Praise for the Nine Realms quartet
“This author has turned epic fantasy into a binge reading experience that's worth our time.”—Fantasy Faction
“These books are better than Game of Thrones . . . becauase they are complete, and they are feminist as f***.” Greta Johnsen, host of Nerdette podcast
Praise for The Cerulean Queen
“Kozloff has great instincts when it comes to pacing, and the novel flies by with a good mix of action sequences and emotional, character-developing beats. Her villains are never one-note, and her heroes are complicated and fallible. The series ender is just as much fun as the rest of the books. An enjoyable, worthwhile end to an immersive series.”—Kirkus
“Cerúlia ... is the kind of multifaceted archetype who comes along all-too-rarely in epic fantasy”—Den of Geek
Praise for A Queen in Hiding
“This is a solid beginning to an ambitious saga of magic, intrigue, and heroism.”—Booklist
“Kozloff sets a solid stage with glimpses into other characters and nations while keeping the book together with a clear, propulsive plot. A new series starts off with a bang.”—Kirkus
“This series opener is literary, ambitious, and epic in scope.”—Publishers Weekly
“A deft and exciting beginning to what I am sure will be a really gorgeous saga of a girl coming to terms with her destiny.”—Melanie Rawn, author of the Exiles trilogy
“Crisp, action-packed setup that makes you impatient for more.”—Bookbub
“A deft and exciting beginning to what I am sure will be a really gorgeous saga of a girl coming to terms with her destiny.”—Melanie Rawn, author of the Exiles trilogy
“A breathtaking start to a new fantasy series that abounds in magic, backstabbing, and war. This is your new epic fantasy fix, right here.”—Beth Cato, author of Breath of Earth
“Sweeping in scope and unabashedly epic—Kozloff has written an instant classic, here. I can't wait for the next one.”—Auston Habershaw, author of Iron and Blood
2020-01-27
Cerúlia takes back her throne, but her troubles are just beginning in Kozloff’s (A Broken Queen, 2020, etc.) fourth and final Four Realms novel.
It only takes five chapters for Cerúlia to successfully overthrow Matwyck and take her throne. At first it feels a bit pat for a four-book series to resolve its main plotline so early in its final volume, but it turns out there’s more to successfully ruling a kingdom than putting a crown on your head. Queen Cerúlia has to root out the network of people who supported Matwyck’s coup; she must discern which people genuinely wish to serve her and which are liars waiting to end her reign before it gets going. What’s more, she must address political issues like the growing resentment among the common people toward the aristocracy and deal with thorny issues of international diplomacy. All the while, she has to figure out how to finally be herself when she was forced to spend almost her entire life pretending she was not the rightful queen. Kozloff has great instincts when it comes to pacing, and the novel flies by with a good mix of action sequences and emotional, character-developing beats. Her villains are never one-note, and her heroes are complicated and fallible. Still, it all starts to feel a little paint-by-number. It’s not that there are never any consequences or losses, but eventually it feels a bit too certain that Cerúlia will get it right and things will go her way. Even so, the series ender is just as much fun as the rest of the books.
An enjoyable, worthwhile end to an immersive series.