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The Nine Realms #2
The Queen of Raiders
Sarah Kozloff, author of A Queen in Hiding, continues the breathtaking and cinematic epic fantasy series The Nine Realms with book two, The Queen of Raiders, and all four books will be published within a month of each other, so you can binge your favorite new fantasy series.
The soliders of Oromondo have invaded the Free States, leaving a wake of misery and death. Thalen, a young scholar, survives and gathers a small cadre of guerilla fighters for a one-way mission into the heart of an enemy land.
Unconsciously guided by the elemental Spirits of Ennea Mon, Cerulia is drawn to the Land of the Fire Mountains to join Thelan's Raiders, where she will learn the price of war.
The Nine Realms Series
#1 A Queen in Hiding
#2 The Queen of Raiders
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The soliders of Oromondo have invaded the Free States, leaving a wake of misery and death. Thalen, a young scholar, survives and gathers a small cadre of guerilla fighters for a one-way mission into the heart of an enemy land.
Unconsciously guided by the elemental Spirits of Ennea Mon, Cerulia is drawn to the Land of the Fire Mountains to join Thelan's Raiders, where she will learn the price of war.
The Nine Realms Series
#1 A Queen in Hiding
#2 The Queen of Raiders
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 18, 2020
231 people are currently reading
1799 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Kozloff
17 books320 followersSarah has spent her life immersed in literature, narrative, and film.
After a degree in English at Dartmouth she worked in film production in NYC. She earned a Ph.D. from an interdisciplinary program at Stanford University, joining the Film Department of Vassar College in 1988. In 2009 she was awarded the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowed Chair.
In 2012, while teaching a senior seminar on American Women Directors, she realized that neither the books nor films of Lord of the Rings could pass the Bechdel Test. That summer, she grabbed her laptop and started imagining a world that awaited the return of the queen.
She didn’t know then that this leap into creative writing would spark a new career. Her epic fantasy quartet, The Nine Realms, was published by TOR on a rapid publications schedule. All four books, A Queen in Hiding, The Queen of Raiders, A Broken Queen, and The Cerulean Queen, came out from January through April 2020.
She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and a shifting menagerie of pets, who mistakenly believe they are suitable replacements for grown sons.
After a degree in English at Dartmouth she worked in film production in NYC. She earned a Ph.D. from an interdisciplinary program at Stanford University, joining the Film Department of Vassar College in 1988. In 2009 she was awarded the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowed Chair.
In 2012, while teaching a senior seminar on American Women Directors, she realized that neither the books nor films of Lord of the Rings could pass the Bechdel Test. That summer, she grabbed her laptop and started imagining a world that awaited the return of the queen.
She didn’t know then that this leap into creative writing would spark a new career. Her epic fantasy quartet, The Nine Realms, was published by TOR on a rapid publications schedule. All four books, A Queen in Hiding, The Queen of Raiders, A Broken Queen, and The Cerulean Queen, came out from January through April 2020.
She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and a shifting menagerie of pets, who mistakenly believe they are suitable replacements for grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
February 17, 2020
The Queen of Raiders is a continuation of A Queen in Hiding, the first book in the Nine Realms series. The expectations have been raised very high, and Sarah Kozloff doesn't disappoint, delivering another well-written and memorable epic fantasy book.
The book focuses on the resistance to the Oromodo occupation of the Free states as well as giving us more insight into the events in Weirdale, which is still under the rule of power mad Lord Regent Matwyck.
Thalen and his devoted followers adopt the strategy of quick raids into the areas occupied by the Oromondo to sow the seeds of rebellion and undermine the rule of the occupants from within. We get to see the war not as a glorious battle, but as a long term campaign with its harsh realities, loss of life and immense suffering for all involved.
Meanwhile, Lord Matwyck who is desperate to maintain his power continues searching for Cerulia and suppresses ruthlessly any kind of rebellion against his rule.
We see the protagonists develop in response to the demands and realities of these complex situations. Cerulia knows the war with Oromondo and the suffering it brings not only to her people but also other realms needs to be addressed before she can reclaim the Weirdale throne, which shows what kind of leader she is shaping up to become.
The Queen of Raiders is as compelling, complex and well-researched as the first book. It is a real treat for fans of fantasy genre who will no doubt appreciate the author's and publisher's decision to make the wait as short as possible.
Book 2 The Queen of Raiders is out on February 18th, while Book 3 The Broken Queen will be published on March 24th.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Books for the ARc provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
The book focuses on the resistance to the Oromodo occupation of the Free states as well as giving us more insight into the events in Weirdale, which is still under the rule of power mad Lord Regent Matwyck.
Thalen and his devoted followers adopt the strategy of quick raids into the areas occupied by the Oromondo to sow the seeds of rebellion and undermine the rule of the occupants from within. We get to see the war not as a glorious battle, but as a long term campaign with its harsh realities, loss of life and immense suffering for all involved.
Meanwhile, Lord Matwyck who is desperate to maintain his power continues searching for Cerulia and suppresses ruthlessly any kind of rebellion against his rule.
We see the protagonists develop in response to the demands and realities of these complex situations. Cerulia knows the war with Oromondo and the suffering it brings not only to her people but also other realms needs to be addressed before she can reclaim the Weirdale throne, which shows what kind of leader she is shaping up to become.
The Queen of Raiders is as compelling, complex and well-researched as the first book. It is a real treat for fans of fantasy genre who will no doubt appreciate the author's and publisher's decision to make the wait as short as possible.
Book 2 The Queen of Raiders is out on February 18th, while Book 3 The Broken Queen will be published on March 24th.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Books for the ARc provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 23, 2021
Check out my review of The Nine Realms series on Booktube!
abandoned
July 23, 2022Read through page 102, and hopefully I have now exorcised this series from my system. I did like the first book, if mildly; this one made me wonder why.
My guess is that the first book begins with a focused plot, a high-stakes situation, and a decent mother-daughter story, with the pair being clear lead characters and child Cerúlia endearing. However, Cerúlia (or whatever bird-themed alias she’s using) has never been able to carry the story on her own, and has been a sideshow ever since going into hiding early in book one. That continues here, as she features in all of 18 pages out of the first 102. And a dispersed ensemble cast does not, to my mind, serve Kozloff’s writing well: her characters feel like standard archetypes, without psychological complexity or emotional depth or really much personality at all. I honestly think the most interesting character here is the villain, Matwyck, and I never say that. It might be because he rarely appears, but he at least has some hints of genuine complexity missing from the leads.
There’s a lot here that I do not find convincing, but I’ll use Kozloff’s portrayal of leadership as an example. I suspect fantasy novelists in general take their ideas about leadership from other fantasy novels, but Kozloff’s are particularly weird. The former university student, Thalen, has organized a band of raiders for a foray into the evil country, decided he should definitely be in charge because it was his idea (his imposter syndrome is supposed to make him sympathetic but I just think he really is an imposter), and demonstrates his burgeoning leadership skills by…. wait for it…. giving arbitrary orders and backing them up with violence. Seriously, he breaks the nose of a guy who objects to his not distributing tasks fairly because he’s not paying attention. And this is supposed to show positive character growth somehow. But this is also the series where the queen and now apparently the princess are supposed to show their fitness to rule their own country by abandoning it to fight someone else’s wars, so okay, I guess.
Kozloff also seems to be introducing just the wrong amount of realism. Such as mentioning the “supply lines” for this raiding band, which consists of all of 22 people and is traveling across empty prairie on a continent across the sea from both their occupied home, and from the more distant islands from which their supplies are supposedly coming—so any “supply lines” would require people and pack animals traversing all of that (during which time they will obviously consume significant supplies of their own), then finding these marauders, who are not leaving an obvious trail, and doing all this consistently enough to supply all necessary food for a couple dozen people and even more horses. Honestly, there’s not that many raiders, just tell us they’re living off hunting and foraging, don’t make vague gestures toward logistics that only highlight the fact that they make no goddamn sense.
This series is also giving me new sympathy for those readers who object to the presence of rape in fantasy, if many of the books they’re thinking of look like this. It’s not actually offensive in the sense of being treated as acceptable or titillating, but it’s as common a background occurrence as in anything by George R.R. Martin and treated with about the same level of consideration. One of the longer chapters features a former university student now forced into being the mistress of one of the occupiers, and she seems totally matter-of-fact about everything—her new life as a sex slave, the occupation and pillaging of her country, the fact that there’s no end in sight to any of this—which I might believe was a coping strategy if all Kozloff’s characters weren’t similarly unemotional. And there’s just a lot of rape, murder and general awfulness (because I’m not trying to say “violence is totally cool as long as it’s not sexual violence!” either) for a work not marketed as grimdark. Granted, grimdark has gotten so dark that aficionados probably wouldn’t count this series—the “good” people and places are intended as quite straightforwardly good—and I don’t think a work needs to absolutely revel in awfulness to honestly portray the horrors of occupation. But I definitely need to be more attached than I am here to want to continue exposing myself to something that keeps shoving horrific violence in my face, especially when it’s essentially just for flavor.
At any rate, I can see why this series hasn’t really taken off. I do wonder if it would have gotten more traction had it been published 20 years earlier, but at this point the core audience seems limited to high-volume epic fantasy readers running short on new books to read.
My guess is that the first book begins with a focused plot, a high-stakes situation, and a decent mother-daughter story, with the pair being clear lead characters and child Cerúlia endearing. However, Cerúlia (or whatever bird-themed alias she’s using) has never been able to carry the story on her own, and has been a sideshow ever since going into hiding early in book one. That continues here, as she features in all of 18 pages out of the first 102. And a dispersed ensemble cast does not, to my mind, serve Kozloff’s writing well: her characters feel like standard archetypes, without psychological complexity or emotional depth or really much personality at all. I honestly think the most interesting character here is the villain, Matwyck, and I never say that. It might be because he rarely appears, but he at least has some hints of genuine complexity missing from the leads.
There’s a lot here that I do not find convincing, but I’ll use Kozloff’s portrayal of leadership as an example. I suspect fantasy novelists in general take their ideas about leadership from other fantasy novels, but Kozloff’s are particularly weird. The former university student, Thalen, has organized a band of raiders for a foray into the evil country, decided he should definitely be in charge because it was his idea (his imposter syndrome is supposed to make him sympathetic but I just think he really is an imposter), and demonstrates his burgeoning leadership skills by…. wait for it…. giving arbitrary orders and backing them up with violence. Seriously, he breaks the nose of a guy who objects to his not distributing tasks fairly because he’s not paying attention. And this is supposed to show positive character growth somehow. But this is also the series where the queen and now apparently the princess are supposed to show their fitness to rule their own country by abandoning it to fight someone else’s wars, so okay, I guess.
Kozloff also seems to be introducing just the wrong amount of realism. Such as mentioning the “supply lines” for this raiding band, which consists of all of 22 people and is traveling across empty prairie on a continent across the sea from both their occupied home, and from the more distant islands from which their supplies are supposedly coming—so any “supply lines” would require people and pack animals traversing all of that (during which time they will obviously consume significant supplies of their own), then finding these marauders, who are not leaving an obvious trail, and doing all this consistently enough to supply all necessary food for a couple dozen people and even more horses. Honestly, there’s not that many raiders, just tell us they’re living off hunting and foraging, don’t make vague gestures toward logistics that only highlight the fact that they make no goddamn sense.
This series is also giving me new sympathy for those readers who object to the presence of rape in fantasy, if many of the books they’re thinking of look like this. It’s not actually offensive in the sense of being treated as acceptable or titillating, but it’s as common a background occurrence as in anything by George R.R. Martin and treated with about the same level of consideration. One of the longer chapters features a former university student now forced into being the mistress of one of the occupiers, and she seems totally matter-of-fact about everything—her new life as a sex slave, the occupation and pillaging of her country, the fact that there’s no end in sight to any of this—which I might believe was a coping strategy if all Kozloff’s characters weren’t similarly unemotional. And there’s just a lot of rape, murder and general awfulness (because I’m not trying to say “violence is totally cool as long as it’s not sexual violence!” either) for a work not marketed as grimdark. Granted, grimdark has gotten so dark that aficionados probably wouldn’t count this series—the “good” people and places are intended as quite straightforwardly good—and I don’t think a work needs to absolutely revel in awfulness to honestly portray the horrors of occupation. But I definitely need to be more attached than I am here to want to continue exposing myself to something that keeps shoving horrific violence in my face, especially when it’s essentially just for flavor.
At any rate, I can see why this series hasn’t really taken off. I do wonder if it would have gotten more traction had it been published 20 years earlier, but at this point the core audience seems limited to high-volume epic fantasy readers running short on new books to read.
March 5, 2020
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/03/03/...
Not wasting a beat, The Queen of Raiders by Sarah Kozloff plunges back into the war-ravaged world of The Nine Realms, picking up where A Queen in Hiding left off. This review assumes you’ve read the first book and may contain discussions about the previous volume’s events, so proceed with caution!
With Queen Cressa of Weirandale dead, the crown now belongs to her daughter Cérulia—except the young princess is still in exile, hiding in the countryside while the capital still crawls with traitors and spies. No longer a child, Cérulia leaves the safety of her adoptive home and makes her way across the mountains towards Oromondo, the nation responsible for killing her mother. Traveling under different aliases to hide her true identity, she uses her magical gift to communicate with animals, beseeching them to guide her way and lead her to allies who would help her avenge Queen Cressa.
Meanwhile, scholar turned soldier Thelan finds himself in way over his head, leading a ragtag band of rebels to harry the efforts of the Oros, whose invading hordes have left death and destruction all across the Free States. Thelan’s Raiders may be small, but their network is vast, with hidden resistance fighters situated in unexpected places. With Cérulia’s help, they will have even more ways to gather information, using her powers to find resources and uncover enemy troop movements. But will it be enough to make a difference? There’s still a long way to go for Cérulia to win back her throne, and the raiders face threats from all directions.
As the second installment of four, The Queen of Raiders starts by throwing readers right into the action. Now that Queen Cressa is dead, this book shifts its focus to Cérulia (who adopts multiple bird-themed names to stay anonymous) as well as Thelan, who was mostly a side character in the first book. Weaving in and out of these narratives are also several threads following individuals that give us a glimpse into the happenings around the world, including perspectives from inside Weirandale as well as from the enemy Oros camp. Slowly but steadily, we are tying the various storylines together and a larger picture is emerging.
And if A Queen in Hiding felt like a prologue, then this sequel feels like the opening chapters of a greater saga, officially establishing Cérulia as the focal point of the series. While she was introduced as a little girl in the previous volume, in this novel she official comes into her own as a young woman on a mission. I was also thrilled that her talent got a lot of attention, with her calling upon the creatures of the forest to come to her aid, including the hawks, eagles, and owls that serve as her eyes in the sky. A simple concept it may be, but Kozloff has managed to incorporate the power of talking to animals into many an epic scene.
Honestly, it’s hard to fault this one for feeling like a bridge book. Just as calling A Queen in Hiding a prologue was not meant as a slight, I don’t want to sound too disparaging here either, particularly since I believe that a “bridge book” was the author’s intention. With all four novels coming out in quick succession, I’m beginning to view this series as one single, gargantuan volume. While The Queen of Raiders contained an intro, a middle, and a climax and conclusion, in many ways it also reads like a stepping-stone to the next installment, because of the inherent assumption that the reader will be sticking around until the final destination. It’s a steep demand for your time and investment to be sure, but based on how much I enjoyed myself, I think it’ll be worth it.
In sum, I believe the series is still in the stages of establishing a foundation at this point, setting up for bigger things to come. Yet the journey so far has been well-paced and entertaining, and I am by no means losing interest in Cérulia’s journey. In fact, now I find myself even more invested in her quest to regain her rightful place as queen, especially in light of the jaw-dropping events at the end of this book. As we’re officially at the halfway point of this series, I have even greater expectations and hopes for the next one!
Not wasting a beat, The Queen of Raiders by Sarah Kozloff plunges back into the war-ravaged world of The Nine Realms, picking up where A Queen in Hiding left off. This review assumes you’ve read the first book and may contain discussions about the previous volume’s events, so proceed with caution!
With Queen Cressa of Weirandale dead, the crown now belongs to her daughter Cérulia—except the young princess is still in exile, hiding in the countryside while the capital still crawls with traitors and spies. No longer a child, Cérulia leaves the safety of her adoptive home and makes her way across the mountains towards Oromondo, the nation responsible for killing her mother. Traveling under different aliases to hide her true identity, she uses her magical gift to communicate with animals, beseeching them to guide her way and lead her to allies who would help her avenge Queen Cressa.
Meanwhile, scholar turned soldier Thelan finds himself in way over his head, leading a ragtag band of rebels to harry the efforts of the Oros, whose invading hordes have left death and destruction all across the Free States. Thelan’s Raiders may be small, but their network is vast, with hidden resistance fighters situated in unexpected places. With Cérulia’s help, they will have even more ways to gather information, using her powers to find resources and uncover enemy troop movements. But will it be enough to make a difference? There’s still a long way to go for Cérulia to win back her throne, and the raiders face threats from all directions.
As the second installment of four, The Queen of Raiders starts by throwing readers right into the action. Now that Queen Cressa is dead, this book shifts its focus to Cérulia (who adopts multiple bird-themed names to stay anonymous) as well as Thelan, who was mostly a side character in the first book. Weaving in and out of these narratives are also several threads following individuals that give us a glimpse into the happenings around the world, including perspectives from inside Weirandale as well as from the enemy Oros camp. Slowly but steadily, we are tying the various storylines together and a larger picture is emerging.
And if A Queen in Hiding felt like a prologue, then this sequel feels like the opening chapters of a greater saga, officially establishing Cérulia as the focal point of the series. While she was introduced as a little girl in the previous volume, in this novel she official comes into her own as a young woman on a mission. I was also thrilled that her talent got a lot of attention, with her calling upon the creatures of the forest to come to her aid, including the hawks, eagles, and owls that serve as her eyes in the sky. A simple concept it may be, but Kozloff has managed to incorporate the power of talking to animals into many an epic scene.
Honestly, it’s hard to fault this one for feeling like a bridge book. Just as calling A Queen in Hiding a prologue was not meant as a slight, I don’t want to sound too disparaging here either, particularly since I believe that a “bridge book” was the author’s intention. With all four novels coming out in quick succession, I’m beginning to view this series as one single, gargantuan volume. While The Queen of Raiders contained an intro, a middle, and a climax and conclusion, in many ways it also reads like a stepping-stone to the next installment, because of the inherent assumption that the reader will be sticking around until the final destination. It’s a steep demand for your time and investment to be sure, but based on how much I enjoyed myself, I think it’ll be worth it.
In sum, I believe the series is still in the stages of establishing a foundation at this point, setting up for bigger things to come. Yet the journey so far has been well-paced and entertaining, and I am by no means losing interest in Cérulia’s journey. In fact, now I find myself even more invested in her quest to regain her rightful place as queen, especially in light of the jaw-dropping events at the end of this book. As we’re officially at the halfway point of this series, I have even greater expectations and hopes for the next one!
April 26, 2020
Kozloff immediately immerses the reader in the magical war-torn world of The Nine Realms.
Queen Cressa is missing, presumed dead and Cerulia, her daughter, is in hiding. In The Queen of Raiders, Cerulia is now an adult and leaving her adoptive family to avenge Queen Cressa. While on her trek she adopts a bird name each place and transitions her travels make her take. She uses her ability to communicate with the animals to help her plight.
Thelan and his gang of rebels are trying to help the people left in the wake of death and destruction of the invading hordes. Thelan has built up quite a strong network of spies and resistance throughout the realms.
Kozloff has woven complex, multiple points of view tale that rivets the reader to the pages. Intense action, great character development, and growth and an epic fantasy world all readers strive to find, The Queen of Raiders is a fantastic addition to The Nine Realms series.
I received this ARC copy of The Queen of Raiders from Tor Books - Macmillion. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Queen of Raiders is set for publication Feb. 18, 2020.
Queen Cressa is missing, presumed dead and Cerulia, her daughter, is in hiding. In The Queen of Raiders, Cerulia is now an adult and leaving her adoptive family to avenge Queen Cressa. While on her trek she adopts a bird name each place and transitions her travels make her take. She uses her ability to communicate with the animals to help her plight.
Thelan and his gang of rebels are trying to help the people left in the wake of death and destruction of the invading hordes. Thelan has built up quite a strong network of spies and resistance throughout the realms.
Kozloff has woven complex, multiple points of view tale that rivets the reader to the pages. Intense action, great character development, and growth and an epic fantasy world all readers strive to find, The Queen of Raiders is a fantastic addition to The Nine Realms series.
I received this ARC copy of The Queen of Raiders from Tor Books - Macmillion. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Queen of Raiders is set for publication Feb. 18, 2020.
February 14, 2020
The Nine Realms epic continues in Book 2 of the Series, The Queen of Raiders, as the Oromondo continue to occupy the Free States. Cerulia persists in her search for a path back to Weriandale (and its throne) after fleeing her enemies and landing on the island of Slagos. The would-be Queen must learn how to master her Talent as she learns more about herself and her ability to lead.
Meanwhile, supported by an underground resistance group, Thalen and his raiders continue to pester the Oros and have come up with a grand plan - one they hope will force the occupiers to leave their home forever.
In the background, the political games continue. Regent Matwyck, ruling as Lord Regent of Weirandale, works to keep a grip on Weirandale. And the Oros have mobilized their powerful Magi to deal with the raider problem.
As the story of the Nine Realms develops further, some characters will find that their goals align, while others will clash. The Series continues to evolve as The Queen of Raiders brings many of these storylines together in an epic fashion.
I am just going to come out and say it: The Queen of Raiders is spectacular. Sarah Kozloff continues to wow me with the Nine Realms series (read my review of Book 1 in the series: A Queen in Hiding here). Book 2 starts where A Queen in Hiding left off: Cerulia (or Wren, or whatever we are calling her these days) is on the run from Lord Regent Matwyck, who rules Weirandale in her stead. Thalen is still learning how to be a commander as his crew of raiders grows and begins their assault on the Oromondo regiment ("Oros") that still occupies the Free States. In response, the Oros up their game and deploy their powerful magi to the battlefield.
Kozloff has me hooked on this series for many reasons. First is the complexity of the story. The reader experiences the journeys of each of the characters individually, and as the story evolves they start to come together in both expected and unexpected ways. This type of narrative takes a lot of planning and forethought, which is a boon for epic fantasy writers. As a reader, I am always looking forward to what is going to happen next and am always asking: what is the next step in each characters journey and how does it relate to the overall picture? The author does an excellent job of both making each character's journey significant, but also ensuring each is just one piece of the overall narrative arc.
I have really come to care for the characters in this story, too. I find myself hoping that every action (or inaction) on the part of Cerulia is a step in the right direction (and cringing at every misstep), and I feel the loss deeply every time Thalen and his Raiders come back without a member or two. Even the antagonists have a place in my heart, as we continue to learn more about Lord Regent Matwyck plans for Weirandale and General Sumroth's anger and rage - both full of ambition and give me something concrete to root against.
I love the ending, as well, and the way the story levels up in the same way it did in Book 1 of the series.
I am not going to lie: I am always nervous about reading the second book of a series when I enjoyed the first as much as I did. What if it was a fluke? What if the author takes the story in a direction that does not appeal to me? How would I deal with the disappointment?
To say that my fears were completely alleviated after reading The Queen of Raiders would be an understatement; not only did this book exceed expectations, I think I like it even more than A Queen in Hiding (Book 1), which is really saying something.
Sarah Kozloff's writing in the Nine Realms series continues to amaze me. The Queen of Raiders is just as immersive as the first book, wonderfully descriptive, delightfully complex, and contains a cast of characters that are completely relatable. I recommend The Queen of Raiders for all fantasy fans, and especially for those who enjoy High Fantasy.
Meanwhile, supported by an underground resistance group, Thalen and his raiders continue to pester the Oros and have come up with a grand plan - one they hope will force the occupiers to leave their home forever.
In the background, the political games continue. Regent Matwyck, ruling as Lord Regent of Weirandale, works to keep a grip on Weirandale. And the Oros have mobilized their powerful Magi to deal with the raider problem.
As the story of the Nine Realms develops further, some characters will find that their goals align, while others will clash. The Series continues to evolve as The Queen of Raiders brings many of these storylines together in an epic fashion.
I am just going to come out and say it: The Queen of Raiders is spectacular. Sarah Kozloff continues to wow me with the Nine Realms series (read my review of Book 1 in the series: A Queen in Hiding here). Book 2 starts where A Queen in Hiding left off: Cerulia (or Wren, or whatever we are calling her these days) is on the run from Lord Regent Matwyck, who rules Weirandale in her stead. Thalen is still learning how to be a commander as his crew of raiders grows and begins their assault on the Oromondo regiment ("Oros") that still occupies the Free States. In response, the Oros up their game and deploy their powerful magi to the battlefield.
Kozloff has me hooked on this series for many reasons. First is the complexity of the story. The reader experiences the journeys of each of the characters individually, and as the story evolves they start to come together in both expected and unexpected ways. This type of narrative takes a lot of planning and forethought, which is a boon for epic fantasy writers. As a reader, I am always looking forward to what is going to happen next and am always asking: what is the next step in each characters journey and how does it relate to the overall picture? The author does an excellent job of both making each character's journey significant, but also ensuring each is just one piece of the overall narrative arc.
I have really come to care for the characters in this story, too. I find myself hoping that every action (or inaction) on the part of Cerulia is a step in the right direction (and cringing at every misstep), and I feel the loss deeply every time Thalen and his Raiders come back without a member or two. Even the antagonists have a place in my heart, as we continue to learn more about Lord Regent Matwyck plans for Weirandale and General Sumroth's anger and rage - both full of ambition and give me something concrete to root against.
I love the ending, as well, and the way the story levels up in the same way it did in Book 1 of the series.
I am not going to lie: I am always nervous about reading the second book of a series when I enjoyed the first as much as I did. What if it was a fluke? What if the author takes the story in a direction that does not appeal to me? How would I deal with the disappointment?
To say that my fears were completely alleviated after reading The Queen of Raiders would be an understatement; not only did this book exceed expectations, I think I like it even more than A Queen in Hiding (Book 1), which is really saying something.
Sarah Kozloff's writing in the Nine Realms series continues to amaze me. The Queen of Raiders is just as immersive as the first book, wonderfully descriptive, delightfully complex, and contains a cast of characters that are completely relatable. I recommend The Queen of Raiders for all fantasy fans, and especially for those who enjoy High Fantasy.
May 7, 2024
Decent but stilted; suffers from slight case of sequel syndrome. Plot is negligible & somewhat disappointing. Kozloff tends to tell too much & silly worldbuilding (society based on hair color?) doesn’t help a diluted narrative.
March 3, 2020
6/6
I can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
Such a great book! I really like all the threads coming together and spinning away to set up the next book! Poor Skylark!!! T.T
I can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
Such a great book! I really like all the threads coming together and spinning away to set up the next book! Poor Skylark!!! T.T
October 26, 2020
I'm not quite done yet but I'm rating this already because of the ridiculous predictability of it all. As soon as the Queen joins the Raiders (going by Skylark now) and takes up with Adair I knew he would die. It's the only way for the author to remove this love interest without making Thalen the bad guy. And Kozloff is clearly so in love with Thalen herself that it's unreasonable for her to ever imagine a book where he doesn't end up with the Queen. I already know it's going to happen. And I hate that I predicted Adair's death immediately and it happens within the same book.
Let's normalize the main hero NOT getting the girl more. Maybe Skylark wanted to be with Adair forever and we just let her have that happiness maybe.
But no no. Has to be the Gary Sue of the group.
"What the fuck!? You're our commander. You can't abandon us to go look for her body."
Ya he's right. Thalen is being ridiculous and unsuited for leadership if he just abandons his charges over a girl he has a crush on when they were all meant to die anyway
Let's normalize the main hero NOT getting the girl more. Maybe Skylark wanted to be with Adair forever and we just let her have that happiness maybe.
But no no. Has to be the Gary Sue of the group.
"What the fuck!? You're our commander. You can't abandon us to go look for her body."
Ya he's right. Thalen is being ridiculous and unsuited for leadership if he just abandons his charges over a girl he has a crush on when they were all meant to die anyway
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2022
Though certainly not terrible, this series is turning out to be a pretty significant disappointment.
The author has set herself up with a ton of ambitious world building, and yet somehow everything stays incredibly surface level. Our main characters all have one or two traits that make them unique to their counterparts (the same can be said about all the different countries), and yet after two books I still don't feel like I really know them at all. I have no idea why Cerulia (aka Kestrel aka Skylark aka A Multitude of Other Birds) chooses to put herself at risk in a country on the other side of the world, rather than going and taking back her throne. Her people even know she's alive. As a 20 something year old woman now (I think? Time moved so quickly in the last book), I feel like she'd be able to muster up more than enough support against the danger awaiting her.
To me, this book reads like a narrative retelling of a historical event. It's got a little more pizazz than a textbook, but there is very little emotional attachment to any of the characters. I commend the author for not being afraid to kill off a decent chunk of the cast, but no one mourns them for more than a few paragraphs, so why should I? Rape is so casually mentioned that it caught me off guard every single time. Many characters are introduced for a few chapters and never heard from again (I'm curious if they'll come back in later books).
On another note, I almost took off another half star for not one, but TWO undeserved and underdeveloped love interests. If you're going to call something love, at least show the characters interacting in more than three situations.
The author has set herself up with a ton of ambitious world building, and yet somehow everything stays incredibly surface level. Our main characters all have one or two traits that make them unique to their counterparts (the same can be said about all the different countries), and yet after two books I still don't feel like I really know them at all. I have no idea why Cerulia (aka Kestrel aka Skylark aka A Multitude of Other Birds) chooses to put herself at risk in a country on the other side of the world, rather than going and taking back her throne. Her people even know she's alive. As a 20 something year old woman now (I think? Time moved so quickly in the last book), I feel like she'd be able to muster up more than enough support against the danger awaiting her.
To me, this book reads like a narrative retelling of a historical event. It's got a little more pizazz than a textbook, but there is very little emotional attachment to any of the characters. I commend the author for not being afraid to kill off a decent chunk of the cast, but no one mourns them for more than a few paragraphs, so why should I? Rape is so casually mentioned that it caught me off guard every single time. Many characters are introduced for a few chapters and never heard from again (I'm curious if they'll come back in later books).
On another note, I almost took off another half star for not one, but TWO undeserved and underdeveloped love interests. If you're going to call something love, at least show the characters interacting in more than three situations.
March 1, 2020
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sarah Kozloff, delivers another stunning epic fantasy book that takes a more political elements, in focuses on the resistance to the Oromodo occupation of the Free states.
Giving the reader an insight into the events in Weirdale, which is still under the thumb of power mad Lord Regent Matwyck. Thalen and his devoted followers have adoptive strategy of quick raids into the areas occupied by the Oromondo to sow the seeds of rebellion and undermine the rule of the occupants from within.
The hash realities of the long term war ways heavily on all those who are caught up in it’s struggles. Cerulia knows the war with Oromondo and the suffering it brings not only to her people but also other realms needs to be addressed before she can reclaim the Weirdale throne
While Lord Matwyck, is still as ruthless as ever and uses a heavy hand in suppressing and one who rises up in rebellion.
The Queen of Raiders is as compelling, complex incredible atmospheric fantasy that is just as enjoyable as the first installment in this stunning series.
Sarah Kozloff, delivers another stunning epic fantasy book that takes a more political elements, in focuses on the resistance to the Oromodo occupation of the Free states.
Giving the reader an insight into the events in Weirdale, which is still under the thumb of power mad Lord Regent Matwyck. Thalen and his devoted followers have adoptive strategy of quick raids into the areas occupied by the Oromondo to sow the seeds of rebellion and undermine the rule of the occupants from within.
The hash realities of the long term war ways heavily on all those who are caught up in it’s struggles. Cerulia knows the war with Oromondo and the suffering it brings not only to her people but also other realms needs to be addressed before she can reclaim the Weirdale throne
While Lord Matwyck, is still as ruthless as ever and uses a heavy hand in suppressing and one who rises up in rebellion.
The Queen of Raiders is as compelling, complex incredible atmospheric fantasy that is just as enjoyable as the first installment in this stunning series.
July 14, 2020
This review may contain some spoilers. Please proceed at your own risk.
Recap of book 1:
Matwyck was the culprit on the death of Cerúlia’s parents. The Princella was left under the care of Wilim and Stahlia (commoners who came to Cascada to heal Percia’s leg with the magical Nargis water) in Wyndton, Androvale. The Lord “Evil” Matwyck continued the search if the missing Princella and put a bounty to kill her. Since she was in the verge of getting caught, she left her foster family and fled to The Green Isles. Cerúlia was about 20 years old or so then
In this second installment, The Queen of Raiders, the author introduced new characters who resided in Free State (Sutterdam, Jutterdam, and Yosta). Oromondo had invaded the Free State for food and clean water since their country was polluted due to the mining activity there. Actually, they invaded all their nearby countries. A group of Free Staters formed the “Raiders” which led by Commander Thalen (a scholar student of history in Scolairium). The intention of the Raiders was to create havoc in Oromondo so the Oros would leave the Free State. When Cerúlia heard about the Raiders, she left The Green Isles and followed the Raiders. She found them with the help of her ability/talent. She assisted the Raiders in achieving their objective. But of course, casualties were inevitable in wars.
On the other hand, the author managed to incorporate romance (Thalen and Skylark). 😍 Of course, I was on board right away. 🤣 But it was thwarted, short-lived. 😭 Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait a year for the next installment to come out, or I would not sate my worry on whether the two lovebirds would meet again. Man, this author had turned my reading world upside-down. Fantastic writing. 😊 Moving on to the third book.
Recap of book 1:
Matwyck was the culprit on the death of Cerúlia’s parents. The Princella was left under the care of Wilim and Stahlia (commoners who came to Cascada to heal Percia’s leg with the magical Nargis water) in Wyndton, Androvale. The Lord “Evil” Matwyck continued the search if the missing Princella and put a bounty to kill her. Since she was in the verge of getting caught, she left her foster family and fled to The Green Isles. Cerúlia was about 20 years old or so then
In this second installment, The Queen of Raiders, the author introduced new characters who resided in Free State (Sutterdam, Jutterdam, and Yosta). Oromondo had invaded the Free State for food and clean water since their country was polluted due to the mining activity there. Actually, they invaded all their nearby countries. A group of Free Staters formed the “Raiders” which led by Commander Thalen (a scholar student of history in Scolairium). The intention of the Raiders was to create havoc in Oromondo so the Oros would leave the Free State. When Cerúlia heard about the Raiders, she left The Green Isles and followed the Raiders. She found them with the help of her ability/talent. She assisted the Raiders in achieving their objective. But of course, casualties were inevitable in wars.
On the other hand, the author managed to incorporate romance (Thalen and Skylark). 😍 Of course, I was on board right away. 🤣 But it was thwarted, short-lived. 😭 Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait a year for the next installment to come out, or I would not sate my worry on whether the two lovebirds would meet again. Man, this author had turned my reading world upside-down. Fantastic writing. 😊 Moving on to the third book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2020
I loved The Queen of Raiders. I felt like the adventure and suspense was amped up from book one as the princella was getting closer to being discovered and finally had to start moving and ended up crossing paths with Thalen as he and other free state citizens began to move into enemy territory.
I loved getting a bigger glimpse at the spirits and how each area was connected in the grand scheme of things. Finally a lot of what seemed like more minor POVs started to intertwine with the paths of other characters.
I loved the suspense and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. I had my reservations when I first began the series that it wouldn’t be as good as I’d hoped, but book 2 really upped its game and I think this will be an epic series!
I loved getting a bigger glimpse at the spirits and how each area was connected in the grand scheme of things. Finally a lot of what seemed like more minor POVs started to intertwine with the paths of other characters.
I loved the suspense and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. I had my reservations when I first began the series that it wouldn’t be as good as I’d hoped, but book 2 really upped its game and I think this will be an epic series!
November 12, 2020
Giving this one 3.5 stars. The first half was a little slow, but understandably so, as it was a place of transition, and introduces us to a number of new and important characters. This is the second book in The Nine Realms series. In this chapter, the Queen, now a young woman, travels to join a small group of survivors (or “Raiders”) that have begun attacking the invaders quite successfully. The Queen’s ability to communicate with animals grows exponentially, and once she joins the Raiders, the story, with its ensuing battles, substantially picks up pace. Looking forward to the next installment.
November 4, 2020
Queen of raiders was such an incredible book! I was hooked from the first book and was so excited to see all the books of the series came out within a month of each other and there wasn't years to wait.
This book was a continuation from the first book, but it chronicled the tales of what happened next in Cerulia's adventures.
She becomes a protector of a small band of travelers, and helps them find safety and gain confidence in themselves while she learns more about herself. Than she becomes one of the raiders and defeats an enemy to save her friends and family.
This book was a continuation from the first book, but it chronicled the tales of what happened next in Cerulia's adventures.
She becomes a protector of a small band of travelers, and helps them find safety and gain confidence in themselves while she learns more about herself. Than she becomes one of the raiders and defeats an enemy to save her friends and family.
January 19, 2021
TW: rape, death
So not only do we get a random ass love V thrown in way late one of loves only noticed the other after someone else was showing interest. THEN that person basically became obsessed and insta fell in love 🙄 and no it wasn’t the girl. His whole personality became “protect so and so, I love her so much.”
This series is screaming white savior to me honestly.
It’s well written but I don’t really see some of the motivations or desires in some of the characters. Maybe we’ll get more info in the next book.
So not only do we get a random ass love V thrown in way late one of loves only noticed the other after someone else was showing interest. THEN that person basically became obsessed and insta fell in love 🙄 and no it wasn’t the girl. His whole personality became “protect so and so, I love her so much.”
This series is screaming white savior to me honestly.
It’s well written but I don’t really see some of the motivations or desires in some of the characters. Maybe we’ll get more info in the next book.
April 6, 2022
I thought this was a great second installment to this series! The Queen of Raiders picks up right where book one leaves off, and puts you right in the action. While there are still some slow moving parts, there is a lot more fast paced action throughout. It's fun to see more of Cerulia's power and how it's growing, and how her character is maturing as well. I loved that she banded up with the Raiders. This is just a well written, and thought out, epic fantasy series.
August 20, 2020
This series is brilliant
I chose this series on a whim when it came up in suggested books and am so glad that I did. Complex in ways that lead the reader forward instead of leaving her behind, strong character development and a fascinating new world of magic and mysteries - there are so many layers to immerse yourself in.
I chose this series on a whim when it came up in suggested books and am so glad that I did. Complex in ways that lead the reader forward instead of leaving her behind, strong character development and a fascinating new world of magic and mysteries - there are so many layers to immerse yourself in.
November 20, 2021
What a plot! The characters start to come together! What a cliffhanger!
My only criticism is that I wish we had more female protagonists. The only one we follow is Caerulea.
My only criticism is that I wish we had more female protagonists. The only one we follow is Caerulea.
February 18, 2024
I love these books. I feel like it’s a bit hard at times to keep up with how much it jumps around and adding side, side characters. But in the end it doesn’t matter because the story line is amazing and holds you to the chair the whole time.
May 13, 2020
4.5
I listened to this on audible but there's no audible version on goodreads. Anyways, I actually love this series.
Other thoughts...
I wish when referring to the main character that her real name would be used instead of the alias when writing in the mc's main POV.
I listened to this on audible but there's no audible version on goodreads. Anyways, I actually love this series.
Other thoughts...
I wish when referring to the main character that her real name would be used instead of the alias when writing in the mc's main POV.
July 10, 2020
You could just jump in and enjoy this book— loved how some characters paths finally crossed :)
Another buddy read with my mom— on to #3
Another buddy read with my mom— on to #3
March 19, 2021
Rating as full series: 3.75 stars
December 31, 2021
I LOVE THIS SERIES
February 13, 2022
Better than book 1. Cerulia develops her powers, joins band of raiders who seek vengeance on their enemies.
October 9, 2023
Could not finish this one…less enjoyable than the first if that can even happen.
November 19, 2024
Listened to audiobook. Continues to be a very entertaining fantasy series.
June 22, 2024
I hissed at my husband when he tried to interrupt me.
January 31, 2023
After reading the first book, I expected another good book… but this book was even better than I expected. Sarah Kozloff kept surprising me and absolutely nothing was expected! I was pulled in from the beginning all the way to the end… and at the last page I was so surprised!
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