The Orphan Queen Review

Title: The Orphan Queen

Author: Jodi Meadows

Genre: Young Adult, Sci Fi Fantasy Magic, Dystopian, Romance

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: March 10, 2015

The Blurb: Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina 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 and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century 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. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

The Dish:  Note: I Tried to read this author’s first book series; Incarnate, Did not get past the first book but here i was pleasantly surprised.

Wil (Wilhelmina) is many things, a spy, thief, a princess, and a threat. When her homeland is conquered and her parents are killed she and other orphaned children in the royal succession are taken to the capital of the city that conquered her homeland.

Ten years later they have formed a group called the ospreys, thieves and spies. With the ospreys, Wil is going to take back her throne.

She and Melanie (her bff) assume false identities and infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes and get any information they can to help with the invasion. Except the mission takes a new turn and Wil isn’t sure she can trust Melanie anymore when she starts sneaking off on unknown missions.

And the threat of wraith( a bad by product of magic) is becoming all-consuming and with Wil using her magic she discovers the true horror of the wraith and the reason it exists and if she isn’t careful she could be captured by black knife( the village vigilante) who somehow always finds her.. She finds out the true intentions of the mission the leader of the ospreys she doesn’t believe she can follow his way or trust him and ends up falling for black knife.

I loved the world the author wrote about (even though i have read plenty of books similar to the plot).

I loved that Wilhelmina was a kick ass female lead, i could relate to her decision making and I also fell for the villain along with her.

I didn't like the writing much, and some of the phrasing in the dialogue. I felt like anyone could have written this book. (Except for the main plot and the characters)

Tobias Pierce: He is the prince, the son of the king who conquered Wil’s homeland and the boy Wil saved, he is a bore honestly. I did not fall for him at all (which is kind of complicated, you’ll see)

Lieutenant James Rayner: He is Tobiah’s cousin, best friend and bodyguard. He quite charming and i could have loved him.

“Lieutenant, do i perceive you are something of a flirt?”

“My heart is simply more open than most people's”

Patrick Lien: The leader of the Osprey’s, he took them from the orphanage and gave them a cause and a home. He is quiet and mysterious never showing any emotions. He is the son of The General who kidnapped Tobiah but he doesn’t want to be like his father. I really didn't get a feel for him, he was only in parts of the book and after the way he treated Wil he is definitely not swoon worthy.

Black Knife: He is the mysterious Vigilante we didn’t think we would like, he does the police work (getting rid of flashers* people who use magic* and thieves) for the city even though no one asked. The officials hate him but the people love him. He has caught the osprey once but they escaped and the second time he caught Wil by herself and he let her go from there on he is always following her wondering who she and they develop something over the course all the while wondering about each other’s true self.

I fell for him the same way Wilhelmina did Even though when they finally kissed and I didn’t get butterflies, it was still swoon worthy.

“No i actually did this to myself. But that’s a story for when we’re better friends”

“We aren’t friends”

“That’s why I’m waiting” he performed a deep, graceful bow. “Until tomorrow, nameless girl”

“Why are you here?” i asked.

“I like sitting in trees” there was tension in his voice, and weariness.

“Admit it” i leaned away from him, keeping my tone hard as our eyes locked. “You’re following me”

“Very well, I’m following you”

“Why”

“You keep getting away from me. That never happens”

“I don’t think you’re even trying to catch me anymore”

His chuckle came again, warm and muffled, but real enough that something inside me melted. “I’m still trying”

“Will”  “well you’d better come back alive, and in your right mind. Because when you do, I’ll be waiting for you”

“To arrest me?”

“No. To-” He Hesitated “to welcome you home”

Wilhelmina Korte: Kick Ass Warrior Princess. Love Love Love her. I could be best friends, i loved that when she learned about Patrick’s true mission for the osprey she rejected it. Even if it came at the price for her kingdom she would not condone murder. Shows me she had her own mind. She doesn’t need a man to rescue to her or define her

“The Ospreys, these children, were my life. Without them, I had nothing. But with them… With them, I would take back my kingdom.

“If I were going to fight and steal, It`d be because I had no choice. It would be for survival.”

“The pain of what happened – it won’t last eternity.”

A lie. I knew very well how pain could last, and fester, and shape a person in unnamable ways.”

Melanie: Best Friend and Partner, had a relationship with Patrick and kept it from Wil but when she learned his true intentions she broke it off even though she loved him.  Can’t really remember anything memorable about her, she was funny and that’s it. When it came down to choose how to precede with the mission, choosing violence or peace (Wil’s way) she chose to side with Patrick.

“Try to be polite."

"I'm always polite."

"You're always eyeing people's valuables. That's hardly polite.”

  

Butterflies:  

Cover Love:

Overall Rating:

Tags:  might love, might not, semi cliff hanger, could be half triangle, girls who kick azz, almost flounced, swoony boy alert, cover love, awesome fantasy world