#Review - The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly #Fantasy #Epic

Series: Unknown
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

Description:

From Greta Kelly, the author of the Warrior Witch duology, comes The Queen of Days, an epic adventure that weaves together a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves, a battle between fallen gods, and stakes high enough to cause vertigo—perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows.

For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun . . . and a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And, yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort.”

Whatever that means.

But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the feet of the Queen of Days. And half of it is missing.

With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive . . . and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom his home.

The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.

Greta Kelly's The Queen of Days is allegedly a standalone novel that includes a classic magical heist crew fantasy adventure, with a rag-tag group of characters, inevitable betrayals, and some fun twists and turns. This novel definitely has vestiges of YA as well as everything an epic fantasy needs, but with a fresh coming-of-age narrative hitting all the notes popular in the genre today—especially since this story includes a cast of lovable, witty misfits fighting for survival and acceptance. 

As the story opens, Balthazar Vadalen (who grew up wealthy until his family was betrayed, and destroyed by a man called Paasch, is now leader of a rag tag group of thieves called the Talion Crew after 5 years of self exile), has accepted a job from a very powerful patron. Balthazar's crew of thieves is hired to steal a temple idol and is required to take The Queen of Days as part of his patron’s desire. The Queen of Days, aka Septiniri Tassiel Janae, stays hidden behind a mask and black hood. She seems to be more shadow, mystery, and magic than human.  

She has a knock of being able to get in and out of places that nobody else can. In return for her help, all she requires is a little bit of time from the crew. Tassiel has robbed a museum, breached the Bastion in the middle of the ocean in order to get what she came for, and walks out of prison with Bal and Kai alongside her. Tass is 1/2 human and 1/2 Septiniri Warrior from the Nethersphere who was once abandoned and betrayed by her own family. With Tassiel along for the ride, the mission has a great chance at success. 

But right from the start, it seems as though things are being rushed, and his crew gets worried that someone is going to betray them, or something will go wrong. The author mostly uses Bal to tell the story, however, there are parts that are told from Tass's point of view which gives the book a deeper and must needed addition to what his actually happening in this world. Tass’s mysterious past and nebulous and notorious family connections explain much of her power. Her alienation from her own family makes a good counterpoint to the effort Bal makes in crafting his own family.

*Thoughts* Right from the start, Bal has turned his crew into family including his sister who believes that Bal is not taking her seriously. Bal has tried for 5 years to gain revenge on the man who destroyed his family, and his life. Add a few so called Gods to the mixture, and you have an action packed story with some interesting twists. The use of alternating points of review was much needed so that readers get a better understanding of who these characters really are and the world they live in. Point to me in that I really found one of the secondary character distasteful and knew this person was going to hurt the crew if they could. Honestly though, this could use a sequel. There is too much happening in Tass's former home world that seems to be on the brink of affecting the Human realm. So, why not write a sequel?

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#Review - The Seventh Queen by Greta Kelly #YA #Fantasy

Series: Warrior Witch # 2
Format: E-Galley, 383 pages
Release Date: November 2nd 2021
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

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 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.

Askia, is not only a death witch, but a warrior, and queen of both Saravesh and Vishir, has been abducted by Radovan the Emperor of Roven who has already killed his previous six wives including Eliska of Raskis, Siv of Switzkia, High Priestess Asyl of Khezhar, Freyda of Graznia, Ragata, Katarzhina, Radovan's first wife. He's also abducted other witches from their homes never to be seen again. While she has an enchanted chain around her neck, it curbs her power enough to ensure she isn't a threat while the aellium stone drains her magic.

The most interesting part is that even though she has no access to her magic, she can still see and speak to the dead. That means the six deceased wives, Vishiri Queen Ozura who made a dying promise to serve Askia, and Vitaly, a Seraveshi soldier. It means that she can use the ghosts to her advantage as she tries to gain valuable blackmail material so that she can find a way to escape from her situation. Part of this story is also told from the viewpoint of Illya who fell hard for Askia, but as we soon learn, has more secrets than one could imagine.

So, while Vishir is being torn apart by warring brothers, Askia must find a way to defeat Radovan before he marries her, and takes her magic which means death. Every move she makes, whether in court or at dinner, will have political repercussions, and she has to both clever and careful to not make the wrong move. Askia is literally in the court of her arch-enemy, who is strongly motivated to kill her. Any wrong move could result in her death or the deaths of the people of her country. Askia was not only strong but smart in transferring her role from witch to soldier to queen to spy. She will stop at nothing to save herself and the kingdom of Seravesh and The Empire of Vishir.

Surprisingly, I had no issue with the ending. Even though Askia and Illya would have otherwise been married, or in a relationship, the story really shows the strength and growth of Askia who could easily kill Radovan, and become Empress of all the lands. The pacing of this story was a little slower than I would've expected in a final installment as there is a lot of time invested into her navigating the Raven court. I have to admit that I loved how protective Askia was of Prince Gethen who in today's world, would be considered mentally deficient.

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#Review - The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly #Fantasy

Series: Warrior Witch Duology
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: January 12, 2021
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology packed with heroism, treachery, magic, and war, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, S. A. Chakraborty, and R.F. Kuang.

Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of the Roven Empire has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers to enslave her lands. For months, her warriors have waged a valiant, stealth battle, yet they cannot stop the enemy’s advancement. Running out of time, she sets sail for sun-drenched Vishir, the neighboring land to the south, to seek help from its ruler, Emperor Armaan.

A young woman raised in army camps, Askia is ill-equipped to navigate Vishir’s labyrinthine political games. Her every move sinks her deeper into court intrigues which bewilder and repel her, leaving her vulnerable not only to enemies gathering at Vishir's gates, but to those behind the palace walls.

And in this glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears that one false step will expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities—knowledge that could destroy not only her life but her people. As her adversaries draw closer, Askia is forced to make an impossible choice—and no matter what she decides, it may not be enough to prevent Seravesh’s fall.

The Frozen Crown is the first installment in author Greta Kelly's Warrior Witch Duology. 21-year-old Princess Askia Poritskaya e-Nimri, rightful heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh, has spent months with Black Wolf Legion battling invading soldiers of the Rovan Empire. In order to save her country, she goes on a courageous quest south to Vishir to seek aid from Emperor Armaan. With little training in decorum and political games, Askia deals with culture shock, patriarchal society, and enemies from past and present, and an enemy who will do anything to have her. 

Askia is a valiant protagonist undaunted in her quest to claim her birthright and lead her people as a warrior and a princess. While her parents were alive, they traveled all over the world. Home was where her parents were. After gaining a bit of reprieve from her Grandfather, Askia watched as her own cousin sold the country out to the Empire of Roven and its twisted leader after his death. While Askia is wading through a variety of situations, her country is slowing being torn down piece by piece. Soon there will be nothing left unless she can somehow manage to bring back a large enough army to forestall the inevitable collapse of her country. 

Armaan is a man who Askia knows from the time she spent recovering after her parent’s deaths. However, Armaan has a tenuous peace with Roven and to take Askia's side in the conflict, would mean that a large portion of this world would be at war. As her adversaries draw closer from all sides, Askia is forced to make an impossible choice—and no matter what she decides, it may not be enough to prevent Seravesh’s fall. Askia also has to come to grips with her ever-growing magical powers that make her unique and desirable to those like the Emperor of Roven who likes to collect powerful witches.

Askia is surrounded by those like Count Dobor who believes that Askia should make the right choice and go with him to Roven who makes a claim on her. Dobor promises that if Askia marries the Emperor, Seravesh will go free. Illya is one of her guards and fellow Black Wolf Legion soldiers who has feelings for her but is restrained from allow those feelings to become something more. Illya knows that Askia must make hard choices including marrying even though she’s not in love with the person she is expected to marry.

Goran, her cousin, wears the Frozen Crown and has conscripted Seraveshi people into the Roven army. Radavan is the Emperor of Roven. He has been married 6 times and has murdered all 6 of his wives. He has abducted witches from their homes never to be seen again. Iskandar is her cousin who is wishy washy at times and part of the twisted triangle of doom. Khaljaq Shazir is the man who murdered Askia parents for being witches. He was the man who tortured Askia into confessing that she was a witch as well. He now vows to protect her from the twisted evil that is Radovan. He also wants to create a registry of witches and vows to go after the Shadow Guild. 

In this world, there are 7 types of magic: (4) elemental – earth, fire, water, and air; and (3) spirit. Askia has the most powerful of magics and the most unique and can see and talk to the dead. Askia is a hero for our times. A valiant protagonist undaunted in her quest to claim her birthright and lead her people as a warrior and a princess, the character of Askia will hold wide appeal to diverse readers. Many young women will identify with her passion to do good, and her struggles and determination to pursue her destiny on her own terms.

I do wish there were a bit more world building, but I am not going to trip over my own self in order to rate this book lower. I will warn readers that yes, this book ends on a wickedly evil cliffhanger ending. The good part is that there is only one more book to be released, and it appears that Harper Voyager will publish the second book in the duology in October 2021. I received this book free from the publisher and my review is based solely on my opinions and notes that I took while reading the book.

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