Suspense, World-building, and Plot Twists, Galore!
This book is a whirlwind! Scholte is the master of plot twists, let me tell you. Haha let’s dive in!
We’re going to start with the pros today! (in no particular order)
The World:
The world was definitely my favorite aspect of this novel! First of all, it is so unique! Basically there are four different quadrants, ruled by (you guessed it) four different queens. Each quadrant excels in a different area: Toria the center of trade, Ludia the quadrant of extravagance, Archia the island of agriculture, and Eonia the quadrant of futuristic technology. They are almost completely separated, and it is difficult and not quite socially acceptable to travel to a different quadrant besides your own.
I have to say, I was never confused at what quadrant was what and what queen ruled which one. Scholte outlined that clearly and early, which was a smart move on her part because the information was solidified in my mind and I was ready to dive in to the world.
I also love how Scholte portrayed each quadrant and their differences. I just found the world so intriguing and unique, and I’m praying Scholte is planning more books in this world!
The Genre:
Another unique aspect of this book is the premise: it bends genres like a pro! I already talked a little about the uniqueness of the world, but the plot of Four Dead Queens is definitely different than any plot I’ve read! It’s an amazing mix of fantasy and murder mystery, with a larger focus on the mystery than any other storyline I’ve seen. I really liked how different it felt from typical fantasies (though I love a typical fantasy ;) ), and it was so harrowing trying to figure out the murderer - which leads me to my next pro…
The PLOT TWISTS!
OMG I think I have a new queen of plot twists (sorry Sarah J Maas and Victoria Aveyard, you still have a place in my heart). Seriously, the first few “plot twists” I was like yeah, I saw that coming. But then, BUT THEN, oh my goodness, the last fourth of the book I felt like I was on a literal rollercoaster! I did not see anything coming, and I applaud Scholte with everything I’ve got because that takes a lot nowadays with all the books I’ve read ;) . But jokes aside, the twists were so skillfully done, and I was constantly surprised.
The Romance:
Last but not least, the romance! As far as I can remember, I really enjoyed the romance! It wasn’t instalove, but it wasn’t just slowburn lust either, you know? It was super sweet and real, and I felt the characters really fit together. And not just the main characters - the queens had awesome relationships in general and I loved uncovering more about their backstories and all the secrets they were keeping… but more on that later ;)
On to the cons, because there were a few, unfortunately:
(But keep reading because you need to get to the end of the review!)
The Organization of the Chapters:
At first, I loved how the chapters were organized: we alternated between the queens’ perspectives (and their murders *gasp*) and the perspective of our main character Keralie. And it was great! I was constantly on the edge of my seat, ready for the next chapter. But then something was revealed (which I obviously can’t tell you too much about haha) and I didn’t understand the organization up to then. Of course, you won’t completely understand me until you read this book yourself, but the chapter organization only makes sense as a red herring, but then after that is revealed, you’re like what did I just read? That honestly didn’t impact my reading negatively, but just some constructive criticism, ya know?
Characters:
Let me reassure you, the characters were great! They were super lovable and had great backstories, so that was definitely solid. However, the first of two problems I had with the characters was that they weren’t always consistent. Like, some of the things they said, especially the major characters, didn’t add up with what we knew about their personalities previously, if that makes sense. This was probably the biggest issue I had with the book, and it was a little disappointing; however, the characters were solid, lovable, and relatable enough that it didn’t hugely impact my reading experience.
The other thing with the characters was how their backstories were developed. It seemed more… abrupt than it should have been. Like, we discovered the main character’s point of internal conflict way too early, so it didn’t build to the climax that it could have. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the backstories of the characters, and I thought they were super deep and believable. And the development wasn’t super bad the way it was. However, I felt like it could have been better and stolen the show.
And I think that’s it! Guys, these cons are completely from a critiquing standpoint. With that being said, I enjoyed this book so much, especially with all those plot twists, and I recommend it very highly!
Au revoir!
We’re going to start with the pros today! (in no particular order)
The World:
The world was definitely my favorite aspect of this novel! First of all, it is so unique! Basically there are four different quadrants, ruled by (you guessed it) four different queens. Each quadrant excels in a different area: Toria the center of trade, Ludia the quadrant of extravagance, Archia the island of agriculture, and Eonia the quadrant of futuristic technology. They are almost completely separated, and it is difficult and not quite socially acceptable to travel to a different quadrant besides your own.
I have to say, I was never confused at what quadrant was what and what queen ruled which one. Scholte outlined that clearly and early, which was a smart move on her part because the information was solidified in my mind and I was ready to dive in to the world.
I also love how Scholte portrayed each quadrant and their differences. I just found the world so intriguing and unique, and I’m praying Scholte is planning more books in this world!
The Genre:
Another unique aspect of this book is the premise: it bends genres like a pro! I already talked a little about the uniqueness of the world, but the plot of Four Dead Queens is definitely different than any plot I’ve read! It’s an amazing mix of fantasy and murder mystery, with a larger focus on the mystery than any other storyline I’ve seen. I really liked how different it felt from typical fantasies (though I love a typical fantasy ;) ), and it was so harrowing trying to figure out the murderer - which leads me to my next pro…
The PLOT TWISTS!
OMG I think I have a new queen of plot twists (sorry Sarah J Maas and Victoria Aveyard, you still have a place in my heart). Seriously, the first few “plot twists” I was like yeah, I saw that coming. But then, BUT THEN, oh my goodness, the last fourth of the book I felt like I was on a literal rollercoaster! I did not see anything coming, and I applaud Scholte with everything I’ve got because that takes a lot nowadays with all the books I’ve read ;) . But jokes aside, the twists were so skillfully done, and I was constantly surprised.
The Romance:
Last but not least, the romance! As far as I can remember, I really enjoyed the romance! It wasn’t instalove, but it wasn’t just slowburn lust either, you know? It was super sweet and real, and I felt the characters really fit together. And not just the main characters - the queens had awesome relationships in general and I loved uncovering more about their backstories and all the secrets they were keeping… but more on that later ;)
On to the cons, because there were a few, unfortunately:
(But keep reading because you need to get to the end of the review!)
The Organization of the Chapters:
At first, I loved how the chapters were organized: we alternated between the queens’ perspectives (and their murders *gasp*) and the perspective of our main character Keralie. And it was great! I was constantly on the edge of my seat, ready for the next chapter. But then something was revealed (which I obviously can’t tell you too much about haha) and I didn’t understand the organization up to then. Of course, you won’t completely understand me until you read this book yourself, but the chapter organization only makes sense as a red herring, but then after that is revealed, you’re like what did I just read? That honestly didn’t impact my reading negatively, but just some constructive criticism, ya know?
Characters:
Let me reassure you, the characters were great! They were super lovable and had great backstories, so that was definitely solid. However, the first of two problems I had with the characters was that they weren’t always consistent. Like, some of the things they said, especially the major characters, didn’t add up with what we knew about their personalities previously, if that makes sense. This was probably the biggest issue I had with the book, and it was a little disappointing; however, the characters were solid, lovable, and relatable enough that it didn’t hugely impact my reading experience.
The other thing with the characters was how their backstories were developed. It seemed more… abrupt than it should have been. Like, we discovered the main character’s point of internal conflict way too early, so it didn’t build to the climax that it could have. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the backstories of the characters, and I thought they were super deep and believable. And the development wasn’t super bad the way it was. However, I felt like it could have been better and stolen the show.
And I think that’s it! Guys, these cons are completely from a critiquing standpoint. With that being said, I enjoyed this book so much, especially with all those plot twists, and I recommend it very highly!
Au revoir!