Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Fire Queen
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://emilyrking.wordpress.com/
CITY:
STATE: UT
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
Agent: http://www.stringerlit.com/; https://emilyrking.wordpress.com/contact/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Canada.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
AVOCATIONS:Her children, gummy bears, sharks, reading.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Emily R. King has built a career primarily within the world of fiction writing. She is affiliated with both a writer’s group within her own community, as well as with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The majority of her works fall under the fantasy genre.
The Hundredth Queen
The Hundredth Queen stars a young woman by the name of Kalinda. With no biological family to care for her, Kalinda has spent the majority of her life living under the Samiya Temple, a refuge owned and managed by the Sisterhood. This group makes it their mission to not only look out for young and orphaned girls, but also to raise them with one life goal in mind: to catch the eye of a wealthy Benefactor who will take them in as a concubine or wife.
Kalinda does not want this type of life for herself. She is more interested in staying with her close friend, Jaya, and living on her own terms. However, fate has other plans for Kalinda. On the day she is to be evaluated on whether she is better off residing at the Temple or being picked by what is called a Benefactor, she ends up drawing the attention of a rajah. He decides that she will be his queen—the final woman to join his other pre-existing wives.
Yet this position will not come easily to Kalinda. There are several other women who want to claim this position, and hold the right to duel with her for the title. Kalinda soon finds herself fighting not just for her place by the rajah’s side, but also for her very life. Along the way, Kalinda finds herself falling heavily for a young man by the name of Deven Malik, the leader of the palace’s guard. Kalinda’s potential marriage to the rajah stands in the way of their romance, and it is her attempts to hide her passion for Deven as well as win her place among the rajah’s wives that lead her down the path of further self-discovery. Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Laura Lehner remarked: “Fans of Marissa Meyer and Leigh Bardugo will find this new series captivating.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews said: “Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out.” Stacey Comfort, a contributor to Booklist, wrote: “This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life.” School Library Journal reviewer Faythe Arredondo commented: “This debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters.”
The Fire Queen
The Fire Queen places Kalinda at the center of further political and personal strife. The book takes place shortly after the events of the first. Kalinda stands in the midst of the wreckage of her old life and the home she has come to love. The rajah, who Kalinda was slated to marry, lost his life in the midst of everything. Now a new dictator has taken over the area, forcing Kalinda to flee and seek help in the form of Ashwin, the prince and heir to the late rajah. Deven decides to assist Kalinda in her quest, especially since his own life is now in jeopardy as well.
However, Ashwin’s help does not come free of charge. Once Kalinda and Deven are able to locate Ashwin, he issues Kalinda a brand new challenge. If she wants him to assist her in taking back the kingdom, she will have to win against a trio of competitors. While Kalinda does not look forward to having to fight yet again, she has no other choice if she wants Ashwin’s assistance. In the process of accepting and taking part in this challenge, however, Kalinda finds herself in yet another dilemma. Kalinda and Ashwin begin to develop feelings of mutual admiration for one another. For Ashwin, Kalinda’s command over fire draws him in and intrigues him. Kalinda, however, comes to view Ashwin as an extremely capable political leader, but is simultaneously torn over her romantic bond with Deven. One Kirkus Reviews contributor expressed that “this novel is for readers interested in seeing its protagonist use her powers and wit to smash the patriarchy.” On the Hypable website, Danielle Zimmerman remarked: “If you’re a fan of The Hundredth Queen, rest assured that The Fire Queen is definitely its equal.” She added: “It’s just as fascinating, heartbreaking, and exciting as the first novel, if not moreso thanks to the continued world-building.” A reviewer on the Novel Knight blog said: “It’s not a terrible sequel by any means and if you enjoyed the first book you’ll definitely want to check this one out.” Jackie Peterson, a writer on the Fictionist website, commented: “This book kept me interested and I genuinely wanted to keep reading, plus King’s writing style is one I truly enjoy.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 1, 2017, Stacey Comfort, review of The Hundredth Queen, p. 71.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of The Hundredth Queen; August 1, 2017, review of The Fire Queen.
School Library Journal, May, 2017, Faythe Arredondo, review of The Hundredth Queen, p. 105.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2017, Laura Lehner, review of The Hundredth Queen, p. 80.
ONLINE
Emily R. King website, http://emilyrking.com (June 5, 2018), author profile.
Fictionist, https://fictionistmag.com/ (September 20, 2017), Jackie Peterson, “The Fire Queen sparked my interest | A Spoiler-Free Review,” review of The Fire Queen.
Happy Ever After, https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (June 1, 2017), Joyce Lamb, “Interview: Emily R. King, author of ‘The Hundredth Queen,’” author interview.
Hypable, https://www.hypable.com/ (September 26, 2017), Danielle Zimmerman, “‘The Fire Queen’ review: A worthy successor to The Hundredth Queen,” review of The Fire Queen.
Novel Knight, http://novelknight.com/ (September 6, 2017), review of The Fire Queen.
Series
Hundredth Queen
1. The Hundredth Queen (2017)
2. The Fire Queen (2017)
3. The Rogue Queen (2018)
4. The Warrior Queen (2018)
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.
Visit Emily at emilyrking.com.
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You might find the answers you’re seeking below. Don’t see the answer you were looking for? No problem. Just click the contact menu to send me a direct message. Of course, while I’m more than happy to answer questions I get from readers, writers, and other inquisitive types, I need to have time to write books, too. So please don’t be mad if I’m not able to reply.
1. Are you going to make your books into movies?
The option rights have not been sold. Unfortunately, I have little to no influence on whether or not this happens.
2. Do you have any advice on writing?
Find a community of other writers and form or join a critique group. Read a ton…and then keep on reading. Write even more than you read, everyday if you can swing it. Accept critiques with grace and implement appropriate changes. Know your market, what’s selling and what isn’t, and comparative titles in your genre. Stick with your craft and don’t let anything or anyone deter you from your goal. The average author takes ten years from the start of their craft to the publication of their first book, but if you’re tenacious and work hard you will reach your goals.
3. Do you have any advice on how to get an agent?
Once you feel like your manuscript is as polished as possible, a great resource for finding an agent is AgentQuery.com. This site will help you find agents that fit your criteria with their background info, submission guidelines, and contact info. (Disclaimer: It is up to you to do your full research to make sure the agents you submit to are legit.) The site also gives you pointers on how to write a query letter.
4. When does your next book come out in my country?
Unfortunately, I have no control or knowledge of when/if my books will be released or published in any country outside the US, as this is handled by the publisher for each individual country. Hopefully, it will be soon!
5. Will you come speak at our event/school/book group?
Sure!…Well, maybe. I love speaking to groups about writing and reading, but it all depends on my schedule and the logistics. Contact me through the form and send me all the details of your event/school visit/book group meeting and we’ll see if we can make it happen. Thanks for thinking of me!
Interview: Emily R. King, author of ‘The Hundredth Queen’
By: Joyce Lamb | June 1, 2017 12:01 am
Emily R. King (Photo: Erin Summerill)
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Emily! Please tell us a bit about your new release, The Hundredth Queen.
Emily: The Hundredth Queen follows Kalinda, a sickly orphan raised by the Sisterhood. Her religion has a ritual wherein a benefactor may claim a girl of age as his servant, courtesan or wife. Kalinda and her best friend Jaya long to swear fealty to the Sisterhood and live out their days together in the secluded mountain temple, but that changes when the rajah comes in search of his final and 100th queen.
The majority of the characters in this story are women. Sometimes female characters in fantasy can be one-note (i.e. the damsel in distress or the mouthy tomboy), so I set out to write a book full of women of all mind-sets and varying levels of skill, courage, and intellect.
Joyce: Do you have any particular rituals that help you get into the writing frame of mind?
Emily: Reading a well-crafted book often puts me in the mood to write. But deadlines don’t always allow me to wait for inspiration to strike, so I set aside time to work every day. Sitting at my desk and closing the Internet browser on my computer is half the effort, but once I do, the words come.
Joyce: Do you write by the seat of your pants (pantser), or do you carefully plot your stories (plotter)?
Emily: I’m a hybrid pantser-plotter, so a pantor …? I outline the beginning, middle and conclusion of a story. While drafting, I connect the dots from plot point to plot point. Still, I like leaving room for character discovery and often deviate from my outline a bit.
Joyce: Is there anything interesting that’s happened to you while doing research for a book?
Emily: Yes! I researched gladiatrix, trained female arena fighters that inspired my sister warriors in The Hundredth Queen. After reading up on gladiatrix, I took a self-defense class. I came away bruised and sore, and I realized the women in my story are in much better shape than I am.
Joyce: What do you do when you get stuck?
Emily: Hmm … If I ever write myself into a corner, I go back through my pages until I find the place where I went off track and redirect. On the rare occasion that backtracking doesn’t help, I “talk it out” with a critique partner. Explaining my plot to someone else helps me determine what I like about what I’ve written, where I can improve, and how to move forward.
Joyce: What’s your favorite snack and/or beverage while you’re writing?
Emily: I’m an avid snacker, so I have to be careful what I bring into my office or I’ll gobble it up. I’m also a huge Diet Coke fan. I don’t go a day without it.
Joyce: Do you have a pet that hangs out with you while you’re working?
Emily: My cat Violet (who we call “Violent” because she can be, um, aggressive) likes to sit on my desk and watch me work. When my children are in bed, she lies on her back in her “otter” pose. She’s really pretty and sweet, unless she’s in an off mood, which admittedly, is often.
Joyce: Do you listen to music while you write? What are some tunes on your playlist?
Emily: I don’t often listen to music while I write — I get headaches — but when I do, I choose ’90s rock music. Silverchair, A Perfect Circle and Everclear, to name a few.
Joyce: What’s your ideal scenery while you’re writing?
Emily: I write in my home office, surrounded by pictures of my family and jam-packed bookcases. Ideally, I would write by the sea. I was born an islander, and spent most of my life just minutes from the shoreline. I live inland now, but if I owned a beach house … I would never want to leave.
Joyce: What’s coming next?
Emily: As of now, there will be three books in The Hundredth Queen Series, the second is The Fire Queen and will be out this September, and the third is The Rogue Queen publishes in February 2018.
Also, I drafted a stand-alone Young Adult fantasy that I have partially revised. I would like to return to that tale soon, a loose Pinocchio retelling with a dark, vengeful twist. No cheerful marionette dolls!
Joyce: Thanks, Emily!
About The Hundredth Queen:
In Emily R. King’s thrilling fantasy debut, an orphan girl blossoms into a warrior, summoning courage and confidence in her fearless quest to upend tradition, overthrow an empire, and reclaim her life as her own.
As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.
But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.
Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.
About Emily
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.
Find out more at emilyrking.wordpress.com.
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You might find the answers you’re seeking below. Don’t see the answer you were looking for? No problem. Just click the contact menu to send me a direct message. Of course, while I’m more than happy to answer questions I get from readers, writers, and other inquisitive types, I need to have time to write books, too. So please don’t be mad if I’m not able to reply.
1. Are you going to make your books into movies?
The option rights have not been sold. Unfortunately, I have little to no influence on whether or not this happens.
2. Do you have any advice on writing?
Find a community of other writers and form or join a critique group. Read a ton…and then keep on reading. Write even more than you read, everyday if you can swing it. Accept critiques with grace and implement appropriate changes. Know your market, what’s selling and what isn’t, and comparative titles in your genre. Stick with your craft and don’t let anything or anyone deter you from your goal. The average author takes ten years from the start of their craft to the publication of their first book, but if you’re tenacious and work hard you will reach your goals.
3. Do you have any advice on how to get an agent?
Once you feel like your manuscript is as polished as possible, a great resource for finding an agent is AgentQuery.com. This site will help you find agents that fit your criteria with their background info, submission guidelines, and contact info. (Disclaimer: It is up to you to do your full research to make sure the agents you submit to are legit.) The site also gives you pointers on how to write a query letter.
4. When does your next book come out in my country?
Unfortunately, I have no control or knowledge of when/if my books will be released or published in any country outside the US, as this is handled by the publisher for each individual country. Hopefully, it will be soon!
5. Will you come speak at our event/school/book group?
Sure!…Well, maybe. I love speaking to groups about writing and reading, but it all depends on my schedule and the logistics. Contact me through the form and send me all the details of your event/school visit/book group meeting and we’ll see if we can make it happen. Thanks for thinking of me!
King, Emily R.: The Hundredth Queen, Book 1
Laura Lehner
Voice of Youth Advocates. 40.2 (June 2017): p80.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
4Q * 4P * J * S
King, Emily R. The Hundredth Queen, Book 1. Skyscape, 2017. 300p. $9.99 Trade pb. 978-1-5039-4365-0.
This new fantasy series opens with Kalinda and Jaya, eighteen-year-old best friends, sparring in a courtyard of the Samiya Temple. The Sisterhood trains young women to spend their lives as the wives or courtesans of wealthy men known as the Benefactors, but Kalinda and Jaya would much rather remain together in their Temple home in the mountains than be chosen by a Benefactor and separated forever. In spite of their plan to perform poorly in their skills demonstrations, and thus be consigned to remain at Samiya, Kalinda is chosen to be the one hundredth queen of a powerful rajah. In accordance with legend, the one hundredth queen is to be his last, but to secure the position, Kalinda must battle to the death whichever of the rajah's courtesans wants to challenge her. Mysterious magical rebels, known as the Bhutas, and a handsome, young imperial guard combine to complicate her path to the throne, as well as teach her about herself and her roots.
This title offers a gripping plot with twists and turns, a unique setting, and strong female characters--a solid foray into the fantasy romance genre. Fans of Marissa Meyer and Leigh Bardugo will find this new series captivating.--Laura Lehner.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lehner, Laura. "King, Emily R.: The Hundredth Queen, Book 1." Voice of Youth Advocates, June 2017, p. 80. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497860391/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6bd59f17. Accessed 18 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497860391
King, Emily R.: THE FIRE QUEEN
Kirkus Reviews. (Aug. 1, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
King, Emily R. THE FIRE QUEEN Skyscape (Children's Fiction) $9.99 9, 26 ISBN: 978-1-61109-749-8
An exciting second installment in King's Hundredth Queen series takes readers from one disaster to another along the way to restoring the Tarachand Empire.After leaving the city of Vanhi, Kalinda and her party decide that they must find Prince Ashwin, as he is the heir to Rajah Tarek's throne. The prince summons Kalinda to Iresh, the capital of Janardan, a country that borders the Tarachand Empire and has taken in Tarachand refugees. Once there, Kalinda is asked to fight in another tournament to see who will be Prince Ashwin's champion to take back and rule the Tarachand Empire from the bhuta Warlord Hastin. After the previous book's tournament to wed Rajah Tarek, Kalinda swore she would never fight again, but if she does not, a foreigner will rule her people. She is unsure she can trust the other contestants to rule--or even Prince Ashwin himself. The plot is, predictably, filled with deception and intrigue. The narration switches perspective between Kalinda and her sweetheart, palace guard Deven, since they are separated for most of the book. All of the characters are persons of color, as the world is inspired by (but hardly faithful to) Sumerian mythology, according to the author's note. King treats the readers to stunning descriptions of Kalinda and her sister warriors' characters, even giving villains redeeming traits and hints of sympathy. A descriptive action-packed fantasy in a vivid world, this novel is for readers interested in seeing its protagonist use her powers and wit to smash the patriarchy. (Fantasy. 13-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"King, Emily R.: THE FIRE QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499572771/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=dd7a67ec. Accessed 18 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A499572771
King, Emily R.: THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN
Kirkus Reviews. (Mar. 15, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
King, Emily R. THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN Skyscape (Children's Fiction) $9.99 6, 1 ISBN: 978-1-5039-4365-0
Orphan Kalinda was left at a temple as an infant and has always been sickly with a fever, spending most of her childhood in the infirmary at Samiya Temple in this South Asian-inflected fantasy. Kalinda would have been content to spend her life there, but she is chosen to be the rajah's 100th rani--a dubious honor, as in taking a 100th wife the rajah is declaring himself equal to the gods. Her journey to the Turquoise Palace in Vanhi has its own trials. One of these is meeting a Burner: a supernatural being who can control fire. In Vanhi, Kalinda finds love and loss, and she uncovers secrets both personal and political. King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Kalinda narrates in the genre-conventional present tense, revealing to readers her resistance to the rajah's cruel manipulations: "if the gods have indeed brought me here, then they know that I will not bend to him. Not now. Not ever." A prefatory note states that Kalinda's world is inspired by but not grounded in Sumerian mythology. Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment. (Fantasy. 13-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"King, Emily R.: THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A485105136/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4f19b7ff. Accessed 18 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485105136
The Hundredth Queen
Stacey Comfort
Booklist. 113.15 (Apr. 1, 2017): p71.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Hundredth Queen.
By Emily R. King.
May 2017. 334p. Amazon/Skyscape, paper, $9.99 (9781503943650); e-book, $5.99 (9781503998650). Gr. 7-10.
Kalinda, an orphan girl, is a ward of the Sisterhood temple in Samiya and has devoted her life to the gods. Because of a long, feverish sickness, Kali lacks the skills of other temple girls her age, and knows that her life will always be as a priestess. Her world is turned entirely around when a benefactor--the rajah himself--claims her as a wife. Chosen out of many, Kali is ripped from her temple life, thrown into a harem at the rajah's palace, and told to defend and prove herself against the rajah's 99 other wives. Fiery Kali finds one friend at the palace--guard Captain Deven Naik--and their friendship soon becomes more, if only in secret. This romance could mean their deaths, and they must count on each other to finally become truly free. This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life. The ending is left open for sequels, and readers will eagerly follow Kalinda and Deven on their future adventures. --Stacey Comfort
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Comfort, Stacey. "The Hundredth Queen." Booklist, 1 Apr. 2017, p. 71. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491487988/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6e604147. Accessed 18 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491487988
King, Emily R.: The Hundredth Queen
Faythe Arredondo
School Library Journal. 63.5 (May 2017): p105.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
KING, Emily R. The Hundredth Queen. 300p. Amazon/Skyscape. Jun. 2017. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781503943650.
Gr 8 Up--An orphan girl becomes a fearless warrior and gains the courage to take down an empire. Kalinda, 18, has longed to find out where she came from and how she was brought to an orphan ward known as the Sisterhood. One day, the powerful Rajah Tarek comes to take her to be his 100th queen. Kalinda leaves her friend Jaya behind and journeys into a world where she is treated like a queen and threatened by the Rajah's 99 wives and courtesans. In order to become the next queen, Kalinda must fight to the death in a tournament against the other women who are competing for the crown. Along with her guard, Captain Deven Naik, she begins to uncover the many secrets and lies that she has been told throughout her life. It isn't until Kalinda loses someone close to her that she realizes how much power the Rajah has over the empire and what she will need to do to stop him from harming others. Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters. VERDICT Recommended for libraries where Kiera Cass's The Selection is popular.--Adrienne Sayban, Peoria Public Library, KL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Arredondo, Faythe. "King, Emily R.: The Hundredth Queen." School Library Journal, May 2017, p. 105. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491032170/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e94471f5. Accessed 18 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491032170
Written by Danielle Zimmerman | Edited by Donya Abramo | 11:30 am EDT, September 26, 2017
‘The Fire Queen’ review: A worthy successor to ‘The Hundredth Queen’
Kalinda may have escaped the clutches of her tyrant husband in The Hundredth Queen, but she really comes into her own as a warrior queen and protector in The Fire Queen.
About ‘The Fire Queen
In the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.
Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.
But as Kalinda’s tournament strengths are once again challenged, so too is her relationship with Deven. While Deven fears her powers, Ashwin reveres them—as well as the courageous woman who wields them. Kalinda comes to regard Ashwin as the only man who can repair a warring world and finds herself torn between her allegiance to Deven and a newly found respect for the young prince.
With both the responsibility to protect her people and the fate of those she loves weighing heavily upon her, Kalinda is forced again to compete. She must test the limits of her fire powers and her hard-won wisdom. But will that be enough to unite the empire without sacrificing all she holds dear?
‘The Fire Queen’ review
I confess: I haven’t been waiting months and months for The Fire Queen because I actually didn’t read The Hundredth Queen until I had a copy of The Fire Queen in my hands.
That being said, if I were to have waited for The Fire Queen, it definitely would’ve been worth the wait. This novel takes everything you love about the first novel in the series and expands on its most emotional aspects.
What do I mean by that, exactly? Well, while there is a lot of action that goes on during this novel (including a sort of Goblet of Fire-esque series of trials, which I’ll get to in a minute), the most poignant and important parts of this novel are the relationships that blossom and grow.
While we (very, very) sadly don’t get a lot of interactions between Kalinda and Deven in this sequel because they’re sadly separated for most of it, we do see a lot of development between characters who were just acquaintances in the first novel. For instance, the growing relationship between Kalinda and her former “sister” Natesa is one that would’ve seemed unheard of in the first book but feels so natural in this sequel. And then there’s the relationship between Natesa and her guard Yatin which becomes even more adorable over the course of the book.
In addition to building relationships between characters we already care about, author Emily King does a great job in introducing memorable new characters in The Fire Queen. While there are quite a few in the novel that are a force to be reckoned with (especially one that has a sort of explosive entrance toward the end), Prince Ashwin (the rajah’s son) and Indah (one of Kalinda’s new competitors) feel like they always belonged in the story. They become so much a part of Kalinda’s life and circle of confidantes that, by the end, you’ll forget that they weren’t a part of the first novel.
While the relationships and interactions between characters in this novel are top notch, the action is just alright. The trials that Kalinda and her competitors have to go through are interesting enough in and of themselves, but the reasoning for why they need to go through them is a little fuzzy. That and with all of the woman-on-woman fighting that happened in the first novel, it was a little disheartening to see it again (this time with women 100% fighting for a man rather than to try to just improve their quality of life, like in the first book).
That being said, the trials really bring out a different sort of competitiveness in the women than the tournament did. This time around, the women aren’t only great fighters but they’re also all bhutas, each with a different power. So the fact that they’re all fighting with inherent gifts and extensions of themselves adds a level of ferocity and intensity to every action scene.
Other aspects of this book that make it a contender for the top of your ya novels to-read pile are Deven’s storyline (which involves him interacting with a few members of his former guard) and the explosive ending. Deven’s chapters (by the way, did you know that this book switches between Deven and Kalinda’s points of view?) are emotionally rich and tense, but also tender and heartwarming at times. And the ending? Imagine the climax of your favorite Disney movie where the villain has risen at 10x their normal size and everything is going their way… I won’t say any more than that, but it’s THAT exciting.
If you’re a fan of The Hundredth Queen, rest assured that The Fire Queen is definitely its equal. It’s just as fascinating, heartbreaking, and exciting as the first novel, if not moreso thanks to the continued world-building.
And if you haven’t read The Hundredth Queen? Well, you’re going to want to rectify that ASAP so that you can crack open The Fire Queen.
The Fire Queen by Emily R. King is available now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local independent bookstore. Also, don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads “to read” list!
Review – The Fire Queen by Emily R. King
POSTED ON September 6, 2017 BY Austine IN Book Review
The Fire Queen (The Hundredth Queen #2) by Emily R. King
Published on September 26, 2017 by Skyscape
Pages: 286
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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In the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.
Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.
But as Kalinda’s tournament strengths are once again challenged, so too is her relationship with Deven. While Deven fears her powers, Ashwin reveres them—as well as the courageous woman who wields them. Kalinda comes to regard Ashwin as the only man who can repair a warring world and finds herself torn between her allegiance to Deven and a newly found respect for the young prince.
With both the responsibility to protect her people and the fate of those she loves weighing heavily upon her, Kalinda is forced again to compete. She must test the limits of her fire powers and her hard-won wisdom. But will that be enough to unite the empire without sacrificing all she holds dear?
Knight's Judgment
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Cover
Enjoyment
Overall:
This book was provided by the publisher (via NetGalley). This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Y’all may remember how much I enjoyed The Hundredth Queen earlier this year. So it goes without saying that I had some fairly high expectations for The Fire Queen but my overall impression was. . . well, frankly it was average.
I wouldn’t say this book suffered from Sequel Syndrome exactly but it didn’t suck me in like the first one. A lot happened but I didn’t feel the same excitement, the same tension. This might have to do with the fact that the plot felt very similar to the first book with a tournament to decide Kali’s fate. In that regard, it reminded me of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire where I can see the third book being the revolution to bring the story full circle. Granted, I liked the characters in this tournament more than the last but the plot structure itself was far too familiar.
This book felt more like a filler, getting Kalinda to the point in her character development that would set her up for the next book (not sure if the series is ending with the third book or not but it’s setting up to do so).
Kalinda was much the same as she was before. She’s a good character and constantly is at odds with her desires and her duty. And sure, she showed some growth this time around with her powers but that’s all I really saw from her. Otherwise, she felt the same as before and I expected more from her.
I really wasn’t a fan of Deven’s point of view. Half the time he just whined and moaned, the other half I wanted to smack him for being an idiot. His motivation to stay away from Kali (honestly his motivation for most of his actions) felt fake. I simply never understood it. Nor did I get Ashwin falling in love with Kali almost instantly. It seemed like he was just there to cause internal conflict for her to up the tension and I can’t say I was a fan.
I think the romance subplot, at the very least, could have been fixed by drawing the book out a bit more. Everything was rushed and skimmed the surface of the story rather than going deeper and giving the characters life and purpose.
Overall, though, this book wasn’t a bad read. I enjoyed parts of it and it wasn’t until I finished that I started thinking about the elements that I wasn’t a fan of. It’s not a terrible sequel by any means and if you enjoyed the first book you’ll definitely want to check this one out. The Fire Queen was good, just not great.
‘The Fire Queen’ sparked my interest | A Spoiler-Free Review
by Jackie Peterson on September 20, 2017 in Fantasy, Reviews
Note: This review is for the second book in The Hundredth Queen series. If you haven’t read the first book, check out the spoiler-free review here! Beware; this review will contain plot points from the last book. I won’t spoil anything outside of the summary from this book, though, so if you’ve read book one, you’re safe.
★★★★☆
I said in my review of Emily R. King’s last book that “I fell into The Hundredth Queen like a soft bed.”
It was a little different this time — It took me forever to get invested again, because I had to spend the first couple of chapters playing catch-up and trying to remember the characters’ names. That’s not a mark against King’s writing, it’s just a common issue with “book twos.” To be fair, I almost always have this issue with second books and this only lasted the first few chapters.
The Fire Queen was good. Don’t let the above tangent fool you. Perhaps it didn’t draw me in and enfold me from the start like book one did, but it certainly wasn’t boring or badly-written. Plus, if you loved book one, book two doesn’t really need to hook you from page one. You’re already in. Once I made it past the recap of the characters and figured out how much time had passed between the end of book one and the start of book two, King’s welcoming writing style resurfaced. I genuinely enjoy reading her writing, and that hasn’t changed.
Granted, the whole “Kalinda reaches another country, only to be thrown back into a tournament” plotline was a little strange at first. In the summary, it mentioned Kalinda’s “tournament strengths” are challenged and she is “forced to compete,” which kind of made it sound like King’s series would be formulaic, like reality TV. Rinse and repeat: Kali is forced to compete in a tournament, she prevails, she flees, she gets entered into another tournament… you get the point.
Luckily, the tournament Kali finds herself in the middle if is different this time. I won’t spoil anything, but these are more like trials than a combat-only tournament like the last book. As soon as I read “tournament” I was afraid the book would feel like a repeat of book one, but in a different country — however, that’s definitely not the case.
I think whoever wrote the book’s summary might need to make it seem less like a repeat of book one, and maybe use the word “tournament” less in the text so it doesn’t just seem like a plotline repeat. But the writing style, characters, and plot are still good. Especially the new characters you’ll be meeting.
This book kept me interested and I genuinely wanted to keep reading, plus King’s writing style is one I truly enjoy. A solid four stars (four an a half, maybe) from me!
The Fire Queen comes out on September 26, 2017! Order it from Book Depository to get free worldwide shipping!