Orphan Queen

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Average customer rating 4.8 (5 comments)

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I always knew I would love this book. First because of the amazing title and summary. Then because of the gorgeous cover. But also because it is written by Jodi, whom I adore. But then I had to wait forever for this book. Which was torture. But yes. The wait was worth it. Because I loved this book to pieces. I want to share all the secrets. Well, okay, I want to talk about all the amazing secrets and plot twists in this book. But I shall not :D Because they are all kinds of amazing, and I want you to read it yourself. Like I did. I knew nothing before starting. I didn't even peek. Eeek. And it was so perfect to know nothing. The Orphan Queen is perfection. I loved everything about it. Well, one thing I was a bit sad about, but I'm dealing with it. But sigh. The writing is stunning. Which I loved so much. And the characters are all kinds of amazing. I loved the point of view of Wil. I loved all the plot twists. Though, yes, I sort of knew, well, suspected, who the Black Knife were before I started the book. But I was still nervous while reading it. Because I could be wrong. And that would have been kind of heartbreaking for me. Ack. So the suspense in this book was all kinds of delicious. The romance is amazing. Though way too short. Hmph. But the plot. The plot in this book is all kinds of stunning. I loved it so much. This book is long, yet still not long enough for me. The Orphan Queen is told from the point of Wilhelmina. Whom is just the best character ever. I loved her to pieces. I loved getting to know her. I loved how much she cares for the other children in her group. I love how she protects them. I love how she is a princess, trying to reclaim her throne. I love how she sneaks out at night. Sigh. Mostly I just really adored Wil. She is fierce. And I loved every part of her, even all the choices she made. Mostly. She was just perfect. I'm so happy that I loved her. Sigh. But oh, the story in this book. I cannot even begin to explain it all. And I won't. I shall just say some small things. There is this character called Black Knife in this book. He is saving people and capturing criminals. Wil bumps into him a few times. And oh, how I loved Black Knife. Swoons. He's perfection. He wears a mask. He's all kinds of strong. And he's kind and protective. I loved him even more after I found out for sure who he was. He's in this book a lot. Yet not enough. I loved him so much. He's very exciting. But this plot. There is so much happening. With Wil trying to get her kingdom back. All the things she has to do. And her friends. And how it ends with them. And how that broke my heart a whole bunch. Sniffs. Yet it was so real that I couldn't help but love it. Though, ugh. I never liked that boy in charge. Hmph. And what happens with him near the end? I am not forgiving. But such amazing plot twists. Such excitement. It was the bestest. I loved reading about those close to Wil. It was interesting and fun. Then there is the wraith. Which I shall not describe. But damn. That was all kinds of creepy. And such a twist; I didn't really see it coming. Huh. And I loved that. I loved that so much. The wraith were amazing to read about. And I wanted to know more more more. So scary and amazing. I'm so curious about knowing more about it in book two. And figure out how to stop it. Shudders. Won't say more about the plot. Just. So exciting, awesome and different. I loved this book so much. It couldn't have been better. Well. Now I must probably mention that one thing I said I didn't fully like. How the book ends concerning the romance. I loved the romance in this book. And I did love the ending a whole lot. But I'm also worried, because I need my happy ending like crazy. Especially my ship. It better end well. But I have hope, and I think it will. But. Other characters might get in the way. Hmph. But I doubt it. I don't think these two books will include a love triangle. It wouldn't make much sense. I'm so happy about that. Thank you, Jodi, for writing this perfect book. <3 i="" loved="" it="" so="" much.="" i="" am="" now="" dying="" to="" read="" the="" four="" short="" stories="" you="" are="" publishing="" about="" the="" black="" knife="" before="" book="" two="" in="" about="" one="" year="" :d="" i="" cannot="" wait="" to="" read="" all="" of="" it.="" so="" so="" excited.=""><3 though,="" yes,="" the="" ending="" of="" this="" book.="" i="" should="" probably="" mention="" that="" it="" is="" all="" kinds="" of="" cruel="" and="" evil.="" and="" ends="" in="" such="" a="" bad="" place.="" yet="" i="" didn't="" mind="" that="" much.="" i="" have="" faith.="" and="" seriously.="" it="" was="" so="" exciting!="" the="" ending="" was="" pretty="" amazing.="" i="" think="" i="" loved="" it.="" but="" yes.="" so="" evil="" :)="" the="" orphan="" queen="" is="" a="" special="" book.="" it="" is="" full="" of="" action,="" suspense,="" heartbreak="" and="" romance.="" the="" story="" is="" all="" kinds="" of="" exciting.="" the="" characters="" are="" spectacular.="" the="" world="" is="" amazing.="" this="" is="" not="" a="" book="" to="" be="" missed.="" i="" want="" you="" all="" to="" read="" it.="" because="" it="" is="" different.="" and="" oh="" so="" special="" and="" precious="" to="" me.="" so="" glad="" that="" i="" pre-ordered="" a="" signed="" and="" personalized="" copy="" of="" it.=""><3 hoping="" it="" will="" arrive="" soon.="" i'm="" so="" glad="" i="" read="" this="" book="" right="" away="" when="" it="" arrived.="" but="" now="" waiting="" for="" book="" two="" will="" be="" torture.="" hmph.="" how="" mean.="">

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Would you believe me if I said that right before a math test (while we were reviewing), I started jumping like a monkey because of this book? Or that during 7th period, right before I finished this book, I started babbling incoherently to one of my poor peers that happened to be staring at me strangely because of my agitation because of this book? Unfortunately, both happened and I have no regrets because I just enjoyed this too much. Starting with characters, Wil is probably my all-time favorites now. She’s the princess of a lost throne (No… not a spoiler…) and will do anything possible to get it back. Well, not everything, as she finds out later in the book. Her character is absolutely delightful, as we get to see Wil navigate through court with an alias while still keeping up with her goals. Manipulation and fighting is on-point. What a boss. “The Ospreys, these children, were my life. Without them, I had nothing. But with them… With them, I would take back my kingdom.” Holy crap yes, you go girl! The only other character that I had a connection with was Black Knife, through his interactions with Wil. I mean, you get to see the orphans in the Ospreys but you never really get to connect with them, or empathize with them, or anything, you know? Even Wil’s best friend Melanie was not very in-depth throughout the story and I cared zilch for her. So this, kind of shows why I ship them so much, because I honestly don’t care about the other characters. I really enjoyed the world-building in this story. It was all pretty straight-forward. Magic is banned, but some kingdoms (like Wil’s) didn’t want to sign the agreement and it all spiraled down to a (Can you believe it?) One-Night War. However, our princess has secrets of her own that she’s trying to keep or else she’d be thrown in jail. And yes, the wraiths from the blurb. They’re an interesting concept, as both magic and magic by-products are banned. I think of wraiths like the evil side of magic that’s a no-no. You have to have one to have the other. Ying and yang, yo. “Magic was completely illegal. Unpardonable. Unforgivable. Not many people had magic anymore, as far as I knew, but those caught using it were never seen again.” The pacing was perfect to the plot. Romance: ahh, slow to burn but quick once heated up. Getting back the throne: yes, throughout the book things were getting done on this point. Magic and wraiths: We spend a whole section of the book at the Wraithland with Wil, and WHOO GIRL, the things there are crazy. Crazy what? That’s for me to know, and you to find out. I came for the deception that Wil had to carry out, I stayed for my OTP, illegal magic, and the world they’re all in.

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***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog*** The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows Book One of The Orphan Queen series Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Publication Date: March 10, 2015 Rating: 4 stars Source: ARC sent by the publisher Summary (from Goodreads): Wilhelmina has a hundred identities. She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne. She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone. She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world. What I Liked: Holy guacamole. This book. The ending. Oh my gosh. I literally just finished the book, so bear with me as I write this review. So... my review might not be thoroughly coherent. It might just be a bunch of flails. I might not even make it through the entire review. OH GOSH MY HEART. Wil is an orphan, a princess - orphan queen - of Aecor. She and a ragtag group of orphans from Aecor are trying to take back Aecor. To do so, she and her friend Melanie masquerade as destitute nobles of Liadia, so that they can have refuge in the Skyvale Palace... and get information about Aecor, the armies of the Indigo Kingdom, anything useful that could aid the Ospreys (Wil and her group) in their attempt to reclaim Aecor. But little go as planned with the presence of wraith, Black Knife, and a danger against which even Wil cannot guard herself. I love fantasy. I love epic fantasy. I love high fantasy. Basically, I love fantasy (if you couldn't already tell). It's my favorite genre, and I can't ever seem to get enough. I especially love fantasy in YA literature, because it's amazing and creative and wonderful, but not heavy and boring (like in adult fiction - in my opinion). Jodi Meadows masterfully creates the world in this book. Her writing is lush and rich, and her world-building is very thorough and imaginative. I had no problems picturing the towns, palace, and other locations in my mind. Wil is a very likable heroine. It was easy to root for her throughout the book, it was easy to see her side of things, it was easy to like her. She is brave and fierce, selfless and intelligent. I liked the way her mind works, the way she thought through things. She stood toe-to-toe with Patrick (the Aecor boy who saved her and other Aecor orphans), challenging his ruthless decisions. She never threw her title in any of the Ospreys' faces, but she always commanded authority when she felt necessary. She fought with Black Knife (the vigilante who has actually been killing wraith creatures, which is pretty noble). She pretended to be a dead noble for weeks, and did an excellent job of it. I really liked Wil, and I hope I continue liking her in this series! There are so many amazing secondary characters in this novel! Wil's best friend, Melanie, accompanies her to the palace, also a dead noble. I liked Melanie, though I definitely questioned her loyalty and her being at times. There was Black Knife, a masked vigilante who is curious about Wil, and always seems to find her. There is James, the prince's cousin and guard, who is a great friend to Wil. He's hilarious, and very flirtatious and sweet. There is the prince himself, who is (as Wil says) "sour". I liked him though. The Ospreys - the orphans from Aecor who are helping Wil reclaim her kingdom. So many well-written, three-dimensional characters that I loved. This book is broken up into three parts. Wil goes to the palace with Melanie, to obtain necessary information for their plans. But there are things that Wil is curious about, like wraith in Liadia. Wil goes to investigate the fallen Liadian barrier, hoping that no one at the palace will question her feigned illness. I love that there is more than one plot in this book, more than one story. Wil needs to sneak around the palace, to get information. Wil is trying to find out more about wraith and the wraithlands. Wil is also leaving the palace at night, and sometimes tangles with Black Knife (meaning they fight and threaten each other, and possibly kill wraith creatures every now and then). There is a lot going on in this book, so you can't get bored... you might get bored with one part of the story (probably not though), and there is another part of the story to pick you up! There IS romance in this book. I'm purposefully not saying much about the specifics, who is who. But I will say that I LOVE the romance. It's complicated, it's twisted, it's difficult - and what's new, when it comes to romance in fantasy novels? But there isn't a love triangle, there is no insta-love, and I have high hopes for the romance (though I probably should be more wary, for certain specific reasons). The ending is AWFUL. Awful as in awfully heartbreaking. I hate the ending, but it definitely adds to the story, and I see why the author chose to end this book in such a way. It's cliffhanger-y, so if you hate those, perhaps you might be better off waiting until closer to book two's publication (in 2016?!). But then, we'll probably have to wait for a book three... reading and waiting for books is so difficult! ****EDIT: the author confirmed that there will only be two books in this series - a duology! So, not too much waiting. What I Did Not Like: This book loses an entire star from me because of the ending. The cliffhanger is so mean. Like I said above, I get it, but... it's a heartbreaking ending. And so this book gets one less star. Sorry not sorry. Would I Recommend It: I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE! Fantasy lovers especially, but anyone who enjoys a well-written story (so like, all readers?). Just beware of the ending - it WILL break you. You might be better off waiting for a completed series (see my edit above though - there are only two books to this series!). But hey, I'm not trying to make anyone's decisions for them. I obviously couldn't wait to read this one, so, I'll just suffer quietly. Rating: 4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. Because of that ending. I love/hate it. I love this book though. It's definitely a favorite so far (despite not earning a 5-star rating), and I can't wait to read the novellas, and the sequel novel! In 2016. Ugh.

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If you follow me on Twitter, you already know I love The Orphan Queen. Actually, love isn't a strong enough word. I've loved hundreds of books, but few have ever reached this level of feverish adoration/ worship/ LOOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEE. The kind of love that required me to pre-order it after just a few chapters, to jump into every conversation where it's mentioned and to yell all over Twitter demanding everyone buy it. Speaking of this, YOU'VE BOUGHT THE ORPHAN QUEEN RIGHT? GO ON. I'LL WAIT. Young deposed royal fighting to regain her kingdom has become a pretty popular trope in YA fantasy lately but Meadows brings her own unique and fresh take and IT. IS. GLORIOUS. While Wil's kingdom, Aecor, was conquered by the Indigo Kingdom a decade ago, and Wil has now infiltrated their court to spy, they are by far the lesser of the dangers Wil is facing. The real danger comes from the toxic wraith created by people using magic that is slowly destroying the world. Magic Wil can use but doesn't fully understand and gah I really can't talk about the plot without spoilers and nobody wants that. But there is much spying and fighting and twisty turning things with a splash of political intrigue and I enjoyed every minute of. The story is engaging, the pacing is perfect and I wanted to live in this world forever. Another thing I adored was how the world-building is created in a way that never feels info-dumpy or slow. The culture of The Indigo Kingdom is very well developed and thoroughly detailed with unique customs, superstitions, sayings and even gestures that made it easy to believe that this could be a real place which in turn made it easy for me to fully immerse myself in the world. A lot of this world-building is shown through Wil's interactions with other characters which worked really well for me because I never felt bored by it or distracted from the other elements of the story. The magic system is very intriguing and really my only complaint is that I felt like we didn't get enough of an explanation of how it works or why using magic creates the wraith. This lack of explanation didn't distract from the story being told at all though. The character development is utterly masterful. Even the minor characters are realistic and complex and fascinating. Wil is the kind of heroine I love best in the world. She's fierce and brave and strong and smart while still having flaws and the kind of insecurities about her ability to be a good Queen that make you know she'll be a great one. She's also hilarious and I love it. She cares so deeply for the rest of the Ospreys and is so loyal to them (even though some of them really don't deserve it), you can't help but root for her. I may also be half in love with her. Which only took about 12 pages but seriously, how could you not be in love with her after this? "Do I look like a thief to you?" I reached for a look of innocence. "You look dangerous." I shot a smile. "Thank you." Before I considered the wisdom, I pulled a dagger and threw it. -ARC page 12 AND BLACK KNIFE. MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE. He is everything. Seriously. I really can't talk about him without spoiling a lot of things but I loved his characterization so much. Him and Wil are one of my favorite ships of all time. I love the complexity of their relationship (even the painful stuff) and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Also, this book features one of the hottest, swooniest kisses of all time because Meadows is the master of kissing scenes. Basically, this book has everything you could ever want: Great characters worth rooting for, an intriguing world, bad-ass fight scenes, delicious kissing, adventure and terrifying magic and you should be buying it and reading it right this second. PS: THAT ENDING IS CRIMINAL. CRIM.I.NAL.

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Dear Internet, First I want to tell you how excited I was to read The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows I really liked her New Soul series and this one sounded even better. I was sucked into The Orphan Queen from the very first page and was so glad that I started it on a weekend as I could devote all my time to its pages. THis is a world at war not just with other kingdoms, with the King of Skyvale looking to dominate those around him but its slowly being swallowed up by the dark. Demons and wraiths and darkness just eating up everything in its path and nothing seems to be able to stop it. Though one girl, Wilhemina is determined to try. She is on a mission to take back her kingdom and to also stop the dark once and for all. Not an easy task by any means but if anyone can do it, its Wil. Wil is a total badass and is quite skilled with a knife and most other weapons. She’s smart and a gifted liar and a forger and does whatever it takes in order to survive for in this world she is a fugitive not just because she can do magic but because she’s one of few noble survivors from her kingdom. I loved everything about this girl. She’s scary and feisty and snarky all in one and she’s definitely someone you’d want to be on your side in a fight. My other favorite character was the Black Knife and I just loved all the scenes that he and Wil had together. Especially the Spider-man scene. Oh that scene!!! Orphan Queen Quote The Orphan Queen is a book that kept me on the edge of my seat and I group it in with some of my favorite fantasy reads. There is just so much to love about this book and this world and its characters and if the damn thing didn’t break off a piece of my soul then it would be darn near perfect. That’s right, Internet, this book will break you. It will wound you in ways that you wouldn’t think possible and leave you in a gooey mess on the floor. And then…just when you think things will be getting better Meadows draws out her sword and just slays you all over again even worse than before. If I wasn’t such a broken wreck of a person then I probably would have sobbed uncontrollably at the end of The Orphan Queen. But instead I was shocked to the core and just sat for a bit in stunned silence staring at the last blank page in frustration as there were no more words. Then I may have hugged my book and contemplated tossing it across the room a few times only to stop at the last moment and hug it some more. You know me internet. You know how hard I can be on fantasy so believe me when I tell you that Jodi Meadows hits all the right notes with The Orphan Queen. Its a solid piece of writing and world building and I just long for more. I am desperate for more and the wait until the The Mirror King is going to be a long and excruciating wait indeed. But even with the killer ending The Orphan Queen is so worth all the pain and heartache to read the words within its pages. I know this is a book that I’ll re-read often and its one that I can’t recommend enough to all lovers of fantasy. ***As originally posted on www.tickettoanywhere.net***