The Queen's Rising

Student Review by: Heather R
Grade Range: 7th Grade and up
Literary Merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
Review:
The Queen’s Rising is a tale that revolves around Brienna and her grandfather’s desire for her to be safe and sheltered from the father that she has never known. He sends her to a place known as the Magnalia House where five students studying the five unique passions are housed. The spots for students of art, knowledge, wit, drama, and music were already taken, yet Brienna was taken in as an exception to the rules. Each girl has seven years to master her passion and find a patron that will hire her for her particular skills. Because Brienna did not have as much time to master her passion of knowledge, she was left her show more to dread the time when she would have to show off her knowledge and cross her fingers that a patron would find her worthy. On top of that, there was the ever looming threat of another rebellion to rid Mavenna of its king. The people of Mavenna were ready to throw the king off the throne and restore the Queen to her rightful throne. It just so happened that Brienna, with blood from Mavenna and Valenia, was about to find herself centered in the middle of the plot. Choices that she never thought would be presented to her are suddenly being thrown in her direction. A girl from two cities with strong opposition towards each other may realize just how much the rebels of Mavenna will go to bring the Queen back. These rebels might be alright with having some truths kept from them, but Brienna is ready to do all that she can to find the truth even if the truth is not exactly what she thought it would be.

The first element that immediately drew me to the book was its elegant cover. The subdued blues and purples on the cover conveyed the same sorrowful, yet hopeful tones that the book presented to its readers. All of the constellations that were in the sky flowed well with the stars that were on the cape of the girl. These elements completely captured the main symbol of the book: The passion cloaks that marked the girls mastering of their passion and their departure from the Magnalia House. The plot of the book was full of amazing twists and turns that kept me glued to the book. There were many times when I had people, who were not even reading the book, help me guess what might happen next. We all enjoyed seeing if our predictions were entirely true or not as the plot continued on. The best aspect of the book was that the characters showed great development which contributed to the fact that I never wanted to put the book down. Brienna, Cartier, and Merei are a few characters that seemed to be perceived one way in the beginning of the book, yet turned out to be completely different. They seemed to either be weak or not very important to the plot, when in reality they were highly important. The ending of the book was wonderful too; it was satisfying, yet still left some questions open to interpretation .

Recommendation: Anyone who loves a fantasy book that keeps them guessing and never lets them put their book down. show less

I think the Young Adult Science-Fiction/Fantasy genre has become diluted with so many books that follow the same setting/plot/characterization structure that it’s hard to go into any new ones without a sense of apprehension. If I’m being completely honest, this book was only mildly on my radar, and only because the heroine’s name is Brienna, which is the closest any character has come to having the same name as me. I’m so happy to be able to write this review and say that no only did The Queen’s Rising bypass my expectations, but I also very thoroughly enjoyed reading it as well.

The world-building and atmosphere that Rebecca Ross creates is both unique and refreshing for the genre. It made the story so much more enjoyable and show more easier to get into because it didn’t feel like something I’ve read ten times over already. The writing and pacing was expertly done and I easily became enthralled by the story and the characters. As someone with a minor (okay, major) obsession with their Irish heritage, I loved that Ross drew inspiration for the Maevana setting from ancient Ireland/Scotland, including the use of Irish/Scottish names. There was romance present, but it was very minor and did not take away from the story at all, and I think it was wonderfully done. There is a bit of an age difference between Brienna and the love interest, but it didn’t bother me at all (actually, I was kind of digging it, I won’t lie) and for the most part doesn’t present much of an issue.

All in all, I was super happy that The Queen’s Rising was a welcome change to read, especially when compared to many other books in the Young Adult SFF genre. I’m very excited for the rest of the series! High praise to Rebecca Ross for writing such a fresh, beautiful debut book! show less

4.25 stars

“I am broken, I am treacherous, I am divided…”

It’s so good to read fantasy again. It honestly feels like forever since I’ve read a high fantasy novel and I’m so happy being back in this magically captivating genre. The Queen’s Rising really hooked me from the start and took me on a fantastical journey of family, strength, and passion. It was just so good.

Things I Liked
MAPS! And lineages and lots of fun things at the beginning of the book! Maps are something that makes every fantasy story better, and you get 2 in this book/ Plus a whole lot of other cool stuff about characters and family trees. Though be advised you could spoil yourself for some revelations that happen later in the book.

I was a big fan of the show more writing throughout the story. It was so descriptive and lush. I felt like I was there - interacting with what the characters were seeing. It was so easy to invest in. I also really liked how the story was divided into parts. In some books, I find the division arbitrary, but here each part was contained and built toward a larger goal.

I thought the worldbuilding was great. I loved seeing how Maevana and Valenia are different culturally, and how they value different things. They had their own political systems in place. I loved the matriarchal history in Maevana and the respect for physical strength. I LOVED the House systems and the regard for the different Passions in Valenia. I also liked the history of magic and it’s legacy in Maevana.

I loved the sisterhood and love that was clearly evident between all the girls studying at Magnalia House. Their friendships were so pure and earnest and I loved seeing it here.

I really enjoyed seeing Brienna searching and experiencing both sides of herself. She wanted to learn about her history and her family legacy, but she wouldn’t let that define her future.

Things I Didn’t Like
I felt like some things were a little too easy and lacked the tension I wanted in the story. It only happened a few times, but I would have loved for the heighten stakes to feel more impactful.

This story left me feeling so hopeful and proud. I just feel at peace, like this is the story I needed right now, and it was a great one. I loved so many things about it from the characters to the worldbuilding to the personal connections. The Queen’s Rising has a lot to offer and leaves you completely satisfied.

I received a copy of the book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. show less

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Queen's Rising duology. I borrowed a copy of this audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: This was okay. It's a politically driven fantasy with some romance and rebellion. The story ties up very nicely and I didn't really feel driven to pick up the second book in this duology after finishing the first. Prior to reading this book I had read Ross's "Sisters of Sword and Song" which I absolutely loved.

This book follows Brienna, an orphan who is submitted to Maganlia House to become a Passion (an expert) in one of five areas (art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge). Brienna's father is a mystery to her and she struggles to find her Passion. She ends up studying to become a Passion of show more Knowledge. When she fails to find a patron right away, she is worried that her future is uncertain, then a disgraced lord offers to become her patron. Suddenly Brienna finds herself embroiled in Maevana politics and part of a plot to overthrow the king himself.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book with Brienna and her fellow students learning their studies and talents. However, then things pretty much devolve into a rebellion scenario after that. I am not a huge fan of politically driven fantasy so I was a bit bored and disappointed by where the plot went. Everything in this book goes fairly smoothly and without a lot of conflict, which is odd considering there's a rebellion going on here. Everything just seemed to go a bit too well and everyone was a bit too nice; the situation never seemed truly dire or dangerous.

The characters were okay, but again I found them to be lacking. Brienna is a heroine who is perfect and can do no wrong. She is nice to everyone, good at everything she tries (with maybe the exception of music), and everyone likes her. She does end up in a forbidden romance with her master and teacher; which I always feel is a bit yucky. Granted the two meet whenBrienna is in her mid to late teens but the whole teacher/student romance always feels gross me.

I was surprised out how well things wrapped up. Everything is pretty much settled with our characters and the rebellion. As for the writing style, there is some beautiful description in here and the story was easy to follow. I did think it felt a bit overdone and dry; there was very little humor or wit throughout. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration on the audiobook was well done, so no complaints there.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was okay, there really isn't anything blatantly wrong with this book but I also didn't love it. Everything was a bit "blah" for me. The challenges were resolved too easily, the characters were too perfect, and the story tied up very conveniently. I have absolutely no desire to pick up the next book in this duology. Those who like political fantasy with a slow-burn forbidden romance might enjoy this more than I did. I do plan on checking out other books by Ross since I absolutely loved "Sisters of the Sword" and it looks like she has some other intriguing novels out and upcoming. show less

With a lovely cover and a promise of royalty rising to power, The Queen's Rising seemed to have a lot of offer. The world-building failed to impress and the characters were as flat as a deck of cards. It seemed like Rebecca Ross wanted to do a lot of different things here, and failed to follow through on any of them. She had a boarding school experience in the beginning, but she rushed right through it. The battles were scattered with awkward flow, the flashbacks seemed too convenient and largely frivolous. There were no real twists. The romance was awkward to the max.

I just really couldn't get into this one. There was nothing in the characters to inspire me to push through the messy plot, and the writing itself was flat. At best, show more reading this book was like trying to look through a fogged up mirror at a beautiful landscape. The potential was there, but there was so much rushing about and trying to create a hero out of a two-dimensional character.

I think that the big thing that ruined it for me was the lack of fantasy world-building. There were the ghostly edges of some aspects of the kingdom - the war in the past, the various houses in the neighboring kingdom, the conversation about the matriarchy... but that's the extent of it. Magic is mentioned but never seen. The politics of the world are hearsay, and a lot of the proper nouns were taken from English (the big event happens on a Thursday - totally ruins the illusion for me).

It may not sounds like it, but I really kept trying to find some aspect of this book that I liked, that I thought was well done... and I was just utterly unimpressed. I am sure there are a lot of people out there who will enjoy it, but there was nothing I could take away from The Queen's Rising except for disappointment and wasted potential. show less

My streak has continued... I have been extremely lucky lately with my book selections and The Queen's Rising did not disappoint! It was beautifully written (though sometimes transparent and predictable) and it was ultimately, wholeheartedly and undeniably satisfying. Yes it did suffer a bit from Things-Conveniently-Falling-Into-Place- Rather- Easily syndrome AND the romance was a dollop mechanical, saccharine and tame BUT it was ALSO a fun, engrossing, uplifting gem gifted nicely (and rather neatly wrapped) with a big ole Happy Ending for (Almost) All glitter bow.

I'm a little on the fence about THE QUEEN'S RISING. On one hand, I enjoyed the story as a whole. On the other hand, I had some issues.

What I enjoyed:
The characters. Brienna was really easy to like. I felt her frustration for answers, her anger at injustices and her heartbreak when she felt like all was lost. All the girls—for the most part—were really supportive of each other. I loved getting to know them and watching their friendships grow.

The world was well done and felt so big. The author really brought the different places to life. I liked learning about the different cultures, history and beliefs of each place.

What I didn't love:
The romance. It was just ehh for me. Not super exciting.

Some things happened a little too easily show more and other things happened a little too slowly. I would have loved to see some more tension and suspense in those moments.

**START OF SPOILER**
My other big gripe is a SPOILER so read on with caution. I hated that Brienna wasn't the one fighting to be queen. I know, silly, but I kept waiting for that to change and I really wanted it to.
**SPOILER ENDS**

At the end after everything was said and done, I still wanted to read more. It felt complete, but I wanted more so I will defiantly keep a look out for book number two.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less