About the Book

Book: Mortal Queens

Author: Victoria McCombs

Genre: YA Fae Fantasy

Release Date: February 6, 2023

They vanish without a trace, disappear into the night…

Each year on the center island, one girl is chosen to be the next Mortal Queen of the idolized fae. The mortals praise these lucky girls, but their daughters are never seen again.

The fae realm is eternal night, where disputes are settled by chess matches, power is acquired through the most devious kinds of trickery, and seven illusive kings roam. The fae hide their faces behind masks and guard their glass hearts to keep them from shattering. But beyond the veil of this luxurious paradise, a dark secret simmers, for their Queens have disappeared.

When aspiring artist Althea is selected, she is desperate to avoid the same mysterious fate. With no one to trust, she conceals messages in paintings and receives anonymous replies from a stranger who slowly reveals the tale of a girl who outwitted the fae. Only if she is clever enough will Althea survive the fate of the Mortal Queens. As long as the king who cannot love does not claim her first.

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My Review:

This was a ton of action. The pace is swift for this book. To be Queen of the Fay, as a mortal, would be a powerful draw, for some. But every year a new moral girl winds up vanishing, to be Queen, but only for a year. Their families and lives are left behind as they are snatched up and whisked away. That's not exactly idealist living now is it? More so, the world of the fae is messy. Everyone is hiding behind masks and trickery and chess, and illusions are rampant. In this regard, I'm reminded of Alice in Wonderland. Althea is a fantastic character and it was easy for me to root for her and to fall deep into this story. It's clean, it's an amazing read, I can't wait for book two and the only negative is that the ending is a hanger waiting for the next book.

4 Stars

About the Author

Victoria McCombs is the author of YA fantasy books such as The Storyteller’s Daughter and The Royal Rose Chronicles. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and three children. Her days are filled with coffee, reading, golfing, board games, and homeschooling the littles.