Set in a fantasy world inspired by the French Renaissance Period, we meet Brienna, a parentless child sent by her grandfather to attend a prestigious boarding school for talented girls. Each girl is chosen by her talents: art, drama, music, wit, and knowledge; they master whatever subject they excel in until they turn 17, where they are then chosen by an apprentice to undergo further training. Bri isn’t talented in the abovementioned areas but was still accepted for reasons unknown, which makes it hard for her to pick a subject. After failing most subjects she settles on knowledge (basically history) during her last three years. Master Cartier Évariste, her teacher, prepares her for graduation – which is held on the first day of summer – so she can impress the apprentices visiting that night. If an apprentice likes a student they receive their Cloak of Knowledge (in whatever subject they mastered), graduating on to an apprenticeship. To Bri’s dismay she doesn’t receive an apprenticeship the first day of summer, so she’s withheld from graduating until the end of summer. During summer school she receives visions regarding the missing Stone of Eventide (a magical stone that belongs to the queens of the Kavanagh family of Maevana) leading the Dowager (Headmistress) of Magnolia House – the school Bri attends – to contact Aldéric Jourdain, an apprentice who is searching for someone who has visions regarding this lost stone. Bri discovers one of her paternal ancestors was cursed, which gives her the power to help the Jourdain’s find the stone, overthrow the evil King Lannon of Maeva and put Isolde Kavanagh – the rightful queen – on the throne, with the help of the Kavanagh’s, Merei (Bri’s friend/classmate), and Master Cartier.

Once your country overthrows their dictator everything should be fine, right? New government is appointed, everyone is happy, the country is prospering… Uh, no. In reality everyone is NOT happy, some countries go through a tumultuous period after a coup, cities may need to be rebuilt, and the people ally themselves with different leaders. Confusion – sometimes chaos – ensue. Ross builds a more realistic setting about post-coups in this sequel, which is better than the first book!

Even though this was her first book to be published, this was not the first book of Rebecca Ross’ that I read. And I have loved every single one so far. 

Even though I felt like I had guessed a lot of the story long before it was revealed, especially given the way certain things were setup, I found this story very captivating. It has those very heartwarming elements of found family and bonded friendships. There is a sort of instant familial bond built in here, which I found a little unrealistic, but it didn’t deter me much from the story. I also enjoyed the fact that our FMC isn’t the classic lost princess or gains magical powers when she shouldn’t, yet still played a critical role.. I also appreciated that the magic in this world isn’t intended to make the royals almighty and is cursed when used for violence - definitely an interesting twist! And who doesn’t love an animal sidekick 🐺

I am excited to see what happens in book 2, given the story was left very open and with no obvious cliff-hanger ending setup for the sequel!  Hopefully there is more magic in the next! 

✓ Found family
✓ Strong female character
✓ Storytelling vibes 

“So we rise to the challenge knowing that the victory is already ours.” The Queens Rising is getting a bit of hype here and there, and it has a wonderful cover, but this book was ultimately so disappointing for me. books need a hook - something that makes you want to read on. This book had no hook for me. I didn't care about the characters, and the entire plot is fucking spoiled by a family tree on the first page !. So if you're gonna read this, DON'T READ THE FAMILY TREE, I BEG OF YOU. SAVE YOURSELF. My favourite thing about this book was the worldbuilding. This book is loosely based off of 16th century Scotland but it had so many other elements interwoven into the worldbuilding that gave it lots of unique elements. The first section of the book is about Brienna learning to passion - passioning is basically choosing one element of society (art, music, wit, knowledge, dramatics) and then mastering it. The process of becoming impassioned, and the selection process between students and benefactors was interesting, I really liked how the world was set up here. I also think the court intrigue and politics that the action centred around were well constructed. The families and their histories were thoroughly explained and the court intrigue was definitely very rich. If you can enjoy a book purely for it's political intrigue and the way the characters have to maneuver around eachother you'd probably like this. But for me, it wasn't enough. I found the pace of this book so incredibly slow. A plot didn't even start to form until about page 180. Urgh. Honestly, my problems with this book are fairly straight forward: I didn't connect to the characters, and I didn't find the plot compelling. So it flopped for me. I also hated the romance. I dislike student/teacher relationships and it was so obvious what was going to happen. I didn't really feel the spark/chemistry between the love interests and so this element held no interest for me. Its also super fucking uncomfortable for me that the MC met the LI when she was TEN and has been apprentice since she was 14. Idk, it just does not feel good at all Overall, I don't know what to say about this book except I just didn't like it by the end I was reading just to finish it. If you like politics heavy books you might enjoy this, but don't go into it expecting a tonne of action because there is none ALSO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T READ THE FAMILY TREES IT RUINS ALL THE TWISTS

Perfect extension and conclusion for this duology. A little easier to get in to than the first book but once I reached part 2 I was enthralled and finished the book in 2 days. Sad to see the ending of this group of people but glad i was invited along

3.5/5 stars

I thought that I would like this book. Wrong, I LOVED it. I was going into the book with kinda high hopes, I'd heard so much good about it. It wasn't a lie. The concept of this book is very different. You can specialize in one of the 5 arts by going to a school and when you graduate, you get a cloak. That was all that I knew about it. But then the characters where introduced and I instantly shipped the main character with the guy she ends up with ( Don't want to spoil). I just loved it, and I can't wait for book two!!

Loved loved loved this book! Can’t wait for the next one✨

This is a beautiful, beautiful book. It comes together gently, with us getting to know the protagonist little by little, understanding her life, hearing her story, wanting to know more about where she came from, just like she does. And gradually the picture fills with more and more detail, it becomes more and more intriguing. We grow with the protagonist, feel what she feels, marvel at surprising turns, get excited and nervous at new challenges. Until the story takes on a life of its own and it becomes impossible to put down for even.just.a.moment. Through it all, it all comes beautifully alive: the setting, the voices, the individual personalities. I could see the library, the furniture, the various passions working on their final assignments and partying in the garden. It’s so beautiful, how the story takes shape so clearly, so vividly, without ever pushing the envelope, without resorting to cheap tricks, to emotional warfare and shocks (looking at you, Queen Maas!) but just plain.good.old.storytelling. I loved this book. The premise was interesting, but the execution was really impressive. I can hardly believe I managed to read this beauty before the hype got a chance to spoil it for me 😉 4.5 STARS P.S. Shout out to my reading buddy! Thanks for being so fun to virtually hang out with! 💜💜

This was a solid book. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I still enjoyed it. I have to admit I was expecting more action, and I felt the start was a little slow but overall it was enjoyable. I like Brienna, as well as all of her supporting cast. They were intriguing characters, if sometimes their storyline’s fell into place a little too easily. I can’t see myself buying these paperbacks, or hardbacks, but I will be continuing via ebook with the series. I’m intrigued to see where this series will go.

One hell of a palette cleanser hot damn

3.5/5 stars holy shit this book has an interesting plot and world and also magic system. you gotta love a queendom and how it will only accept women as their rightful ruler <3 I like Brienna as the story goes by, even if some of her actions or instinct are irritating me but hey, she's a teenager. what i love the most is the found family aspect and how they all accept each other as real families would, and the way Brienna finds her identity. the slight issue i have is the 8 years gap between Brienna and Cartier, to which I'm honestly not opposed, 8 years is okay to me. what's not okay is that Brienna was 17 when they start showing romantic inclinations towards each other... i wish Brienna is at least 20, then her role in the scheme and the romance would be much better. otherwise, i like their dynamic, it was cute and full of yearning

3.75/5 stars This book is actually quite amazing at portraying what comes after a rebellion and how it comes with its own challenges and obstacles. I like how it explores shifting loyalties, buried truths, conflicting morality regarding those who were just trying to survive, and how not everyone will accept the new monarch no matter how corrupt the previous one is. What I am slightly annoyed by is how the characters act sometimes, especially in the middle of precarious times, and I hate how easily swayed by the main antagonist, how easily riled up they are, and how they let him talk instead of not giving a shit. But overall, I like the conclusion and I was half hoping that this series be extended because the world is incredibly vast and the magic could be explored way more.

I loved the plot but until a fair way through this series, I thought that the love interest was an old man as it wasn't described well, this could just have been me though.

Oh well I guess I have a new book boyfriend🗡️🥀♥️

I disliked this even more than the last. Glad it's over.

LOVED IT!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars TRIGGER WARNINGS: domestic child abuse, mention of past spousal abuse, violence & gore, death of a loved one, mention of past rape, human trafficking It's super hard for me to describe why I enjoyed The Queen's Resistance so much largely because so much happened...but also not that much? This book, like the first book is incredibly character driven and relationship focused. There's politics and a bit of intrigue with a smattering of action and a dash of romance, but for the most part we're observing how the characters grow, change, and relate to each other as they do. Which is great for me, since I love Brienna and Cartier. But if you're looking for an action-packed whirlwind of a book, well...this probably isn't gonna be it for you. That being said, I really enjoyed it! WHAT I LIKED - The Focus On Family Of All Kind. One of my favorite things about this series is that it puts family front and center as the main relationship focus of the story, rather than romance. Brienna's family is present and involved and integral to the story. Further, Ross doesn't limit the notion of "family" to those who are biologically related to a person, but rather shows that Brienna's adopted family is just as legitimate as her biological one. It was touching to see Brienna's relationship with her father and siblings, as well as her and Cartier's relationship with "Thomas" (view spoiler)[(and his sister) (hide spoiler)]. - Seeing The Aftermath. I loved that The Queen's Resistance was all about how the aftermath of a war is never easy and can be as important as the war itself (if not more important). We get to watch as the characters grapple with the moral complexity of the concepts of guilt and justice and forgiveness and it was so interesting to see! I think it was in this particular struggle that we really got to see the characters grow and develop and it was beautiful to see how they rose to meet the challenges thrown at them. WHAT I DISLIKED Honestly can't think of anything here :)

I received an eBook ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I almost put this book down; I kept trying to read the first couple of chapters and I was not convinced by it. I think its partially to do with the description given on NetGalley which did not suggest that there was more to this book than a school romance and graduation. If I had looked at the blurb on Goodreads, then perhaps I would have been more inclined to finish it. However, after reading a few other books I decided to give it another go and persevere through it to see if it got better…. …AND DAMN DID IT GET BETTER. Ross creates a beautiful world without losing aspects of the story, leaving you lost in the book and the plot until you finish it. Her world is well thought out and allows for the political exploration which is often underdone, and the magical elements are brought in subtly yet powerfully. I loved it! Overall, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this read. Other than the first few chapters and the formatting issues of spoilers in the front, this book was a fantastic story with a wonderful world. I recommend this to any budding fantasy YA lover! Full review: https://mythicreader.wordpress.com/20...

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first. I still enjoyed it and I am glad I read it. I finished it in a day so it's obvious I didn't hate it. But I also didn't enjoy the story as much. Like the first, I did feel the plot was predictable. That's not a bad thing, I sometimes find too many twists and turns in a book puts me off. I just wish I had felt a little bit more tension over what was to happen next. I never felt concerned characters wouldn't make it through even though it seemed the author meant to leave us questioning. And once more I saw a big plot point right from the start. It felt so obvious to me reading. I'm sure it wasn't obvious for everyone but it made it almost feel like a let down when it was revealed in the book because I'd seen it 10 chapters before or whatever. I think my biggest issue was the characters often felt a bit flat. Especially the villians of the story. We never truly learnt their motivations. Sure, there was an effort to humanise some, but I think they could have been developed even further. It would have made the book bette to truly understand why things were happening. We were told something had happened or why someone was bad but I didn't get the why of it all. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me. I liked the book though. I enjoyed reading and did really want to see what would happen but I think with a few minor tweaks I could have liked it even more.

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars I won't lie, I'd abandoned this book once before as it felt predictable. I'd forgotten this until I went to read it again and it felt familiar. I was sort of right with my initial thoughts, this book never really surprised me with the apparent twists and big reveals. I did enjoy it though. I found myself speeding through in a little over a day to see what happened. There were flaws here, the character development was lacking and the world building could have been better. There was a lot of telling but I didn't always truly believe the emotional bits and sometimes the story would fly ahead and I'd be left questioning if I'd missed something because I couldn't understand how we'd got to where we were. That makes it sound like it was a bad book. I mean plot, world building and character complaints? What did this book have going for it? Honestly, it was fun. Sure, Brienna had me rolling my eyes sometimes and the plot and characters could have been stronger but they weren't bad. I wanted to know is more about them and I wanted to see how the book would end. I liked it. I've not read a fantasy book in a long while and this one was light enough for me to read without being overwhelmed by the world. My biggest issue was keeping track of all of the names. I have to mention the romance here. I use the word romance loosely. I'd picked this up as I'd been wanting a fantasy romance to read and had heard there was a romantic sub plot here that could probably keep me happy. The romance was hinted at often and was fairly obvious from the start. But I also can't really call it a romance because it wasn't developed too much. I know there's a second book so I'm hoping there'll be more there to really develop it. I also have to say the romance won't be to everyone's tastes because there's a small age gap but also there's an obvious power imbalance I didn't feel was truly addressed. I'm hoping it's explored further in the next book because I did have concerns.

Absolutely brilliant, I loved loved loved this book! It's got me so excited for the future of YA. Great writing, deep characters, excellent action and brilliant concept. I LOVED THIS BOOK.

1) The Queen's Rising: ★★★★★ See this full review along with others on my blog at: foalsfictionandfiligree.com I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! Content Warning: Violence, Abduction, Child Abuse, Sex Trafficking, Slavery, Torture, Death, Murder All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. I saw the fire stirring within her, ancient fire as if she were a dragon that had just been woken. A dragon that was about to rise, blot out the half-moon with her wings, and rain terror. Before I get into this review too far, I just want to say that this is a series that needs more recognition! Seriously! Not only does it embody a lot of the desired qualities in typical Young Adult fiction, it adds quality, meaning, originality, and so much more! I had received an ARC of The Queen’s Rising last year, and just immediately fell in love with the story and characters. The Queen’s Resistance only adds to the series, and deepens my love of it. If there was a single word that described this book, it would be meticulous. I know that politics may steer some readers away, but hear me out! The way this story is built, it must include political maneuvering, or else it will make no sense. It’s literally the entire point of the book--dethroned queen takes back her throne--it’s all about the politics! I love the way the author captures the intricacies of how politics play such a deeply influential, and very powerful role in societies. While this subject is certainly introduced in the first book, it manifests greatly and becomes much more twisted, dark, and central here. This series is a great example as to how nothing is cut and dry in politics, especially when certain folks only care about their own gain rather than for the good of the majority. Within relating and relying heavily upon politics, lies a strong sense of community. The community between characters, houses, and countries are both at times, heart-warming and gut wrenching. Ross does an amazing job at building just enough complexity into how the houses and individuals intertwin to make tangible, constant tension. It is within the walls of these alliances that strong bonds and stronger divisions breed. ”What had I thought? That Jourdain’s people would like mat once? That I would fit into the weavings of a place that had suffered while I had flourished on the other side of the channel? As I stepped into the castle courtyard, I began to wonder if it would be better for me to return to Valenia. I began to believe that perhaps I truly didn’t belong here.” The point-of-view splits between Cartier and Brienna. Both deal with their own issues among their new and refound families. Brienna deals with feeling accepted into her new family. So does Cartier, in a way, as he struggles to rebuild the House of Morghane. Along with other characters, everyone has a specific and influential role within the plot. Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I also had a few issues with it. One thing that I really would like to have seen more of was the magic. While I honestly love that this book has more of a historical fiction feel, I feel that there has been a missed opportunity with not showing more of the magical element, or at least a steady growth in its arc. There is scarcely any use of it, and only some mentions of it here and there. The second issue lies with Cartier’s character. I truly like him most. However, I feel that his character lacks. I want more from him, instead of him being more of background noise. I get that this book is supposed to be about the strong female lead, and strong female characters in general. However, you can’t show strength without opposition AND support from both women AND men. I think strong female characters are great, but I also want equally as strong male characters. Unfortunately, I feel like Cartier is just dull in comparison, and it’s a true shame. Even so, I really liked this book. It was a great addition to the series, and can’t wait to see where it leads! Vulgarity: None. Sexual content: Kissing only. Violence: Moderate. My Rating: ★★★★1/2 My Blog ¦ Bookstagram ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Facebook

See my full review of this book on my blog along with others at: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. Content Warning: Violence. BLURB: A vivid debut about a young woman who discovers that blood doesn’t define her and magic once lost can be recovered and restored. This book was simply sapid. I had received an ARC back at the beginning of this year, read it, but didn’t review it right away. Time passed, and I felt I could no longer do this book justice by writing a half-familiar review. Hence, the reread. I was elated upon closing its binds once again to know that I rate this book a solid five out of five stars again. The main character Brienna, is such an inspiring person to follow. Arriving at Magnalia House at a young age, she is privy to studying a particular “passion.” Art. Music. Dramatics. Wit. Knowledge. Magnalia was a place for a girl to become an arden--an apprentice student. However, Brienna isn’t a prodigy. On top of that, she’s only half-Valenian, descendant also from Maevana--the queen’s country. She doesn’t naturally excel in a specific category, which ends up putting her behind the others with only three years to study knowledge--her final subject. But perhaps that made me want it even more, to prove that passion was not just inherently gifted as some people believed, but that passion could be earned by anyone, commoner or noble, even if they did not have intrinsic skill. Under the guidance of her strict Master Cartier, Brienna studies day and night to hone her knowledge. Memorizing the long genealogy of families throughout the land, learning medicinal practices, and studying several other categories, she becomes well versed. When it comes time for her impassionment, things don’t go as planned. Moreover, she begins seeing visions of the past and experiences someone else’s memories. When she discloses these occurrences to the house’s lead mistress, Brienna is spirited down a road that she never could have seen coming. The Queen’s Rising was entirely refreshing to me. It dares to challenge ideas that a person is not who their parents are, along with debunking class difference equally a person's capability. I’ve seen mixed reviews regarding this book--that people think it slow. Let me tell you that everything is placed in this plot deliberately. What may seem “slow” to some was carefully constructed for what is to come. Everything is intentional. Everyone serves a purpose. Boy, am I getting tired of characters being placed in books simply to fill negative space. (By negative, I mean blank space.) This especially is seen with male characters in female-focused plots. I love that while females are prized, men too, have value. Gender equality is tangible. Blooming from this aspect, sisterhood is a theme throughout. So, grab your gals and gather round for this heartwarming read! Speaking of heartwarming, the romance is to die for. I love how the author portrayed the budding relationship between these two characters (names left out for spoiler purposes). A romance that is pure, simple, yet totally swoon-worthy. Lastly, is probably more personal preference than anything. The use of and appreciation for the arts permeates this entire read. If you have artistic tendencies, I think you’ll find this read vivid and tailored toward a creativity. I honestly found no fault with this book, and only have high hopes for The Queen’s Resistance. Vulgarity: None. Sexual content: Only one kissing scene! Violence: Some. In one scene the description is somewhat gory. My Rating: ★★★★★ My Blog ¦ Bookstagram ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Facebook