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The Impostor Queen #3
The True Queen
Now that Ansa knows she is the destined queen of Kupari, she is desperate to find a permanent home for her people, the Kriegere, in the Kupari lands. But as the small band of warriors crosses into the foreign territory, Ansa loses her fragile grip on her newly-acquired—and violent—fire and ice magic and puts everyone, including her love Thyra, in danger.
Inside the walls of Kupari, Elli maintains the facade that she is the magical queen, with her secret—that she has no magic at all—on the brink of exposure every day. But as she tries to prepare the citizens to protect themselves from another invasion, unrest spreads as wielders like her beloved Oskar begin to lose control of their powers.
As Kupari grows increasingly unstable, with the land literally crumbling beneath their feet, and a common enemy once again threatening everything, these two young women on a collision course with destiny must find a way to save the realm and their people from total destruction.
In this epic conclusion to the Impostor Queen series, Sarah Fine’s sweeping tale of two fierce leaders imbued with unimaginable power and called to unthinkable sacrifice finally answers the question: who has the strength to be the True Queen?
Inside the walls of Kupari, Elli maintains the facade that she is the magical queen, with her secret—that she has no magic at all—on the brink of exposure every day. But as she tries to prepare the citizens to protect themselves from another invasion, unrest spreads as wielders like her beloved Oskar begin to lose control of their powers.
As Kupari grows increasingly unstable, with the land literally crumbling beneath their feet, and a common enemy once again threatening everything, these two young women on a collision course with destiny must find a way to save the realm and their people from total destruction.
In this epic conclusion to the Impostor Queen series, Sarah Fine’s sweeping tale of two fierce leaders imbued with unimaginable power and called to unthinkable sacrifice finally answers the question: who has the strength to be the True Queen?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2018
29 people are currently reading
1578 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Fine
55 books1,997 followersWhen I'm not writing, I'm psychologizing (really, I even get a paycheck for it). Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 18, 2018
3.5 stars
A super dramatic finish to the series, with some expected outcomes, both happy and sad.
Overall I still think the first book, The Impostor Queen, is probably my favourite of the three, but as a whole the series is quite good.
A super dramatic finish to the series, with some expected outcomes, both happy and sad.
Overall I still think the first book, The Impostor Queen, is probably my favourite of the three, but as a whole the series is quite good.
January 2, 2018
You can find this review and others at arctic books
I read the first novel in this trilogy, THE IMPOSTOR QUEEN, last year, and I absolutely adored it. Continuing into the second and third books, I am again incredibly impressed by Sarah Fine’s storytelling skills and unbeatable imagination when it comes to magic, fantasy, and political intrigue.
THE TRUE QUEEN brings both the characters Elli and Ansa together in this action-packed finale. I loved both women separately and I was so excited to see them come together in this novel. Their personalities are so different yet so similar, and I loved the tensions that came between them when they got closer to each other throughout the novel. The secondary characters were also pertinent to Elli’s and Ansa’s personalities, yet I do wish I could have seen more of Oskar and Sig.
The romance in this novel was present, but not overwhelming. For those of you who enjoy more action and politics, this one definitely improves upon those themes rather than the romance. I am slightly upset about the death of a certain character, but I did enjoy the rest of the novel.
Overall, THE TRUE QUEEN wraps up this trilogy incredibly well. Sarah Fine takes fire and ice magic, romance, fantasy, and female empowerment to a new level. If you enjoy any of those things, be sure to pick this series up!
Thank you to Simon for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read the first novel in this trilogy, THE IMPOSTOR QUEEN, last year, and I absolutely adored it. Continuing into the second and third books, I am again incredibly impressed by Sarah Fine’s storytelling skills and unbeatable imagination when it comes to magic, fantasy, and political intrigue.
THE TRUE QUEEN brings both the characters Elli and Ansa together in this action-packed finale. I loved both women separately and I was so excited to see them come together in this novel. Their personalities are so different yet so similar, and I loved the tensions that came between them when they got closer to each other throughout the novel. The secondary characters were also pertinent to Elli’s and Ansa’s personalities, yet I do wish I could have seen more of Oskar and Sig.
The romance in this novel was present, but not overwhelming. For those of you who enjoy more action and politics, this one definitely improves upon those themes rather than the romance. I am slightly upset about the death of a certain character, but I did enjoy the rest of the novel.
Overall, THE TRUE QUEEN wraps up this trilogy incredibly well. Sarah Fine takes fire and ice magic, romance, fantasy, and female empowerment to a new level. If you enjoy any of those things, be sure to pick this series up!
Thank you to Simon for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2018
I've enjoyed this series from the start and was looking forward to the last book. I'm desperate for more f/f stories, especially in genre fiction. But WHOAH there was a massive disappointment that came out of nowhere and completely ruined my view of the series:
I will not be reading any more of Fine's books. I am so hurt and upset, and I'm pissed that I wasted my time and money on 3 whole books only for this huge disappointment to happen in the 3rd book.
I will not be reading any more of Fine's books. I am so hurt and upset, and I'm pissed that I wasted my time and money on 3 whole books only for this huge disappointment to happen in the 3rd book.
February 1, 2018
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The True Queen is the third and final installment in author Sarah Fine's The Imposter Queen trilogy. The True Queen tells the story of both Elli and Ansa simultaneously, unlike the first two books, switching point of views seamlessly and alternating from one to the other in current time. If you haven't read the first two books, then I will be careful not to spoil anything that happened previously. However, in order to give readers an idea of what is happening, there might be a bit of a spoiler here and there because I need to truly discuss the two main characters that each had their own novels before this finale.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The True Queen is the third and final installment in author Sarah Fine's The Imposter Queen trilogy. The True Queen tells the story of both Elli and Ansa simultaneously, unlike the first two books, switching point of views seamlessly and alternating from one to the other in current time. If you haven't read the first two books, then I will be careful not to spoil anything that happened previously. However, in order to give readers an idea of what is happening, there might be a bit of a spoiler here and there because I need to truly discuss the two main characters that each had their own novels before this finale.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
November 18, 2019
Amazing feels
November 21, 2017
The True Queen by Sarah Fine is the final book of three total books in The Impostor Queen series, and it truly leaves no stone unturned. The True Queen is the most brutal and most relentless of the series by far, continuing upon previous tradition with The Cursed Queen (book 2), and its unforgiving and determined warpath by the Krigere horde against those who live comfortably in the surrounding city-states.
The True Queen tells the story of both Elli and Ansa simultaneously, unlike the first two books, switching point of views seamlessly and alternating from one to the other in current time. This honestly ended up making The True Queen my favorite book in the series, because having both Elli and Ansa together in the same book is absolutely otherworldly. While there is a lot of confusion taking place and misunderstandings that ensue in The True Queen, the resolution will leave you guessing every single step of the way. I did not know what to expect in book 3, but I was pleasantly surprised when everyone’s storylines began merging together all of a sudden with fiery explosions, icy blizzards and gales, and earth-shattering quakes.
While all of the characters in The True Queen are wonderfully written, I especially fell in love with Raimo, Elli’s beloved guide and mentor, and Lahja, the charming little Saadella. All of your favorites will meet with some on opposing sides, to determine the fate of both the Kupari and Krigere peoples.
Elli is the yin to Ansa’s yang, and vice versa. Your icy and wintry cold heart will begin to melt as Kupari falls into itself, collapsing and crumbling as tremors doom the small nation to pay for centuries of sins under the former bureaucrats, the exiled priests under the leadership of the lying and manipulative Kauko. Please make sure to pick up a copy of The True Queen in January of 2018 at your local book depository. For those of you who fell in love with Elli and who happened to prefer The Impostor Queen (book 1) over The Cursed Queen (book 2), The True Queen will cause your pulses to pound and your hearts to stop, as you witness both Elli and Ansa’s true coming of age.
The True Queen tells the story of both Elli and Ansa simultaneously, unlike the first two books, switching point of views seamlessly and alternating from one to the other in current time. This honestly ended up making The True Queen my favorite book in the series, because having both Elli and Ansa together in the same book is absolutely otherworldly. While there is a lot of confusion taking place and misunderstandings that ensue in The True Queen, the resolution will leave you guessing every single step of the way. I did not know what to expect in book 3, but I was pleasantly surprised when everyone’s storylines began merging together all of a sudden with fiery explosions, icy blizzards and gales, and earth-shattering quakes.
While all of the characters in The True Queen are wonderfully written, I especially fell in love with Raimo, Elli’s beloved guide and mentor, and Lahja, the charming little Saadella. All of your favorites will meet with some on opposing sides, to determine the fate of both the Kupari and Krigere peoples.
Elli is the yin to Ansa’s yang, and vice versa. Your icy and wintry cold heart will begin to melt as Kupari falls into itself, collapsing and crumbling as tremors doom the small nation to pay for centuries of sins under the former bureaucrats, the exiled priests under the leadership of the lying and manipulative Kauko. Please make sure to pick up a copy of The True Queen in January of 2018 at your local book depository. For those of you who fell in love with Elli and who happened to prefer The Impostor Queen (book 1) over The Cursed Queen (book 2), The True Queen will cause your pulses to pound and your hearts to stop, as you witness both Elli and Ansa’s true coming of age.
June 7, 2018
It's not cool to kill a (wonderful) lesbian character in a book series that is somewhat praised for its LGBT+ representation.
Otherwise, the plot and conclusion aren't very exciting either, and the writing is still rather dull and plain. I'd recommend readers to be content with the first two books to spare yourself the pain.
Otherwise, the plot and conclusion aren't very exciting either, and the writing is still rather dull and plain. I'd recommend readers to be content with the first two books to spare yourself the pain.
February 19, 2018
3.5 stars
Can’t believe I finished this in one day. Phew. What a journey. I’m so glad that I got to reunite with Elli after not seeing her for a book. I feel like she’s such a strong character, though I liked her better in the Imposter Queen, mostly because she sometimes acted like a brat here, always to Raimo, who was nothing but supportive and kind and didn’t deserve that treatment. But I’m so glad I got to see her again, she makes the series way better. I have to admit though, the first half of the book was a drag, with Elli dealing with politics and Ansa with her tribe and grief. The book finally picked up after Ansa and Elli first met each other. And oh my! Do I love their scenes together! It’s seriously one of the best things I’ve read in this series! And lastly, I just want to mention how much I miss the cave wielders, I feel like there’s just not enough of them in this book! And of course, my favorite, Elli and Oskar. I love them so much, I just wanted so much more scenes with them together! Overall, this was a solid ending for the series, though I did feel that some parts of this was frustrating , but it was a grand journey, bittersweet too. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes YA fantasy. It’s just soo great!
Can’t believe I finished this in one day. Phew. What a journey. I’m so glad that I got to reunite with Elli after not seeing her for a book. I feel like she’s such a strong character, though I liked her better in the Imposter Queen, mostly because she sometimes acted like a brat here, always to Raimo, who was nothing but supportive and kind and didn’t deserve that treatment. But I’m so glad I got to see her again, she makes the series way better. I have to admit though, the first half of the book was a drag, with Elli dealing with politics and Ansa with her tribe and grief. The book finally picked up after Ansa and Elli first met each other. And oh my! Do I love their scenes together! It’s seriously one of the best things I’ve read in this series! And lastly, I just want to mention how much I miss the cave wielders, I feel like there’s just not enough of them in this book! And of course, my favorite, Elli and Oskar. I love them so much, I just wanted so much more scenes with them together! Overall, this was a solid ending for the series, though I did feel that some parts of this was frustrating , but it was a grand journey, bittersweet too. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes YA fantasy. It’s just soo great!
June 15, 2018
Appropriate for: age 14+
I was so excited to see how the extremely different queens would come together and I wasn't disappointed. It was action packed but also talked about the importance of self sacrifice. No swear words (yay!)
SLIGHT SPOILER:
Too much kidnapping
ANOTHER SPOILER:
Love isn't fair
I was so excited to see how the extremely different queens would come together and I wasn't disappointed. It was action packed but also talked about the importance of self sacrifice. No swear words (yay!)
SLIGHT SPOILER:
Too much kidnapping
ANOTHER SPOILER:
Love isn't fair
Want to read
April 30, 2017I'm gonna read it, even though I only managed to get through like 100 pages of book 2.
January 13, 2018
This was a book I had been waiting for. I was sadly disappointed! When I invest in 3 books I do not want to end up crying throughout the book and feel hollow by the end. I just felt that this book left me with nothing to be joyful about for the characters I invested in. I am not a person who needs all happiness, I love a tragedy but not all heartbreak and my soul feeling empty by the end. The writing was beautiful and I got what was being portrayed I just will say it is not what I want to take away when I am done. Others may enjoy this much more.
Want to read
June 15, 2017Another absolutely FIERCE cover!
November 7, 2019
The True Queen (Imposter Queen, #3) by Sarah Fine, 374 pages. Margaret K. McElderry (Simon and Schuster), 2018. $20.
Content: Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Ansa has the magical power of the true queen, but she doesn’t have control of the land of Kupari. Elli has control of the land of Kupari but doesn’t have the magical powers. Elli is hoping that Ansa will rise up and be the true queen, but the warring factions of each of their people and the disruption of the land is causing trouble with the transition between the two leaders. Elli and Ansa will have to gain control of the magic they do have, maintain their leadership and try to find a way to unite their divided people.
This is the final book in the Imposter Queen series and it does have a satisfying conclusion. I liked the story line and I thought it was a creative idea, but there are some deaths in this book that made me super frustrated. Also at the end of the second book, Ansa lets a bad guy go for no explained reason and he is the main force to fight against in this book which seemed contrived.
Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...
Content: Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Ansa has the magical power of the true queen, but she doesn’t have control of the land of Kupari. Elli has control of the land of Kupari but doesn’t have the magical powers. Elli is hoping that Ansa will rise up and be the true queen, but the warring factions of each of their people and the disruption of the land is causing trouble with the transition between the two leaders. Elli and Ansa will have to gain control of the magic they do have, maintain their leadership and try to find a way to unite their divided people.
This is the final book in the Imposter Queen series and it does have a satisfying conclusion. I liked the story line and I thought it was a creative idea, but there are some deaths in this book that made me super frustrated. Also at the end of the second book, Ansa lets a bad guy go for no explained reason and he is the main force to fight against in this book which seemed contrived.
Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...
November 10, 2022
Me debo escribir una buena reseña aquí, espero hacerlo el finde
Pero fue demasiado entretenido leerlo, hasta no quería que terminara la saga, hace rato que no me pasaba algo así.
Estuvo intenso, es una lástima que nunca lo trajeran en español los de VRYA.
Pero fue demasiado entretenido leerlo, hasta no quería que terminara la saga, hace rato que no me pasaba algo así.
Estuvo intenso, es una lástima que nunca lo trajeran en español los de VRYA.
August 18, 2018
The True Queen is the conclusion to The Impostor Queen series and I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book - I definitely still enjoyed it, it's just that it pales in comparison with the earlier two books. Perhaps my expectations of this book were too high or there's something that's a little bit off about the pacing behind the series. In any case, The True Queen finally brings Ansa and Elli face-to-face as our impostor queen meets the true Valtia.
Ansa has finally learned of her true nature as the Valtia and has come to realise that she has powers beyond their imagination and that she is Kupari. However, this realisation doesn't mean that she's come any closer to accepting her destiny as the true queen of the Kupari and all the consequences that this would entail. Instead, Ansa's main priority remains the Kriegere and her chieftain, Thyra. But the same can't be said of the Kriegere that remain with Ansa and Thyra, in that they are no longer as certain about their future with them, now that they know about Ansa's strange ability to deal with both fire and ice.
Meanwhile, Elli is straining under the pressure of trying to hold the Kupari together. Elli has managed to continue the pretence of being a magical queen, despite having no powers of her own. The sparity with which she uses her magic has come under suspicion as well, because what good is a magical queen who doesn't use her magic? And to make matters worse, the land itself seems to start turning against the Kupari with earthquakes erupting sporadically. Furthermore, wielders such as Oskar are starting to lose control of their abilities.
I actually found The True Queen to be a little slow-going, especially the first half of the story as Ansa and her tribe make their way to the Kupari. I think this is pretty much characteristic of all the books so far, but I found it especially painful in this book because the reason why I was reading the book was to see the way that Ansa and Elli would interact with each other. But it felt like it took forever before we even got to that point, as Ansa has to manage intra-tribe politics before even getting to Kupari. I found Elli's interaction with the Kupari more interesting, in that we get a glimpse of the aftermath of Elli's ascension and how she has managed to keep up with the facade of being the all-powerful Valtia as well as the different political alliances that she has managed to cobble together to rule. Essentially, I'm not really all that invested in Ansa's tribe but I'm way more interested in the Kupari politics.
The highlight of the book for me is certainly when Ansa and Elli finally meet and combine their forces together. However, there was a bit of a contrived solution to what seemed like a totally impossible problem of distrust on Ansa's part.
Aside from that disappointment that I felt, I was a little annoyed a how the main characters' relationships had been sacrificed in the story.
Ansa has finally learned of her true nature as the Valtia and has come to realise that she has powers beyond their imagination and that she is Kupari. However, this realisation doesn't mean that she's come any closer to accepting her destiny as the true queen of the Kupari and all the consequences that this would entail. Instead, Ansa's main priority remains the Kriegere and her chieftain, Thyra. But the same can't be said of the Kriegere that remain with Ansa and Thyra, in that they are no longer as certain about their future with them, now that they know about Ansa's strange ability to deal with both fire and ice.
Meanwhile, Elli is straining under the pressure of trying to hold the Kupari together. Elli has managed to continue the pretence of being a magical queen, despite having no powers of her own. The sparity with which she uses her magic has come under suspicion as well, because what good is a magical queen who doesn't use her magic? And to make matters worse, the land itself seems to start turning against the Kupari with earthquakes erupting sporadically. Furthermore, wielders such as Oskar are starting to lose control of their abilities.
I actually found The True Queen to be a little slow-going, especially the first half of the story as Ansa and her tribe make their way to the Kupari. I think this is pretty much characteristic of all the books so far, but I found it especially painful in this book because the reason why I was reading the book was to see the way that Ansa and Elli would interact with each other. But it felt like it took forever before we even got to that point, as Ansa has to manage intra-tribe politics before even getting to Kupari. I found Elli's interaction with the Kupari more interesting, in that we get a glimpse of the aftermath of Elli's ascension and how she has managed to keep up with the facade of being the all-powerful Valtia as well as the different political alliances that she has managed to cobble together to rule. Essentially, I'm not really all that invested in Ansa's tribe but I'm way more interested in the Kupari politics.
The highlight of the book for me is certainly when Ansa and Elli finally meet and combine their forces together. However, there was a bit of a contrived solution to what seemed like a totally impossible problem of distrust on Ansa's part.
Aside from that disappointment that I felt, I was a little annoyed a how the main characters' relationships had been sacrificed in the story.
March 2, 2020
It took me a while to get into the first book, but by the end I couldn't wait to receive the next two books on hold from my library. I was excited for many things in this finale. It appeased in some ways and disappointed in others, but it overall entertained and ruined my day in a good way by making me care for the characters who were lost.
Characters do die in this, and Fine doesn't cheapen any sacrifices by pulling out a magical way to return them even if you wish for it in the moment. I was guessing the whole time. There was a character or two who I thought definitely had to be killed before the end only to survive, and then there were those who I thought were safe only to have them perish. As stated by others, there is the death of an LGBT character. There are cries of "Bury Your Gays", but it would be wise to actually understand what that trope is. I could say a lot, but for those who find the death infuriating or are worried about it going in to the story, I leave this quote from Palmer Haasch of the Minnesota Daily: "Calling 'bury your gays' each time a queer character dies [on screen] is unproductive and encourages flat storytelling. Queer characters that aren’t allowed to die aren’t fully fleshed out characters and reducing them to 'the [queer] rep' is gross simplification at best and tokenizing at worst. We should call for three-dimensional, well-developed queer characters. If they die in a way that makes sense contextually, that’s OK. Calling for their eternal life, however, is not." This series has been a gem of having numerous LGBT characters, which includes the two main characters, and I believe Fine did an excellent job of writing them and allowing them to be more than just representation.
The three main things that stopped me from giving this the full five stars are thus:
1) I went into this expecting much more Elli and Ansa interaction. They actually don't even meet until well into the second half where they're given little time to truly bond. Most of their connection is formed through the instinctive link of their roles and not because of real communication/understanding.
2) Most of the tension is this persistent cat-and-mouse. The characters begin to move together, but one of them gets kidnapped. Now this group begins to merge, but now this other person is taken. This person escapes only to find someone is gone. That sort of thing. It gets tiring and repetitive.
3) The ending fight is anti-climatic after all the build up. The earthquakes felt more stressful.
Despite these negatives, however, I truly did enjoy this book. The characters were convincing and charming even if their paths wobbled here and there, and that's what's more important to me. Each side, excluding the villains here, had their own legitimate view, reasons, and morals. I especially liked that they were willing to adapt and change them as they learned and grew. I'd be down to give this series another read one day.
Characters do die in this, and Fine doesn't cheapen any sacrifices by pulling out a magical way to return them even if you wish for it in the moment. I was guessing the whole time. There was a character or two who I thought definitely had to be killed before the end only to survive, and then there were those who I thought were safe only to have them perish. As stated by others, there is the death of an LGBT character. There are cries of "Bury Your Gays", but it would be wise to actually understand what that trope is. I could say a lot, but for those who find the death infuriating or are worried about it going in to the story, I leave this quote from Palmer Haasch of the Minnesota Daily: "Calling 'bury your gays' each time a queer character dies [on screen] is unproductive and encourages flat storytelling. Queer characters that aren’t allowed to die aren’t fully fleshed out characters and reducing them to 'the [queer] rep' is gross simplification at best and tokenizing at worst. We should call for three-dimensional, well-developed queer characters. If they die in a way that makes sense contextually, that’s OK. Calling for their eternal life, however, is not." This series has been a gem of having numerous LGBT characters, which includes the two main characters, and I believe Fine did an excellent job of writing them and allowing them to be more than just representation.
The three main things that stopped me from giving this the full five stars are thus:
1) I went into this expecting much more Elli and Ansa interaction. They actually don't even meet until well into the second half where they're given little time to truly bond. Most of their connection is formed through the instinctive link of their roles and not because of real communication/understanding.
2) Most of the tension is this persistent cat-and-mouse. The characters begin to move together, but one of them gets kidnapped. Now this group begins to merge, but now this other person is taken. This person escapes only to find someone is gone. That sort of thing. It gets tiring and repetitive.
3) The ending fight is anti-climatic after all the build up. The earthquakes felt more stressful.
Despite these negatives, however, I truly did enjoy this book. The characters were convincing and charming even if their paths wobbled here and there, and that's what's more important to me. Each side, excluding the villains here, had their own legitimate view, reasons, and morals. I especially liked that they were willing to adapt and change them as they learned and grew. I'd be down to give this series another read one day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2018
Now that Ansa knows she is the destined queen of Kupari, she is desperate to find a permanent home for her people, the Kriegere, in the Kupari lands. But as the small band of warriors crosses into the foreign territory, Ansa loses her fragile grip on her newly-acquired—and violent—fire and ice magic and puts everyone, including her love Thyra, in danger. Inside the walls of Kupari, Elli maintains the facade that she is the magical queen, with her secret—that she has no magic at all—on the brink of exposure every day. But as she tries to prepare the citizens to protect themselves from another invasion, unrest spreads as wielders like her beloved Oskar begin to lose control of their powers. As Kupari grows increasingly unstable, with the land literally crumbling beneath their feet, and a common enemy once again threatening everything, these two young women on a collision course with destiny must find a way to save the realm and their people from total destruction.
The True Queen is a conclusion, an ending for multiple journeys. It's a coming together of magic, of different people, and of danger. It's Elli and Ansa finally coming together, magic and balance reunited, but with the land tearing itself apart, they may not have long.
Ansa is on her way back to Kupari. The land of her birth, the land she was taken from. The land that's desperate for her to return as the Valtia, but she worries. Worries about her magic, about how to control it in order to keep her people and Thyra safe. Thyra has faith in her, but Ansa isn't so sure. Elli is struggling to keep things calm in Kupari, in a city that believes her to be their magical saviour when she isn't. When the ground starts moving, when fire and ice wielders begin to lose control, she's at a loss. She can only hope that the Valtia will come to them, will help restore the magic. But danger is always waiting for its time to strike.
What happens in this book are multiple struggles, for survival, for power, and for control. Both Ansa and Elli will do whatever it takes to keep the land whole, to keep everyone alive, to keep everyone they care about alive. But the land is making its demands. This was certainly a conclusion that didn't pull its punches, that made impossible demands of the characters. I don't know if it made me happy, but I do think it made sense in terms of the overall story. Hard choices have to be made.
(I borrowed a copy of this title from the library.)
The True Queen is a conclusion, an ending for multiple journeys. It's a coming together of magic, of different people, and of danger. It's Elli and Ansa finally coming together, magic and balance reunited, but with the land tearing itself apart, they may not have long.
Ansa is on her way back to Kupari. The land of her birth, the land she was taken from. The land that's desperate for her to return as the Valtia, but she worries. Worries about her magic, about how to control it in order to keep her people and Thyra safe. Thyra has faith in her, but Ansa isn't so sure. Elli is struggling to keep things calm in Kupari, in a city that believes her to be their magical saviour when she isn't. When the ground starts moving, when fire and ice wielders begin to lose control, she's at a loss. She can only hope that the Valtia will come to them, will help restore the magic. But danger is always waiting for its time to strike.
What happens in this book are multiple struggles, for survival, for power, and for control. Both Ansa and Elli will do whatever it takes to keep the land whole, to keep everyone alive, to keep everyone they care about alive. But the land is making its demands. This was certainly a conclusion that didn't pull its punches, that made impossible demands of the characters. I don't know if it made me happy, but I do think it made sense in terms of the overall story. Hard choices have to be made.
(I borrowed a copy of this title from the library.)
December 29, 2017
YAY, what a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the Impostor Queen series! The prophecy of the most powerful Valtia (Queen) has come true. However, it is shared between two, Elli who has been groomed to rule the Kupari kingdom her entire life, and Ansa, a fierce Krigere warrior. (Did they remind anyone else of Sansa and Arya?)Both of them share an unwavering loyalty to their people. They also have a shared enemy – a manipulative, bloodthirsty, and power hungry Kupari priest set on destroying Ansa and Elli, and using their power to rule.
The conclusion is told in alternating chapters through Ansa and Elli’s perspective in the same time and space. Whereas, the previous two novels were told through a single point of view, which highlighted the two female protagonists very different upbringings, strength of character, and motivations. The structural decision to have the two shared perspectives melds together nicely to form the larger picture.
Fine skillfully creates a magical realm controlled by a matriarchy who wields fire and ice. Elli is also sexually fluid, whereas Ansa is a lesbian unflinchingly devoted to her love and chieftain, Thyra. The only concern I had was the lack of explanation as to why the earth craved copper, or blood. That was never explained and seemed more like a device to propel desired plot points. Besides for some moments requiring suspension of belief, The Impostor Queen is an impressive fantasy series, and Fine has a gift for language, character development, world building, and applying nuance. Not your typical high fantasy, and highly recommended.
The conclusion is told in alternating chapters through Ansa and Elli’s perspective in the same time and space. Whereas, the previous two novels were told through a single point of view, which highlighted the two female protagonists very different upbringings, strength of character, and motivations. The structural decision to have the two shared perspectives melds together nicely to form the larger picture.
Fine skillfully creates a magical realm controlled by a matriarchy who wields fire and ice. Elli is also sexually fluid, whereas Ansa is a lesbian unflinchingly devoted to her love and chieftain, Thyra. The only concern I had was the lack of explanation as to why the earth craved copper, or blood. That was never explained and seemed more like a device to propel desired plot points. Besides for some moments requiring suspension of belief, The Impostor Queen is an impressive fantasy series, and Fine has a gift for language, character development, world building, and applying nuance. Not your typical high fantasy, and highly recommended.
May 6, 2018
3.5/5
Tengo que admitir que me fue muy difícil terminar este libro. ¿La razon? La misma que el libro 2: Ansa.
Me gustó mucho la historia desde el primer libro, en verdad que sí. Pero desde que Ansa hace aparición la historia y este libro se hacen cansados y desesperantes. Esta vez, al menos, se van turnando ella y Elli los capitulos, esto lo vuelve mucho más soportable, pero mi opinion respecto a ella no cambia mucho.
Hubiera deseado que se centraran un poco más en los Suurin, su historia me parece fabulosa y en realidad siento que son los que más fuerza y caracter le dan al libro con ellos hubiera habido mayor fluidez. Tambien falto explotar más la historia de Raimo.
Aun asi (y despues de dudar varias veces si seguirlo o no), me parece una buena historia (y mejor que el libro dos que se centra en Ansa) y que tiene muchas cosas rescatables. Como decía: los Suurin, la importancia de Lahja y la magia en general, que finalmente es el punto principal de la historia.
Tengo que admitir que me fue muy difícil terminar este libro. ¿La razon? La misma que el libro 2: Ansa.
Me gustó mucho la historia desde el primer libro, en verdad que sí. Pero desde que Ansa hace aparición la historia y este libro se hacen cansados y desesperantes. Esta vez, al menos, se van turnando ella y Elli los capitulos, esto lo vuelve mucho más soportable, pero mi opinion respecto a ella no cambia mucho.
Hubiera deseado que se centraran un poco más en los Suurin, su historia me parece fabulosa y en realidad siento que son los que más fuerza y caracter le dan al libro con ellos hubiera habido mayor fluidez. Tambien falto explotar más la historia de Raimo.
Aun asi (y despues de dudar varias veces si seguirlo o no), me parece una buena historia (y mejor que el libro dos que se centra en Ansa) y que tiene muchas cosas rescatables. Como decía: los Suurin, la importancia de Lahja y la magia en general, que finalmente es el punto principal de la historia.
March 29, 2020
Even if I loved it more than the second book (which was a disappointment for me), this one picked up a little bit of the pace. I still don't think the atmosphere created in the first book was accomplished, but I got to enjoy the final stage of this trilogy.
I can't say I loved the way the book ends. I understand what the author wanted to tell us and the values that were behind it, but I didn't connect too much with it. I had heard before reading it that Elli would turn into a total brat, but I must say I completely understood her. On the other hand, I didn't agree with almost anything Ansa said or did. I still think her obsession with Thyra is unbearable to me. That's not love, it's obsession, in my opinion. And unrequited, also.
There are some deaths from characters I saw unnecessary to the story and that they were rushed to justify the ending the author wanted for the story. The earthquakes thing was, in my opinion, just a means to the end.
I would recommend this series, because I still think it is enjoyable, but I won't say any of the following book is a match up to the first one. I feel like the story had this much potential, and it ended up being a failed attempt.
I can't say I loved the way the book ends. I understand what the author wanted to tell us and the values that were behind it, but I didn't connect too much with it. I had heard before reading it that Elli would turn into a total brat, but I must say I completely understood her. On the other hand, I didn't agree with almost anything Ansa said or did. I still think her obsession with Thyra is unbearable to me. That's not love, it's obsession, in my opinion. And unrequited, also.
There are some deaths from characters I saw unnecessary to the story and that they were rushed to justify the ending the author wanted for the story. The earthquakes thing was, in my opinion, just a means to the end.
I would recommend this series, because I still think it is enjoyable, but I won't say any of the following book is a match up to the first one. I feel like the story had this much potential, and it ended up being a failed attempt.
January 13, 2018
I really loved the first two books in this series, and although I enjoyed this one, I didn't like it as much as the previous two. This might be due to the fact that I was reading it on a day when I was staying home sick, but also this is the first book in the series with multiple narrators, and it was difficult for me to keep the two story lines straight as the narrative voices were very similar. I also felt like the ending of this story dragged on a bit more than necessary; I found myself skimming pages to find out what happened.
That being said, I LOVE that this is a fantasy world where queer people are accepted as a normal part of society and that this book contains queer characters without being about them coming out or whatnot. If we can get some YA books like this with trans/enby characters, too, that would be amazing!
That being said, I LOVE that this is a fantasy world where queer people are accepted as a normal part of society and that this book contains queer characters without being about them coming out or whatnot. If we can get some YA books like this with trans/enby characters, too, that would be amazing!
March 8, 2018
3,5.
Me gusto pero no quede conforme con ese final. Fue entretenida y Ellie fue la mejor en toda la historia (el único personaje que Maduro bastante) y la otra prota sonsa (Ansa) te dan unas ganas de ahorcarla en todo momento.
El problema aquí fue que vas con grandes expectativas por los dos libros anteriores y esperas que este sea mejor, ahí aparece la insatisfacción.
Pocos personajes, romance y batalla final, poco desarrolladas, rayando en aburridas. No hay romance EllixOskar tan lindo como antes y apenas vemos el disque amor de Ansa a Thyra (no me lo creí, esa prota es demasiado egoísta).
Sinceramente me gustaría un 4to. Pero tristemente aquí acaba y me deja decepcionada aún cuando me gusto la lectura.
"Soy una chica. Soy una impostora. Mi reino está en ruinas. Pero soy lo único que Kupari tiene.
- Ellie
Me gusto pero no quede conforme con ese final. Fue entretenida y Ellie fue la mejor en toda la historia (el único personaje que Maduro bastante) y la otra prota sonsa (Ansa) te dan unas ganas de ahorcarla en todo momento.
El problema aquí fue que vas con grandes expectativas por los dos libros anteriores y esperas que este sea mejor, ahí aparece la insatisfacción.
Pocos personajes, romance y batalla final, poco desarrolladas, rayando en aburridas. No hay romance EllixOskar tan lindo como antes y apenas vemos el disque amor de Ansa a Thyra (no me lo creí, esa prota es demasiado egoísta).
Sinceramente me gustaría un 4to. Pero tristemente aquí acaba y me deja decepcionada aún cuando me gusto la lectura.
"Soy una chica. Soy una impostora. Mi reino está en ruinas. Pero soy lo único que Kupari tiene.
- Ellie
May 4, 2018
Was the ending a tad disappointing? Maybe for my standard. Honestly expected them to die regardless of the princess and her to be the one to inherit all of the magic. Then you have a balanced and controlled queen as one person. But I do have to say I don’t hate the ending, it was a present with a bow on top.
The great parts about this book? It doesn’t rely on the romance factor, I mean it does but that’s not what it is all about and it doesn’t come down to the girl unable to give up her lover. I mean she sacrificed her love to be there for her princess. Anyway I am in the limbo time between books because I picked up my next book and a few chapters in I am still thinking about the True Queen....it’s fine, my mixed feelings doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it just has effected me more than I expected.
The great parts about this book? It doesn’t rely on the romance factor, I mean it does but that’s not what it is all about and it doesn’t come down to the girl unable to give up her lover. I mean she sacrificed her love to be there for her princess. Anyway I am in the limbo time between books because I picked up my next book and a few chapters in I am still thinking about the True Queen....it’s fine, my mixed feelings doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it just has effected me more than I expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
I read this book because I enjoyed the first one, thought the second was OK, and at that point figured I was invested enough to find out how things turned out. However, I wasn't invested enough to reread the first two, which meant that I had very little memory of the many, many secondary characters, which might have reduced the impact a bit. Also, things turned out almost exactly as anticipated, with a couple twists in the middle. The pacing was breakneck all the way through -- people were constantly kidnapped and rescued, injured and healed. And the environmental and feminist messages were lovely, but pretty heavy-handed at times. All-in-all, I'm not sorry I read it. I like Ansa and Elli, and in particular enjoyed their individual journeys of coming into power and leadership.
April 17, 2018
It took me longer than it otherwise would to get around to finishing this, because my life since November has been one upheaval after another. And I can't begrude any of it, because I am objective enough to know when the universe is helping me to grow. It doesn't mean I LIKE it, mind. But I recognize when it's happening and trust that what life is showing me will lead to better things. I'm a firm believer that there's a meaning to it all, and not in a traditional religious sense. More that, things happen in a way that synchronisity is a THING.
In that context, this book.
Grief, and loss. and what it takes to BE in that. To sacrifice all that has driven you. To persevere when there is nothing less to lose.... This book hits that point and doesn't flinch away from it. I would NOT recommend this to someone deeply struggling with loss. But for those who are healing from loss, who are living and striving in its shadow... Worth the read. It hurts and heals, and seeing it there makes it sobbingly real. There's always a tomorrow, and this builds that heart shatteringly well.
In that context, this book.
Grief, and loss. and what it takes to BE in that. To sacrifice all that has driven you. To persevere when there is nothing less to lose.... This book hits that point and doesn't flinch away from it. I would NOT recommend this to someone deeply struggling with loss. But for those who are healing from loss, who are living and striving in its shadow... Worth the read. It hurts and heals, and seeing it there makes it sobbingly real. There's always a tomorrow, and this builds that heart shatteringly well.
March 9, 2021
The thrilling conclusion to the epic fantasy journey. I love books with alternating chapters, and the voice of the two queens (one with fire and ice magic, the other serving only as a magical conduit and amplifier of magic) were pleasingly distinct. The last few chapters are quite a hash of fight scenes and dramatic hand-offs as hostages escape and are recaptured. The deaths of some of the main characters felt rushed and unsatisfying and Elli was surprisingly cold to parents of murdered children, even whilst feeling protective and loving to her own young charge. I would have loved just one more chapter... an epilogue perhaps? Something to make me feel like the land was truly at peace again.
June 29, 2020
This was the weakest of the three books. There is so. Much. Useless. Dialogue. I could skip chapters and still be caught up on what happened 25-50 pages before. There wasn’t enough connection to the characters for me to mourn anyone and I felt like the characters were a little empty, even the ‘romances’ were very cold. I found one of the main characters actually more insufferable than the book before. After reading the second book I had a feeling that the third would not be great and I struggled to finish off this trilogy.
July 8, 2021
We are the true queen
I both liked and hated the book and the ending. If you have read it you can show the spoiler, if you haven`t and push the button : this is on you.
I both liked and hated the book and the ending. If you have read it you can show the spoiler, if you haven`t and push the button : this is on you.
February 21, 2018
What an absolutely outstanding finale to this series! I can't even think of any criticisms. The book switched from Elli's POV to Ansa's. These were two very different and yet similar women who didn't know whether they were supposed to be enemies or friends. There was so much action in this book and so many tears. I won't give away any spoilers, but not everyone makes it out of this one. It was devastating, but still, I thought the ending was just perfect. Loved this whole series!
February 26, 2018
I had trouble getting into this book. I think the first book was the best in this series. Perhaps if I read them back to back I would have been more invested in them but with the lag as each was released my interested waned. I still liked Elli''s POV the best throughout the series. I think the chapters could have been shorter especially in the beginning and the pacing would have been better. I finished it, and it was ok but it took me a lot longer then it should have.
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