The Orphan Queen

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Well, hot damn. Incarnate was interesting, but I wasn’t entirely sure if it was my thing. After The Orphan Queen, I’m very much tempted to go back and try Meadows’ debut series again, because this book was so much fun. Then again, take a fantasy and add a badass heroine, balls, and some banter, and Christina’s generally going to be a happy camper. I thought I would like The Orphan Queen (that’s why I requested it), but I didn’t expect to like it this much.

Wilhelmina is fucking awesome. She’s strong physically, thanks to years of training; you want her by your side if you’re battling glowmen. Wil’s also intelligent, incredibly caring, brave, and show more able to use magic to manipulate objects. Thankfully, Wil has flaws too, like the fact that she’s not much of a leader, even though she’s the orphaned queen of Aecor, which was taken over by the neighboring Indigo Kingdom. For all her intelligence, there also times when Wil goes on pure instinct, which can be a good or bad thing. Unlike most YA heroines, she also completely fails to notice eyes, and thus is unable to recognize a certain someone.

The Ospreys are the surviving royal orphans of Aecor, and they’re hiding out, waiting for their chance to reclaim their homeland. The queen would be the obvious choice to lead the group, but that lot falls to Patrick Lien, son of Aecor’s General. The power dynamics between Patrick and Wil were one of my favorite aspects of The Orphan Queen. They essentially represent two different philosophies of ruling, and I think it will be interesting to see what they believe by the end of the series. The little Ospreys don’t serve too much of a point in the series so far, other than allowing for some convenient infodumping as they need to be trained.

Hitting another favorite trope, Wilhelmina goes undercover as a survivor of the kingdom of Liadia, which was destroyed by Wraith (some icky evil stuff magic turns into – this is very hard to explain well, but I swear it makes sense when Jodi Meadows tells it). Throughout the course of the book, she also genderbends to go snooping around and it’s great. Undercover at the palace, she gets to go to balls and flirt with cute boys (heyyyyy James).

Meanwhile, at night, while she’s sneaking around the city planning how to reclaim her Queendom, she’s fighting and then flirting with Black Knife, this sexy young vigilante. YES PLEASE. They do excellent banter and also don’t always know if they want to kiss or kill each other. THIS WAY TO SHIP. Of course, later, there’s the spoilery stuff, which I quite like, though I’ll admit it was predictable: Tobiah is Black Knife as I predicted. What’s cool about this is that, like Wil, I love Black Knife but I’m eh on Tobiah, perhaps because of his name. Fun dynamic!

The world building really impressed me, since I’m a huge sucker for magic. I love the concept of the tangible wraith and it’s curious connection to magic. I’m looking forward to learning more about it in the later books. I will admit that I don’t really care that much about whether Wilhelmina gets Aecor back, but I super want to know about how the wraith will be resolved.

There were a couple of things that I found vaguely disquieting, and they’re all I can put my fingers on for what left me wanting. First, there’s this one really random scene where Undercover Wil is called to breakfast with King Terrell, and he sort of infodumps random things at her and sends her on her way. Why on earth would a king ever do this? Second and way more importantly, I’m currently not loving the development of the other female characters in the story. This is one of those cases where the other girls and women don’t seem to shine so that Wil can stand out more. I’d love to see a redemption arc of sorts for Melanie and perhaps Theresa growing up to be completely badass. Also, can we talk about how Chey knew she wasn’t Julianna but just sat on that info for over a month? Why would she do that? TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG, PERHAPS?

Cliffhanger alert, guys! Book two totally comes out the day after book one, right? No? CURSES. I NEEDS THE PRECIOUS. The Orphan Queen has some flaws, but also I loved it and desperately want more. Make of that what you will. show less

When Princess Wilhelmina was just a child, she saw her parents killed when the Indigo Kingdom conquered her country. Wil escaped, along with a handful of other children. Together, they are the Ospreys: a tiny gang dedicated to regaining their kingdom and putting Wil back on her parents' throne. Wil and her best friend Melanie are about to set off on their most dangerous mission yet: infiltrating the palace where the royal family of the Indigo Kingdom live and rule, in order to gain information and certain key supplies. Disguised as refugees, they claim sanctuary and set about gathering information . . . but, in a place where she can trust no one, Wil walks a fine line, especially since she has certain forbidden magical powers, ones that show more may be able to save not only her kingdom but the entire world, from encroaching danger.

For readers of YA fantasy, this sort of quest story will have a familiar ring to it, but I thought the elements of the story were put together in a way that felt fresh and interesting. I liked the magic system in the story, with magic outlawed because magic produces a byproduct known as Wraith, though there were definitely parts of that whole system that could have been explained more fully. Also, at one point in the story, Wil befriends a vigilante known only as the Black Knife, and while I suspected his true identity early on, the author managed to create enough doubt that I was pleasantly surprised to be proven right. All in all, I found this a satisfying read -- but if you're thinking about picking it up, be warned: it ends in a cliffhanger. show less

Wilhelmina is a Princess, an orphan and a spy.

Ten years ago Wil's kingdom was attacked, her parents killed right in front of her and her land stolen from her and her people.

Now nearly a decade later Wil and the other orphans have banned together and have a plan to take back what it rightfully theirs.

Wil and her closest friend Melanie have lied their way into Skyvale Palace in order to gather inside information about the enemies army, their tactics and their plan to destroy the Wraith before it destroys them. After all, what good will it do for Wil to get her kingdom back if the Wraith kills everyone inside of it?

During their mission Wil begins fighting along side the vigilante Black Knife, helping him kill the Wraith creatures who show more find their way into the city limits. But concealing her magic from him is getting harder and harder and if she slips up even once she's afraid she'll disappear along with the other flashers he has apprehended.

"The Orphan Queen" is high fantasy at it's finest and it has the perfect blend of magic, love and revenge.

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository

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This. Book. Killed me.

While this is a spoiler free review I would like to just get this out of the way: I'm 99.9% positive that Jodi Meadows lives off the the tears of her readers. That is all.

I loved this book from the first chapters.

Wil is such a kick ass character! She isn't stupid and she doesn't run into things without a plan, a backup plan and a backup for the backup plan. She's a thinker, quick on her toes and she can handle herself in a fight.

I loved how she knew from the very beginning that she was a princess and that her kingdom was taken from her. There wasn't a slow, building lead up to a big revel where the lonely orphan discovers her heritage. She knew from the start and she knew she would do anything to reclaim it.

I loved all the Osprey's (excluded Patrick) and how they each had a purpose and a place.

But I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Black Knife.

First off he's a vigilante so I instantly pictured Stephan Ammell all dressed in black flying across the rooftops.

Secondly he is mysterious as hell, never revealing his identity or giving any clues as to who he might be.

Thirdly the banter between both him and Wil is perfection! I couldn't get enough!

I flew through this book, I picked it up and didn't set it down until I reached the last page and I instantly regretted it.

I wish I had stretched it out a little longer and enjoyed the world bit more.

I've already added this book to my re-read list because I know I won't be able to go very long without picking it back up again.

I am warning you that the ending will tear you to pieces, it's heartbreaking.

What's even more heartbreaking at this I've heard this is only going to be a two book series and not a trilogy. I'm praying it's at least three book but I would love more (12 would be ideal).

To sum it all up you need to read this book! It's only March and I can already say that this is one of my top books of 2015.

Until next time,
Ginger

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.

My review is my honest opinion. show less

Um, are you really going to end the book RIGHT THERE???!!! SERIOUSLY??!!

The Orphan Queen was quite a delightful read. There's tons of action, a smattering of magic, and a tidbit of romance. I loved that I never did quite figure out where things were going and had to fly through the pages to find out.

I also loved the banter between Wil and Black Knife, the fact that Wil was a forger, and tons of other tiny details in this highly imaginative world.

And that ending!!! ("Say it again.") GAH!!! I very well may die waiting for The Mirror King to come out. For realz.

Wilhelmina "Wil" Korte is on a mission to take back her throne. Ten years ago, the Indigo Kingdom attacked her people. Now, she and her band of ragtag orphans are living in the city surviving and dreaming of revenge. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the palace to try to find plans that will aid them in their quest. Meanwhile, she encounters the Black Knife, a vigilante who seeks out magic-users in a kingdom where it has been outlawed for years because the use of magic creates an opposing, evil force that has overtaken other kingdoms and is encroaching upon the Indigo Kingdom more and more.

Unfortunately, this book suffered a bit from being the second book in a row that featured an orphan exile in a fantasy world. There's a show more lot going on in the story, a complexity that I appreciate, but that leaves it maddening when it's the first in a series and so much is left unresolved. No, more than unresolved: there's a downright awful cliffhanger that made me want to slam the book on my nightstand when I finished it at 11 p.m.. But I liked Wil and some of the other characters, as well as the questions created in this world. I will definitely read more in the series, but may wait until I know it's complete. show less

My original reaction from September 2014 is here:
I can not, at this moment, fairly rate this book. If I did it would be a 2 or 1 star because that was the single most ABRUPT ENDING ever. Also the summary is horribly misleading. I...I will cool off and return to this later.

Danielle informed me (in the comments) that the Edelweiss Review copy is only a sampler? If so, then the above holds true for the review copy, but not necessarily the book itself. These are my initial thoughts - I'll revisit this when I get a full copy:
**Updated 9/27: Jodi Meadows has a whole blog post about the sampler...she makes good points and Harper apparently has fixed that it says "sampler" or some such on the Orphan Queen review page now, but the horses are out show more of the barn guys**

As I've been told this was not the whole book, but a sampler of a book not due out until March 2015, I can't rightfully recommend it or disavow it.

From what I read this is how I felt:
- There is a lot of telling instead of showing for the backstory and history of the world. In fact, within the first few chapters we have an actual "recite back to me everything you've learned in your lessons" scene.
- I count no less then three possible love interests (I'm counting Tobiah, look just because you hate a person doesn't mean it doesn't change; Patrick, even though he seems uninterested in any way for anything but reclaiming her throne and the Prince's cousin, who is a charming flirt.) I suppose we can also count Black Knife, but I'm not convinced he's not one of the other guys.
- Melanie is super shady from the get-go and that doesn't change in the sampler. She doesn't even appear to be TRYING to be subtle in her shadiness.
- As of the end of the sampler we're told quite a bit about how BAD magic is and how BAD the Aecor Kingdom was at listening to the "good" advice of others, but I still have no idea how less then two dozen high born kids managed to escape and train themselves into awesome stealth ninja machines. Patrick, the leader of the Ospreys, is one of the "oldest" and the other older Ospreys seem to be about 17/18. So eight or so years ago Patrick led the high born kids out of the orphanage they got stuffed in and into a dilapidated castle far(ish) from their enemies stronghold in their former homes when he was...11 possibly? I...just don't buy it. But there's been enough time to discuss multiple times, in utter detail endlessly, their plans to retake the Kingdom.
- Somehow Melanie and Wil don't understand court social politics. Granted they were rather young when they were ran out of their homes (7 or 8 maybe?), but I thought that sort of thing is pretty self-evident. Why are they so confused by the ever changing moods of a High Born Lady?
- You can't possibly expect me to believe that Black Knife is so black and white in his morality that he never even considered the possibility that some folks committing crimes were doing it because they had no choice and it took Wil spelling it out for him during their version of flirting to make him realize "Holy shit these people may not be the right bastards I took them for every single time!" You can't convince me of that. He seems somewhat more clever then that.
- on that vein are you telling me that Wil never considered maybe there was some truth to the fact that magic--any magic at all--would be hazardous? She doesn't even trust enough to tell her ALLIES she has magic, so she must have misgivings about it occasionally. Her reaction to hearing others talk about it felt overwrought and dramatic. Someone so much as mentions the One Night War and she has a fainting fit of anger and grief. I expected someone who could control her emotions somewhat better, at least in public.
- Too much telling us about how much training they all had to go through and not enough showing us.

On the positive side once I started the sampler I read it through fairly quickly. I do want to know who Black Knife is (he's potentially my favorite character so far) and I want to see how long Tobiah can keep up the sullen Prince emo schtick he seems to employ. It ends on such a WEIRD note tho and I didn't notice any obvious markings of the ecopy stating this is a sampler.

having now read the whole book I can say 2 things for sure:
1) Damn thing was better then I thought it would be considering my unhappiness with the sampler
2) damn men in black masks get me EVERYONE SINGLE TIME

if you only read the 140page sampler avail on Edelweiss do yourself a favor and get the finished copy (beg, borrow, blackmail...i don't care how just get it done). the first part ends so jarring--Wil is annoying, Mel is shady, Patrick is even shadier...but Part 2 fixes much of that and gives so much context.

Just remember Black Knife is mine.



As any of you who have seen my Goodreads review can attest I had a mixed bag experience with this book originally. 5 months ago I had excitedly requested the book for review from Edelweiss, running home from my friend's to read it. Eagerly I read it, though I had some trepidations about the beginning, and to my shock I finished it quickly (we're talking less then a hour here folks). Insult to injury it ended so abruptly I couldn't understand what had happened.

A little research later proved that Harper had only put a sampler (the length of the first part of the book, roughly 140pages) online and didn't think to mark it as such. Jodi had made a blog post about it by the time I had cooled down enough to actually NOT yell my anger. Though it didn't do anything for my anger levels as it just made me angry in a different way*.

Anyhow I got my hands on a finished copy (thank you ALAMidwinter) and read it through as quickly as my exhausted brain would let me. With frequent stops to comment on things (see hashtag #TheOrphanQueen...or this status update conversation no spoilers, unless you count reactions to things not named as spoilers). And thank you sweet shiny books that I did because my heart could not go on.

Possibly not that surprisingly almost all of my issues with how Part 1/the sampler ended are resolved within Parts 2&3. No I'm serious here.

1) Multiple Possible Love interests? One tosses himself under the bus while another seems to start to work out but ultimately ALSO tosses himself under the bus.

2) Super Shady Melanie? Legit, if surprising to Wil, reason.

3) All telling no showing? Okay this evens out somewhat, though its still very much a "Ask a n00b question, get a detailed answer" game in some parts, sort of justified because of what one character is scheming.

4) Why is Magic Bad? I'm...on the fence for this one since I think an answer may have been revealed, but it was a small part of a larger issue so it may not be the whole truth.

5) Wil and Mel's inability to understand court politics? Answered and with relish on one character's part.

6) Black Knife's morality issues (aka the world is black and white): Answered. Especially once we find out who he is. It makes A LOT of sense. Also why I love him.

7) Wil wondering about if magic is bad? TOTALLY ANSWERED and not in a good way for her sanity.

So you see my broken faith was restored by the end. Only to be broken anew by the last few paragraphs. Okay I'm being dramatic, but JOOOODDDDIIIIII :shakes fist:

A lot transpires within OQ and you do need a certain level of disbelief to go along. Wil's journey outside the castle walls for a number of weeks for instance. She's pretending to be a highborn lady, who's a Ward of the King. How the heck she is able to sneak out night after night is surprising enough (though also mostly answered), but a two week journey? TWO WEEKS. Not two days, not a week, two weeks she's expected to be able to roam off where she (reluctantly) wanted without anyone questioning? I had a lot of trouble buying that.

And quite frankly a band of misfit, underfed, orphans with minimal training could actually retake a Kingdom is just as o.O I don't know what Patrick was smoking, but I'm glad when Wil calls him out.

Like I said put aside your disbelief because this is an engaging roller coaster ride. I liked Wil, her heart was in the right place in regards to her intentions and during the course of the book she learns to grow that backbone she should have had in the beginning. She makes plenty of mistakes, but she truly believes that she is working to save her Kingdom (or what is left of that Kingdom) from invaders.

Tobiah I have little to say about - he's a Prince. He's a bored, kind of disinterested, mostly unhappy because he is being forced to marry a girl he doesn't love, Prince.

James is fun and flirty and protective. His heart is in the right place as well, though his methods are occasionally suspect.

Patrick I want to see beheaded.

Melanie...I feel for this girl. She's torn in two by her loyalties and feelings, wanting to resent Wil for something she can't help and never asked for. Loving Wil because they've been best friends forever and she knows Wil's heart is in the right place. Distrusting Wil because she's not such a blind forgiving idiot that she doesn't see that the world she wants can't happen because of Wil. She makes questionable choices, but like Wil she's trying to stay true her heart. Its just not a cut and dry solution.

Black Knife. Hey so let's talk about Black Knife who is awesome and great and the best thing since sliced bread. Also let me emphasize that Black Knife is the awesome one. Everything after we find out who he really is, that's a different story. Before that reveal however BK couldn't have been cooler if he tried. Honestly he reminded me of why I used to love Nightwing in the New Teen Titans - he smiles and jokes and flirts while dispensing justice.

Granted BK had some things to learn, like you know the world isn't black and white, nor should you assume all that you are told is sacrosanct, but he makes that effort and when he finds out he may have been on the somewhat less just side then he thought he changes his methods and atones.

That my friends is a sign of someone who is mature.

But like I said after we find out who he is things take a bit of a downhill turn. Can't say why but depending on the second book's opening, you may hear me say "Don't you dare fridge ____!"

This all said I'm a little iffy with the last fifth of the book. A lot comes out into the light of day and suddenly happens. Not that any of it wasn't previously discussed, but everything happens one on top of the other so its hard to feel anything but dizzy by the end when yet another game changer happens.

So now we wait. The good news is that a new prequel novella is due out in June (The Hidden Prince), with another due out in September (The Glowing Knight), with at least two more in the wings (currently unnamed) and the second book is due out in March of 2016. Yeah. Dammit. Join me my friends in saying JOOOODDDDIIIIII :shakes fist: show less

(First of 2: The Orphan Queen duology. Fantasy)

Wilhelmina was dispossessed of her kingdom as a child in the One Night War, when both her parents were killed in front of her by forces from the Indigo Kingdom. Since then, Aecor has been ruled by the Indigo Kingdom but the Ospreys plan to get it back. The Ospreys are a group of children of Aecor nobles who were taken to the Indigo Kingdom nine years ago but escaped from their orphanage to band together and work to take back Aecor. Recently, however, they have had to avoid the vigilante, Black Knife, who keeps his identity hidden beneath a mask. But Wil has her secrets, too.

Meanwhile, the threat of wraith is growing from the west. Wraith seems to be a by-product of the use of too much show more magic which corrupts the land and mutates lifeforms. Magic, which used to sustain technology, is now banned throughout the kingdoms in an attempt to stop the growth of wraith but it still advances and has covered the kingdom of Liadia. Now, only the Indigo Kingdom stands between it and Aecor.

Meadows seems to use 'wraith' as a metaphor, at least for most of the book, for the pollution of our world - until near the end of the book, when it reveals its magical nature.

Some details are beautifully observed but there are some improbable plot flaws (well, I'll grant you this is fantasy). I would say this book (which is divided into three parts) is a YA novel but I would put it towards the older end of the range as it does involve romantic relationships.

While the improbabilities did distract me (a supposed refugee duchess from Liadia being allowed to order, on her host monarch’s budget, a ball gown that rivals the crown prince’s fiancée’s dress, for instance) I did enjoy the story and am curious as to what happens next.

3 stars *** show less