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The Queen of Days
From Greta Kelly, the author of the Warrior Witch duology, comes The Queen of Days, an epic adventure that weaves together a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves, a battle between fallen gods, and stakes high enough to cause vertigo—perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows.
For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun…or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort...”
Whatever that means.
But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days’ feet. And half of it is missing.
With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive…and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.
The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.
For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun…or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort...”
Whatever that means.
But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days’ feet. And half of it is missing.
With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive…and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.
The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.
384 pages, ebook
First published October 24, 2023
52 people are currently reading
5773 people want to read
About the author
Greta Kelly
6 books315 followersGreta K. Kelly is (probably) not a witch, death or otherwise, but she can still be summoned with offerings of too-beautiful-to-use journals and Butterfingers candy. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband and daughters who are doing their level-best to take over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
November 15, 2023
I READ THIS IN 2 DAYS!!! It was that good!
If you are a fan of Six of Crows but wished it was more adult, and the stakes were higher...
Or if you enjoyed the non stop action in The Lies of Locke Lamora, then you should definitely check this one out!
It has a ragtag crew of thieves, a male MC that is hell bent on revenge, and The Queen of Days, who is more demon than woman. Their crew is hired to steal an idol on a very special day- its a rush job, and inevitably the most dangerous one they will ever do. But the male MC is blinded by revenge and with a lot of money on the line, he accepts anyway. There's just one caveat- he needs to recruit The Queen of Days into this mission. She is a legend wrapped in dark leather and a mask, and little do they all know- stealing and idol is just the beginning of their journey.
Experience wrathful Gods, unique magic, and non stop action in a heist you'll never forget!
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
If you are a fan of Six of Crows but wished it was more adult, and the stakes were higher...
Or if you enjoyed the non stop action in The Lies of Locke Lamora, then you should definitely check this one out!
It has a ragtag crew of thieves, a male MC that is hell bent on revenge, and The Queen of Days, who is more demon than woman. Their crew is hired to steal an idol on a very special day- its a rush job, and inevitably the most dangerous one they will ever do. But the male MC is blinded by revenge and with a lot of money on the line, he accepts anyway. There's just one caveat- he needs to recruit The Queen of Days into this mission. She is a legend wrapped in dark leather and a mask, and little do they all know- stealing and idol is just the beginning of their journey.
Experience wrathful Gods, unique magic, and non stop action in a heist you'll never forget!
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
August 4, 2023
- Heist
- Time magic
- First and third person POVs
- Good writing
- Multiple povs
- Gods
- Good word building
Bal and his crew take on a new heist, with the addition of one new member ,- the Queen Of Days - one of the best thieves around. However, things start to go terribly wrong and although their were rumours that the Queen of Days wasn’t human nobody expected them to be true.
I loved the premise of this book when I first started it - an epic heist and a stranger that has time magic - but around the 30% mark I just couldn’t get into it anymore.
The plot wasn’t anything that special and my attention fizzled out pretty quickly. In terms of characters, I personally couldn’t get attached to them, my favourite was probably Tass and that’s only because she had cool powers. You just don’t really get attached to them or learn too much about certain others. I would have loved the see more of the crew being developed, Kai in particular.
But let’s talk about Bals character for a second. Bal has the worst leadership skills I’ve ever seen but he’s still somehow the leader of a team that his family follows despite it risking their lives? His obsession with his ex fiancé is also questionable as again, he puts his teams lives on the line for her despite her being indifferent to him. I just felt like these needed a bit more exploration.
The writing though was amazing throughout, with the world building being done really well throughout the book. However, the switch from first person in Bals pov to third person in Tass’ was initially a bit confusing; it would have made more sense if the world book was in first person or vice versa.
Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR for an arc of this - All opinions are my own 💗
- Time magic
- First and third person POVs
- Good writing
- Multiple povs
- Gods
- Good word building
Bal and his crew take on a new heist, with the addition of one new member ,- the Queen Of Days - one of the best thieves around. However, things start to go terribly wrong and although their were rumours that the Queen of Days wasn’t human nobody expected them to be true.
I loved the premise of this book when I first started it - an epic heist and a stranger that has time magic - but around the 30% mark I just couldn’t get into it anymore.
The plot wasn’t anything that special and my attention fizzled out pretty quickly. In terms of characters, I personally couldn’t get attached to them, my favourite was probably Tass and that’s only because she had cool powers. You just don’t really get attached to them or learn too much about certain others. I would have loved the see more of the crew being developed, Kai in particular.
But let’s talk about Bals character for a second. Bal has the worst leadership skills I’ve ever seen but he’s still somehow the leader of a team that his family follows despite it risking their lives? His obsession with his ex fiancé is also questionable as again, he puts his teams lives on the line for her despite her being indifferent to him. I just felt like these needed a bit more exploration.
The writing though was amazing throughout, with the world building being done really well throughout the book. However, the switch from first person in Bals pov to third person in Tass’ was initially a bit confusing; it would have made more sense if the world book was in first person or vice versa.
Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR for an arc of this - All opinions are my own 💗
June 29, 2023
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book early.
I’ve never read a fantasy book quite like this! The world building was beautiful and I felt like I was right there with the characters for every twist! The adventure these characters go on is great and I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen. Most of all with this story I loved the characters and the family aspect they have. I could tell they cared and loved eachother so much which made it all come together! Will definitely be buying the book when it comes out!
I’ve never read a fantasy book quite like this! The world building was beautiful and I felt like I was right there with the characters for every twist! The adventure these characters go on is great and I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen. Most of all with this story I loved the characters and the family aspect they have. I could tell they cared and loved eachother so much which made it all come together! Will definitely be buying the book when it comes out!
April 17, 2023
When I read the book blurb of The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly I was really excited because I live for a good heist. However I am sad to say this book fell short for me in many aspects. The only saving grace of The Queen of Days for me was its impressive world building. By no means Greta is a bad writer. The book had it’s fair share of twists and turns but, personally, it lacked depth and the plot didn’t manage to grasp my interest as I hoped it would.
To begin with, I must mention The Queen of Days’ incredible world building because the effort Greta has put into is admirable. The kingdom of Ashaar and the Nethersphere was described in great detail and I really did enjoy reading all about their customs, traditions and the legends about the gods/Ankaari. However, personally I never thought I’d say this about a book, there was nothing but world building for the most part and that is saying something being a huge fan of epic/high fantasy. While I enjoy extensive world building I need the story arc to have essence and depth to back it up with it. This is where The Queen of Days disappointed me.
The book started off great. I mean who doesn’t love a disgraced family who has fallen into hard times with a protagonist seeking revenge? However, for me, why Balthazar, our male protagonist, his twelve year old sister Mira, the bastard son of their father, Malakai (Kai), their cousin, Zeelaya (Zee) and her husband Edik became a gang of thieves was baffling. I mean, if your father, the mayor was accused of being corrupt and stripped of power (and murdered in this case) would anybody’s first thought be, yep let’s become a bunch of thieves and give them genuine grounds to prove their point? Also, I didn’t understand why The Curator thought they were the best people to carry out such a great task of killing a god (Karanis) because there was nothing in the story that suggested they were that great at their job. Likewise, there was a lot of things in the story that lacked credibility for me but I would leave the others to be the judge of them and to refrain from spoiling the story.
Initially I loved our female protagonist, Tassiel, the half human, half Ankaari. She was bad ass. She was first described as morally grey and apathetic. However as the story progressed she became boring and just faded away into yet another character. There was no real character development in any of the characters and I felt most of the characters were not really needed in order for the story to continue. For example, Zee and Edik. They didn’t add anything to the story. Kai at least provided the much needed comic relief with his sarcasm. I think he was the only character I really liked although he wasn’t given any substantial role in the story.
I think the other problem I had with the story was the timespan of the entire book. Everything mentioned in this book happens within two to three days. Furthermore the plot was extremely weak.
In conclusion, The Queen of Days had great potential to become a great book which started out great but frizzled away as the story progressed.
My sincere thanks to Netgally and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me this advanced reader copy.
To begin with, I must mention The Queen of Days’ incredible world building because the effort Greta has put into is admirable. The kingdom of Ashaar and the Nethersphere was described in great detail and I really did enjoy reading all about their customs, traditions and the legends about the gods/Ankaari. However, personally I never thought I’d say this about a book, there was nothing but world building for the most part and that is saying something being a huge fan of epic/high fantasy. While I enjoy extensive world building I need the story arc to have essence and depth to back it up with it. This is where The Queen of Days disappointed me.
The book started off great. I mean who doesn’t love a disgraced family who has fallen into hard times with a protagonist seeking revenge? However, for me, why Balthazar, our male protagonist, his twelve year old sister Mira, the bastard son of their father, Malakai (Kai), their cousin, Zeelaya (Zee) and her husband Edik became a gang of thieves was baffling. I mean, if your father, the mayor was accused of being corrupt and stripped of power (and murdered in this case) would anybody’s first thought be, yep let’s become a bunch of thieves and give them genuine grounds to prove their point? Also, I didn’t understand why The Curator thought they were the best people to carry out such a great task of killing a god (Karanis) because there was nothing in the story that suggested they were that great at their job. Likewise, there was a lot of things in the story that lacked credibility for me but I would leave the others to be the judge of them and to refrain from spoiling the story.
Initially I loved our female protagonist, Tassiel, the half human, half Ankaari. She was bad ass. She was first described as morally grey and apathetic. However as the story progressed she became boring and just faded away into yet another character. There was no real character development in any of the characters and I felt most of the characters were not really needed in order for the story to continue. For example, Zee and Edik. They didn’t add anything to the story. Kai at least provided the much needed comic relief with his sarcasm. I think he was the only character I really liked although he wasn’t given any substantial role in the story.
I think the other problem I had with the story was the timespan of the entire book. Everything mentioned in this book happens within two to three days. Furthermore the plot was extremely weak.
In conclusion, The Queen of Days had great potential to become a great book which started out great but frizzled away as the story progressed.
My sincere thanks to Netgally and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me this advanced reader copy.
December 12, 2023
Written well. The plot and the heist itself was…underwhelming.
September 13, 2023
3.5 ⭐. RTC
November 9, 2023
Greta Kelly's duology is one of my all-time favorites, so when I heard she had a new stand-alone novel, I was beyond excited. It did not disappoint. I didn't read anything about it including a description because I knew I would like it and wanted to be surprised. And I was. It is told from a majority male perspective which I wasn't expecting, and the concept is based on family. Bal and Tassiel's relationship is unique and I loved watching their trust in each other grow and develop in to a familial bond. Highly recommend and loved the world that Greta created!
November 15, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
So I'm kind of smitten with the Queen of Days. Yes I do mean the book, but I also mean the elusive character we know of as the Queen of Days. I love a good shrouded character dripping in mystery and when you add time magic to the mix, I will lay my sword down for her. Not only that, but her character development really blooms throughout as the history, past, and mystery are revealed. That being said, I also enjoyed the ragtag found family group crew dynamic even if we didn't get as much of some of the side characters as I'd have liked.
So I'm kind of smitten with the Queen of Days. Yes I do mean the book, but I also mean the elusive character we know of as the Queen of Days. I love a good shrouded character dripping in mystery and when you add time magic to the mix, I will lay my sword down for her. Not only that, but her character development really blooms throughout as the history, past, and mystery are revealed. That being said, I also enjoyed the ragtag found family group crew dynamic even if we didn't get as much of some of the side characters as I'd have liked.
October 20, 2023
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy / Epic
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Greta Kelly's The Queen of Days is allegedly a standalone novel that includes a classic magical heist crew fantasy adventure, with a rag-tag group of characters, inevitable betrayals, and some fun twists and turns. This novel definitely has vestiges of YA as well as everything an epic fantasy needs, but with a fresh coming-of-age narrative hitting all the notes popular in the genre today—especially since this story includes a cast of lovable, witty misfits fighting for survival and acceptance.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy / Epic
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Greta Kelly's The Queen of Days is allegedly a standalone novel that includes a classic magical heist crew fantasy adventure, with a rag-tag group of characters, inevitable betrayals, and some fun twists and turns. This novel definitely has vestiges of YA as well as everything an epic fantasy needs, but with a fresh coming-of-age narrative hitting all the notes popular in the genre today—especially since this story includes a cast of lovable, witty misfits fighting for survival and acceptance.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
November 10, 2023
Queen of Days is the the fast paced fantastic new novel from Greta Kelly. This is the story of Balthazar and his gang of thieves who are employed by their patron to steal an icon at the dedication ceremony of a new temple for Karanis. Unfortunately there are rules, one of which is that they need to add the enigmatic and secret Queen of Days to save them if required. After the job going disastrously wrong, with Karanis coming through a portal, Bal, his team and the Queen of Days must find a way to defeat Karanis and save Cothis and probably humanity.
I really enjoyed losing myself inQueen of Days, with it’s wonderful world building and affable characters. The two central characters are Bal and Queen of Days herself Tassiel. At first glance they have nothing in common, Bal the head of the Talion Gang, working as thieves whilst Tassiel comes from another world so to speak, has an air of mystery about her, and more than a touch of magic. As the plot progresses I loved watching their relationship grow, their philosophical conversations, and ultimately how they came to really trust each other. Through Bal and Tassiel the main theme of this book family is explored. Bal’s family were murdered by the now Govenor Paasch leaving him, his sister Mira and their cousin Zee fugitives, and is the reason for Bal’s protectiveness towards his sister. Tassiel has been outcast by her family, left to die with none of her siblings coming to look for her. Both feel betrayed, both want revenge and both need to feel part of something, for someone to care,
Greta Kelly’s imagination and world building is fantastic, with the different worlds of the Nethersphere where so called gods and demi gods and monsters live, the human world and my favourite, the world of the Curator. It is the Curator’s world that seems to be the link, and his world is a world of books, unlimited, neverending books, a heaven for so many of us readers. These different planes also use time differently, with time only being important in the human world, the only plane for mortals. The fast pace and suspense builds quickly in this book as the Bal, Tassiel and the crew need to get to safety and kill a god/daemon taking them to other realms, dealing with dragons and wolves and of course the Karanis himself intent on killing them all.
Queen of Days is beautifully written, building a fascinating world, and creating such wonderful and loveable characters. The attention to detail brings the book alive, the sights and sounds of the worlds created, and the characters themselves. Full of action this is a real rollercoaster of a read for both the reader and the characters, from the heist at the beginning, to the magic of Tasseil, the wrath of Krunis and the ultimate good versus evil battle. An incredible and imaginative read, and I hope to meet the Queen of Days again.
I really enjoyed losing myself inQueen of Days, with it’s wonderful world building and affable characters. The two central characters are Bal and Queen of Days herself Tassiel. At first glance they have nothing in common, Bal the head of the Talion Gang, working as thieves whilst Tassiel comes from another world so to speak, has an air of mystery about her, and more than a touch of magic. As the plot progresses I loved watching their relationship grow, their philosophical conversations, and ultimately how they came to really trust each other. Through Bal and Tassiel the main theme of this book family is explored. Bal’s family were murdered by the now Govenor Paasch leaving him, his sister Mira and their cousin Zee fugitives, and is the reason for Bal’s protectiveness towards his sister. Tassiel has been outcast by her family, left to die with none of her siblings coming to look for her. Both feel betrayed, both want revenge and both need to feel part of something, for someone to care,
Greta Kelly’s imagination and world building is fantastic, with the different worlds of the Nethersphere where so called gods and demi gods and monsters live, the human world and my favourite, the world of the Curator. It is the Curator’s world that seems to be the link, and his world is a world of books, unlimited, neverending books, a heaven for so many of us readers. These different planes also use time differently, with time only being important in the human world, the only plane for mortals. The fast pace and suspense builds quickly in this book as the Bal, Tassiel and the crew need to get to safety and kill a god/daemon taking them to other realms, dealing with dragons and wolves and of course the Karanis himself intent on killing them all.
Queen of Days is beautifully written, building a fascinating world, and creating such wonderful and loveable characters. The attention to detail brings the book alive, the sights and sounds of the worlds created, and the characters themselves. Full of action this is a real rollercoaster of a read for both the reader and the characters, from the heist at the beginning, to the magic of Tasseil, the wrath of Krunis and the ultimate good versus evil battle. An incredible and imaginative read, and I hope to meet the Queen of Days again.
August 15, 2023
I seriously enjoyed this book! It could work as a stand alone or spawn a whole world. There were several grammatical errors that I’m sure will be corrected in final editing before the book is printed. I would really like to see a book about Tass, her history, etc. I was also hoping that she would eventually remove her mask but… A fast read, and thank goodness the author didn’t try to force a romance between the 2 MCs. They just wouldn’t work.
I received this eARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!
I received this eARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
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Queen of Days starts off with a bang but peters out to a damp squib.
The book opens with Bal accepting the offer of a job that will set him and his team up for life, and agreeing to work with the mysterious Queen of Days. The most interesting part of this deal? She doesn't want payment in money, she wants payment in time. This is a pretty interesting hook, but unfortunately, it does little more to expand on this concept past being a 'hook'.
While there were definitely aspects about Bal's crew that I liked and they did seem to work well together, they argued way too much and lacked that special something that makes found-family such a beloved trope.
The world-building was decent enough. What we were given was pretty cool but I wouldn't have complained if certain things were better expanded upon.
While I did enjoy the style of the writing, I do think it lacked somewhat in a descriptive sense. Another thing I noticed, that made me lose focus, was how long the character conversations were. Single conversations would last entire chapters. Too much conversation slows a book's pacing and grinds it to a halt. There wasn't nearly enough action in the middle of this book, and that's where my attention and investment started to wane.
I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. This should tick so many boxes for me. But it really does go to show that execution is everything.
Full Review
Plot
Queen of Days was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Once again I'd been drawn in by the comp titles of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows, and I'm sad to say, once again, it didn't live up to expectations. Because this isn't the first book to draw me in with the promise of something as fantastic and memorable as Locke Lamora.
Queen of Days starts off with a bang but peters out to a damp squib. The book is by no means bad, but there was certainly a disparity between my interest at the start of the book to my interest at the end.
But let's take a step back. The book opens with our charismatic main character, Bal, accepting the offer of a job that will set him and his team up for life, and agreeing to work with a mysterious masked woman known as the Queen of Days. The most interesting part of this deal? She doesn't want payment in money, she wants payment in time. More specifically, thirty days off the lives of each of them.
This is a pretty interesting hook, and it definitely had me hooked in the beginning, but unfortunately, it does little more to expand on this concept past being a 'hook'.
We then, rather quickly, breeze through the complicated and tumultuous relationships within Bal's crew (more on this later) and jump into a heist.
Ah, the heist genre. An old favourite of mine. My Achilles heel, if you will.
I get drawn in by the promise of a good heist, but too often books open with a heist gone wrong and then the rest of the book proceeds to be about the consequences, and not feature any more actual heists. In which case, the heist element is more the inciting incident rather than the main plot.
This is a heist gone wrong, yes, but the meat of the story is a crew of thieves hiding from the living god they just stole from before releasing they need to save the city.
I'd rather a book ended with a heist, rather than open with one. I want that big finale with a fun reveal that leaves you wondering how they did it. A good heist should feel like a magic trick. But the biggest trick with most heist books these days is when the book opens with a heist but doesn't close with one.
My biggest praise for the book, in terms of plot, was the interesting opening. I can't fault how excited I was to keep reading in the beginning. I only wish it had maintained its momentum throughout the middle section.
Characters
The problem is, when writing a heist, each member of the team needs to bring something unique to the table. If a reader is to invest in every character there needs to be a definite sense that the crew really can't pull it off if any of them are missing. Unfortunately, I didn't get that impression with Bal's team.
Only the POV characters, Bal and Tass, felt like important members of the crew. I know Zee builds explosives, which is a good start, but we never actually see her do it, and her creations are used so rarely that it felt like the team probably could have just bought this stuff, rendering her character useless. Kai did nothing, except what he was told, and Edik didn't even seem to do that. I've no idea what exactly Kai and Edik's skills were that made them invaluable team members. Mira was there just to be Bal's sister and motivation, and that's fine. A character needs motivation and she filled the role pretty well whilst still being a feisty character with enough personality to stand out.
Edik was just fucking annoying. I couldn't stand him. He did nothing but kick back against Bal, talk down to him like he was so fucking high and mighty. Felt like clapping when Bal finally told him to fuck off.
Zee was almost as bad. They were cousins, but she had little loyalty towards Bal.
It's funny, I was checking out some other reviews and felt so confused that so many people were siding with the team over Bal, regarding some of the decisions Bal made. It's interesting, cause the way I see it is, I don't know those other characters nearly well enough to take their side. I knew Bal. I was in Bal's head. I felt more invested in Bal's story than anyone's, so for me, siding with the character I actually knew and was most invested in was an obvious choice. Sure Bal's not a great leader, but you can't tell me that every decision he made wasn't for the good of his team in the long run.
I did feel the character growth was too sudden for both Bal and Tass. One moment Bal is scared of Tass, the next she's part of the gang and he wishes he'd met her sooner. Same with Tass. One moment totally indifferent and willingly taking months of their lives from them, the next, these people are somehow precious to her and she'd die for them. This change occurs within a single day. I'd expect something like this to happen over several acts. I don't hate the camaraderie but the development was just too sudden.
Also, are we not going to talk about the fact that Tass had feathers or something? It's mentioned once and then never again.
I will also say that I think this might be wrongly marketed as being 'found family' or similar to Locke Lamora. Bal and his crew can barely stand each other, some even seeming to openly hate each other. They aren't loyal and they don't trust Bal. In that regard, it's nothing like Locke Lamora. Jean and the twins would never question Locke's judgement. Loyal to a fault. The constant rows that broke out among Bal's crew just kind of made me sad.
A heist crew should make a reader want to also join the crew and be a part of the family, not make you want to awkwardly look the other way and back out the room.
So While there were definitely aspects about Bal's crew that I liked and they did seem to work well together, they argued way too much and lacked that special something that makes found-family such a beloved trope.
Setting
The world-building was decent enough. Nothing astonishing but it got the job gone. What we were given was pretty cool but I wouldn't have complained if certain things were better expanded upon, such as politics and the wider world in a geographical sense. I'm the kind of world-building fanatic who likes to deeply explore a world to the point where I even know what the architecture and food culture look like. I really like to get a sense the world is a character in itself.
I would've liked a little more detail in general, but it became quite clear, judging from the characters, that this wasn't going to be a particularly deep book in terms of world depth, so I came to stop expecting so much from it.
Tass's ability to trade in time was a super cool concept in the beginning and had the potential to be quite a unique magic system. But after the first few chapters, it's pretty much never mentioned again, and it certainly had no baring or significance to the plot, which was a little weird given that the book is literally named after the nickname given to Tass because of this ability to steal days off people's lives. I thought there would be a greater impact regarding this ability or that there might even be bigger consequences regarding the fact that she took 30 days from each character and 60 from Bal, but disappointingly, nothing really came of it.
Writing Style
While I did enjoy the style of the writing for the most part, I do think it lacked somewhat in a descriptive sense. There definitely needed to be way more descriptions and evocative language being used.
I don't think Bal's appearance was ever described, what with the story being told in first person from his perspective. I didn't know what he looked like so I just picked an image in my mind and rolled with it.
Another thing I noticed, that pulled me a little from the story and made me lose focus, was how long the character conversations were. Single conversations would last entire chapters, and the chapters were pretty long. I'd zone out whilst listening to parts and then suddenly snap back into focus and realise the characters were still discussing the same issues. Conversations that go on too long get boring. It's like that in real life, it's certainly like that in fiction, where things should be succinct and to the point so we can get back to the action.
Too much conversation slows a book's pacing and grinds it to a halt. There wasn't nearly enough action in the middle of this book, and that's where my attention and investment started to wane.
Final Impression
Does it sound like I'm being over-critical? Maybe.
But am I consistently more critical of books that have great potential that don't quite reach it? Yes, absolutely.
I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. No one is more disappointed by this review than I am. Literally, this should tick so many boxes for me. All the boxes, in fact. But it really does go to show that execution is everything.
ＴＬＤＲ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ
🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 - ᴘʟᴏᴛ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 - ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ
°
🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 - ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ
Queen of Days starts off with a bang but peters out to a damp squib.
The book opens with Bal accepting the offer of a job that will set him and his team up for life, and agreeing to work with the mysterious Queen of Days. The most interesting part of this deal? She doesn't want payment in money, she wants payment in time. This is a pretty interesting hook, but unfortunately, it does little more to expand on this concept past being a 'hook'.
While there were definitely aspects about Bal's crew that I liked and they did seem to work well together, they argued way too much and lacked that special something that makes found-family such a beloved trope.
The world-building was decent enough. What we were given was pretty cool but I wouldn't have complained if certain things were better expanded upon.
While I did enjoy the style of the writing, I do think it lacked somewhat in a descriptive sense. Another thing I noticed, that made me lose focus, was how long the character conversations were. Single conversations would last entire chapters. Too much conversation slows a book's pacing and grinds it to a halt. There wasn't nearly enough action in the middle of this book, and that's where my attention and investment started to wane.
I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. This should tick so many boxes for me. But it really does go to show that execution is everything.
Full Review
Plot
Queen of Days was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Once again I'd been drawn in by the comp titles of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows, and I'm sad to say, once again, it didn't live up to expectations. Because this isn't the first book to draw me in with the promise of something as fantastic and memorable as Locke Lamora.
Queen of Days starts off with a bang but peters out to a damp squib. The book is by no means bad, but there was certainly a disparity between my interest at the start of the book to my interest at the end.
But let's take a step back. The book opens with our charismatic main character, Bal, accepting the offer of a job that will set him and his team up for life, and agreeing to work with a mysterious masked woman known as the Queen of Days. The most interesting part of this deal? She doesn't want payment in money, she wants payment in time. More specifically, thirty days off the lives of each of them.
This is a pretty interesting hook, and it definitely had me hooked in the beginning, but unfortunately, it does little more to expand on this concept past being a 'hook'.
We then, rather quickly, breeze through the complicated and tumultuous relationships within Bal's crew (more on this later) and jump into a heist.
Ah, the heist genre. An old favourite of mine. My Achilles heel, if you will.
I get drawn in by the promise of a good heist, but too often books open with a heist gone wrong and then the rest of the book proceeds to be about the consequences, and not feature any more actual heists. In which case, the heist element is more the inciting incident rather than the main plot.
This is a heist gone wrong, yes, but the meat of the story is a crew of thieves hiding from the living god they just stole from before releasing they need to save the city.
I'd rather a book ended with a heist, rather than open with one. I want that big finale with a fun reveal that leaves you wondering how they did it. A good heist should feel like a magic trick. But the biggest trick with most heist books these days is when the book opens with a heist but doesn't close with one.
My biggest praise for the book, in terms of plot, was the interesting opening. I can't fault how excited I was to keep reading in the beginning. I only wish it had maintained its momentum throughout the middle section.
Characters
The problem is, when writing a heist, each member of the team needs to bring something unique to the table. If a reader is to invest in every character there needs to be a definite sense that the crew really can't pull it off if any of them are missing. Unfortunately, I didn't get that impression with Bal's team.
Only the POV characters, Bal and Tass, felt like important members of the crew. I know Zee builds explosives, which is a good start, but we never actually see her do it, and her creations are used so rarely that it felt like the team probably could have just bought this stuff, rendering her character useless. Kai did nothing, except what he was told, and Edik didn't even seem to do that. I've no idea what exactly Kai and Edik's skills were that made them invaluable team members. Mira was there just to be Bal's sister and motivation, and that's fine. A character needs motivation and she filled the role pretty well whilst still being a feisty character with enough personality to stand out.
Edik was just fucking annoying. I couldn't stand him. He did nothing but kick back against Bal, talk down to him like he was so fucking high and mighty. Felt like clapping when Bal finally told him to fuck off.
Zee was almost as bad. They were cousins, but she had little loyalty towards Bal.
It's funny, I was checking out some other reviews and felt so confused that so many people were siding with the team over Bal, regarding some of the decisions Bal made. It's interesting, cause the way I see it is, I don't know those other characters nearly well enough to take their side. I knew Bal. I was in Bal's head. I felt more invested in Bal's story than anyone's, so for me, siding with the character I actually knew and was most invested in was an obvious choice. Sure Bal's not a great leader, but you can't tell me that every decision he made wasn't for the good of his team in the long run.
I did feel the character growth was too sudden for both Bal and Tass. One moment Bal is scared of Tass, the next she's part of the gang and he wishes he'd met her sooner. Same with Tass. One moment totally indifferent and willingly taking months of their lives from them, the next, these people are somehow precious to her and she'd die for them. This change occurs within a single day. I'd expect something like this to happen over several acts. I don't hate the camaraderie but the development was just too sudden.
Also, are we not going to talk about the fact that Tass had feathers or something? It's mentioned once and then never again.
I will also say that I think this might be wrongly marketed as being 'found family' or similar to Locke Lamora. Bal and his crew can barely stand each other, some even seeming to openly hate each other. They aren't loyal and they don't trust Bal. In that regard, it's nothing like Locke Lamora. Jean and the twins would never question Locke's judgement. Loyal to a fault. The constant rows that broke out among Bal's crew just kind of made me sad.
A heist crew should make a reader want to also join the crew and be a part of the family, not make you want to awkwardly look the other way and back out the room.
So While there were definitely aspects about Bal's crew that I liked and they did seem to work well together, they argued way too much and lacked that special something that makes found-family such a beloved trope.
Setting
The world-building was decent enough. Nothing astonishing but it got the job gone. What we were given was pretty cool but I wouldn't have complained if certain things were better expanded upon, such as politics and the wider world in a geographical sense. I'm the kind of world-building fanatic who likes to deeply explore a world to the point where I even know what the architecture and food culture look like. I really like to get a sense the world is a character in itself.
I would've liked a little more detail in general, but it became quite clear, judging from the characters, that this wasn't going to be a particularly deep book in terms of world depth, so I came to stop expecting so much from it.
Tass's ability to trade in time was a super cool concept in the beginning and had the potential to be quite a unique magic system. But after the first few chapters, it's pretty much never mentioned again, and it certainly had no baring or significance to the plot, which was a little weird given that the book is literally named after the nickname given to Tass because of this ability to steal days off people's lives. I thought there would be a greater impact regarding this ability or that there might even be bigger consequences regarding the fact that she took 30 days from each character and 60 from Bal, but disappointingly, nothing really came of it.
Writing Style
While I did enjoy the style of the writing for the most part, I do think it lacked somewhat in a descriptive sense. There definitely needed to be way more descriptions and evocative language being used.
I don't think Bal's appearance was ever described, what with the story being told in first person from his perspective. I didn't know what he looked like so I just picked an image in my mind and rolled with it.
Another thing I noticed, that pulled me a little from the story and made me lose focus, was how long the character conversations were. Single conversations would last entire chapters, and the chapters were pretty long. I'd zone out whilst listening to parts and then suddenly snap back into focus and realise the characters were still discussing the same issues. Conversations that go on too long get boring. It's like that in real life, it's certainly like that in fiction, where things should be succinct and to the point so we can get back to the action.
Too much conversation slows a book's pacing and grinds it to a halt. There wasn't nearly enough action in the middle of this book, and that's where my attention and investment started to wane.
Final Impression
Does it sound like I'm being over-critical? Maybe.
But am I consistently more critical of books that have great potential that don't quite reach it? Yes, absolutely.
I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. No one is more disappointed by this review than I am. Literally, this should tick so many boxes for me. All the boxes, in fact. But it really does go to show that execution is everything.
June 15, 2023
THE QUEEN OF DAYS
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the digital ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.
SYNOPSIS (in my own words): Balthazar and his young crew of thieves have one major goal: steal from the man who brought their family ruin, embarrass him in front of the entire city, and then get the hell outta dodge with their bounty to live comfortably. But one thing stands in their way – to complete this deal, they have to work with the mysterious Queen of Days and it seems that once she joins, their simple job becomes larger than life…larger than the reality of this world. Enter gods, a Nethersphere, and the most powerful beings threatening this world’s way of life. Suddenly Bal and friends have to make a choice: let it happen or kill a god, both of which mean certain death.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I’m not going to lie, I read this as I was watching the latest season of Shadow and Bone, which features my beloved Crows from Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom. It was hard not to directly compare the two while I was consuming both at the same time. The plotlines were completely different as were the dynamics of each group and both had their strengths. I would say if you’re looking for a straight-up heist story with experienced thieves, go to Six of Crows. However, if you’re looking for nonstop heart-pounding action with a heist on the side, Queen of Days is your girl. While this book started as Bal and his family doing one last job to set themselves up for life, it very quickly deviated from that track to become more of a save-the-world kind of story, which I was not expecting based on the brief descriptions I had read before starting. I have to say it was a pleasant surprise because it very much became it’s own creative world and story that could easily host sequels if the author chooses to return to Cothis.
I love the realism of why Bal felt compelled to “save the world.” It was a very Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 moment of “why do we have to save the galaxy” “Because I’m one of the idiots who lives in it!” kind of moment which I appreciated. The motivations were clear the entire time and I don’t think anyone acted out of character. I’m not sure if this is going to a be a series or not, but I think the main characters (Bal & Tass) had appropriate character arcs and growth over the course of a single book if this story does not continue. I feel like it would be difficult to try to jam an entire arc of a character in a single fantasy book without it seeming forced or like the character took a 180 for no reason and in my opinion the author nailed it.
With her third book, Greta Kelly has proven that she should be a household name in the fantasy realm. Between this and her Warrior Witch duology (which I will recommend until my dying breath), her level of detail, world-building, and understanding of magic is top notch. If asked which I would recommend more, I would say I liked The Frozen Crown/The Seventh Queen better than this book, but she set a very high bar for herself. I’m definitely excited to read anything else she does!
Overall, I say this is a 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4 for Netgalley/Goodreads rankings.
SPOILERS START HERE:
What I really liked:
-Bal & Tass’s relationship growth. If this crew comes back for a sequel (which it very easily could with the amount of world-building and setup for more powerful gods to try to come into the world), I hope they remain friends. I never got a romantic connection between them, which is refreshing in this new age of SJM romantasy. Sometimes people can just be friends, not everyone needs to be a freaking soulmate. If anything, Tass & Mira’s connection was the most pure and I loved that!
- I’m not sure if this was intentional or if this is just because it’s a digital ARC, but I really enjoyed how the chapter titles that were from Tass’s POV went from her full title of “Spetiniri Tassiel Janae” to “Tassiel” and then finally “Tass.” I read this as her going from being the isolated, banished demi-god that had no friends or family to growing to be a part of Bal���s crew and finally their family too.
-the glimpse of the Nethersphere! More please! If this becomes a sequel, there’s a whole new world of gods to battle and the entire space felt like the Upside Down from Stranger Things. It was intense and creative.
What I could’ve used more of:
-Kai for sure. I feel like his sarcasm and witty remarks provided some great comic relief and his banter with Tass was fun to read, especially once she started playing into it towards the end.
-the rest of the crew. I felt like the team was kind of neglected when Tass & Bal went off on their own and we lost out on a lot of the group. If the book is written in different perspectives, I think adding a Zee or Kai or even Mira while she’s captured would’ve tied them together a little more instead of feeling like they were super secondary characters that felt a little one-dimensional.
-heisty hijinks. This book was originally described as a heist book which is how it started but it spaced out a little unevenly. It started with the heist that immediately went wrong in the first 20% and then didn’t get back to a twist with Zee & Edik coming back until about the 90% mark. The bulk of the middle was a lot of conversations and learning about the bigger threat, which is fine, but I would’ve liked a few more twists from an experienced band of thieves. They felt a little amateur at times.
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the digital ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.
SYNOPSIS (in my own words): Balthazar and his young crew of thieves have one major goal: steal from the man who brought their family ruin, embarrass him in front of the entire city, and then get the hell outta dodge with their bounty to live comfortably. But one thing stands in their way – to complete this deal, they have to work with the mysterious Queen of Days and it seems that once she joins, their simple job becomes larger than life…larger than the reality of this world. Enter gods, a Nethersphere, and the most powerful beings threatening this world’s way of life. Suddenly Bal and friends have to make a choice: let it happen or kill a god, both of which mean certain death.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I’m not going to lie, I read this as I was watching the latest season of Shadow and Bone, which features my beloved Crows from Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom. It was hard not to directly compare the two while I was consuming both at the same time. The plotlines were completely different as were the dynamics of each group and both had their strengths. I would say if you’re looking for a straight-up heist story with experienced thieves, go to Six of Crows. However, if you’re looking for nonstop heart-pounding action with a heist on the side, Queen of Days is your girl. While this book started as Bal and his family doing one last job to set themselves up for life, it very quickly deviated from that track to become more of a save-the-world kind of story, which I was not expecting based on the brief descriptions I had read before starting. I have to say it was a pleasant surprise because it very much became it’s own creative world and story that could easily host sequels if the author chooses to return to Cothis.
I love the realism of why Bal felt compelled to “save the world.” It was a very Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 moment of “why do we have to save the galaxy” “Because I’m one of the idiots who lives in it!” kind of moment which I appreciated. The motivations were clear the entire time and I don’t think anyone acted out of character. I’m not sure if this is going to a be a series or not, but I think the main characters (Bal & Tass) had appropriate character arcs and growth over the course of a single book if this story does not continue. I feel like it would be difficult to try to jam an entire arc of a character in a single fantasy book without it seeming forced or like the character took a 180 for no reason and in my opinion the author nailed it.
With her third book, Greta Kelly has proven that she should be a household name in the fantasy realm. Between this and her Warrior Witch duology (which I will recommend until my dying breath), her level of detail, world-building, and understanding of magic is top notch. If asked which I would recommend more, I would say I liked The Frozen Crown/The Seventh Queen better than this book, but she set a very high bar for herself. I’m definitely excited to read anything else she does!
Overall, I say this is a 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4 for Netgalley/Goodreads rankings.
SPOILERS START HERE:
What I really liked:
-Bal & Tass’s relationship growth. If this crew comes back for a sequel (which it very easily could with the amount of world-building and setup for more powerful gods to try to come into the world), I hope they remain friends. I never got a romantic connection between them, which is refreshing in this new age of SJM romantasy. Sometimes people can just be friends, not everyone needs to be a freaking soulmate. If anything, Tass & Mira’s connection was the most pure and I loved that!
- I’m not sure if this was intentional or if this is just because it’s a digital ARC, but I really enjoyed how the chapter titles that were from Tass’s POV went from her full title of “Spetiniri Tassiel Janae” to “Tassiel” and then finally “Tass.” I read this as her going from being the isolated, banished demi-god that had no friends or family to growing to be a part of Bal���s crew and finally their family too.
-the glimpse of the Nethersphere! More please! If this becomes a sequel, there’s a whole new world of gods to battle and the entire space felt like the Upside Down from Stranger Things. It was intense and creative.
What I could’ve used more of:
-Kai for sure. I feel like his sarcasm and witty remarks provided some great comic relief and his banter with Tass was fun to read, especially once she started playing into it towards the end.
-the rest of the crew. I felt like the team was kind of neglected when Tass & Bal went off on their own and we lost out on a lot of the group. If the book is written in different perspectives, I think adding a Zee or Kai or even Mira while she’s captured would’ve tied them together a little more instead of feeling like they were super secondary characters that felt a little one-dimensional.
-heisty hijinks. This book was originally described as a heist book which is how it started but it spaced out a little unevenly. It started with the heist that immediately went wrong in the first 20% and then didn’t get back to a twist with Zee & Edik coming back until about the 90% mark. The bulk of the middle was a lot of conversations and learning about the bigger threat, which is fine, but I would’ve liked a few more twists from an experienced band of thieves. They felt a little amateur at times.
November 2, 2025
I loved this world. I am quite upset it is the only book in this world.... ahem, Greta Kelly.... please continue this? Thanks.
I loved the anything goes in this fantasy/sci-fi world building of guns, swords, science, magic, other dimensions, anti-heroes, airships, and then there are multiple points of views...
Could just spend more time in this mash-up world and mash-up family.
I loved the anything goes in this fantasy/sci-fi world building of guns, swords, science, magic, other dimensions, anti-heroes, airships, and then there are multiple points of views...
Could just spend more time in this mash-up world and mash-up family.
November 21, 2023
Epic fantasy heist. Those three words in the subject line of an email were all it took for me to windmill slam “yes” on getting an eARC of The Queen of Days from NetGalley and publisher HarperVoyager. Some marketing person knew the magic words that would pique my interest instantly. I was excited to dive in, and thankfully, the book lived up to the hype! This is a delightful, powerful adventure that left me wanting more in all the right ways.
Balthazar, aka Bal, is a scion of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. He now makes a living as a thief in the city that his family once ruled, and his latest heist sees him reluctantly partnering up with the mythical and mysterious Queen of Days. The heist, as heists often do, goes pear-shaped. On the run and outgunned, Bal and his crew and the Queen of Days find themselves as unlikely allies on a quest to kill a god, save their city (and possibly the world), and keep their skins intact.
The book opens with Bal meeting the Queen of Days, whose name we soon learn is Tassiel, or Tass. From there, we quickly move into meeting the supporting cast and the heist itself. I appreciate this pacing—I don’t mind when a heist book builds up to the heist-as-climax, but I also like when they do what Kelly does here. The heist, you see, is actually an appetizer before the real plot takes off. After a brief diversion into a mysterious Archive for some exposition and raising of stakes, Bal and Tass and the crew are back out into the city, on the run, trying to figure out what to do next.
The found family vibes are strong here. Kelly alternates chapters between Bal and Tass’s perspectives. Something I really liked is how the chapter titles for Tass evolve. At the start of the book, they provide her full name and title; as the story continues, they shorten to “Tassiel” and then eventually “Tass,” signifying her acceptance of this identity and her connection to Bal and his crew.
The mystery of Tass’s identity—who she is, where her magic comes from, where she herself comes from—is one of the earliest and most central mysteries in this book, and it’s fun. The way that Kelly teases out the mystery, not giving us everything at once yet also never lingering too long before dropping another clue, is tantalizing and kept me reading. I needed to know more about Tass, more about the magic in this world—and the others. Kelly artfully combines several standard tropes in a way that breathes new life into them.
Similarly, Bal’s own character arc, though less dramatic, is no less important in this story. At the beginning, he is fixated on revenge and protecting his kid sister. That second desire never changes, of course. Yet Bal must confront what “revenge” means against the backdrop of bigger, more existential threats, and it’s in this crucible that he demonstrates his ability to be heroic. I really like how his friendship with Tass develops. There is a kindness to the core of his character that often feels lacking in male protagonists of his mould. He isn’t quite a lovable rogue, and he also isn’t a blustering blowhard of a fighter. Kelly has carved out an unique and interesting man who, despite numerous flaws, brings people together in a way that is its own kind of magic.
Though I praised the pacing earlier, if I were to critique anything about this book, it would actually be how too much happens. This is a book with a lot of side quests. Not all of them held my interest. I’m thinking of one in particular, a foray finally into Tass’s home—I can see why Kelly includes this, but at the same time, I kept thinking, “I just want us to get back to the main conflict here.” This is the problem when you try to write an epic fantasy story that also wants to be a cozy, family-centric heist story: the two genres are difficult to mash together since they have diametrically opposed atmospheres. That Kelly manages to make them work as well as she does is, in and of itself, quite impressive.
If one of those two genres wins out, it’s the latter. The Queen of Days is indeed epic on paper; there is no denying that. There are gods. An entire city trembles. The stakes are real. Yet we don’t really care about that. The readers are here for Bal and Tass and the lovable crew that surrounds them.
The Queen of Days raised me from a reading slump. It elevated my resting, reading heart rate. If you could hook me up to a faucet of hot-and-cold running fantasy in this style, I would be a happy woman. As it is, I am left wanting more—in a good way—and I can’t recommend this book enough to people who want epic fantasy with cozy characters.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Balthazar, aka Bal, is a scion of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. He now makes a living as a thief in the city that his family once ruled, and his latest heist sees him reluctantly partnering up with the mythical and mysterious Queen of Days. The heist, as heists often do, goes pear-shaped. On the run and outgunned, Bal and his crew and the Queen of Days find themselves as unlikely allies on a quest to kill a god, save their city (and possibly the world), and keep their skins intact.
The book opens with Bal meeting the Queen of Days, whose name we soon learn is Tassiel, or Tass. From there, we quickly move into meeting the supporting cast and the heist itself. I appreciate this pacing—I don’t mind when a heist book builds up to the heist-as-climax, but I also like when they do what Kelly does here. The heist, you see, is actually an appetizer before the real plot takes off. After a brief diversion into a mysterious Archive for some exposition and raising of stakes, Bal and Tass and the crew are back out into the city, on the run, trying to figure out what to do next.
The found family vibes are strong here. Kelly alternates chapters between Bal and Tass’s perspectives. Something I really liked is how the chapter titles for Tass evolve. At the start of the book, they provide her full name and title; as the story continues, they shorten to “Tassiel” and then eventually “Tass,” signifying her acceptance of this identity and her connection to Bal and his crew.
The mystery of Tass’s identity—who she is, where her magic comes from, where she herself comes from—is one of the earliest and most central mysteries in this book, and it’s fun. The way that Kelly teases out the mystery, not giving us everything at once yet also never lingering too long before dropping another clue, is tantalizing and kept me reading. I needed to know more about Tass, more about the magic in this world—and the others. Kelly artfully combines several standard tropes in a way that breathes new life into them.
Similarly, Bal’s own character arc, though less dramatic, is no less important in this story. At the beginning, he is fixated on revenge and protecting his kid sister. That second desire never changes, of course. Yet Bal must confront what “revenge” means against the backdrop of bigger, more existential threats, and it’s in this crucible that he demonstrates his ability to be heroic. I really like how his friendship with Tass develops. There is a kindness to the core of his character that often feels lacking in male protagonists of his mould. He isn’t quite a lovable rogue, and he also isn’t a blustering blowhard of a fighter. Kelly has carved out an unique and interesting man who, despite numerous flaws, brings people together in a way that is its own kind of magic.
Though I praised the pacing earlier, if I were to critique anything about this book, it would actually be how too much happens. This is a book with a lot of side quests. Not all of them held my interest. I’m thinking of one in particular, a foray finally into Tass’s home—I can see why Kelly includes this, but at the same time, I kept thinking, “I just want us to get back to the main conflict here.” This is the problem when you try to write an epic fantasy story that also wants to be a cozy, family-centric heist story: the two genres are difficult to mash together since they have diametrically opposed atmospheres. That Kelly manages to make them work as well as she does is, in and of itself, quite impressive.
If one of those two genres wins out, it’s the latter. The Queen of Days is indeed epic on paper; there is no denying that. There are gods. An entire city trembles. The stakes are real. Yet we don’t really care about that. The readers are here for Bal and Tass and the lovable crew that surrounds them.
The Queen of Days raised me from a reading slump. It elevated my resting, reading heart rate. If you could hook me up to a faucet of hot-and-cold running fantasy in this style, I would be a happy woman. As it is, I am left wanting more—in a good way—and I can’t recommend this book enough to people who want epic fantasy with cozy characters.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
December 29, 2023
If you're looking for a quick standalone with adventure, a band of thieves, a demon warrior and powerful beings looking to take over the world. This is the book to read!
November 14, 2023
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/11/13/...
Greta Kelly’s The Queen of Days initially held great promise for me, especially following my positive experience with her brilliant Warrior Witch duology. The prospect of a new adventure—a heist story, no less, which is like catnip for me—set in a world teeming with gods and demigods immediately piqued my interest. Ultimately though, I believe the novel would have benefited from a more in-depth exploration of the individual characters and their dynamics.
When the story begins, readers are introduced to Balthazar, a former member of the ruling class whose entire life was upended when his family fell under the attack of a vengeful political rival. Only Bal and his younger sister Miraveena survived, along with a few members of his extended family like his half-brother Malakai, cousin Zeelaya and her husband Edik, all of whom are now on the run. Forced to steal to survive, they become thieves for hire, targeting the nobility that had let them down. But now, they’ve been offered their biggest score yet. Bal’s mysterious patron has hired their crew to steal the idol of Karanis at the grand gala to celebrate the construction of the new temple to the sea god. Sure, it would be difficult in front of all those in attendance, but the pay alone would ensure all their futures. To Bal, nothing is more important than his little sister, and if they pull this off, Mira would be set for life.
There’s only one problem. For unknown reasons, their patron will only give them the job if they agree to take on a sixth member, the legendary thief known as the Queen of Days. Unwilling to let this chance of a lifetime slip through his fingers, Bal reluctantly strikes a deal with the mysterious figure, who introduces herself as Tassiel. When asked about her fee, however, she asks him to pay with thirty days off the end of his life and the same for each of his crew. Skeptical and disbelieving, Bal accepts.
This is just the beginning of what promises to be a whirlwind journey that will challenge not only our characters’ skills as thieves but also their very understanding of the rules that make up their universe. As they’ll soon discover, there is nothing traditional or even ordinary about the ceremony they’re about to crash, and the idol they’ve been tasked to steal is a magical artifact of immense significance, one that will change the fate of both mortals and gods. For Bal, this will mean fighting to maintain the fragile unity of his crew and learning to trust in Tassiel, at least long enough for them to survive this whole ordeal.
Yet while Kelly succeeds in portraying this band of thieves as a loveable found family, I felt that having an ensemble cast both strengthened and challenged the narrative. Yes, having more characters undoubtedly made the story more interesting, but because the focus was also very divided, I found it more difficult to connect to any of them. Notably, the author should have made a stronger case for Bal as the mastermind, the role traditionally filled by the crew’s leader in a heist story. There were several reasons why I found this unconvincing, the main one being his poor decision-making skills and lack of good judgment. His impulsiveness was not a good look and made it harder for me to feel sympathy for him or even root for his success.
Needless to say, I preferred Tassiel’s chapters over Bal’s, though the point-of-view shifts between the two from first-person to third-person took some adjusting. It also resulted in putting a bit of distance between the reader and her character, though in the end, it didn’t prevent me from warming to her personality as more about history was revealed (meanwhile, the more time I spent with Bal, the less I liked him).
This being a heist story, it should also come as no surprise that it stuck hard to heist crew archetypes. That said, I wish we had gotten more complex characters and that the plot moved beyond the usual predictable patterns. Granted, this was by no means a bad book, but nothing about it truly surprised or inspired me.
In other words, unlike Greta Kelly’s The Frozen Crown which I felt was a glorious debut, this one simply didn’t shine quite as bright. Don’t get me wrong, for readers who are looking for a pacy, entertaining, and action-packed heist story set in a fantasy world, I think The Queen of Days will be perfectly satisfactory. Nevertheless, those who are very familiar with the conventions of the genre and are looking for something more by way of characters and plot may find it somewhat wanting.
Greta Kelly’s The Queen of Days initially held great promise for me, especially following my positive experience with her brilliant Warrior Witch duology. The prospect of a new adventure—a heist story, no less, which is like catnip for me—set in a world teeming with gods and demigods immediately piqued my interest. Ultimately though, I believe the novel would have benefited from a more in-depth exploration of the individual characters and their dynamics.
When the story begins, readers are introduced to Balthazar, a former member of the ruling class whose entire life was upended when his family fell under the attack of a vengeful political rival. Only Bal and his younger sister Miraveena survived, along with a few members of his extended family like his half-brother Malakai, cousin Zeelaya and her husband Edik, all of whom are now on the run. Forced to steal to survive, they become thieves for hire, targeting the nobility that had let them down. But now, they’ve been offered their biggest score yet. Bal’s mysterious patron has hired their crew to steal the idol of Karanis at the grand gala to celebrate the construction of the new temple to the sea god. Sure, it would be difficult in front of all those in attendance, but the pay alone would ensure all their futures. To Bal, nothing is more important than his little sister, and if they pull this off, Mira would be set for life.
There’s only one problem. For unknown reasons, their patron will only give them the job if they agree to take on a sixth member, the legendary thief known as the Queen of Days. Unwilling to let this chance of a lifetime slip through his fingers, Bal reluctantly strikes a deal with the mysterious figure, who introduces herself as Tassiel. When asked about her fee, however, she asks him to pay with thirty days off the end of his life and the same for each of his crew. Skeptical and disbelieving, Bal accepts.
This is just the beginning of what promises to be a whirlwind journey that will challenge not only our characters’ skills as thieves but also their very understanding of the rules that make up their universe. As they’ll soon discover, there is nothing traditional or even ordinary about the ceremony they’re about to crash, and the idol they’ve been tasked to steal is a magical artifact of immense significance, one that will change the fate of both mortals and gods. For Bal, this will mean fighting to maintain the fragile unity of his crew and learning to trust in Tassiel, at least long enough for them to survive this whole ordeal.
Yet while Kelly succeeds in portraying this band of thieves as a loveable found family, I felt that having an ensemble cast both strengthened and challenged the narrative. Yes, having more characters undoubtedly made the story more interesting, but because the focus was also very divided, I found it more difficult to connect to any of them. Notably, the author should have made a stronger case for Bal as the mastermind, the role traditionally filled by the crew’s leader in a heist story. There were several reasons why I found this unconvincing, the main one being his poor decision-making skills and lack of good judgment. His impulsiveness was not a good look and made it harder for me to feel sympathy for him or even root for his success.
Needless to say, I preferred Tassiel’s chapters over Bal’s, though the point-of-view shifts between the two from first-person to third-person took some adjusting. It also resulted in putting a bit of distance between the reader and her character, though in the end, it didn’t prevent me from warming to her personality as more about history was revealed (meanwhile, the more time I spent with Bal, the less I liked him).
This being a heist story, it should also come as no surprise that it stuck hard to heist crew archetypes. That said, I wish we had gotten more complex characters and that the plot moved beyond the usual predictable patterns. Granted, this was by no means a bad book, but nothing about it truly surprised or inspired me.
In other words, unlike Greta Kelly’s The Frozen Crown which I felt was a glorious debut, this one simply didn’t shine quite as bright. Don’t get me wrong, for readers who are looking for a pacy, entertaining, and action-packed heist story set in a fantasy world, I think The Queen of Days will be perfectly satisfactory. Nevertheless, those who are very familiar with the conventions of the genre and are looking for something more by way of characters and plot may find it somewhat wanting.
October 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! Queen of Days has nonstop action and takes you on a heist adventure that had me guessing at every twist. The world building was amazing and really made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I really liked the family dynamic that was created between the characters and the different points of view.
Read this if you enjoy:
♦️Unique magic system
♦️Multiple POV
♦️Found family
♦️Lots of action
I think this was a creative fantasy novel and those interested in reading about a found family of thieves will really enjoy it.
Read this if you enjoy:
♦️Unique magic system
♦️Multiple POV
♦️Found family
♦️Lots of action
I think this was a creative fantasy novel and those interested in reading about a found family of thieves will really enjoy it.
July 12, 2023
I loved the premise of the book, a powerful supernatural being whom a gang of thieves led by an ex-princeling enlists to help in a dangerous heist of an idol in exchange for a month off their lives. Initially, I loved the characters as well. Bal was an interesting character, bent on revenge after his whole royal family was killed, and I loved Tass at first, who was a total badass.
But the execution just didn’t work for me. Tass’s character took a back seat in the last half of the book, which was disappointing. And I didn’t see the chemistry between Bal and his former fiancee, Seshana, who he’s still obsessed with despite her treating him with indifference and resentment.
He’s continually willing to risk his crew’s lives for the love of this woman who clearly doesn’t return his affections, and for his sister, which does make more sense; sometimes he fills the crew in on his plans, sometimes they don’t. He didn’t show much leadership ability; I wondered why they trusted him at all. He started off as self-absorbed and pretty much stayed that way. The character motivations were all over the board and did not make sense to me. These weren’t even very complex characters, they were just all meh.
And that Tass is so willing to trust them after just three days? Not believable.
Also annoying is the switch between first person POV from Bal’s POV and third from Tass’s. It would have been less disorienting sticking with one or the other even with multiple POVs.
This will appeal to fans of Dungeons and Dragons or litRPG, but it just didn’t work for me. I ended up skimming the last half of the book despite the pace of the heist.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
But the execution just didn’t work for me. Tass’s character took a back seat in the last half of the book, which was disappointing. And I didn’t see the chemistry between Bal and his former fiancee, Seshana, who he’s still obsessed with despite her treating him with indifference and resentment.
He’s continually willing to risk his crew’s lives for the love of this woman who clearly doesn’t return his affections, and for his sister, which does make more sense; sometimes he fills the crew in on his plans, sometimes they don’t. He didn’t show much leadership ability; I wondered why they trusted him at all. He started off as self-absorbed and pretty much stayed that way. The character motivations were all over the board and did not make sense to me. These weren’t even very complex characters, they were just all meh.
And that Tass is so willing to trust them after just three days? Not believable.
Also annoying is the switch between first person POV from Bal’s POV and third from Tass’s. It would have been less disorienting sticking with one or the other even with multiple POVs.
This will appeal to fans of Dungeons and Dragons or litRPG, but it just didn’t work for me. I ended up skimming the last half of the book despite the pace of the heist.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 14, 2023
Thank you to Bibliolifestyle and Harper Voyager for the gifted copy.
GREAT STANDALONE.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I looooved how fast paced this was. It really added to the intensity of the heist and I had a hard time putting this down because I just wanted to know what would happen next. This is my first book by this author and I am very much intrigued to read more now!
What helped me too was knowing that there isn’t any romance. It’s focused on the found family and finding a way to survive when meddling gods start to cause chaos and threaten where the crew lives. I loved the push and pull and highs and lows this group went through to find a way to end things.
I loved that it was dual POV and we got to see Tass and Balthazar’s views. They both gave great insight into thoughts and maneuvers from opposite angles. I loved the growth in Tass and seeing her find a new place to land.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy
- Language: some strong
- Romance: one closed door
- Violence: moderate-high
GREAT STANDALONE.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I looooved how fast paced this was. It really added to the intensity of the heist and I had a hard time putting this down because I just wanted to know what would happen next. This is my first book by this author and I am very much intrigued to read more now!
What helped me too was knowing that there isn’t any romance. It’s focused on the found family and finding a way to survive when meddling gods start to cause chaos and threaten where the crew lives. I loved the push and pull and highs and lows this group went through to find a way to end things.
I loved that it was dual POV and we got to see Tass and Balthazar’s views. They both gave great insight into thoughts and maneuvers from opposite angles. I loved the growth in Tass and seeing her find a new place to land.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy
- Language: some strong
- Romance: one closed door
- Violence: moderate-high
November 14, 2023
Fun book, but as others have noted, the author writes in a more complex way that may be distracting for readers who struggled with the number of characters in Game of Thrones, or the Zafon's prose in Labyrinth of Spirits.
Overall, this was a SOLID heist book. The ruined wealthy/powerful family turned thieves recalls Sanderson's Shallan Davar from the Stormlight Archives. As a woman, Shallan came across fun but was written a bit flat for my taste. Kelly's prose has none of those faults and equal the world-building.
The way she wrote her non-human characters was enjoyable as well. Without sharing spoilers, she explained their motivations, without personifying them. The non-humans are undeniably "other." This was refreshing for me. Was it off-putting? Of course! So was the clinically depressed Quentin in The Magicians. Neither author relies on lazy caricatures, but instead gives these unique beings their due by making them think and grow.
Overall, this was a SOLID heist book. The ruined wealthy/powerful family turned thieves recalls Sanderson's Shallan Davar from the Stormlight Archives. As a woman, Shallan came across fun but was written a bit flat for my taste. Kelly's prose has none of those faults and equal the world-building.
The way she wrote her non-human characters was enjoyable as well. Without sharing spoilers, she explained their motivations, without personifying them. The non-humans are undeniably "other." This was refreshing for me. Was it off-putting? Of course! So was the clinically depressed Quentin in The Magicians. Neither author relies on lazy caricatures, but instead gives these unique beings their due by making them think and grow.
October 9, 2024
I saw the cover of this book at the library and brought it home knowing nothing about the story or intended audience. I would say this is a YA fantasy (although it was not in the YA section of my library), about a group of friends who are on a mission that causes them to come across an interesting being named, Tass.
I thought Tass’s bargain at the beginning was brilliant and bordered on dark, but as the story progressed Tass just seemed like another human, which was disappointing.
This is a story of found family and I liked how that theme threaded through to the very end. However, the plot and characters motivations did feel a bit thin and it was a bit of a struggle to make it through the second half of the story.
With that said, I have been reading a duology by this same author, which reads New Adult in themes, but the writing is in the same style as this book. I think the author has good ideas, although the characters could use a bit more depth.
I thought Tass’s bargain at the beginning was brilliant and bordered on dark, but as the story progressed Tass just seemed like another human, which was disappointing.
This is a story of found family and I liked how that theme threaded through to the very end. However, the plot and characters motivations did feel a bit thin and it was a bit of a struggle to make it through the second half of the story.
With that said, I have been reading a duology by this same author, which reads New Adult in themes, but the writing is in the same style as this book. I think the author has good ideas, although the characters could use a bit more depth.
February 26, 2024
2.5 stars. This was very poor - in story and especially writing. The premise was an interesting idea, but the delivery was simply not there. The writing immediately turned me off by recycling memorable turns of phrase in the same chapter. It was bad.
The worst of the book was it's inauthenticity. The characters had no appeal, they were wooden, the humor I read so much about was completely absent, and their dynamic made rang false. The characters felt wrong, the dialogue was discordant and often confusing - it wasn't clear which character was speaking, and it often felt like context was missing.
The world and story were mildly interesting, which is why I gave the 2.5 stars at all. The dynamic of the gods was heavily borrowed from Greek mythology, but even that didn't save it.
I don't recommend this book. It's bad.
The worst of the book was it's inauthenticity. The characters had no appeal, they were wooden, the humor I read so much about was completely absent, and their dynamic made rang false. The characters felt wrong, the dialogue was discordant and often confusing - it wasn't clear which character was speaking, and it often felt like context was missing.
The world and story were mildly interesting, which is why I gave the 2.5 stars at all. The dynamic of the gods was heavily borrowed from Greek mythology, but even that didn't save it.
I don't recommend this book. It's bad.
February 17, 2024
A heist, a god that takes payment taking days from your life, a god that takes bodies, a crew that’s a family and beautiful friendship? SOLD!
This book was so good y’all honestly one of the few times that I did not mind a book didn’t have romance in it. So so much happened in this standalone that was crazy oh and so many twists.
I really loved the concept of the gods and their abilities and backstory of the characters and their interaction. How everyone had their own opinion and they had to get to common ground or nothing was happening.
I disliked some character choices but I do understand why they did what they did although I wish hey had another way to do it.
All in all a really good book that deserves more attention.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review.
This book was so good y’all honestly one of the few times that I did not mind a book didn’t have romance in it. So so much happened in this standalone that was crazy oh and so many twists.
I really loved the concept of the gods and their abilities and backstory of the characters and their interaction. How everyone had their own opinion and they had to get to common ground or nothing was happening.
I disliked some character choices but I do understand why they did what they did although I wish hey had another way to do it.
All in all a really good book that deserves more attention.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review.
October 28, 2023
Action packed , heart warming, and suspenseful. This book was everything I hoped it would be.
To start our story begins with a group of exiled thieves who went from riches to rags. The leader of the pack is named Bal and he and his crew lost their families when the city sacrificed them to the gods. As revenge to the current governor for making that happen, they go along with a crazy plan from a mysterious patron to ruin the concentration of a new temple for the sea god. But they need the help of someone known as the Queen of Days, a magical mercenary known for impossible feats. But this job is far for than they bargained for, they must decide to let the world burn, or save it.
Aspects I loved about this book were the found family , friendships , and dedication everyone in the crew has for one another. Sure they fight and some make dumb decisions but in the end they work it out and stick together. I also liked the aspect that just because someone does not share the same bloodline, it doesn’t mean they are not your family.
The story is fast paced and goes from one crazy scene to the next. It also shows that there are different realms and that humans with short lives and no magic abilities , would assume those with the opposite are gods. But it is only a perspective. Sometimes we have to be careful who or what we worship. If we do.
I loved it when they stepped into the Nethersphere and the imagery given to describe that brutal part of the world. I also liked how the concept of time within each realm was handled. The story also uses time as a currency as if humans are fated for a certain amount and can pay with it.
Overall, I loved this story and I am so grateful for a chance to read and review it!
Thank you to the author and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. It was a blast ! Literally and figuratively.
To start our story begins with a group of exiled thieves who went from riches to rags. The leader of the pack is named Bal and he and his crew lost their families when the city sacrificed them to the gods. As revenge to the current governor for making that happen, they go along with a crazy plan from a mysterious patron to ruin the concentration of a new temple for the sea god. But they need the help of someone known as the Queen of Days, a magical mercenary known for impossible feats. But this job is far for than they bargained for, they must decide to let the world burn, or save it.
Aspects I loved about this book were the found family , friendships , and dedication everyone in the crew has for one another. Sure they fight and some make dumb decisions but in the end they work it out and stick together. I also liked the aspect that just because someone does not share the same bloodline, it doesn’t mean they are not your family.
The story is fast paced and goes from one crazy scene to the next. It also shows that there are different realms and that humans with short lives and no magic abilities , would assume those with the opposite are gods. But it is only a perspective. Sometimes we have to be careful who or what we worship. If we do.
I loved it when they stepped into the Nethersphere and the imagery given to describe that brutal part of the world. I also liked how the concept of time within each realm was handled. The story also uses time as a currency as if humans are fated for a certain amount and can pay with it.
Overall, I loved this story and I am so grateful for a chance to read and review it!
Thank you to the author and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. It was a blast ! Literally and figuratively.
October 28, 2023
Action packed , heart warming, and suspenseful. This book was everything I hoped it would be.
To start our story begins with a group of exiled thieves who went from riches to rags. The leader of the pack is named Bal and he and his crew lost their families when the city sacrificed them to the gods. As revenge to the current governor for making that happen, they go along with a crazy plan from a mysterious patron to ruin the concentration of a new temple for the sea god. But they need the help of someone known as the Queen of Days, a magical mercenary known for impossible feats. But this job is far for than they bargained for, they must decide to let the world burn, or save it.
Aspects I loved about this book were the found family , friendships , and dedication everyone in the crew has for one another. Sure they fight and some make dumb decisions but in the end they work it out and stick together. I also liked the aspect that just because someone does not share the same bloodline, it doesn’t mean they are not your family.
The story is fast paced and goes from one crazy scene to the next. It also shows that there are different realms and that humans with short lives and no magic abilities , would assume those with the opposite are gods. But it is only a perspective. Sometimes we have to be careful who or what we worship. If we do.
I loved it when they stepped into the Nethersphere and the imagery given to describe that brutal part of the world. I also liked how the concept of time within each realm was handled. The story also uses time as a currency as if humans are fated for a certain amount and can pay with it.
Overall, I loved this story and I am so grateful for a chance to read and review it!
Thank you to the author and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. It was a blast ! Literally and figuratively.
To start our story begins with a group of exiled thieves who went from riches to rags. The leader of the pack is named Bal and he and his crew lost their families when the city sacrificed them to the gods. As revenge to the current governor for making that happen, they go along with a crazy plan from a mysterious patron to ruin the concentration of a new temple for the sea god. But they need the help of someone known as the Queen of Days, a magical mercenary known for impossible feats. But this job is far for than they bargained for, they must decide to let the world burn, or save it.
Aspects I loved about this book were the found family , friendships , and dedication everyone in the crew has for one another. Sure they fight and some make dumb decisions but in the end they work it out and stick together. I also liked the aspect that just because someone does not share the same bloodline, it doesn’t mean they are not your family.
The story is fast paced and goes from one crazy scene to the next. It also shows that there are different realms and that humans with short lives and no magic abilities , would assume those with the opposite are gods. But it is only a perspective. Sometimes we have to be careful who or what we worship. If we do.
I loved it when they stepped into the Nethersphere and the imagery given to describe that brutal part of the world. I also liked how the concept of time within each realm was handled. The story also uses time as a currency as if humans are fated for a certain amount and can pay with it.
Overall, I loved this story and I am so grateful for a chance to read and review it!
Thank you to the author and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. It was a blast ! Literally and figuratively.
December 31, 2023
4.5 stars. I ended up loving these people.
September 22, 2024
This was a fairly solid fantasy heist novel. It seemed like the author was more excited about the characters at times than I was, and when they revealed that this was originally a tabletop campaign that they'd played and adapted, it clicked for me. It's a neat tabletop adventure but it didn't end up clicking as a novel for me.
October 23, 2023
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve never read Greta Kelly before, but I was drawn to The Queen of Days because the blurb mentioned “a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves,” and a comparison to The Lies of Locke Lamora. And this is one of those cases where the comp absolutely fits, while also doing its own thing.
The world is pretty interesting, and I liked the concept of time magic. But it definitely was more subtle, with the characters and the action taking precedence. And while I did wish the ARC included the map (the copy suggests there will be one in the final copy), I didn’t find it too jarring without it for that reason.
The characters are pretty fun. While I did think the crew’s relationships being pre-established made things a bit odd, as it felt like you should know them, I did like that there were those bonds to suggest a history between them. There’s a great balance between Bal, who is the leader, providing that sense of familiarity, and the newcomer, Tass, allows the reader to acquaint themselves with the crew from her perspective. I loved that Tass had this mysterious “Queen of Days” persona, and she never takes off her mask. I also was pleasantly surprised that the story didn’t try to push a romance for the two of them. While I obviously love romance, romantic subplots in fantasy are so frequently hit-or-miss, so to have one that focused on them as part of a larger crew of friends was nice.
The plot and pacing is another area it also shines. While the plot itself is fairly simple, it remains exciting throughout, and it’s fast-paced, keeping my attention consistently throughout.
If you’re looking for a fantasy heist book, a la Lies of Locke Lamora or Six of Crows, I’d recommend checking this out!
I’ve never read Greta Kelly before, but I was drawn to The Queen of Days because the blurb mentioned “a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves,” and a comparison to The Lies of Locke Lamora. And this is one of those cases where the comp absolutely fits, while also doing its own thing.
The world is pretty interesting, and I liked the concept of time magic. But it definitely was more subtle, with the characters and the action taking precedence. And while I did wish the ARC included the map (the copy suggests there will be one in the final copy), I didn’t find it too jarring without it for that reason.
The characters are pretty fun. While I did think the crew’s relationships being pre-established made things a bit odd, as it felt like you should know them, I did like that there were those bonds to suggest a history between them. There’s a great balance between Bal, who is the leader, providing that sense of familiarity, and the newcomer, Tass, allows the reader to acquaint themselves with the crew from her perspective. I loved that Tass had this mysterious “Queen of Days” persona, and she never takes off her mask. I also was pleasantly surprised that the story didn’t try to push a romance for the two of them. While I obviously love romance, romantic subplots in fantasy are so frequently hit-or-miss, so to have one that focused on them as part of a larger crew of friends was nice.
The plot and pacing is another area it also shines. While the plot itself is fairly simple, it remains exciting throughout, and it’s fast-paced, keeping my attention consistently throughout.
If you’re looking for a fantasy heist book, a la Lies of Locke Lamora or Six of Crows, I’d recommend checking this out!
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