Review: Four Dead Queens

Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte

Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 26, 2019

The breathtaking standalone debut of Astrid Scholte, FOUR DEAD QUEENS, tells the story of Keralie Corrington, a thief (called a dipper), for Mackiel, an influential businessman who deals in all things black market. Tasked with stealing anything not found in their quadrant, Keralie flourishes in the job that was seemingly meant for her. But when Keralie intercepts a comm disk from another quadrant, things don’t go as perfectly as she hopes as she watches the deaths of Quadra’s four queens. Hoping to find the culprit as a way of leveraging the palace, she teams up with Varin, the messenger she stole from, to track them down. But with time against them, and Keralie’s old boss following their every move, victory may be harder than they thought.

Only one word could describe how I felt about this book: wow. I was completely blown away with the sheer beauty of this world Scholte has created. Told in immaculate detail, not one aspect of this story was left underdeveloped or without resolve, with everything wrapping up nicely. This is especially notable because FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a standalone (unfortunately), something we rarely see in fantasy. Not that FOUR DEAD QUEENS is exclusively fantasy, as it includes a murder-mystery spin filled with the air of a thriller and the technology of a sci-fi, making it truly genre-bending. But this is far from the only reason why FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a book that demands to be read. 

I was immediately sucked into Keralie’s story from page one as she hid in a corner conspiring with Mackiel. As her story continued, that level of engagement never ceased. I was truly experiencing the golden domes and dark corners of Quarda with Keralie. Whenever I had to put this book down, I instantly felt myself longing to pick it back up, its allure constant and undying. Everything seemed to be alive in Scholte’s world, with not a single thing coming off as flat or half-baked. 

But of course, no description would be good without the world it was based on. Scholte made sure to deliver this with ease. The world of Quadra was complete and filled to the brim with so much detail that it felt real. I loved how much effort the author put into making each of Quadra’s four quadrants, laws, and technology so real. Like wondering which Hogwarts house people belong too, readers will wonder which Quadrant they would hope to call their home. Some will fall in love with Toria, the trade quadrant filled with curiosity and exploration, or Archia, the agricultural quadrant that emphasizes simplicity and nature. Others will wish to be in Ludia amongst all the passion and entertainment their quadrant has to offer, or Eonia where futuristic technologies are integrated into every part of their stoic and harmonious lives. Either way, once someone is born into a quadrant, they have little opportunity to leave again. This is just one of the laws that dictate the way the queens must rule Quadra, separate but together. These are laws that rule almost as much as the queens do, strict but for the good of the people. Readers will be happy to know that these laws are not just one-off tidbits to help embellish the plot a bit, but important to the progression of the story and fully integrated. I never thought that I would find myself caring so much about a book’s law system until I read FOUR DEAD QUEENS. Combined with the absolutely amazing technology, readers will wonder just how many twists Scholte has planned. 

To navigate these twists, Scholte created a cast of utterly unique characters to run free. Her main character, Keralie, is a girl of bravery yet anxiousness, both trying to do her best to please those in her life, but also unsure if she even can. She is the type of girl who appears tough and faultless, but later reveals that she is full of depth and care. The reader would never expect to fall for her in the span of just one book, but they do without a second’s doubt. There was so much about Keralie that I loved. From her sass, to her badass-ness, to the fact that her backstory is not at all what you would typically find in a fantasy. Everything about her was amazing. And it wasn’t just her who was well thought out, with all the other characters receiving the same type of care. Readers will fall in love with Varin, with his slow-to-warm-up cuddliness and pure-of-heart attitude and Mackiel, who knows what he wants and goes for it. Each of these supporting characters have fears and drives and backstories as well-thought out as Keralie's. These were characters with many sides to them.

And of course, with all these aspects going for it, the plot was nothing less than hypnotizing. It was both fast-paced and filled with enough detail that you won’t get whiplash. Bursting with political intrigue, romance, and a murder mystery twist, it is not a book that will let readers down. Most of all, it contained something that every reader can enjoy. From good old-fashioned thievery and sneaking through a grand palace, to technological contraptions and badass fight scenes, to the intricate mystery that readers will struggle to piece together with Keralie and Varin, there isn’t a single thing that will bore a reader.

I would recommend this book to fans of SIX OF CROWS who were enamored with its trickery and setting, and also fans of WARCROSS, as its plot wouldn’t be the same without the awe-inspiring technology. Of course, it is very hard to describe this book in relation to others, as it contains so many different aspects, but readers of classic mystery authors such as Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will also enjoy this book. FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a genre-bending debut that readers will be unable to put down as they sail through it like they are watching a movie.

Review: The Conspiracy of Us

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Publication date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Sixteen-year-old Avery Hall has never stayed anywhere very long. Her mom's job keeps them constantly moving from place to place. But then, one day in a small town, Jack Bishop shows up and changes Avery's life by telling her the truth about her family. He then leads her on a journey from Paris to the alleys of Istanbul with Stellan, another boy hiding many secrets. Of course, he is not the only one. Everybody is hiding secrets, including Avery, secrets that she didn't even know mattered. As Avery discovers more and more about who she really is, she also finds out that many people want to use her as a pawn, while others want her dead. What will she do to retain her freewill while rescuing those she loves?

THE CONSPIRACY OF US was an incredible book. It was action-packed and always suspenseful. I was rushing to get to the last page, was constantly wondering and needing to know every character's secrets, as they all were keeping something hidden. The characters all have fun and relatable personalities, and I loved the touch of romance and the forbidden love between Jack and Avery. I also loved the way that Maggie Hall created the Circle of Twelve. She did an incredibly good job introducing something complex and creative into today's already complex society. The only negative thing I can say is that the book ended on a cliffhanger, with the conflict unresolved. I can't wait for the sequel! (Because that can not have been the end, Maggie Hall).

Review: The Young Elites

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Publication date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam

In a fantasy world where a disease has swept through the lands, killing many and marking others, those marked are known as malfettos and thought to be sinful. Some malfettos, such as Adelina Amouteru, developed certain abilities after being marked, and are known as Young Elites.

I've never been a particular fan of fantasy novels, if I'm being completely honest; books with completely different worlds never really "clicked" with me-- so you could say I was going in to THE YOUNG ELITES slightly apprehensive. For the most part, it was the same as it always had been-- the fantasy world of THE YOUNG ELITES did not particularly draw me in; it was rather the book's protagonist, Adelina, that kept me reading. Rarely have I ever kept reading a book solely for the main character-- in fact, this may be the first time I've done so. Unlike most main characters, Adelina doesn't seem to always make the right choice... And her intentions aren't always the purest ones, either. Contrary to the typical "Mary Sue" main character, who can do no wrong, Marie Lu has written Adelina with the capacity to make the wrong decisions-- and to feel the consequences and impact of them. It was refreshing to read about a more in-depth protagonist, and the fact that Lu can concoct such a detailed character highlights her exemplary writing skills. I'd recommend this book to anyone ages 12-17 who are bored and done with the typical Mary Sue heroine, and want a more twisted and intricate protagonist.

Review: Conversion

Conversion by Katherine Howe
Publisher: Putnam
Publishing date: July 1, 2014

Aspiring valedictorian Colleen Rowley is dealing with the stress of senior year at the exclusive St. Joan’s Academy when several of her classmates develop a mysterious illness. What is causing the tics, headaches, alopecia, and a host of other bizarre symptoms? A range of theories involving vaccines, strep, and environmental pollution are proposed. While reading The Crucible for extra credit Colleen discovers this isn’t the first time this has happened in her town. In fact, 200 years before, there was another group of girls who came down with a similar mysterious illness in what was then known as the town on Salem, famous for the 18th century witch trials.

Although this book is packed with a lot of information to process, I would definitely recommend it, especially for those who enjoy historical fiction. CONVERSION is suspenseful, a bit eerie, and quite an interesting read. I especially enjoyed the alternating chapters of 18th century and modern times (although I first liked only the modern chapters, I grew to appreciate and enjoy having them both). I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.

Review: Scan

Scan by Walter Jury and Sarah Fine
Publisher: Putnam Children's
Publication date: May 1, 2014

SCAN is an exciting and fast paced sci-fi thriller that is a quick and fun read. It centers around a teenager named Tate, who is anything but typical. His demanding father requires him to learn more than most professors, but his father's strict schedule and boundaries cause a lot of conflict between the two. It turns out, however, that Tate has a good reason for learning all those things; aliens called H2 have infiltrated the human population and Tate is one of the few humans left on Earth. Tate is entrusted with dangerous technology wanted by the H2 and "The Fifty" -a group of human families (including his) that are combating the invasion- but he is surrounded by suspicious individuals on both sides who have dark ulterior motives. With only the aid of his mother, his girlfriend, and his training, Tate must keep the technology safe from everyone.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with intriguing moral undertones about supremacy, labeling, and perspective. The plot and the protagonist's journey was fairly typical, but the supporting characters were very strong and well-developed, especially the women. It contains moderate violence and likely caters more to boys than girls, but it was quite a good book.