The Hundredth Queen (Hundredth Queen Series #1)

by Emily R. King

Overview

In Emily R. King’s thrilling fantasy debut, an orphan girl blossoms into a warrior, summoning courage and confidence in her fearless quest to upend tradition, overthrow an empire, and reclaim her life as her own.

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.

But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.

Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781503943650
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	06/01/2017
Series:	Hundredth Queen Series , #1
Pages:	300
Sales rank:	321,025
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.

Editorial Reviews

05/29/2017
A show of loyalty and unexpected strength leads Kalinda, a sickly 18-year-old raised in the sisterhood temple of the Parijana, to the rajah’s throne as one of his numerous wives. But an attack by a bhuta, a magical creature that can create fire, signifies Kali’s own hidden powers and may hold the key to her escape from the kingdom. First in a planned series, King’s debut is built on a solid premise that draws on Sumerian mythology for inspiration, but the execution is left wanting. Kalinda falls for the first man she’s ever seen in her life, the mystery of her lineage becomes clear well before it’s revealed, and Kali’s interactions with the lecherous rajah remain mostly chaste until a jarringly erotic finale. Despite these shortcomings, the tale maintains a consistent thread as King embarks on a deep examination of sisterhood, first between Kali and her best friend Jaya, and later when she must fight the rajah’s other wives to keep her place within the palace. Ages 13–up. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—An orphan girl becomes a fearless warrior and gains the courage to take down an empire. Kalinda, 18, has longed to find out where she came from and how she was brought to an orphan ward known as the Sisterhood. One day, the powerful Rajah Tarek comes to take her to be his 100th queen. Kalinda leaves her friend Jaya behind and journeys into a world where she is treated like a queen and threatened by the Rajah's 99 wives and courtesans. In order to become the next queen, Kalinda must fight to the death in a tournament against the other women who are competing for the crown. Along with her guard, Captain Deven Naik, she begins to uncover the many secrets and lies that she has been told throughout her life. It isn't until Kalinda loses someone close to her that she realizes how much power the Rajah has over the empire and what she will need to do to stop him from harming others. Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters. VERDICT Recommended for libraries where Kiera Cass's The Selection is popular.—Adrienne Sayban, Peoria Public Library, AZ

School Library Journal

2017-03-06
Orphan Kalinda was left at a temple as an infant and has always been sickly with a fever, spending most of her childhood in the infirmary at Samiya Temple in this South Asian-inflected fantasy. Kalinda would have been content to spend her life there, but she is chosen to be the rajah's 100th rani—a dubious honor, as in taking a 100th wife the rajah is declaring himself equal to the gods. Her journey to the Turquoise Palace in Vanhi has its own trials. One of these is meeting a Burner: a supernatural being who can control fire. In Vanhi, Kalinda finds love and loss, and she uncovers secrets both personal and political. King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Kalinda narrates in the genre-conventional present tense, revealing to readers her resistance to the rajah's cruel manipulations: "if the gods have indeed brought me here, then they know that I will not bend to him. Not now. Not ever." A prefatory note states that Kalinda's world is inspired by but not grounded in Sumerian mythology. Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

King’s debut is built on a solid premise that draws on Sumerian mythology for inspiration…The tale maintains a consistent thread as King embarks on a deep examination of sisterhood, first between Kali and her best friend Jaya, and later when she must fight the rajah’s other wives to keep her place within the palace.” —Publishers Weekly

“The Hundredth Queen plunges readers into a fantasy world full of love, betrayal, rebellion, and magic.” —Deseret News

“King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life. The ending is left open for sequels, and readers will eagerly follow Kalinda and Deven on their future adventures.” —Booklist

“Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters.” —School Library Journal

“The Hundredth Queen is a culturally rich tale of both self-discovery and self-mastery. Emily R. King transports readers to a lush and fascinating world where our heroine, Kalinda, pitted against hardened and clever antagonists, embraces her weaknesses and follows her heart. King leaves you wondering, ‘What happens next?’” —Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series

“Richly imagined and gracefully written, The Hundredth Queen is a vibrant tale of forbidden love and personal sacrifice.” —Becky Wallace, author of The Keepers’ Chronicles

From the Publisher