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The Rogue Queen

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King


*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

WARNING: Spoilers for The Hundredth Queen and The Fire Queen!


Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. . . .
Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void.
To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation.


Review
This book picks up right where the second book ends. For me, it was a little slow in the beginning and made it hard for me to get back into the world, but once that action got going I was drawn in.

These books have romance, but they are not about the romance. They are about women. Women who fight, women who make the best with what they have. And that really comes across in this book. First of all, what appears to be a typical love triangle is turned on its head. I really liked how King works with Kalinda and Devin. I love that Devin lets Kalinda be herself and do what she needs to do, rather than being stupid and possessive. Their relationship is refreshing to read and needed in a genre where often controlling and somewhat abusive men are idealized.

Plot-wise, it was okay. People move around and things happen to further the plot of the series and set everything up for the final book. But in terms of character arc, this book really shone. There were a couple very poignant scenes for me. The first is when Kalinda confronts the reality of the place she was raised, and what it really means for girls and women like her. That scene I feel like is the message of the book, if not the entire series. Kalinda's decisions are to better the world for other women like her. The second scene that punched me in the feels is where Kalinda faces the hate that she holds in her heart against Tarek, the cruel sultan who forced her to marry and fight. In the scene, she realizes the freedom and peace that comes with forgiveness. That scene made me cry, literally cry sobbing tears, and I feel it was the crux of the entire plot and Kalinda's character arc.

Overall, a very satisfying mid-series book. If you haven't read this series I would highly recommend it!


Rating
I give this book 3.5 stars.


Details
Genre: Fantasy, YA.
Language: None.
Sex: Hinted at, never explicitly or graphically described.
Violence: Some battle violence, never graphic.


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