But Four Dead Queens is a fast-paced page-turner that keeps you guessing on what the hell is going on exactly.

I won’t spoil the fun, so you’ll just have to read to find out more. At first, the queens’ perspectives give the impression that each one is being murdered one-by-one in the present, but a major plot point explains the true order of things as Kera and the Eonist messenger, Varin, race to try and save the queens from assassination. Narrative timeline of FDQįrom chapter to chapter, the story bounces between Kera’s point-of-view-the present-and that of each queen.

There seems to be romantic tension between the two, who’ve been friends since childhood, and the story kicks off with Mackiel having Kera lift a comms unit off an Eonist messenger leaving a municipal building.Īt the story’s plot lies this particular comms unit, and what its connection to Kera is. Kera is a teenage Torian girl under the employ of nineteen-year-old Mackiel Delore Jr, the leader of a local thieves guild. The story is written from the perspectives of each queen in third-person, and the main character, Keralie, in first-person. Obviously, this rule is only relevant to Iris. For instance, for Queen Iris of Archia (the quadrant of agriculture and nature), rule one states to protect the fertile lands of Archia and uphold the society’s humble, hardworking way of life. In fact, the queens have 13 “queenly laws” they must abide by, though some are more applicable than others. Together, all four queens live in the capital city’s palace, and it is there where they remain until the day they die. Comprised of four quadrants-Eonia, Toria, Archia, and Ludia-each state has its own set of governing officials along with one queen. Scholte’s novel takes place in a country called Quadara. So what’s the story about? Here’s the blurb from the front cover: It looks like a YA fantasy when you see it, and that’s a good thing for genre-readers like yours truly. Visually, it reminds me of Holly Black’s Cruel Prince trilogy mixed with Kathryn Purdie and Lauren DeStefano. Like many other fantasy novels, FDQ has a dark background with a light-catching pile of crowns at the center. Who can resist the words: Four Dead Queens? They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I’d be a liar if I said that didn’t factor into my purchasing decision. (Those by Joanne Pence and Diane Mott Davidson come to mind.)įDQ was the final read in my very first Book Outlet haul from back in February, and it didn’t disappoint. It has undertones of a good murder mystery, which I personally find appealing, as I grew up reading culinary murder mysteries. If you’re looking for a standalone YA fantasy novel that’s fun, action-packed, and comes with a dash of romance, get your hands on a copy of Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte.

4 dead queens