Series: Iskari #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Teen // Harper Collins
Source: Aurora Public Library
Kristen Ciccarelli’s distinct brand of lyrical, haunting fantasy continues in the companion to her bestselling debut, The Last Namsara. Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and Renee Ahdieh.
Where to Buy: Shop local! Find your local independent book store at IndieBound!
Goodreads Summary:
Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. Roa and Essie called it the hum. It was a magic they cherished—until the day a terrible accident took Essie’s life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne—was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa’s people had suffered.
Roa made him a deal: she’d give him the army he needed if he made her queen. Only as queen could she save her people from Firgaard’s rule.
Then a chance arises to right every wrong—an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa discovers she can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king.
My Review: 5 out of 5 stars!
Check out my full review after the jump! Click "Read More" below to continue!
"And for those of you who need to hear it: Real love isn't just stronger than death. Real love transforms the living; it transforms the world. Never forget who you are and the kind of love you're capable of- death-defying, world-altering love."
Let me start by saying that The Last Namsara was one of my favorite reads of 2018. I realize that Namsara was a 2017 release, but I jumped a little late on this bandwagon. Regardless, this series has easily bumped itself onto my list of favorite series ever (the only other series on that list is the Lunar Chronicles from Marissa Meyer!) and Ciccarelli has also boosted her way up to auto-buy. I will literally buy anything she writes.
The Caged Queen isn't necessarily a sequel to Namsara, but more of a companion. In Namsara we see a brief glimpse of Roa and her white hawk (her sister, Essie), but I was really excited to learn the companion would be told from her point of view and that I would learn more about her. The thing I loved about The Last Namsara was the alternating story line between the main story line and the short stories that Asha was telling. It was really incredible writing. This was somewhat similar, but instead of random short stories, Ciccarelli told us of how Essie became trapped in the white hawk in the first place.
The thing that most impressed me about Caged Queen was how I literally didn't know which direction the story would turn next. The last 30% or so percent of the book actually gave me anxiety because I didn't know how it would end and I kept asking myself questions and got so involved with these characters. Nothing was as it seemed, and it was wonderful. The writing, as I'm sure I will further impress upon you, is exquisite. It's lyrical, haunting, and stays with you for a long time.
Roa as a character really grew on me toward the beginning because, naturally, she's a bit of a bad ass. However, when I took a step back and analyzed the situation, I found that I couldn't relate to her struggle of wanting her sister back so badly that she would upend an entire kingdom and risk absolutely everything to have her back. I kept asking myself "when is enough, enough?" so I would say if I had to list some sort of con about this book, that would be it.
As for world-building, it was lush, intricate, and breathtaking (i'm sure); though there certainly was a lot of Jacaranda trees. I feel like sometimes it mentions them almost every chapter, but I think it was to remind us of how stunning Jacaranda trees are with their vibrant purple flowers. In a world that's almost all desert and dry- these trees bring a lush background to an otherwise boring world.
I'm really glad to see some of the characters back from Namsara and to know that their stories continued past the first book. Overall I would say that this book absolutely is a 5 star book for me. It caused me ANXIETY and any book that does that is a 5-star book to me! If you loved The Last Namsara, please pick this book up because I promise you it is JUST as good and I cannot wait until Skyweaver comes out next year!
Let me start by saying that The Last Namsara was one of my favorite reads of 2018. I realize that Namsara was a 2017 release, but I jumped a little late on this bandwagon. Regardless, this series has easily bumped itself onto my list of favorite series ever (the only other series on that list is the Lunar Chronicles from Marissa Meyer!) and Ciccarelli has also boosted her way up to auto-buy. I will literally buy anything she writes.
The Caged Queen isn't necessarily a sequel to Namsara, but more of a companion. In Namsara we see a brief glimpse of Roa and her white hawk (her sister, Essie), but I was really excited to learn the companion would be told from her point of view and that I would learn more about her. The thing I loved about The Last Namsara was the alternating story line between the main story line and the short stories that Asha was telling. It was really incredible writing. This was somewhat similar, but instead of random short stories, Ciccarelli told us of how Essie became trapped in the white hawk in the first place.
The thing that most impressed me about Caged Queen was how I literally didn't know which direction the story would turn next. The last 30% or so percent of the book actually gave me anxiety because I didn't know how it would end and I kept asking myself questions and got so involved with these characters. Nothing was as it seemed, and it was wonderful. The writing, as I'm sure I will further impress upon you, is exquisite. It's lyrical, haunting, and stays with you for a long time.
Roa as a character really grew on me toward the beginning because, naturally, she's a bit of a bad ass. However, when I took a step back and analyzed the situation, I found that I couldn't relate to her struggle of wanting her sister back so badly that she would upend an entire kingdom and risk absolutely everything to have her back. I kept asking myself "when is enough, enough?" so I would say if I had to list some sort of con about this book, that would be it.
As for world-building, it was lush, intricate, and breathtaking (i'm sure); though there certainly was a lot of Jacaranda trees. I feel like sometimes it mentions them almost every chapter, but I think it was to remind us of how stunning Jacaranda trees are with their vibrant purple flowers. In a world that's almost all desert and dry- these trees bring a lush background to an otherwise boring world.
I'm really glad to see some of the characters back from Namsara and to know that their stories continued past the first book. Overall I would say that this book absolutely is a 5 star book for me. It caused me ANXIETY and any book that does that is a 5-star book to me! If you loved The Last Namsara, please pick this book up because I promise you it is JUST as good and I cannot wait until Skyweaver comes out next year!
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