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katara
Queen of Deception by May Freighter
Series:
Empire of Shattered Crowns
Genre:
Isakei'd, Japanese Fiction, Fantasy, BookSirens, Book Series, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Third Person Point of View, Asian Comics, Manga, Manhwa, Manhua
Publication Date:
August 31, 2023
Pages Numbers:
246
Read Date:
August 19th, 2023
Date Finished:
August 20th, 2023
Rating:
5/5
Blurb:
If you were offered a second life, would you take it?
Emilia died. She thought it was all over but then she opens her eyes and realizes she’s a child with all the memories of her past life and her eidetic memory intact.
Not just that. She’s now living in a medieval world that resembles her favourite fantasy novel—The Cruel Empire. Instead of being a main character, she’s reborn into the role of a princess fated to die before the age of eighteen.
As years go by, and she realises she’s not waking from a dream, she settles into her new life with only a goal in mind—survival.
Having years ahead of her before her new life is cut short, Emilia pulls the strings and builds a network of friends that will help her with her goal—stop Prince Thessian from killing her with the rest of her despicable family and make him her ally.
If she can do this, she can rule to improve her kingdom’s conditions and support Thessian’s goal to become emperor of the neighbouring empire.
But when a side character messes with the main plot, what will happen to Emilia’s future now that she has no idea of what other events she has set in motion?
Review:
When I saw that this book was inspired by the manga/manhua/manhwa with the isakei'd theme I was ecstatic. I had not seen a novel have this sort of theme attached. Mostly seen in Asian comics but never tried out in American novels. So, this was exciting to see.
Our female lead has died in her real life and has been reincarnated into a character from her favorite novel, The Cruel Kingdom. Her character, a young princess named Emilia also known as the Cursed Princess, was destined to share the same fate as her own family, but with her knowledge of the novel's plot, she uses it to her advantage - gather her own network of people and offer the information on her family to the one destined to kill them - Thessian, Duke of Darkgate.
As she navigates through this novel, she must use her knowledge of the book's details in order to continue widening her alliance while making good on her promise to make Thessian the future king of Hellion.
But as she uses the storyline to her advantage, things are starting to change in the novel, characters never mentioned have begun to appear and the novel's story is beginning to change altogether.
It is finally nice to find a strong female character in the fantasy genre. It is essential for diversifying and enriching the stories and characters in the genre. It helps break gender stereotypes and encourages inclusivity, ultimately leading to a more significant and engaged audience.
It is true that strong female leads are not always found in the Isakei realm. More often than not, they are relegated to supporting roles or are portrayed as heartless villains that need to be vanquished.
However, Emilia is an exception to this rule. She defies the stereotypical portrayal of female characters in this genre. Instead of being a passive participant in her own story, she is an active character who takes charge of her own destiny.
In addition, while romance does play a significant role in the Isakei genre, it is refreshing to see that it is not the only driving force in Emilia's story. Her character development is not solely focused on her relationship with the male lead, but rather, on her experiences and growth as an individual.
Regarding the assumption that romance may begin to appear in the second novel, it is entirely possible. However, it is also essential to note that the Isakei genre is not solely focused on romantic relationships. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the author chooses to develop Emilia's story in future installments.
Final Thought:
To finally have Isakei coming into American fantasy novels is wonderful to see. I hope that this book will encourage other American writers to dip their toes into this particular genre. I would love to see it grow.
Similar Books:
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli
Wicked Coven: An Enemies to Lovers, High-Stakes Witchy Romance by A.S. Green
*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and BookSirens for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.
