a lot of books in the YA/NA fantasy field that seem to get weighed down in attention. Though maybe the no expectations made it better for me? *Shrug* Either way, I look forward to Greta Kelley’s work in the future as she maybe smooths out some of the rough edges from her debut novels.
Now I was super vague in the first book because honestly I liked how twisty the book ended up being for me. This one is less so but I don’t want to spoil anything still especially the ending of the last book. So sorry you don’t really get a summary.
Our main character Askia is back though of course, and I continued to love her. I’m basically a sucker for snark and someone willing to defend others. Our world building expanded and we got a look at other places and the society within them. With that, came new and interesting characters. Kelly is really good at character writing, dialogue, and tension. She slips in rather powerful moments in quiet ones. I absolutely loved and wanted to highlight random lines in the book. ("Only a man would think a woman was safer without her voice," - one I can literally quote just from the top of my head at this point days later).
The big problem with this novel is the pacing though. I don’t know if Kelly was trying to avoid the dreaded ‘second book syndrome’ by creating just two books, but what we ended up with was a book that went slow, slow, slow and then super duper fast. I’m a total weirdo in the book community who LOVES benign world building. You could tell me how taxes work in the society and I would be like huh, cool! The first half of this book is a LOT of that (well ok, not taxes but world building) and political maneuvering and backstabbing and I liked it! buuuut I kept looking at the page count and wondering how on earth it would be wrapped up well enough for satisfaction with less and less time available. I was right to be worried. The fate of two kingdoms is wrapped up in about twenty pages. That’s not enough! And while I understood the reasoning of the ending, I think it wasn’t the best move to have us so separated from characters and places we had already grown attached to. I could have read an entire third book of Askia dealing with all the fallout from this one. We don’t even know the fates of some characters! (….spin off novel?)
But other than that rather glaring problem, I still enjoyed it.
I do hope in the future Kelly gives herself or is given free reign to make the epic political drama/romance I think she is capable of. Because here, I think she was a little hobbled by fitting it into a neat little duology. I will one hundred percent check out her next books.
Also, maaaybe higher a new editor. This was a first edition but I should not be catching misspellings and errors. I'm not that good at grammar (see entire above as proof).
Conversation question: Any favorite underhyped books recently? least favorite overhyped ones?
November 7, 2021
My thanks to Harper/Avon, Greta Kelly and Netgalley. I loved the first book. So much so, that I couldn't wait for the next! Askia and her world was fantastic! Too much of this book was Askia, the captive. I hated it! I think that the worst thing of all is that fairytale ending. I am totally a sucker for those! But, not when it's wrapped up in the last 70 pages, and presented to me with a red bow! Someone so powerful just can't be defeated so quickly! "As a wrap up?" This should have been a trilogy. Granted, I'd have been bummed by this second, but it needed more! My opinionl Greta Kelly knows how to start a kick ass book, but boy howdy...she stinks at the finish line! Not recommended.
November 30, 2021
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/11/22/...
Although it was only a ten-month wait between The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen, I have to say even that felt too long given the scream-worthy cliffhanger the first book left us with. Needless to say, as soon as I received my review copy of the audiobook from the publisher, I fell upon it like a ravening wolf.
As the story picks up from where things left off in The Frozen Crown, be aware that this review may discuss events and contain possible spoilers from previous novel. Our protagonist princess Askia of Serevesh has been captured by the tyrant emperor Radovan, having failed in her mission to repel the Rovan invasion and retake her rightful place on the throne. Now she is also forced to wear a cursed necklace that would steal her magic, which is Radovan’s true prize.
However, the transfer process itself takes time—thirty days to be exact. This at least gives Askia a chance to hatch up an escape plan, which is determined to do before her time runs out. Even as a prisoner in her enemy’s domain, our protagonist is not helpless. A death witch, her powers allow her to see and communicate with the dead. Very quickly, she makes allies of the ghosts of Radovan’s late wives, six other women whom he had imprisoned and murdered for their magic. They know better than anyone what Radovan is capable of, but they also know his weaknesses and what makes him tick, and Askia is not about to let that advantage go to waste.
Meanwhile out in the world though, the Vishir empire is also in turmoil, having just lost its ruler. His two heirs now vie for power, leaving the Roven empire free to press its attack, making Askia’s changes to win back Seravesh look grimmer than ever. With the threat of a civil war on the horizon, what kind of world would she return to even if she somehow manages to escape?
I definitely enjoyed The Seventh Queen, but probably not as much as its predecessor. This by no means makes it a bad sequel, just that perhaps the novelty has worn off slightly, and the fact that we have quite a different story this time. The biggest change is given away in the publisher description: “Askia was born a soldier, but now it’s time to become a spy.” The story reflects this with far fewer displays of her martial prowess and a general lack of kickassery, focusing more on her cloak-and-dagger skills. This made for a more subtle, low-key kind of book, and with the events of The Frozen Crown still relatively fresh on the mind, my expectations required a bit of adjustment.
In addition, the story was noticeably slower, making a lot of the book felt like filler, even when it was not. Much of the early plot took place on the castle grounds following Askia as she learned her way around, getting to know the resident ghosts. Even with her thirty-day deadline looming, we just didn’t have that same sense of urgency which was a constant presence throughout the first book. Granted, we still had those vibes here, but they were relatively muted, which didn’t really mesh with the desperation of Askia’s situation. That said, we still got to see her resourcefulness at play here—just in a different way. If I’m to be honest, I quite liked seeing this side of Askia. Slow-burning plot notwithstanding, it was a joy watching her brilliant mind at work teasing out solutions to her problems and calculating risks with that brilliant mind.
We also got some political intrigue, some romance. Everything came together nicely in the end too—exactly as expected, as some might say, with all the pieces falling into place just a tad too neatly. However, I don’t really begrudge the book that. The characters were all very well written, and with everything they’ve been through to get to this point, my heart could only feel contentment at that picture perfect ending.
All in all, a duology worth reading. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a hidden gem! And mad respect as well to narrator Imani Jade Powers who once again delivered a pitch perfect performance for the audiobook edition of The Seventh Queen.
Although it was only a ten-month wait between The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen, I have to say even that felt too long given the scream-worthy cliffhanger the first book left us with. Needless to say, as soon as I received my review copy of the audiobook from the publisher, I fell upon it like a ravening wolf.
As the story picks up from where things left off in The Frozen Crown, be aware that this review may discuss events and contain possible spoilers from previous novel. Our protagonist princess Askia of Serevesh has been captured by the tyrant emperor Radovan, having failed in her mission to repel the Rovan invasion and retake her rightful place on the throne. Now she is also forced to wear a cursed necklace that would steal her magic, which is Radovan’s true prize.
However, the transfer process itself takes time—thirty days to be exact. This at least gives Askia a chance to hatch up an escape plan, which is determined to do before her time runs out. Even as a prisoner in her enemy’s domain, our protagonist is not helpless. A death witch, her powers allow her to see and communicate with the dead. Very quickly, she makes allies of the ghosts of Radovan’s late wives, six other women whom he had imprisoned and murdered for their magic. They know better than anyone what Radovan is capable of, but they also know his weaknesses and what makes him tick, and Askia is not about to let that advantage go to waste.
Meanwhile out in the world though, the Vishir empire is also in turmoil, having just lost its ruler. His two heirs now vie for power, leaving the Roven empire free to press its attack, making Askia’s changes to win back Seravesh look grimmer than ever. With the threat of a civil war on the horizon, what kind of world would she return to even if she somehow manages to escape?
I definitely enjoyed The Seventh Queen, but probably not as much as its predecessor. This by no means makes it a bad sequel, just that perhaps the novelty has worn off slightly, and the fact that we have quite a different story this time. The biggest change is given away in the publisher description: “Askia was born a soldier, but now it’s time to become a spy.” The story reflects this with far fewer displays of her martial prowess and a general lack of kickassery, focusing more on her cloak-and-dagger skills. This made for a more subtle, low-key kind of book, and with the events of The Frozen Crown still relatively fresh on the mind, my expectations required a bit of adjustment.
In addition, the story was noticeably slower, making a lot of the book felt like filler, even when it was not. Much of the early plot took place on the castle grounds following Askia as she learned her way around, getting to know the resident ghosts. Even with her thirty-day deadline looming, we just didn’t have that same sense of urgency which was a constant presence throughout the first book. Granted, we still had those vibes here, but they were relatively muted, which didn’t really mesh with the desperation of Askia’s situation. That said, we still got to see her resourcefulness at play here—just in a different way. If I’m to be honest, I quite liked seeing this side of Askia. Slow-burning plot notwithstanding, it was a joy watching her brilliant mind at work teasing out solutions to her problems and calculating risks with that brilliant mind.
We also got some political intrigue, some romance. Everything came together nicely in the end too—exactly as expected, as some might say, with all the pieces falling into place just a tad too neatly. However, I don’t really begrudge the book that. The characters were all very well written, and with everything they’ve been through to get to this point, my heart could only feel contentment at that picture perfect ending.
All in all, a duology worth reading. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a hidden gem! And mad respect as well to narrator Imani Jade Powers who once again delivered a pitch perfect performance for the audiobook edition of The Seventh Queen.
Want to read
April 7, 2021Oh my gosh, why are the covers for this series so stunning? 🤩
August 9, 2021
Askia starts this book in the same position she was in at the end of the first book (spoilers for The Frozen Crown ahead): she’s been captured by Radovan and imprisoned in his castle, wearing a necklace that will steal her magical power within thirty days and transfer it to him. Not a good situation to be in. Luckily, because she’s a death witch, she can see the ghosts of his six late wives, who provide her support and counsel her on how to get out of Radovan’s clutches.
I really enjoyed The Frozen Crown when I read it last year, but when I started The Seventh Queen, I quickly realized that I had forgotten so much of the first book, even though it has only been about seven months since I read it. This book reads more like a “Part Two” to the first book rather than a sequel, picking up at the exact spot, both mid-action and mid-dialogue, that the first book ended on.
The further I read, the more I remembered about the story, naturally. I love Askia’s fierce nature and how she’s not willing to compromise her morals or beliefs to get what she wants. I think she’s a great protagonist to look up to.
I felt like a lot of this book was preamble. At 20% of the way through, I felt like I was still waiting for the story to get going. Askia runs her mouth and is given a tour of the castle grounds and learns about the social hierarchy in Roven. The whole book is about how she is gallivanting around Roven without dying, but we forget that the plot of the first book is that she was trying to save her kingdom and people from her cousin who is currently trying to rule. I feel like that original plotline kind of got forgotten about in The Seventh Queen.
This book almost feels like it’s part of a different series from the first book because of the change in direction of the plot. It feels like Askia’s intentions have changed and the point of the novels has shifted. I honestly didn’t care as much for Askia’s story in this book as I did in The Frozen Crown, and I missed the romance aspect with Illya, which was very minor in this book. We get one chapter from Illya’s POV in the beginning and one chapter in the middle, but I really would have liked more. It feels like his two short chapters were only included to help foreshadow the reveal of a specific detail at the end of the book, and they also felt like they were included as an afterthought.
I sadly found my mind wandering quite a bit during The Seventh Queen and I struggled to stay focused on the story. I loved The Frozen Crown, but its sequel didn’t live up to the hype for me. I still liked it a bit and would recommend the duology as a whole, but I’m disappointed the second book wasn’t a five-star read for me like the first book was. I enjoy Greta Kelly’s writing style though and I look forward to checking out more stories from her in the future.
I received a copy of the ebook from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
I really enjoyed The Frozen Crown when I read it last year, but when I started The Seventh Queen, I quickly realized that I had forgotten so much of the first book, even though it has only been about seven months since I read it. This book reads more like a “Part Two” to the first book rather than a sequel, picking up at the exact spot, both mid-action and mid-dialogue, that the first book ended on.
The further I read, the more I remembered about the story, naturally. I love Askia’s fierce nature and how she’s not willing to compromise her morals or beliefs to get what she wants. I think she’s a great protagonist to look up to.
I felt like a lot of this book was preamble. At 20% of the way through, I felt like I was still waiting for the story to get going. Askia runs her mouth and is given a tour of the castle grounds and learns about the social hierarchy in Roven. The whole book is about how she is gallivanting around Roven without dying, but we forget that the plot of the first book is that she was trying to save her kingdom and people from her cousin who is currently trying to rule. I feel like that original plotline kind of got forgotten about in The Seventh Queen.
This book almost feels like it’s part of a different series from the first book because of the change in direction of the plot. It feels like Askia’s intentions have changed and the point of the novels has shifted. I honestly didn’t care as much for Askia’s story in this book as I did in The Frozen Crown, and I missed the romance aspect with Illya, which was very minor in this book. We get one chapter from Illya’s POV in the beginning and one chapter in the middle, but I really would have liked more. It feels like his two short chapters were only included to help foreshadow the reveal of a specific detail at the end of the book, and they also felt like they were included as an afterthought.
I sadly found my mind wandering quite a bit during The Seventh Queen and I struggled to stay focused on the story. I loved The Frozen Crown, but its sequel didn’t live up to the hype for me. I still liked it a bit and would recommend the duology as a whole, but I’m disappointed the second book wasn’t a five-star read for me like the first book was. I enjoy Greta Kelly’s writing style though and I look forward to checking out more stories from her in the future.
I received a copy of the ebook from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
October 18, 2021
After devouring The Frozen Crown this summer, I was extremely excited to read The Seventh Queen. From the first page I was absolutely, completely entranced by Askia's story. I love how Greta Kelly made the story a dual point of view but still kept it mostly on Askia. Askia is a complete badass warrior witch queen. She's smart and cunning and finally takes something for herself instead of sacrificing everything for her kingdom.
Overall, I recommend The Seventh Queen to readers who:
* Have read The Frozen Crown - do not read this book without reading the first
* Love ghosts especially of the queen variety
* Love shocking curves in a plot. I had no idea how the story would go although I did predict part of the ending.
* Love a swoon-worthy warrior who accepts a queen for who she is
* Love a villain who thinks he has good intentions
My only complaint is that I wanted more on an ending! I want to know if certain plot lines occur (as in a certain marriage) and how other plot lines commenced (as in how the other kingdoms fare). An epilogue would have been best UNLESS there is a plan for more books to come.
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advance copy
Overall, I recommend The Seventh Queen to readers who:
* Have read The Frozen Crown - do not read this book without reading the first
* Love ghosts especially of the queen variety
* Love shocking curves in a plot. I had no idea how the story would go although I did predict part of the ending.
* Love a swoon-worthy warrior who accepts a queen for who she is
* Love a villain who thinks he has good intentions
My only complaint is that I wanted more on an ending! I want to know if certain plot lines occur (as in a certain marriage) and how other plot lines commenced (as in how the other kingdoms fare). An epilogue would have been best UNLESS there is a plan for more books to come.
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advance copy
January 12, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I definitely wanted to jump into this after the cliffhanger of the first book! The pacing was better here for me compared to the first book. This feels more fast paced with lots of threats to deal with, though there’s still some of learning the court and dealing with politics. The story was mostly focused on trying to escape from Radovan’s clutches which was pretty motivating. There were some surprises that came up over the book which were nice, and I definitely liked these reveals. I also liked getting a completely different setting here up north. It feels very cold and treacherous, both with nature and the people of the court.
I do feel like some elements of the plot and this world aren’t as fully fleshed out as they could have been. I also feel a little conflicted about the ending. It would have maybe been more impactful to end it a different way, but at the same time, I like where it’s headed and still feel like there’s more that could be told in the world.
Askia continues to be mostly entertaining. She certainly makes some impulsive choices and isn’t the best at navigating politics, but I still rooted for her. She definitely puts her country first and wants to destroy Radovan in order to save the world. I liked seeing her use her death powers again, though I’m not sure we got a ton of development on that front with details.
We also have a couple of point of view chapters from Illya, a member of her guard, which was nice. His chapters definitely held some surprises, and I liked getting to see what her people were doing to try to rescue her. We also get to see Radovan more in this book and learn more about his past and his motivations. This was great to see, especially since he wasn’t physically present for most of the previous book. I can kinda understand where he’s coming from in some ways, but he’s gone to extremes and is a bit mad. I liked seeing him interact with Askia and watching her try to stay alive and manipulate him. We get to see his previous wives as well which was a fun touch. I liked the variety of these wives, even though they weren’t super memorable.
Overall, this was a pleasant duology that I would definitely recommend!
I definitely wanted to jump into this after the cliffhanger of the first book! The pacing was better here for me compared to the first book. This feels more fast paced with lots of threats to deal with, though there’s still some of learning the court and dealing with politics. The story was mostly focused on trying to escape from Radovan’s clutches which was pretty motivating. There were some surprises that came up over the book which were nice, and I definitely liked these reveals. I also liked getting a completely different setting here up north. It feels very cold and treacherous, both with nature and the people of the court.
I do feel like some elements of the plot and this world aren’t as fully fleshed out as they could have been. I also feel a little conflicted about the ending. It would have maybe been more impactful to end it a different way, but at the same time, I like where it’s headed and still feel like there’s more that could be told in the world.
Askia continues to be mostly entertaining. She certainly makes some impulsive choices and isn’t the best at navigating politics, but I still rooted for her. She definitely puts her country first and wants to destroy Radovan in order to save the world. I liked seeing her use her death powers again, though I’m not sure we got a ton of development on that front with details.
We also have a couple of point of view chapters from Illya, a member of her guard, which was nice. His chapters definitely held some surprises, and I liked getting to see what her people were doing to try to rescue her. We also get to see Radovan more in this book and learn more about his past and his motivations. This was great to see, especially since he wasn’t physically present for most of the previous book. I can kinda understand where he’s coming from in some ways, but he’s gone to extremes and is a bit mad. I liked seeing him interact with Askia and watching her try to stay alive and manipulate him. We get to see his previous wives as well which was a fun touch. I liked the variety of these wives, even though they weren’t super memorable.
Overall, this was a pleasant duology that I would definitely recommend!
February 21, 2022
I can't even begin to explain how disappointed I am in this book. Everything the first book did well, was ruined by how average this book became. I don't even care to think on it any further.
January 28, 2022
Ok. So this had a lot of potential but it fell flat for me. It was a lot of Askia doing the same things. All of the action was at the end. Illyn… how unsurprising and unpredictable THAT twist was 🙄 It was nice to see him care for Iskander in the very beginning before he left. I really wanted to love this one but I didn’t.
December 3, 2021
THE SEVENTH QUEEN was an outstanding and bittersweet conclusion to The Warrior Witch duology. Gretta Kelly's writing and approach to her story and her characters is such a breath of fresh air and super unique to her and she deserves to be commended for putting out not one, but TWO fantastic books. From the outset, the plot gets rolling and plows full steam ahead and never stops. Askia is a fierce and plain old awesome heroine who rolls with the punches and uses every tool at her disposal to put a stop to Radovan and escape in order to save her world from a dark evil. I adored the scenes with Askia and Radovan. Radovan is a really well-developed and multidimensional villain and the way Kelly presents him to the reader keeps him evil but shows that darker humanity beneath him and I love that sort of villain. And my baby Illya. I love him and Askia so much and their love story as they fight to get back to each other is just so good. There is chemistry and steam to make the heart soar real high. I also loved the rapport between all of the women, living and dead, in this book. They may not all be besties or have pure intentions but they support each other against the tyranny of men in ways only other women can. The ending to this book was nearly as explosive as the first book, although we leave things on a vague and bittersweet note that makes me hope to see more from this world. THE SEVENTH QUEEN is a feminist adventure of a book that has so much intrigue, romance and action, and I heartily recommend this duology to everyone who loves a good and feminist fantasy. Definitely one of the more underrated fantasy duologies out there and deserves all of the stars!
June 1, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for the free E-ARC.
I want to start off by saying book one was so good and that cliff hanger so intriguing, that I was basically dying to get to the second.
With that said, so much of this book is spent with Askia being a captive. I love seeing how her plan comes together and the road bumps along the way. Having the old queens help her was really neat. But it realllllyy started to drag. I hate to say I was starting to get bored. The end started to pick up and was redeeming in that sense. However, it was was all wrapped up so fast you didn’t even get to enjoy it. I would have loved to see more of the escape, the inner turmoil of Askia and her decisions, Ilya and his background/their relationship. This either needed to be put into a trilogy or condensed. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the court politics and escape build up per say. It’s that the pacing and tone just did a complete 180 between the took books. I’ll definitely be reading the finished version though and will recommend to specific readers I know would enjoy this.
I want to start off by saying book one was so good and that cliff hanger so intriguing, that I was basically dying to get to the second.
With that said, so much of this book is spent with Askia being a captive. I love seeing how her plan comes together and the road bumps along the way. Having the old queens help her was really neat. But it realllllyy started to drag. I hate to say I was starting to get bored. The end started to pick up and was redeeming in that sense. However, it was was all wrapped up so fast you didn’t even get to enjoy it. I would have loved to see more of the escape, the inner turmoil of Askia and her decisions, Ilya and his background/their relationship. This either needed to be put into a trilogy or condensed. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the court politics and escape build up per say. It’s that the pacing and tone just did a complete 180 between the took books. I’ll definitely be reading the finished version though and will recommend to specific readers I know would enjoy this.
November 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this new adult fantasy duology. The writing is so good, and Askia is right up there with Aelin for me when it comes to strong female protagonists.
Askia spends a lot of this book as Radovan’s captor, so a lot of the story progresses through planning, plotting, and politicking. Even though there wasn’t much action until the end, I didn’t think the book was slow. I was thoroughly engrossed in this dark fantasy world, and I thought the character development was fantastic. Romance is not a huge part of the story, but the romance followed MY FAVORITE TROPE (I can’t say what it is because spoilers).
This was different from the first book in the series, but I loved them both. My only complaint is that I want more stories in this world! I would love a follow up that takes place 5-10 years later to see how these events play out in the long run.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC.
Blog | Instagram
Askia spends a lot of this book as Radovan’s captor, so a lot of the story progresses through planning, plotting, and politicking. Even though there wasn’t much action until the end, I didn’t think the book was slow. I was thoroughly engrossed in this dark fantasy world, and I thought the character development was fantastic. Romance is not a huge part of the story, but the romance followed MY FAVORITE TROPE (I can’t say what it is because spoilers).
This was different from the first book in the series, but I loved them both. My only complaint is that I want more stories in this world! I would love a follow up that takes place 5-10 years later to see how these events play out in the long run.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC.
Blog | Instagram
November 6, 2021
I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
If you loved The Frozen Crown like I did, you are going to love the ending to this duology. This picks up where that leaves off. The Frozen Crown left us with quite the cliffhanger, and we pick up where that left us. You really will need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in this book or I feel you will be completely lost. This series is filled with political intrigue and the movements of the players start in the first book. If you picked up with with this book, you will have missed the build up and be confused as to who the players are and what their motivations are. Like book 1 this is a bit on the slower paced side, and I don't mean that as a negative. The pace fits the book and the plot, While there are some action scenes, this fantasy is not filled with magical battles and fight scenes. This is more of a chess match and a battle of wits as Askia not only has to figure out how to save herself but the entire empire before Radovan steals her magic and takes her life. While she is a warrior queen, she is also well equipped in court politics ang the games that nobles play to gain information and use it to gain the upper hand.
We don't get a ton of explanation of the magic system in this book. The magic is pretty straightforward, but the magic system is mostly explained in book 1. We don't get much of a recap of what happened in the first book, which if you are like me you read it almost a year ago. The more I read of this the more I remembered what was happening, but the events and locations of the first book only play a small part in this book. They are connected but most of this book takes place in Radovan's stronghold, where he is keeping Askia captive while he takes her magic. While she can't wield her magic in her captivity, she is still able to use a bit of magic and is aided not only by those who have sworn to serve her in death but the queen who came before her. With the six queens on her side, she is able to gain valuable information not only about Radovan, but his court and the castle. She is able to strategize and maneuver around him while planning her escape and a way to save everyone she cares about. I really enjoyed how this all came together. This has magic, politics, a little romance, some action, and some good discussions about guilt, sacrifice, and doing what is right for the greater good. This is a solid duology and I highly recommend it!
While I enjoyed the ending and felt it was fitting, I do feel that some readers will take issue with the lack of closure. The ending is a big open ended and doesn't give concrete answers to certain plot lines. This is one case that I feel like an epilogue maybe 5 years later would have been a nice touch. Then again it leaves things open for more books or for the reader to imagine what could be.
If you loved The Frozen Crown like I did, you are going to love the ending to this duology. This picks up where that leaves off. The Frozen Crown left us with quite the cliffhanger, and we pick up where that left us. You really will need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in this book or I feel you will be completely lost. This series is filled with political intrigue and the movements of the players start in the first book. If you picked up with with this book, you will have missed the build up and be confused as to who the players are and what their motivations are. Like book 1 this is a bit on the slower paced side, and I don't mean that as a negative. The pace fits the book and the plot, While there are some action scenes, this fantasy is not filled with magical battles and fight scenes. This is more of a chess match and a battle of wits as Askia not only has to figure out how to save herself but the entire empire before Radovan steals her magic and takes her life. While she is a warrior queen, she is also well equipped in court politics ang the games that nobles play to gain information and use it to gain the upper hand.
We don't get a ton of explanation of the magic system in this book. The magic is pretty straightforward, but the magic system is mostly explained in book 1. We don't get much of a recap of what happened in the first book, which if you are like me you read it almost a year ago. The more I read of this the more I remembered what was happening, but the events and locations of the first book only play a small part in this book. They are connected but most of this book takes place in Radovan's stronghold, where he is keeping Askia captive while he takes her magic. While she can't wield her magic in her captivity, she is still able to use a bit of magic and is aided not only by those who have sworn to serve her in death but the queen who came before her. With the six queens on her side, she is able to gain valuable information not only about Radovan, but his court and the castle. She is able to strategize and maneuver around him while planning her escape and a way to save everyone she cares about. I really enjoyed how this all came together. This has magic, politics, a little romance, some action, and some good discussions about guilt, sacrifice, and doing what is right for the greater good. This is a solid duology and I highly recommend it!
While I enjoyed the ending and felt it was fitting, I do feel that some readers will take issue with the lack of closure. The ending is a big open ended and doesn't give concrete answers to certain plot lines. This is one case that I feel like an epilogue maybe 5 years later would have been a nice touch. Then again it leaves things open for more books or for the reader to imagine what could be.
March 13, 2022
I won The Seventh Queen in a #Goodreads giveaway back in October 2021. Since this is book 2 of a duology, I needed to read the first book (The Frozen Crown) before I could read this one. If you would like to read my review on The Frozen Crown, I did write one after I finished it back in January. I actually listened to the audiobook for book 1, so I decided to do borrow the audiobook from my local library and listen to that while I'm driving and read my book other times.
Something I struggled with in the first book a d continues to struggle with in this book was character names. Thank goodness a character guide is included at the back of the book to help me keep track of who was who.
Askia is fierce and powerful death witch, and she reminds me of Aelin from the Throne of Glass series. For a majority of this book, Askia is held captive by Radovan. While there isn't a lot of 'action' until the end of the book, the plot is moved along with planning/plotting, spying, and manipulating. The writing was so well done that it never effects the pacing of the story. I can't forget to talk about that amazing character development. All the main players in this book have depth and Greta Kelly did such a good job with her characters.
Also, while romance is not the main focus of this series, there is a smidge of it in this book. And. I. Am. Here. For. It! Askia deserves to find love and it was beautiful. I really wanted a tiny bit more from the romance side of things, but I also realize that wasn't the point of this story.
This was a bittersweet end to the Warrior Witch Duology. When I read the last line in the book, I had tears in my eyes. I could have read 2-3 more books from this world.
Something I struggled with in the first book a d continues to struggle with in this book was character names. Thank goodness a character guide is included at the back of the book to help me keep track of who was who.
Askia is fierce and powerful death witch, and she reminds me of Aelin from the Throne of Glass series. For a majority of this book, Askia is held captive by Radovan. While there isn't a lot of 'action' until the end of the book, the plot is moved along with planning/plotting, spying, and manipulating. The writing was so well done that it never effects the pacing of the story. I can't forget to talk about that amazing character development. All the main players in this book have depth and Greta Kelly did such a good job with her characters.
Also, while romance is not the main focus of this series, there is a smidge of it in this book. And. I. Am. Here. For. It! Askia deserves to find love and it was beautiful. I really wanted a tiny bit more from the romance side of things, but I also realize that wasn't the point of this story.
This was a bittersweet end to the Warrior Witch Duology. When I read the last line in the book, I had tears in my eyes. I could have read 2-3 more books from this world.
October 10, 2021
I’ve been struggling with final books in a series lately, but I was delighted to find that The Seventh Queen delivers as both a follow up to the first book and a conclusion. The story picks up right where if left off with that terrible cliffhanger in the first book. Although it takes a little while for Askia to find her feet, it has just as much political intrigue as the first book with the stakes being even higher.
Askia is separated from all of the people who were friends and allies in the first book, but they are replaced by the ghosts of the previous six queens of Roven and it is so much fun to see each of their personalities and how they interact with Askia. I love how Askia uses her magic to spy and gather information, weaving magic with strategy. Illya is given a couple of POV chapters, but mostly so we can see what’s going on outside of Roven. It is really interesting to finally see from his perspective and it helps flesh out the mysterious character we saw in the first book while not feeling out of place.
The Seventh Queen has all the political intrigue of the first book and continues to explore the nature of empires, the effects if has on cultures and people, and the way different cultures interact, while also being a fun, magical adventure. This duology is a solid fantasy series and would be great for fans of YA who are looking to explore adult titles.
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Askia is separated from all of the people who were friends and allies in the first book, but they are replaced by the ghosts of the previous six queens of Roven and it is so much fun to see each of their personalities and how they interact with Askia. I love how Askia uses her magic to spy and gather information, weaving magic with strategy. Illya is given a couple of POV chapters, but mostly so we can see what’s going on outside of Roven. It is really interesting to finally see from his perspective and it helps flesh out the mysterious character we saw in the first book while not feeling out of place.
The Seventh Queen has all the political intrigue of the first book and continues to explore the nature of empires, the effects if has on cultures and people, and the way different cultures interact, while also being a fun, magical adventure. This duology is a solid fantasy series and would be great for fans of YA who are looking to explore adult titles.
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2021
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
The Seventh Queen is the second and final installment in author Greta Kelly's Warrior Witch duology. This story picks up immediately where The Frozen Crown left off. 21-year-old Princess Askia Poritskaya e-Nimri, rightful heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh, spent months with Black Wolf Legion battling invading soldiers of the Rovan Empire under Emperor Radovan. In order to save her country, she went on a courageous quest south to Vishir seeking aid from Emperor Armaan who she later ended up accepting a marriage contract from.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
The Seventh Queen is the second and final installment in author Greta Kelly's Warrior Witch duology. This story picks up immediately where The Frozen Crown left off. 21-year-old Princess Askia Poritskaya e-Nimri, rightful heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh, spent months with Black Wolf Legion battling invading soldiers of the Rovan Empire under Emperor Radovan. In order to save her country, she went on a courageous quest south to Vishir seeking aid from Emperor Armaan who she later ended up accepting a marriage contract from.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
August 21, 2022
This book was fine. There was a weird sort of like pro-capitalist/anti-communist dispute between Radovan and the main girl which I didn’t care for. Like yeah, he is bad…for being a fascist and a murderer. It is not bad that he feeds people though?? So weird. Anyway the one sex scene in this book was hot and I would read more about Ilya and Askia getting it on but not enough smut to make the hamfistedness of the “political” messaging to make it worth it. I think this was way worse than the first one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2023
this book was an emotional rollercoaster !! much like the first, there were so many plot twists, and i genuinely feared for the characters' lives. i had to put the book down for three days because of severe emotional distress lol
while i wish the ending turned out a bit differently, i still believe it was a perfect conclusion to the duology.
greta kelly is a brilliant writer, and i can’t wait to see what she writes next!
while i wish the ending turned out a bit differently, i still believe it was a perfect conclusion to the duology.
greta kelly is a brilliant writer, and i can’t wait to see what she writes next!
December 26, 2024
I loved this book! As a duology it works so well. I love her characters, it’s a perfect blend of strong female character with some romance thrown in I loved that it was completely secondary to the main plot with some fantasy and magic thrown in, which I’m apparently on a kick on right now. I do recommend as a really entertaining read that kept me captivated.
June 30, 2025
As with THE FROZEN CROWN, the first book in the duology, I think this is a fun fantasy series, especially for someone who wants the fantasy with a bit of romance and spice, but not necessarily a full-on romantasy novel. Askia is such an amazing protagonist and--though I'm biased--I highly recommend.
March 8, 2023
An absolutely amazing duology! Everything I love within a fantasy was checked off... slow burn romance, spicy romance, action, political maneuvers, strong female lead, amazing support characters, plot, plot and more plot! I can't say enough about this duology except, it's a must read!
April 26, 2024
4.5 rating
October 10, 2024
2.25✨’s
The first book was so much better.
I didn’t feel that Askia had much in the way of growth and I just became indifferent about her character and the plot midway through the book.
The first book was so much better.
I didn’t feel that Askia had much in the way of growth and I just became indifferent about her character and the plot midway through the book.
January 10, 2025
fast and slow but an end to the world that is so wonderfully captivating!
March 6, 2025
Interesting magic system and solid character growth from the first book. Gets pretty predictable and underwhelming by the end. Accidentally reread this book three years later without realizing it because apparently it wasn’t super memorable to begin with.
March 13, 2025
Overall really enjoyed this duology. There were lots of characters to remember so I’m glad I read it pretty quickly from the first one
September 12, 2021
The story was captivating and kept you reading for the most part. It can drag a little in the middle but the ending and it's surprises are worth the wait! Greta's characters are very well written, you want to reach through the pages and give comfort or wipe a tear! Highly recommended. This was read as an ARC through Netgalley for an honest review. The opinions are my own!
September 4, 2022
I am giving this book 3 stars out of 5. I'm giving it 3 because I finished it quickly and enjoyed it. I don't think though that it was necessarily a good book. I think the author had an end vision and theme she wanted to convey, she just did it through a poorly paced story that was in many ways unbelievable, had a rushed ending, and was not well written.
This review contains spoilers.
Plot: The story puts Askia in Tolograd, capital of the Roven Empire and in the hands of the emperor, Radovan. She must use the dead queens before her to help her get out of Radovan's clutches or he will take her power within thirty days. She has to do this by using or winning over the court.
While the book promises more political intrigue, similar to the first one, this book doesn't really have it. Askia spends a lot of time walking around outside in the snow and taking note of various nobles or she is trying to play it cool with Radovan. She tries to figure out a way not to bend to him while at the same time come up with a game plan to escape. The problem is that, once she comes up with a plan by playing with various court members, we don't get a lot of insight into what it is, which means her political planning and actions are unclear and not as significant. We're "told" oftentimes that she needed to do something, but not why. Plus, her time in Tolograd was not well paced and took up most of the book. And ultimately, up until she escapes in the last 5o pages, nothing REALLY happens.
So the pacing for most of the book wasn't great and it didn't carry the political intrigue and social depth like the first book. However, while most of the book was slow, the ending was terribly rushed. As if the author realized she had a page count to hit and needed to speed through it. The climactic battle at the end was also just rushed and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Askia & co. conveniently find in the place they need to be a bunch of loyal witches, despite the fact that those witches originally escaped that same place weeks before and, being the superior soldiers they are...never made it far away from the place, but were captured nearby it a day earlier?
On top of that, I had no idea what was going on with Askia and her magic in that final fight. She knew what she was doing and kept arguing with her ghosts, but the magic explanation for her abilities was so poorly explained that for a final battle I had no clue what was going on and it took away from what should have been some epic moments. Plus Askia would do something, argue with Radovan, then analyze him analyzing her plan. So within the final fight the pace was also poor and rushed. Plus it was just so unrealistic. She gets stabbed pretty much in the heart...but lives! Everyone gets encased in stone, there is a blast, but the blast hits the ceiling, which crushes some of the stone (but not the people in the stone), they become free and free the others and...everyone lives!
Another part of the story that just seemed unrealistic to me was the author's main goal. At the end of the day, she wanted Askia to be queen of all empires. The problem though is that this is flat out unrealistic. I don't care if Armaan made her queen of Vishir, there is no way the court would go along with that. She was in Vishir for what, two months and suddenly won everybody over? That was unrealistic, but the whole Roven acceptance of her was way more unrealistic. There is no way she would have won over the entire court within 15 days, especially when she BLACKMAILED most of them for secrets. And they suddenly accepted her, because Radovan, who everybody knew was evil (he literally was going to slaughter children) was REALLY too evil in that final scene where his loyal generals turned on him at the last second. It was simply unbelievable that a foreigner would win over one court in 1-2 months and another within 15 days. I don't buy it, and it cheapened all other characters. Only people from Seravesh are good people with good morals and can be leaders; everybody else is either a viper or a coward and unfit for rule. While I liked Askia's character, I feel like everybody was made dull in comparison to her so that this ending could make sense. The problem is it doesn't and in some instances, her character wasn't consistent enough. She held the moral high ground so many times, but in the cases where she needed to "be the queen," that moral ground is brushed under the rug. Plus that felt so rushed. Fifty pages before the end of the book she's ready to save all these chained witches, but within twenty pages she doesn't mind giving up half of them to be a diversion for her. It made her decision not to be the ruler at the end lack the punch it could have had.
The book's end was also way rushed (like in three pages) and didn't make sense. Ilya sacrificed himself so many times for her, loved her, but in like a couple paragraphs they decided that he did it all for his kingdom and, despite Askia saying earlier she didn't want to marry for political reasons, her and Ilya tearfully decide they won't be together. Like, where did that come from, and why? Plus Qaden had a daughter with Radovan, which we get very little understanding of, and that daughter will now be the queen of Roven because....because. Despite the theme of going back to democracy and the council of the nine. It was so incredibly random.
I also wasn't a fan of how there was pretty much 0% on Vishir. We spend the entire last book there and then it became non-existent. There was no real resolution with the Shazir either. All the characters we spent time with the entire last book--nothing happened or mattered with them. We have no resolution on the Vishir succession.
The writing also wasn't as good as in the first book. The author tries to give a social and cultural look at Tolograd, but it's not as deep as in the first book. Also, at one point, the author described the domes of some buildings like "garlic cloves." There are ways to describe buildings that don't involve comparing them to garlic. She also described one character's expression as "frowning dismay." Overall - not as strong writing as Book 1.
On top of all of that, it oftentimes felt like a drag to read through Askia's point of view (which consisted of 98% of the book besides two random chapters from Ilya's perspective...if you add another POV in a book, you have to make it more than two chapters). Too much of the story focused on Askia thinking about what Radovan or others thought of her. While I get this is important in a book about politics, it happened way too much. In all of the interactions with other people, the author felt the need to describe everyone's facial expressions and reactions to the dialogue. For example:
Askia: Thinks something about person she's about to speak to. Crosses her arms and stands up straight. Says XYZ.
Person: Flinches. Looks uncomfortable. Says ABC.
Askia: Arches eyebrow. Thinks something. Says JKL.
Person: Swallows and looks away. Says EFG.
This happened in almost EVERY dialogue. There are so many times I can read about someone swallowing before speaking in one conversation. We had to see everyone's expressions and thought processes, as well as Askia's, and it took away from the overall story flow or any chance of showing vs. telling. Plus, in a story where it's mostly Askia trying to win through conversation and manipulation, this happened all of the time.
Overall - I still felt the need to finish the story. But writing, story, and character-wise, it didn't meet the first book.
This review contains spoilers.
Plot: The story puts Askia in Tolograd, capital of the Roven Empire and in the hands of the emperor, Radovan. She must use the dead queens before her to help her get out of Radovan's clutches or he will take her power within thirty days. She has to do this by using or winning over the court.
While the book promises more political intrigue, similar to the first one, this book doesn't really have it. Askia spends a lot of time walking around outside in the snow and taking note of various nobles or she is trying to play it cool with Radovan. She tries to figure out a way not to bend to him while at the same time come up with a game plan to escape. The problem is that, once she comes up with a plan by playing with various court members, we don't get a lot of insight into what it is, which means her political planning and actions are unclear and not as significant. We're "told" oftentimes that she needed to do something, but not why. Plus, her time in Tolograd was not well paced and took up most of the book. And ultimately, up until she escapes in the last 5o pages, nothing REALLY happens.
So the pacing for most of the book wasn't great and it didn't carry the political intrigue and social depth like the first book. However, while most of the book was slow, the ending was terribly rushed. As if the author realized she had a page count to hit and needed to speed through it. The climactic battle at the end was also just rushed and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Askia & co. conveniently find in the place they need to be a bunch of loyal witches, despite the fact that those witches originally escaped that same place weeks before and, being the superior soldiers they are...never made it far away from the place, but were captured nearby it a day earlier?
On top of that, I had no idea what was going on with Askia and her magic in that final fight. She knew what she was doing and kept arguing with her ghosts, but the magic explanation for her abilities was so poorly explained that for a final battle I had no clue what was going on and it took away from what should have been some epic moments. Plus Askia would do something, argue with Radovan, then analyze him analyzing her plan. So within the final fight the pace was also poor and rushed. Plus it was just so unrealistic. She gets stabbed pretty much in the heart...but lives! Everyone gets encased in stone, there is a blast, but the blast hits the ceiling, which crushes some of the stone (but not the people in the stone), they become free and free the others and...everyone lives!
Another part of the story that just seemed unrealistic to me was the author's main goal. At the end of the day, she wanted Askia to be queen of all empires. The problem though is that this is flat out unrealistic. I don't care if Armaan made her queen of Vishir, there is no way the court would go along with that. She was in Vishir for what, two months and suddenly won everybody over? That was unrealistic, but the whole Roven acceptance of her was way more unrealistic. There is no way she would have won over the entire court within 15 days, especially when she BLACKMAILED most of them for secrets. And they suddenly accepted her, because Radovan, who everybody knew was evil (he literally was going to slaughter children) was REALLY too evil in that final scene where his loyal generals turned on him at the last second. It was simply unbelievable that a foreigner would win over one court in 1-2 months and another within 15 days. I don't buy it, and it cheapened all other characters. Only people from Seravesh are good people with good morals and can be leaders; everybody else is either a viper or a coward and unfit for rule. While I liked Askia's character, I feel like everybody was made dull in comparison to her so that this ending could make sense. The problem is it doesn't and in some instances, her character wasn't consistent enough. She held the moral high ground so many times, but in the cases where she needed to "be the queen," that moral ground is brushed under the rug. Plus that felt so rushed. Fifty pages before the end of the book she's ready to save all these chained witches, but within twenty pages she doesn't mind giving up half of them to be a diversion for her. It made her decision not to be the ruler at the end lack the punch it could have had.
The book's end was also way rushed (like in three pages) and didn't make sense. Ilya sacrificed himself so many times for her, loved her, but in like a couple paragraphs they decided that he did it all for his kingdom and, despite Askia saying earlier she didn't want to marry for political reasons, her and Ilya tearfully decide they won't be together. Like, where did that come from, and why? Plus Qaden had a daughter with Radovan, which we get very little understanding of, and that daughter will now be the queen of Roven because....because. Despite the theme of going back to democracy and the council of the nine. It was so incredibly random.
I also wasn't a fan of how there was pretty much 0% on Vishir. We spend the entire last book there and then it became non-existent. There was no real resolution with the Shazir either. All the characters we spent time with the entire last book--nothing happened or mattered with them. We have no resolution on the Vishir succession.
The writing also wasn't as good as in the first book. The author tries to give a social and cultural look at Tolograd, but it's not as deep as in the first book. Also, at one point, the author described the domes of some buildings like "garlic cloves." There are ways to describe buildings that don't involve comparing them to garlic. She also described one character's expression as "frowning dismay." Overall - not as strong writing as Book 1.
On top of all of that, it oftentimes felt like a drag to read through Askia's point of view (which consisted of 98% of the book besides two random chapters from Ilya's perspective...if you add another POV in a book, you have to make it more than two chapters). Too much of the story focused on Askia thinking about what Radovan or others thought of her. While I get this is important in a book about politics, it happened way too much. In all of the interactions with other people, the author felt the need to describe everyone's facial expressions and reactions to the dialogue. For example:
Askia: Thinks something about person she's about to speak to. Crosses her arms and stands up straight. Says XYZ.
Person: Flinches. Looks uncomfortable. Says ABC.
Askia: Arches eyebrow. Thinks something. Says JKL.
Person: Swallows and looks away. Says EFG.
This happened in almost EVERY dialogue. There are so many times I can read about someone swallowing before speaking in one conversation. We had to see everyone's expressions and thought processes, as well as Askia's, and it took away from the overall story flow or any chance of showing vs. telling. Plus, in a story where it's mostly Askia trying to win through conversation and manipulation, this happened all of the time.
Overall - I still felt the need to finish the story. But writing, story, and character-wise, it didn't meet the first book.
November 29, 2021
Book Review: The Seventh Queen
By: Greta Kelly
Genre: Fantasy
Format: ARC thank you to @harpervoyager for my digital copy ♥️
This is the second book in the frozen crown series! If you haven’t read it already please do yourself a favor and read that first!
This book got me hooked on page 1. After the major cliff hanger ya girl may have cried when I got to read this early. Anyways. This book is almost perfect. I’m a sucker for a love story and I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get the full closure we all wanted… BUT I am also very glad that Greta decided to add the girl power boss babe ending so I’m very much still impressed with how everything wrapped up nicely. Also those plot twists were insane.
5/5 go read the duology and thank me later ♥️
By: Greta Kelly
Genre: Fantasy
Format: ARC thank you to @harpervoyager for my digital copy ♥️
This is the second book in the frozen crown series! If you haven’t read it already please do yourself a favor and read that first!
This book got me hooked on page 1. After the major cliff hanger ya girl may have cried when I got to read this early. Anyways. This book is almost perfect. I’m a sucker for a love story and I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get the full closure we all wanted… BUT I am also very glad that Greta decided to add the girl power boss babe ending so I’m very much still impressed with how everything wrapped up nicely. Also those plot twists were insane.
5/5 go read the duology and thank me later ♥️
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