The Orphan Queen Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

As you all already know, I love fantasy and this book has been on my radar for a while. So having the opportunity to read it and be a part of the blog tour has been fun! Especially since I have nothing but great things to say about this book.

***

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows
Publication date: Mar. 10, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy
Source: Borrowed from Alexa (Thanks!)
Summary: When the Indigo Kingdom conquered Wilhelmina's homeland, she and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth & theft. With them, Wil means to take back her throne. Wil & her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes, assuming the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom. When Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious, Osprey missions become more dangerous & their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic & using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wil’s magic might be the key to stopping it, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others. (Adapted goodreads.com)

The good

I can imagine that once you've had one successful series, there's a lot of pressure to churn out an equally, if not more, successful second. Well.. Jodi Meadows has no need to worry (at least not from this fan!) because I loved The Orphan Queen. It was a perfect balance of setting the stage, world-building, making characters come alive, alliances and romance. Wilhelmina Korte is a long-lost Queen on a mission to reclaim her kingdom. Her parents were killed and her homeland was overtaken by the Indigo Kingdom which left many highborn children, like herself, orphans with nowhere to turn to. They end up turning to one another and in time becoming The Ospreys, who all developed skills in theft, fighting and more so that one day, Wilhelmina (Wil) could one day get back her throne. Now that day is nearing and becoming more of a reality as their missions become more dangerous and especially once Wil and her best friend Melanie infiltrate Skyvale Palace, the capital of the Indigo Kingdom. They assume the identities of nobles and hope to study their enemy's every move, namely the king's and his son's, Prince Tobiah. Let's just say that not everything is as clear cut as it seems and Wil slowly realizes just what it means to be a good and just queen but also who she wants to be.

The fantasy novels I enjoy best are the ones who employ elements like magic cleverly and build a world that feels vivid to me but more importantly, have a personal journey like Wilhelmina's. She's been working towards this moment of being queen for so long with the Ospreys and working with Patrick, their leader, even though they all know her birthright. But for a while, she's let Patrick (who I despise!) lead thinking he had their best intentions. And maybe he does, but his methods are different from hers. Throughout the book, she comes to decisions about the kind of Queen she needs to be. She learns about her enemies and even with all the anger in her heart, she's still compassionate and keeps her eyes open to the truth. She's a fighter, smart and unknown to most people, she possesses magic, which is banned because people believe the wraiths plaguing their lands is a by-product of such abilities. She goes from uncertain of herself to slowly gaining and asserting confidence in a way that makes you believe she's the right person to lead her people.

There's also other important characters littered throughout the story and almost everyone introduced is crucial to the details, even if they play a small role. I can tell you now that the characters you're supposed to dislike, you will really dislike (at least I did!). Others, like the Ospreys, shows Wil's more heartfelt side. The vigilante, Black Knife, becomes an unlikely ally. The king and Prince Tobiah give insight into the kingdom Wil has hated most of her life. And special mention to James, Prince Tobiah's personal guard, because he brought some much-needed banter and flirting to the tense moments. The author really made this book and every character come alive.

(No) Reservations

Although beware of the cliffhanger, it's a doozy! But it will make you want the second book as soon as possible.

Do I recommend?

I do! I was impressed by the clever twists and even the one twist I saw coming a mile away, I didn't mind because I was all "YES I KNEW I WAS RIGHT!" in a good way. Needless to say, I really really enjoyed this!

***

Giveaway time!

The publisher was kind enough to provide a finished copy of The Orphan Queen to give away!
It's US only and ends two weeks from now on 3/17.
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the forthcoming ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).

*A Kippy is a cat.

FIND JODI AT: WEBSITE || TWITTER || GOODREADS || TUMBLR || FACEBOOK
FIND THE BOOK: GOODREADS || AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || INDIEBOUND || BOOK DEPOSITORY

***

Check out the rest of the tour! 

3/2 - Andi's ABCs

3/3 - Hello, Chelly

3/4 - Book Emoji

3/5 - So Obsessed With

3/6 - Tune into Books

3/9 - Ticket to Anywhere

3/10 - Disquietus Reads

3/11 - A Backwards Story

3/12 - Writer of Wrongs

3/13 - Alexa Loves Books