Kirkus
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In the aftermath of an invasion, a newly crowned queen must save her kingdom—and her heart—in this follow-up to 2022’s Rise of the Vicious Princess. Raised to rule, Charis understands leverage and how to manage the many factions within her kingdom, but now she’s in exile. The inhuman Rakuuna took over her kingdom, killed her parents, and kidnapped her guard and beloved, Tal, in the process revealing him to be a spy and prince from rival kingdom Montevallo. Charis, accompanied by her cousins, who are also her heirs, must find a weapon that can defeat the Rakuuna, outwit those who wish to see them fail, rally their allies, and accomplish all this with nothing but their wits. Featuring far less romance than the first volume and with much of the excitement relegated to the third act, this duology closer may not please all fans. Charis, whose political acumen and ruthless facade pretty much define her, nearly misses some significant villainous plotting by supposed allies; at key moments her success owes almost as much to chance as any intentional action on her part, other than a final heart-first decision that solves the romantic subplot. The world is racially diverse and largely egalitarian regarding gender roles; despite some subtle potential queer coding of dashing cousin Holland (who tends to steal any scene he’s in), all depicted relationships are heterosexual. Unremarkable. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.