Why has it been over 2-months and I am just now getting to this review? Because i am a trash book blogger, that’s why! I keep thinking I want to start a booktube channel, because it is so much easier to talk about all the books I’ve read, rather than writing full reviews. (Then I remember I hate the sound of my voice, so I don’t. LOL.) But I really do read so much faster than I write these reviews! But without further ado I give you my very late and probably sub-par review!

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Four Dead Queens
Author: Astrid Scholte
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Date Read: June 3rd, 2019
Pages: 413
My Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she’s one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

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I really enjoyed this book! I went in having no clue what to expect, and didn’t even read the synopsis. I wanted a complete open mind before starting, and I am so glad I did! Afterwards I noticed a lot of mixed reviews on this. People were kind of in between liking it and disliking it.

I personally found it to be a very quick read once I actually got into the story. The beginning was a bit slow, but it was filled with some really spectacular world building! The Entire Queendom is separated into four quadrants, and each is ruled by a different queen. They all rule together in one palace, but separately over some every different societies. Scholte takes the time to develop each section, and give you an overall sense of how the society operates and how each queen chooses to rule. It may seem tedious to some people, but I found the detail fantastic and I think it set the story up really well! I also didn’t feel like it had a huge info dump, but it gradually built the story and made it enjoyable to read.

We also have perspectives from each queen, as well as our two main characters Keralie and Varin. I found the diversity of viewpoints appealing because there is a lot going on in this story! Having so many people experiencing the same events really helped me put together what was happening, and give me a chance to try to figure out the overall mystery.

I tend to theorize what will happen next, or what the “big twist” will be at the climax, but sometimes I am caught off guard and shocked at the turn of events. This was one of these times. I was completely blind sided with the big reveal, and I really enjoyed being shocked and it helped me to get even deeper into the story. I also thought the ending was executed remarkably well. I felt that everything was tied up beautifully and I wasn’t left with a big what if, but with the a small sense of wonder. It was the sense of “happily ever after” mixed with a “you never know what could happen next” and I really preferred that mix over a flat ending.

The only reason I didn’t give this 5-Stars is I found certain aspects of the plot confusing/odd. The placement of certain factors or characters sometimes seemed strange to me, but overall it didn’t really effect the story in a negative way and I had a lot of fun with this story. It was unlike anything I have read before, and I would definitely read more Scholte in the future!

Thanks for sticking with me through this review, and let me know if you’ve read Four Dead Queens & how you liked it! Happy Reading 🖤