The Queen’s Rising, by debut author Rebecca Ross, is a YA fantasy that starts like a regency novel and ends in a female-powered Braveheart battle. Yeah, so it’s a little something for everyone. (Remember when Mel Gibson was hot and normal? How did he go from this to this? Is is just me, or does he look like a dirty santa?)
In The Queen’s Rising, Rebecca Ross weaves a tale of ancestral magic, tyrant kings and strong women. After her mother dies, Brienna is whisked off to a wealthy boarding school by her grandfather where she must choose to major in one of the five passions: art, music, drama, wit or knowledge. Brienna picks art but it’s not a good fit. She bounces between passions, like an undecided freshman, until she settles on knowledge. Three years behind her passioned sisters, Brienna finds herself in a pickle when graduation nears and future employers arrive.
On the cusp of her eighteenth birthday, Brienna has a bigger problem: she’s reliving past memories of her great, great, great, great grandfather from a neighboring kingdom. I’m not going to lie, the grandfather flashbacks are a bit creepy but obviously (conveniently) relevant to Brienna’s current predicament. But if you don’t question it, the memories unravel a sinister plot that has brought tyranny to a kingdom for centuries. Unpassioned, unemployed and still naïve to the identity of her real father, Brienna sets out to usurp a tyrant and restore the rightful queen to throne.
3 things to know about The Queen’s Rising from the author:
Why I enjoyed The Queen’s Rising
The hot professor is hot. He is and it is and it’s just, yeah. Clearly no words. But seriously, the professor is well written and you look forward to every scene. The tension between him and Brienna builds like a fantastic regency novel. It’s deliciously good.
The Queen’s Rising delivers a well-paced mystery adventure. In full disclosure, the first act moves a touch slow but it has the hot professor, so you turn the page. Once Brienna graduates, the story takes off and I was completely invested until I shut the book.
Girl power turned up to eleven. Not only is Brienna a strong heroine but all the other women in the story. From the school’s Headmistress, the Maevana queens, the Kavanagh daughters and all of Brienna’s passioned sisters. Solid book to inspire and strengthen your girl pride.
The Queen’s Rising is the first book in a new series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys The Red Queen series, The Selection series or The Winner’s Curse series. This is a perfect Spring Break beach read. Also, something super cool on Rebecca Ross’s website, she created a Spotify soundtrack for the book. You can check it out here. Maybe I’m the only one geeking out over this but I love listening to the music that inspired a story. The Queen’s Rising just came out, you can buy it now on Amazon.
