RaveCulturessCompelling characters, a unique setting, or an exciting and unpredictable premise. Jennifer Estep’s Kill the Queen has all of these things ... There are many reasons to read this book, particularly for fans of fantasy and strong female characters ... Though Kill the Queen is the first book in a trilogy, the novel wraps up the bulk of its main story by the final page. Yes, there are a few dangling plot threads here and there—adversaries that escape, problems that go unsolved, etc—but, theoretically, you could stop here and still feel pretty satisfied. You won’t want to, though. Because what this book manages to do—stealthily, and in a way you might not notice until you get to the end—is expand Evie’s world in a natural and compelling way.
Ibi Zoboi
MixedCulturess...Pride...left me feeling cold, largely because even though it has a smart, well thought out setting, its depiction of Austen’s most famous romance leaves a lot to be desired. To be sure, the most interesting part of the novel is the culture clash between the Darcys and the Benitzes ... It’s a wonderfully and fully realized world. However, though Pride manages to tell a version of Austen’s tale that feels more than relevant in 2018, it commits a key storytelling mistake. It forgets to make its leads particularly likeable ... Unfortunately, in Pride neither Zuri or Darius undergo anything that might be labeled growth, and are, essentially, the same people at the novel’s conclusion as they were on its first page ... the novel doesn’t spend a lot of time on the turn of their feelings for one another ... Yet, while Pride felt disappointing, it’s still a worthwhile read.
