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Writer's pictureSofiya Pasternack

Review: THe Queen Underneath



Title: The Queen Underneath Author: Stacy Filak Genre: Fantasy Series: The Queen Underneath #1


Blurb Yigris is a world divided―where aristocrats in Above rule from grand palaces, and thieves, sex workers, and assassins reign in the shadowy tunnels of Under. When the leaders of Above and Under are both murdered on the same night, the fissure between the two opposite worlds grows and suspicion threatens to break the tenuous peace.


Gemma, a former orphan-thief and new queen of Under, and Tollan, heir to the Above throne, must salvage a truce to rescue the city. But they soon discover that the conflict is far bigger than two murders, as the city falls into an enchanted sleep and a cage of deadly brambles slowly ensnares the streets, buildings, and tunnels of both districts. With the fate of Yigris at stake, only Gemma and Tollan have the power to prevent another civil war from tearing their world apart forever.


What I Liked

Ummmm all of it?? Seriously, this book was such a treat. Political intrigue, magic, sneakery, kissing (etc), pirates... you can't go wrong. The two POVs by the two heirs apparent worked wonderfully back and forth, and Gemma and Tollan were refreshingly different and both great to experience the story from.


What I Would Have Liked to See

Can I say more Tollan and Elam? Because... more Tollan and Elam.


My Favorite

The juxtaposition of Under and Above, and the misconceptions about each that the other has. It was a great social commentary.


TL;DR

Thief-queen and uptight prince try to save their kingdoms from a mutual threat, while doing things without pants on (not with each other), stabbing stuff (also not each other), and falling in love (still not with each other). Great for older teens and adults!

 

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meet sofiya!
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Sofiya Pasternack is a mental health professional, the highly-distractible author of Jewish MG and YA fantasy, and prone to oversharing gross medical stories.

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