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aseel_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this was an interesting read - read it for book club. I'm still trying to figure out my thoughts but I'll try to dot point this review, just so I have something coherent for our bookclub.
- the theme of colonisation and slavery was very in the forefront of the story. I've read plenty of fantasy stories that use them as part of their overall plot/message but in this book it was literally the whole premise of the book, which means you feel just as uncomfortable as if reading the colour purple or something by octavia butler.
- I thought the setting/world was really well done. it was Carribbean inspired and I found it quite refreshing to read.
- I am interested in the main character. she's very complex and I can't tell if I care for her or if I dislike her. I understand her motives very well but I'm not sure if it's enough to care for her.
- I didn't really pick up the plot twist but I did like it and thought it was done okay (bits were a bit confusing and didn't make that much sense).
- her Kraft was interesting but I think the way it was used to further the narrative was at times confusing. heaps of time she found out something but it wasn't written clearly that she was using her Kraft.
- the theme of colonisation and slavery was very in the forefront of the story. I've read plenty of fantasy stories that use them as part of their overall plot/message but in this book it was literally the whole premise of the book, which means you feel just as uncomfortable as if reading the colour purple or something by octavia butler.
- I thought the setting/world was really well done. it was Carribbean inspired and I found it quite refreshing to read.
- I am interested in the main character. she's very complex and I can't tell if I care for her or if I dislike her. I understand her motives very well but I'm not sure if it's enough to care for her.
- I didn't really pick up the plot twist but I did like it and thought it was done okay (bits were a bit confusing and didn't make that much sense).
- her Kraft was interesting but I think the way it was used to further the narrative was at times confusing. heaps of time she found out something but it wasn't written clearly that she was using her Kraft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Slavery
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, and Torture
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This wasn't the right book for me, but it's not a bad book. It has strong writing and a solid, interesting world. I thought the characters were well portrayed, especially Sigourney who isn't loveable but she's a compelling character. There was a lot of political intrigue and murder in this book, which isn't usually my thing, and there were a few things I didn't feel worked well but wouldn't have detracted from my enjoyment if I'd liked the book more.
đThe Gist đ: Sigourney Rose is driven by ambition and a need for revenge. She's the only islander with any political power among the Invaders who inslaved her people. She's driven to compete to become the king's next successor, but she has to stay alive to do that.
đRepresentationđ: BIPOC mc, strong woman mc, maybe m-spec mc
đ For readers looking for đ: Politicl intrigue, an intense look at racism and power dynamics, powerful female characters, interesting magic dynamics, ghosts? mystery and surprising endings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
kbergsten's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
ok7a's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Racism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
keatynbergsten's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book had a slow start but once I got into it I enjoyed it. I look forward to the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, and Slavery
stubbornlybookish's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Murder, Gore, Slavery, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, and Death
elissareadsbooks's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book because I really enjoyed Callenderâs âFelix Ever Afterâ and was interested in checking out more of their work! It is entirely different in tone, but a worthwhile read. Queen of the Conquered tells the story of Sigourney Rose, a young woman who lives on the islands of Hans Lollik Helle. She is determined to get revenge on the kongelig, who have colonized her islands and killed her family. To achieve this revenge, she believes she must wield power herself. The book explores themes of colonization, power, racism, privilege, and complicity in really thorough and interesting ways.
What works: I think this book does a lot really well. It takes on the hard task of creating a complicated and flawed protagonist. Sigourney feels fully realized as a character; her internal struggle consumes the pages. While Sigourney doesnât have a lot of action in this book, it makes sense in the context of the novel. Sigourney feels so trapped between wanting the power and freedom of the kongelig and wanting the love and respect of her people that she ultimately is rarely able to take action until she absolutely has to. It is painful to read. The worldbuilding is also well-executed. There is a rich history behind the characters and places in the book, which grounds the more fantastic elements. Another thing I found impressive was the way it explored the history of colonialism and slavery in the Caribbean, weaving it into the fantasy world. It is blunt and brutal.
What doesnât work: My largest issue was the use of one device: Sigourneyâs ability to read minds. I was excited to see how it would be used in her revenge, however, it mostly presented lots of background information about characters and places. While this showed off Callenderâs worldbuilding, it slowed the pace significantly, especially since so much of Sigourneyâs journey is already internal. However, I still found this a worthwhile read and am interested in the sequel! Iâm invested in how the characters of this world move forward following the plot twist at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Torture, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Child abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Trafficking, and Rape
mocaw_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Callender is an amazing writer, once you get used to their flow and style. People saying the protagonist is unlikable as missing the point: she is supposed to be. This is a gripping, chilling, and deeply emotional novel, showing the horrors of slavery through a fictional lens, written by someone who actually understands this pain - instead of white authors pretending they do. This book is a brutal, and honest, portrayal of the results of privilege and power. It is not a novel for everyone; it is not supposed to be. But you should read it anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
vickytx's review
Got to 50% and was just not looking forward to picking it back up. Felt like I was having to force myself to read on. Was really confusing at first trying to work out who was who and the relevance of all the different islands, none had much differentiation. Eventually I did get past that but don' think the writing style was for me. Life's too short so its a DNF.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
booksthatburn's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Queen of the Conquered is a meditation on colonialism and complicity which doubles as a slow-burn murder mystery. It handles discussions of race and slavery in a fictional setting better than I could possibly summarize in this space. Just... go read this one.
I'm frankly stunned by this book. I spent 80% of the book confident that I understood everything at stake, everyone involved... then the last part of the book just blew me away. I wasn't precisely wrong about the pieces, just very wrong about which ones were important. And that, I think, is part of the point. Sigourney spends much of the book chasing a prize which the others in power seek to deny her based on the color of her skin, wielding her own power often against the enslaved people on the island. The book conveys this tension so well and so subtly that it floors me.
The characters are complex and vivid, even filtered through the myopic lens of Sigourney's assumptions about them as the POV character. Her attention (or lack of it) is carefully managed by the author, she's not an unreliable narrator, per-say, but she is torn between competing drives and old promises. The world-building is really good, there's a lot of language specific to this book, particularly describing social relationships on the islands, but its introduced at a pace that was easy to keep up with.
I'm frankly stunned by this book. I spent 80% of the book confident that I understood everything at stake, everyone involved... then the last part of the book just blew me away. I wasn't precisely wrong about the pieces, just very wrong about which ones were important. And that, I think, is part of the point. Sigourney spends much of the book chasing a prize which the others in power seek to deny her based on the color of her skin, wielding her own power often against the enslaved people on the island. The book conveys this tension so well and so subtly that it floors me.
The characters are complex and vivid, even filtered through the myopic lens of Sigourney's assumptions about them as the POV character. Her attention (or lack of it) is carefully managed by the author, she's not an unreliable narrator, per-say, but she is torn between competing drives and old promises. The world-building is really good, there's a lot of language specific to this book, particularly describing social relationships on the islands, but its introduced at a pace that was easy to keep up with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault
CW for slavery, murder, torture, sexual assault.
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