The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross -> Starting July 10th, 2018

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

[Natalie]

Chapter 1 (view spoiler)[Okay, I seriously want to know who her father is... is he the king of Maevan, and she his only heir (even if illegitimate), hence explaining the title - and also why the lady was willing to grant her entry to the “passion school” despite her lack of artistic passion?

...and also let her try out basically all the passions (bad at x? Try y!)

It’s also nice to see that she gets along well with the other people training to be passions, especially considering they’ve al loved together for seven years... be very awkward if there were enemies among them ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 5-6: (view spoiler)[Okay, I think I spoke too soon earlier. Looks like Brienna may have just got an enemy - or at the very least a rival, considering Ciri’s reaction here ._.
—
Okay, I’m 100% convinced that Brienna is Maevan royalty. That what, astral projecting thing? Hearing something else happening at that moment but not in that place? Or at that place but not in that moment? Definitely magic. And considering what they were previously saying about who the royal family in Maevan were and WHY they were the royal family? Gotta be the case.
—
...has she astral projected to the past?
—
“Ah, King Lannon. There were three things I thought of at the sound of his name: greed, power, and steel”

Considering what Brienna’s grandfather has said about her father, and my own suspicions.... Lannon = Brienna’s father? ;D

Or wait... maybe not... if she’s magic and the Lannons aren’t then maybe her father is someone else entirely from the ONE magical clan...
—
So far I think Cartier’s my favourite ;D
(hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 16-17 (view spoiler)[ “But I took Luc and fled, as did Lord Kavanagh and his youngest daughter, as did Lord Morgane and his son. We had lost everything else: our wives, our lands, our Houses. And yet we lived.”

Maybe I’m being stubborn here, and refusing to see anything else but my conspiracy theories... but I think Brienna’s grandfather is Lord Kavanagh, and her mother his youngest daughter :|

I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT BRIENNA ISNT SOME PROMISED QUEEN OR SOME SHIT. BECAUSE THE MC IN A BOOK LIKE THIS ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE AT THE HEAD OF A REBELLION.
—
Granted, it doesn’t explain her father. But meh.
—
...damn. Or not. They have the Kavanaghs.
—
Is Yseult/Isolde REALLY the Maevan Queen? Am I really so wrong about Brienna? D:
—
She knows how to find the stoneeeeee. Neat flashback/ancestral memory that one honestly o.O AND she now knows whose memories she’s getting because she has a first name to go with the last name hat the Dowager gave her! (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 24: (view spoiler)[ “I was no Kavanagh. There was no trace of magic in my blood”

GAWD DAMMIT. I was wrong D:

—
On the bright side though... Sean is a sweetie, she’s been reunited with both Merei and Cartier and - BEST OF ALL - she has a new canine friend! XD
—
...on the not-so-bright side, Bri’s just been stabbed by a guy who is potentially her half brother? I mean I know there are a lot of the Allenach (...I think that’s it) clan, but she’s probably part of the main one or something, right? Especially with how much Nessie loved her on sight (smell?)

(hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished! (view spoiler)[And honestly, I rather enjoyed how everything came together in the end. That Brienna doing what she did, having access to her ancestor’s memories and using said knowledge to undo the treachery that her ancestor wrought, after essentially being prophecised to do so by the previous princess? suddenly made a whole lot more sense as to why Bri was NOT the royal :P

I’m a tad miffed as to how her older brother died... I felt that his ambitions (and reasoning behind her attempted murder) could’ve been fleshed out more but I DID live Nessie coming to the rescue ;D

Overall, I’m pretty happy with it... though I’m very confused that there’s more to this, with another book coming out next year? I feel it’s pretty complete as it is - after all, it’s not like there was some cliffhanger ending or anything! (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Chapter 1 Okay, I seriously want to know who her father is... is he the king of Maevan, and she his only heir (even if illegitimate), hence explaining the title - and also why the lady was willing ..."

I thought it was weird she didn't start with the one that can be learned the easiest. Like it's not hard to educate yourself???

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Chapter 5-6: [spoilers removed]..."

(view spoiler)[ Ciri's jealousy made no damn sense since she clearly excelled at the fact keeping part of the knowledge passion more than Brie. But I like the other girls and how they are pretty much BFFs rather than competing for passions! (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Ch. 7 (view spoiler)[ Out of the passions I think I'd like either knowledge or wit the best. These are interesting passions to have since knowledge really seems to be the only one that can be learned. The others seem to require a bit of natural talent. Brie is okay, I don't really care about her yet tho. (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Ch. 16 (view spoiler)[ Is it just me or was there some sort of forbidden romance going on between Brie and Cartier?? Also he knows something about her. Idk what but he has secrets and I want to know what they are.

So she's been given to this Patron she knows nothing about and finds out he's the head of the resistance to the country she also belongs too. Hmmm. Brie is definitely involved somehow. Hope we'll figure out who her parents are. The astral projection/memory stuff is pretty cool (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Chapter 16-17 “[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ There could be a double deception going on or something. But I wouldn't mind Brie not being the queen. That would be a first in YA fantasy I think (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Ch. 20 (view spoiler)[ I find it really hard to believe that Brie is proficient in swords now. She had like what 3 lessons with Yseult? No way is that enough time. I like Yseult so far and I'm glad that she is the head of the rebellion and that the dudes that rebelled listened to her. Brie made a decent plan but her performance at the court wasn't all that great (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Chapter 1 Okay, I seriously want to know who her father is... is he the king of Maevan, and she his only heir (even if illegitimate), hence explaining the title - and also why the l..."

Agreed. That just seemed like a huge oversight to me ._. (view spoiler)[I suppose it was to give her background in the others? That "oh yes, I can do x, but also a, b, c, and d. Jack of all trades!"

XD;; (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Chapter 5-6: [spoilers removed]..."

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Agreed. That just seemed super weird and rather forced? "Ahh yes, I am more talented than you naturally and have more experience in this BUT HE LIKES YOU MORE SO I DISLIKE YOU. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Ch. 7 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Knowledge is definitely my favourite! Best excuse for reading books ;D

...well that and theatre I guess (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Chapter 16-17 “[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Very true. Of course with it being a trilogy she might not be queen... but then BE queen by the end of it just to be like "AHA. I GOT YOU. I REALLY DID." :P (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Ch. 20 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Maybe there were more lessons we're unaware of? I hope? ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Ch. 7 [spoilers removed]"

Knowledge is definitely my favourite! Best excuse for reading books ;D

...well that and theatre I guess"

I think wit would be fun because it kinda sounds like spy training XD

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Chapter 24: “[spoilers removed]..."

(view spoiler)[ Sad she doesn't have magic, I love magic. I really hated Ryan, I wish she had stabbed him back then! (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

😭😭 I NEED TO START THIS

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Natalie wrote: "Finished! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Nessie's take down was amazing and I lived for it!! Stupid Ryan ugh. I'm glad Sean didn't die.

I wonder if Isolde will die and then a new queen will have to be found or something?? I feel like someone is going to try to put Bri on the throne. (hide spoiler)]

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Alaina wrote: "😭😭 I NEED TO START THIS"

Yay!!!

[Andy, Head of Read-a-thons]

Finished (view spoiler)[ The romance took quite a long time to actually bloom in this. I liked that while they were very attracted to each other, Aodhan and Brie didn't make any declarations of love and they didn't even kiss until like the last part of the book! Definitely a slow burn. I really liked the fact that Brie wasn't made queen, but there's still 2 more books where that could happen. I loved that McQuinn did kind of adopt Brie after everything was resolved. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Yup...still never started it. I suck at BRs lately

[Natalie]

You’re fineeeee