I think this is a good example of a book that requires half-stars in reviews! To me, it's more a 3.5. It's a murder mystery in a fantasy-sci fi setting, which is super cool! And it's a standalone, a rarity in young adult.
As glad as I am that it was a standalone, I think the ending wraps up too quickly and too nicely and this world which seems like a really cool idea doesn't get much development before Queens start dying so we never find out much about how it works. The villain shows up at the end, which means we never really get a chance to guess at who it is, and the villain's motivations seem a little 'moustache twirling'. I really liked the different worlds and the different personalities of those worlds, but because it's a standalone we don't get to spend a ton of time in those worlds. I'll definitely read another Astrid Scholte book to see what else she can do!
As glad as I am that it was a standalone, I think the ending wraps up too quickly and too nicely and this world which seems like a really cool idea doesn't get much development before Queens start dying so we never find out much about how it works. The villain shows up at the end, which means we never really get a chance to guess at who it is, and the villain's motivations seem a little 'moustache twirling'. I really liked the different worlds and the different personalities of those worlds, but because it's a standalone we don't get to spend a ton of time in those worlds. I'll definitely read another Astrid Scholte book to see what else she can do!