TL;DR Review: Diversity and neurodiversity utilized to marvelous effect, wrapped up in a violent, epic, complex, colorful, insanely epic dark fantasy story.
Synopsis:
Humanity thought the war with demonkind was over. Now, after humanity has had less than a generation to rebuild, the demon corelings have returned with a vengeance. The Spear of Ala—the fortress that stands at the gates of the demon’s hive—is the last bastion against the horde, and reports say it may already have fallen.
Olive Paper is expected to take the vanguard in the fight. Only an heir of Kaji can wield the artifact that opens the gates of the Spear of Ala, and as Ahmann Jardir’s child, Olive seems destined for a role as leader and savior. But Olive does not wish to follow in her father’s footsteps any more than she did her mother’s.
Darin Bales was born with supernatural senses that he struggles to process, but even those who love him believe he can barely take care of himself. Yet to save his mother from the clutches of Alagai Ka, the demon king, Darin will brave anything to mount a rescue.
Darin and Olive each strive to walk their own path but find themselves inextricably tied to the legacies of their parents and to a fated confrontation with the demon king and his new hatchling queen. If they fail, humanity may not survive.
Full Review:
By the Core, it’s amazing to be back in this world!
I fell in love with the Demon Cycle years ago and have been eagerly waiting for the next dark, bloody, and twist-filled adventure. The Hidden Queen absolutely did not disappoint.
Once again, we’re thrust into the world of Ala, where humanity has finally reclaimed the night and demonkind has been pushed back. They’re far from eradicated, but it seems like there is hope for the future.
Only…we know better. Alagai Ka, Father of Demons, is forever scheming and things are about to get worse.
In The Desert Prince, we got a taste of the new threats lurking in the darkness. Now, in The Hidden Queen, all of humanity’s mightiest defenders—including Leesha Paper, Renna Bales, and Ahmann Jardir himself—have gone missing, and it’s up to their children to find them.
The story bounces back and forth between our two protagonists:
Olive, born intersex, raised as a female but trained to battle as a man. She is an incredibly strong character—physically and mentally—and she is, in many ways, the driving force propelling the story forward. She is leading the charge for hunting the demons, investigating the disappearances, and trying to gather armies to take the war to Alagai Ka. Her using her dual gender to maximum effect is a major element in the story, and done so well that it’s fascinating to see her explore the shades of her identity without it being overdone.
Darin, a young man who presents as autistic (or some other form of neurodivergent) but is all the more interesting for it. His struggles to fit in even with his crowd of friends brings a great deal of humanity to him, but they also lend power to his abilities and make him a fascinating character to watch grow and evolve.
As you can imagine, the story features a great deal of diversity and neurodiversity, both of which served as a really tastefully done “flavor enhancer” to a great, epic, politically intricate, culturally rich story. It didn’t overshadow any of the other elements, but served as another pillar to add a marvelous layer of complexity to the story.
As with any Demon Cycle book, the tone is VERY dark, with losses, hardships, emotional damage, and shocking revelations. The violence is immediate and visceral, with a tempo that feels breakneck and breathtaking. The characters—both the new characters freshly introduced into this new series and the characters we know and love (or hate) from the original Demon Cycle—are endlessly fascinating, complicated, and messy.
Venturing into both familiar territory and stepping into unknown areas of the world, The Hidden Queen does an amazing job of dragging us deep into a great new threat that promises terrible things for the future while still exacting a painful toll on our characters in the here and now. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy because there will be more than a few moments guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.
But, as with every other book in the Demon Cycle and the new Nightfall Saga, you’ll also laugh at the comical, ironic, and often irreverent tone, marvel at the strength and resilience of the characters, hold your breath at the insane action scenes, and burn through the pages of clever and insightful dialogue.
The Hidden Queen is yet another spectacular entry in one of my favorite dark fantasy series, and it’s whetted my appetite for even more adventure in future books!
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