Book Talk: The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

Want an “at a glance” look at what I thought? Check out my Review On A Post-It or my “Final Thought”

Since she was a little girl Elli has always known what her life will be — she will study with the priests and then take over as the Queen when the time comes. When that time comes before Elli expects it doesn’t exactly go down how it is supposed to and the magic doesn’t seem to flow to her. Knowing her life will be in danger she escapes the kingdom and finds herself in the outlands where criminals and banished people reside and she learns that perhaps everything she learned about the magic she was supposed to wield isn’t exactly what she thought.

OMG NEED BOOK TWO!

I am sooooo super excited about this new YA fantasy series! You have no idea! Well, unless you read it and also loved it then I gather you have an idea. Everything about it delivered for me — the plot kept me thoroughly engaged, I really fell in love with Elli and I was so fascinated by the magic system as well as the political elements of this world. I am DYING for book two with all the twists and turns towards the end.

*No spoilers beyond what was in the official summary*

I loved that this was the story of a girl having her whole future ripped away and has to leave the home she knew. So often in YA fantasies it’s the normal girl who ascends to some sort of special chosen one position. I loved seeing sort of an opposite of that trope. Elli’s whole life, since she was a child, has been lived knowing what her future holds (become the queen and serve her people with the magic she wields) plus she’s lived this pampered life in the temple and really has not much memory of life outside of the temple where she’s been groomed to take over. And then the next thing she knows it is her turn to serve and the ice and fire magic, for some reason, does not transfer to her like it is supposed to. Can you imagine? The set path you had for your life? JK JK that’s not happening now — we were wrong about you. And she knows they aren’t going to send her nicely packing or allow her to stay…so she has to flee and she loses the only home she knows.

I felt so badly for Elli and the upheaval she experienced and, like Elli, I was all WHAT HAPPENED? HOW WERE THEY WRONG? WHY DID THE MAGIC NOT TRANSFER? WHAT DOES THIS MEAAAN? Except I’m sure hers was a little more existential in nature. But I really enjoyed reading along to find answers to why it didn’t go down the way it was supposed to.

I really enjoyed learning about, through Elli being brought there, what life was like in the outlands where all the people who are banished or are criminals go. I loved learning their society and what life was like for them outside of the kingdom’s magic and how they felt about the way things worked. I love how determined she is to make her new situation here work even after having everything ripped away from her. Plus I really really loved the people who we got to know out in the banished lands.

What I really loved about this book was that even though Elli wasn’t “the chosen one” in the way that she thought that she learns a whole lot more than she was ever taught about the nature of the magic, about the politics behind everything and about a prophecy that DOES give her a role in all this…just not how she thought. I loved how all this was revealed and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out in the future books.

Bonus points too for a bi main character! I feel like it’s not often you see that in YA fantasy!

+ world building, characters, writing, suspense & page-turning qualities, plot
–  there were some lulls here and there (and the beginning was a little slow) but I know it was setting up important things so I was patient

Should you read it? A resounding yes coming from over here!!!

Should you buy it or borrow it? I think it’s a series that you are going to want to buy based on this book! I have it and plan to keep it on my shelf and maybe even reread it before book 2 which I don’t always do but I already want to dive back in.

YA fantasy fans, people who are looking for a trope that hasn’t been done much in YA, fans of adventure and magic,  people who like some romance in their fantasy stories

The Impostor Queen was definitely a refreshing and action-packed YA fantasy! I really enjoyed the world-building because it was so rich magic-wise and with the political setup plus I really enjoyed watching the strength Elli exuded after her whole world imploded and the future she had for herself was no longer. Plus the romance in this book was super swoony! I cannot wait to continue on with this series!!!

* Have you read this one? What did you think? Similar or different from me? I would LOVE to hear regardless!
*If you haven’t read it, does it feel like something you’d be into?