The Shadow Queen

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 30 NOV 2015

An exiled princess with magic at her fingertips, an evil queen who wants to kill her, and a young king trying to save his people are a few of the central figures in this expansive reinterpretation of Snow White. Princess Lorelai wants the throne back from Queen Irina, who killed Lorelai's family nine years ago and rules Ravenspire by starving its citizens. Enter Kol, who ascends to the throne of Eldr when his family is killed by ogres; Kol can transform into a dragon, but his army can't vanquish the ogres alone. Lorelai and Kol find themselves at odds Kol has made a blood oath with Irina to take Lorelai's heart in exchange for her magical support yet are also drawn to each other. Redwine's (the Defiance trilogy) writing is fluid and sure, and she has created a fully imagined fairy tale landscape. The line between good and evil is always clear, with characters either good or terrible, which adds a certain predictability, but fantasy lovers should find it easy to get drawn into the story. Ages 13 up.