The Caged Queen
Kristen Ciccarelli’s distinct brand of lyrical, haunting fantasy continues in the companion to her bestselling debut, The Last Namsara. Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and Renee Ahdieh.
Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. Roa and Essie called it the hum. It was a magic they cherished—until the day a terrible accident took Essie’s life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne—was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa’s people had suffered.
Roa made him a deal: she’d give him the army he needed if he made her queen. Only as queen could she save her people from Firgaard’s rule.
Then a chance arises to right every wrong—an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa discovers she can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king.
Original Title: The Caged Queen
Series: Iskari #2
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: September 25, 2018
ISBN: 0062568019 (ISBN13: 9780062568014)
Edition Language: English
My Review
Whoa....my heart is full. I just love, love, love this series!
The Caged Queen in the Iskari series is a companion novel to Kristen Ciccarelli's first, The Last Namsara. There currently is one other published companion novel and from what I understand they can all be read separately. Having read them all, and I do suggest to follow it the order of the set Iskari series due to the character's backstories and relations to others.
Much like the first novel, this book contains lore, tales, and memories throughout the novel giving clues and parallels to what is happening and how it ties in with the plot. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Roa, who comes from the House of Sky, an area of the scrublands, divided into 5 houses of rule.
In order to keep my review of The Last Namsara spoiler-free, I did not mention, that Dax has become the new king of Firgaard and Roa his wife, therefore the Queen. As it was unclear to me by the end of that novel how to judge her character, I didn't mention their marriage deal but it is an important point in this novel to understand the development of their characters.
Dax in his childhood was a difficult child to teach, and his parents sent him to the House of Sky after an offer was extended to educate him there along with others. As it turns out, he is more of a thinker and strategist, vs a writer or mathematician. This is where he met Roa and her twin sister Essie for the first time. They were children.
Something happened back then, an accident and Roa lost her sister. Their intense connection, a mystery to others has endured a holding place for her soul present over the last 8 years in the form of a bird of prey that rests on Roa's shoulders.
In the present day, it has been 3 months since Dax and Roa have been married. Not a long time, but long enough for Roa to notice their differences. He beds other women, he is bored at official meetings, and in general, seems to disappoint her over and over by his cool avoidance.
Roa is furious and disappointed in Dax and wishes nothing more than to have her sister to still be there. On her journey through the Sand Sea, some strange things start happening with Essi as Roa keeps losing her connection with her.
Rebecca, counselor Silva's daughter, is a new antagonist that enters the picture. As Roa learns how to save her sister, she strikes a deal with Rebecca that would mean Dax's death. In a reverse psychology move, she begins to spend more time with her husband, and in an achingly slow three steps forward, two steps back progression, their relationship seems to slowly tilt. But now, Roa is trapped and threatened in her promise to deliver what is asked of her in exchange for Dax's death.
In the meantime, political sabotage is going on behind Dax's back and as much as he is enjoying the cat and mouse game with his wife, he has to cover his tracks and let Roa make up her mind about him and play out the ploy against him.
He may not have the most beautiful handwriting or yield a weapon well in combat, but Dax is a strategist. Along a path of hate and tender moments, these newlyweds will have to make the ultimate decision and sacrifice by the time the novel ends. A heart-racing crescendo that will fill your heart.
***
The Caged Queen has an all together different tempo then the first novel and reads more character driven to me. With a slower start as well, it seems the overall story relied more on strategy according to Dax's character vs. fighting dragons or an unjust king. Though, by the end it picked up the tempo quite a bit.
Roa was more of a mysterious side character to me in the last novel and I have read some reviews that expressed how boring she is in this book. Since I couldn't judge her true intent in the last book, I thought it interesting to see where she comes from and I felt for her enduring Dax's sidesteps and attitude. Perhaps she doesn't have a strong personality as Asha outward, but the loss of her sister has impacted her entire upbringing, especially since it should have been the boy Dax who should have died. I liked her growth of character but I ultimately liked Dax too.
Though I wished for more dragon action to go on, I was mesmerized by the setting and lore. So foreign and influenced by perhaps Eastern cultures, it adds the perfect elements for this story. Perhaps The Caged Queen wasn't at the same level as The Last Namsara, but this series remains to be one of my favorites and worth a reread.
I only regret not to be able to read them for the first time again.
Happy Reading :)
I am an avid reader of different genres and value these different genres respectively. I am also a mood reader and switch genres up according to my reading needs/appetite and I respect and value other people’s individual opinions even if they differ from mine. This review reflects my honest and personal opinion about this novel.
I received this novel from WunderkindPR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.
