A Queen in Hiding
Orphaned, exiled and hunted, Cérulia, Princess of Weirandale, must master the magic that is her birthright, become a ruthless guerilla fighter, and transform into the queen she is destined to be.
But to do it she must win the favor of the spirits who play in mortal affairs, assemble an unlikely group of rebels, and wrest the throne from a corrupt aristocracy whose rot has spread throughout her kingdom.
Title: A Queen in Hiding
Series: The Nine Realms
Author: Sarah Kolzloff
Genre: Epic Fantasy / High Fantasy
Hardcover: 477 pages
Publication Date: 01/24/2020
Publisher: TOR Books
Language: English
ISBN: 1250168546
ISBN-13: 9781250168542
My Review
Absolutely loved it!
What a stellar, epic, coming of age story and debut novel with a model start to an amazing fantasy series. This right here is everything I enjoy in a good book from start to finish: political intrigue, elemental worship, spirits, magi, power struggles, amazing world-building, incredible settings, friendships, lies, betrayal, and love.
The book begins in Year 8 of Queen Cressa's Reign of Weirandale as she dotes over her daughter princella Cerulia's progress in her lessons with the tutor. As of this time, the chronicler has not noticed any special talents as they should have begun to manifest by her age, like so in all of Nargis's (Spirit of Fresh Water, Weirandale) queens before that. Cressa's own abilities lie in the enchantment of making people forget things on the spot under her spell - a very useful gift.
In the world of Enea Mon, not all nations are at peace with one another and Cressa receives a threat that serves as the beginning to a tumultuous turn of events.
"Thy streets will run with blood, thy Witch will meet justice, we will take what we are owed by force of the Magi's glorious Power."
Shortly after that, intruders trespass and threaten the queen, but she gets away with her daughter just in a pinch. With her suspicion of Matwyck, a longterm council member short of elections, she has secretly prepared an exit strategy long prior with her most trusted sources...and so she is off by ship to take the princella far away not to be found by any members of the council.
In Wyndton, the safest place Cressa can think of, she leaves Cerulia with a loving couple and their daughter. Using her spell, she enchants their memories and Cerulia is now their adopted daughter Wren, believed to be saved from a tragedy in a neighboring village. Heartbroken, they are separated by a short goodbye with the promise for Cressa to come back for her.
Wren grows up anything but a princess and hides her identity from everyone. Working in the fields through laborious seasons, she grows with the community and hones in on her talents that the Queen had waited for for so long. Will it help her as she grows and waits for her mother to return?
Cressa in the meantime has traveled south to be with her husband and the years pass by. In a set of tragic events, the two of them lose their lives, but the message of the tragedy will never reach Wren, as no one knows of her whereabouts.
With time, more uproar and war become a threat, Weirandale combs the different boundaries to find a young woman that would match the missing princella.
As it all begins to encroach on Wren's home...she has to make decisions without the guidance of her real mother and she dashes to get away into the unknown. From farmgirl to underdog, her path will be full of danger and hurdles, an adventure not to be missed.
THIS story is so, so good. I absolutely adored the setting and the time the author took to develop the characters as well as the landscapes. Very imaginative, not rushed, solid, and vividly presented. Think of settings from The Hobbit with rolling hills, bridges, and stonework, paths for wagons, etc. or Pirates of the Caribbean for the seascapes and swashbuckling scenes.
There are many amazing characters to read of and while I adored Wren and her relationship to her adopted family and friends and her love for animals, there is a myriad of subplots and characters that weave this tale into a beautiful tapestry. Wilim and Stahlia with their daughter Percia, are hardworking and truly good people and uphold as adoptive parents selflessly. The Hartling family and their children Hake, Thalen, and Harthem add a wonderful sideline to the main story and such heartbreak too. The Scolarium of the Free States is a renowned school where students upon passing the entrance exam can study to their strengths in Ancient Languages, History, Earth and Water, Engineering, Comparative Magic, or Music. The vibes of the old school and the ancient knowledge hidden within its walls is the perfect place to read about as a bookworm. I also grew fond of Tiklok who played part in the aid to Queen Cressa towards the beginning and Nana, the faithful Nursemaid of young Cerulia who still waits to this day by the Fountain upon the story to unfold.
This is a wonderful book to dive into for all the senses and perfect to lock out reality while transcending into an immersive fantasy that is simply marvelously written. I just can't say enough good things about it but flail my arms in the air and tell you, you have to read it. It is amazing.
Just do yourself the favor.
In the meantime, I'll will make sure to read the next book in The Nine Realms series real soon. With 3 mor books to follow, it makes for great fall reading. Guaranteed!
Enjoy, friends!
Happy Reading :)
