Book Review: A Queen in Hiding
When I saw this book appear on coming soon lists, I waffled on getting it. The description seemed kinda generic, but the fast publishing schedule made it hella tempting for binge reading. Eventually, I made up my mind to get it, and I’m overall glad I did - it’s an OK debut, as debuts go, and I’m interested to see where it goes.
After escaping an attempted coup, Queen Cressa of Weirandale has choice but to hide her daughter, the Princess Cerulia, while she attempts to retake her throne and country from her treacherous minister. Cressa sets out to dispatch pirates and win the public’s favor, and Cerulia grows up with a foster family who has no idea who she really is. Meanwhile, a war is brewing to the south, as the fanatical and warlike Oro begin to invade the Free Cities.
Let’s go ahead and get some of the book’s flaws out of the way. A Queen in Hiding feels like a LOT of setup for the next novel in the series. There’s not much that happens here which is truly of significance, and so I’m not truly sure this book needed to exist. I haven’t started the sequel yet, but I suspect we could have started there without losing much.
It’s also immediately apparent that this is a debut novel, because there are “new author” writing flaws lurking everywhere in the text. The most egregious one is a strong tendency toward telling versus showing, which typically takes the form of characters having extended flashbacks while walking or thinking. I don’t generally have anything against flashbacks, but a lot of these are unnecessary and serve mostly to tell me what a character is like, versus actually showing me through an important scene or confrontation.
The most egregious example, which stuck out like a sore thumb, is a chapter with the Oro general. The general tells his wife about an unsettling experience earlier with the Magi, the fire priests who whip the Oro populace into religious frenzy. What I don’t understand is why Kozloff doesn’t just give us that actual scene — the Magi preaching, the general getting more uncomfortable. Why tell it in flashback? The actual scene would be far more engaging, and seeing how the general reacts in media res will help me learn a lot more about who he is.
It’s also important to note that the book’s description is a bit deceptive. The jacket copy says the book is about Princess Cerulia, but it’s mostly about her mother, Queen Cressa, for the first half. And HOO am I frustrated with her. My frustrations basically boil down to two things:
HOW does she spend so long prior to the book’s beginning being incompetent (or so we’re left to infer from other characters’ comments) only to wise up politically JUST in time to escape a coup? Seems awfully convenient.
After growing into her strengths and demonstrating her desire to actually BE THE QUEEN for several chapters, Cressa conveniently sails directly into an OBVIOUS trap, gets her husband killed, gets burned (though not badly enough to actually die), and then demands that her brother mercy-kill her. It’s not a remotely heroic death — she gives up on life. And that would be fine if Kozloff hadn’t just spent several chapters positioning Cressa as a hero. (Also, this happens about midway through the book, so this isn’t even a climax spoiler).
ARGH.
OK, that’s my flaws discussion out of the way. Now let’s talk about the parts that make this book worth your time.
Cerulia, also known as her alias Wren, is actually enjoyable and precocious as she transitions from princess to commoner. It’s a big adjustment for her, especially when literally nobody else knows who she really is. At the same time, she’s learning more about her special Talent (speaking to animals) and how to use it. By the time she emerges from her hiding at the book’s end, she’s grown into a headstrong, independent young woman, determined to survive and regain the throne.
The other character who ties Cerulia for most interesting is Thalen, a young scholar with an eidetic memory and a passion for keeping his country safe. As a scholar, Thalen gives us an interesting perspective into the novel’s worldbuilding, but his arc (which sees him join the fight to keep his country free from the invading Oro) keeps that worldbuilding relevant and important to the story. It’s honestly some of Kozloff’s best work in the novel; there’s a fine line between relevant worldbuilding and unnecessary info-dumping, and Kozloff keeps herself firmly on the right side while still providing a remarkable amount of info.
And the world’s actually pretty interesting overall. It’s not anything majorly original, save that women seem to be on fairly equal footing with men, but it has its bright spots. The brightest is definitely the spirits that serve as patrons for their nations. About halfway through the novel, you realize that the spirits are definitely not aloof and most certainly involved in day-to-day goings-on, to the point of having dedicated agents, and I’m very interested to see where that goes. If you look at my other reviews, I’ve said before that I love an overactive pantheon of petty deities, so you can just insert a row of eye emojis here.
On top of that, the plot never drags. Even if a lot of it feels unnecessary, it’s still very entertaining. There’s always something interesting happening somewhere, where that’s battles with pirates or invading armies or evading small-town bullies. Other than the marginally annoying flashbacks mentioned above, A Queen in Hiding moves at a breakneck pace thoroughout.
And because this book is more or less a prelude, the plot ends with some tantalizing hints of what’s to come — the next book seems like it ought to pick up considerably given this book’s final events.
So saying all this to say, A Queen in Hiding is far from the best book I’ve read, but it’s a solid debut. I’m interested enough in what happens with Cerulia/Wren and Thalen to come back for round II, The Queen of Raiders.
Grade: 3/5 stars
Memorable Quote:
“Last night, Mamma had told her, “Cerulia, I could enchant you. I could take away some of the homesickness, or your longing for Nana, your pets, or your father and me. Yet I shall not do this. You must always know exactly who you are and where you come from. You must always remember that your country lies in the hands of usurpers who wish us ill. They are the ones who sent the assassins after us that night, and they will be constantly searching for you. Remember everything, but play your part all the time. Your foster family’s fate depends upon it. The future of the Nargis Throne depends upon you staying safe and someday returning to Cascada.””
