Book Review: The Impostor Queen

The Impostor Queen (The Impostor Queen #1) by Sarah Fine
Release Date ~ January 5, 2016
Margaret K. McElderry Books ~ Simon & Schuster Canada
ISBN13: 9781481441902
ARC received from S&S Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

The Impostor Queen reminded me a little bit of Disney's Frozen - now bear with me - but not in a way that felt overly familiar or predictable. The world of The Impostor Queen is a magical realm ruled by a young queen who is gifted with awe-inspiring fire and ice magic, in a world where magic isn't very common and the two types are not combined in such strength. And many of the characters struggle with themselves and their own identities. But that's where the similarities end.

1. Strong character development:
   
   Ellie's demeanor changes drastically over the course of the story, as she leaves the only life she's known behind her. It's a pivotal moment for her, because while she has clearly always been a curious person it spurs her to action and to finally start making decisions for herself. It can be tricky to write a character who experiences such extreme changes in just one book, but it's done well here in a way that feels natural and crucial.
   
2. A vibrant fantasy world:
   
   This is so important in fantasy books, but too often it's skipped over. Sarah Fine has put an incredible amount of thought and imagination into creating the world found in The Impostor Queen making it a captivating read in which it's easy to lose yourself as a reader. There are rules to magic and how it can be used, some of the politics are hinted at (and I'm hoping to learn more of later on in the series), along with secrets and mysteries.
   
3. A story that doesn't disappoint:
   
   It's fairly often that I read a book which I enjoy, but disappoints me in some small ways. Usually, it's because I feel the book relies on cliches or overused plot twists. I loved that The Impostor Queen didn't rely on any of these to keep the story moving ahead. For example, instead of having a love triangle, the romance in the story changes and flows naturally. And instead of dragging out the story with a ridiculous and unnecessary fight, the characters learn to deal with their problems head on. These are minor details, but they make for a much more enjoyable story. 

I've written about another one of Sarah Fine's books before, but I have to repeat myself here: Sarah is an exceptional author. She's talented and writes beautiful books which hold your attention and flow beautifully. She instills emotion behind each and every word and truly sets the stage for her story with the language she uses.

The only thing I might add to the story is additional character development for some of the secondary characters. While Elli stands out as a lifelike character, I felt that some (Oskar and Sig, in particular) could have benefited from more backstory and more dimension. I'm optimistic that this is something that will come in the future, as they're able to engage more with the plot on their own instead of relying on revealing more about Elli's situation as The Impostor Queen needed to do.

The Impostor Queen is a lively book, one that will readily hook readers for a satisfying read and left me anxiously awaiting the next book to learn more about the future Kupari and its citizens.

Review: Of Metal and Wishes

Of Metal and Wishes (Of Metal and Wishes #1) by Sarah Fine
Release Date ~ August 5, 2014
Margaret K McElderry Books ~ Simon & Schuster 
ISBN13: 9781442483583
ARC received from S&S Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

Of Metal and Wishes is an impressive re-telling of The Phantom of the Opera with an imaginative take on the story with characters and a plot that truly stand out.

1. A setting unlike any other:
   
   The fact that Of Metal and Wishes takes place in a slaughterhouse already sets it apart from nearly every book I've ever read. But I also liked how Sarah Fine included some elements with a steampunk and gothic feel to create an eerie, isolated world within the slaughterhouse. She doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of Wen's daily life and what she sees around her. There is racial tension (which plays a fairly significant part of the story) as well as issues relating to gender and social status. It's particularly interesting to see how those go hand-in-hand at times and overlap. The Industrial setting is also important for the plot, and hints at more to come.
   
2. Life-like characters:
   
   Wen isn't a stereotypical character. She has a strong personality and that's consistent in the book (which is important to me - it bothers me when characters act in a way that is seemingly out of character because it feels forced.) Likewise, the Ghost is an incredibly sympathetic character and one who shows remarkable development despite his situation. I'll admit that some of the secondary characters had fairly minor roles to play, and as a result they felt a tad underdeveloped. But they also struck me as realistic. I adored the romance in this book, because it builds achingly slow but that's PERFECT for the characters. It's the kind that never stopped playing with my heartstrings!
   
3. The Phantom of the Opera inspirations:
   
   There are a couple aspects of Phantom that are harder for me to understand and accept because they never really felt developed. Of Metal and Wishes doesn't suffer from this problem, and it's one thing I really loved about the book. The relationship between Wen and Melik felt so authentic, as did the unusual relationship between Wen and the Ghost. 

But for those of you who may not love Phantom as much as I do, or readers who may not be as familiar with it, this is still a perfectly enjoyable story. No background knowledge of Phantom is needed to appreciate this remarkable book. It's beautifully written in such a way that is clear to follow and descriptive. It's a story that stands on its own merits as opposed to relying on the original story by which it was inspired. 

Until I finished this book, I expected Of Metal and Wishes to be a standalone but I was very pleased to discover that it has a sequel set to release in 2015! I'm very pleased with that news. Yet at the same time, I loved that this book contains its own story. It felt finished by the end, but left a few loose threads hanging. And I'm so excited to see what happens next!