Review: The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows
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Series: The Orphan Queen #1
Author: Jodi Meadows
Published March 10th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads Synopsis
Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, -Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
Goodreads
Review
My god, this book was utter perfection! Ever since ARC reviews began to appear in the blogosphere there has been a ton of hype surrounding this book, hype that was not misplaced. For some reason, I was still hesitant to read it. Perhaps I thought the hype would ruin the reading experience, or something like that. However, this was not the case at all.
In The Orphan Queen, we follow our heroine, Wil, as she tries to infiltrate the main palace of the Indigo Kingdom, whom had conquered her kingdom of Aecor nearly ten years earlier. Her motive for the infiltration is simple: to discover vital information which will help her to retake her throne. However, not all is as it seems. For the past 100 years, the Indigo Kingdom had banned the use of magic, as the industrialisation of magic had brought wraith to the land, destroying everything in its wake. Wil's use of magic in emergencies catches causes problems that have major consequences. On top of all of this, she has to deal with her conflicting emotions about Black Knife, the so-called vigilante who, rather than capture her for using magic, enlists her help in ridding the city from the wraith problem. Though he could lead to her ruin, she grows more and more attached to him, an attachment that nothing good can come from, especially when she discovers his identity.
Having a wonderful protagonist makes any book special, and this was no exception. Wilhelmina was a spunky, fierce princess, who'd faced major hardship since the assassination of her parents and the loss of her kingdom. Through all of this, she has remained strong, and does everything in her power to reclaim her lost throne. I loved everything about Wil, and kind of wish she was my best friend. She is fiercely loyal her fellow orphans, the Ospreys, and is reclaiming Aecor as much for them as she is for herself. Even when faced with solutions that could make everything easier in the long run, she stands her ground, and sticks by her morals. She goes after what she thinks is right, and isn't shy about stating her disapproval.
To make this book even better, if possible, the love interest was someone who helped to make Wil better. Black Knife was mysterious, though I had guessed who he was, but then talked myself out of it. Whereas he knew stuff about Wil that could have hurt her, and her chances of reclaiming Aecor, he never told on her. He went so far as to help her at every possible opportunity, following her as far as he could when she went into the wraith lands. Their relationship was also slow-burning, just the right amount of longing so that it didn't turn into a complete angst-fest. I was extremely glad with how the big reveal occurred, though I'm apprehensive with the amount of angst and suffering will be in book 2, The Mirror King, considering the cliffhanger-y ending.
Out of all the characters, the only one I disliked was Patrick, who, to me, was a condescending SoB, who deserved a good slap. He was presumptive, and rash, and even though he said he was loyal to his princess, his queen, his actions were not in her best interests. When more is discovered about his father, the old General, he seemed more and more like him, and his actions could be the ruin of Wil. Hopefully, he'll get his comeuppance in The Mirror King.
This book is a wonderful new addition of the high fantasy genre, and lovers of that will adore this book. From The Orphan Queen I have a ton of new fave's: a new favourite heroine, a new favourite world, and a new OTP. The wait to April seems far too long, but luckily there is the #OQsupportgroup to help. Quite frankly, you should just go out, buy this book, and read it ASAP - you will not be disappointed!
Dates Read:
July 19-20, 2015
Rating
5 Stars
July 19-20, 2015
Rating
5 Stars
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