Book Review: The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books (Harper Collins)

Publication Date: March 10, 2015 

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 400 

Summary: This new fantasy duology is centered around a young girl, Princess Wilhelmina, fighting to reclaim her throne and restore her kingdom. However, a dark magical force, Wraith, threatens to destroy everything in its path. With magic deemed illegal in the Indigo Kingdom and a mysterious vigilante named Black Knife protecting the citizens, Wilhelmina must decide if exposing her secret is worth the risk. 

Review:

As the book title teases, the primary narrator is Wilhelmina, the orphan queen from the Kingdom of Aecor. Despite her tragic backstory, Wilhelmina is strong, smart, brave, and knows how to handle herself in a fight. In other words, she is the very definition of a badass heroine. Yet, she still has a lot of growing up to do in this story. She is faced with questioning old friendships, taking a chance on new ones, learning what are the limits to her morals, and deciding who to trust with her heart. 

Meadows has a fantastic cast of supporting characters in The Orphan Queen. There are The Ospreys who are willing to do whatever it takes to return Wilhelmina to her throne. We also encounter Prince Tobiah from the Indigo Kingdom who isn’t all that he appears to be. The most intriguing character is the vigilante Black Knife who is determined to protect the citizens by any means necessary. 

The plot is well paced and keeps you engaged throughout the book. Meadows does a good job of balancing the action moments with the quiet character-centric ones. There is also a mystery that is nicely teased until the reveal at the end. Meadows keeps her world building concise and told through flashbacks that also lends itself to character insight. 

Wilhelmina isn’t looking to fall in love when the story begins. She is wholly focused on getting her kingdom back. However, she does develop feelings for someone unexpected that takes her completely by surprise. I'm eager to see if this potential new relationship will develop further in the sequel. 

Overall, The Orphan Queen is a well rounded novel with a compelling plot, characters to root for, and an ending so shocking you’ll be demanding to read the sequel right away.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Reviewer: @perusingya (Amna)