Blog tour: The Caged Queen - Kristen Ciccarelli

Today, I'm thrilled to be part of 'The Caged Queen' blog tour. Published today in the UK by Gollancz, I'm sharing my review of Kristen Ciccarelli's phenomenal book.

'The Caged Queen' is a companion novel to 'The Last Namsara' which was a standout read for me. This is a book that I was desperate to get my hands on. Once I started it, I was completely drawn into the story and swept away by the adventure, romance and daring of the plot. I would almost say that I enjoyed 'The Caged Queen' even more than Ciccarelli's first book, as the theme of unbreakable love was one that really captured my heart.

The protagonist of the story is Roa, daughter of the House of Song and wife of Dax, the dragon King. Dax is the brother of Asha who fans of the author will already be familiar with. Roa was a wonderful central character. Strong in body and mind, she helped Dax to take the Fiergaard throne, in return for becoming Queen. An overarching theme in the novel is love. The tentative but quelled feelings she refuses to acknowledge for Dax were beautifully portrayed, as well as her undying love for her sister Essie. After a terrible accident, for which Dax was responsible, Essie lost her life and her soul became trapped. Roa would do anything for her sister and is desperate to reclaim her.  

I loved the bond between the sisters but for me, the relationship between Roa and Dax was my favourite part of the whole book. They are both hiding from each other and they are both capable of hurting each other because those we love the most, are the ones with the most power to wound us.

Although the book started quite slowly, it just kept getting better and better as it went on. I enjoyed the short sections interspersed throughout which delved into the past and showed events from Roa's childhood and her memories of growing up with her sister and Dax by her side. They provided a lot of additional insight into the characters and their actions.

'The Caged Queen' is an example of tremendous storytelling and beautiful writing. There were some passages near the end that actually brought tears to my eyes. I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone and I really don't think it matters if you haven't read 'The Last Namsara' because this is enough of a companion book that it works well as a standalone novel too. Absolutely magnificent!

Don't forget to check out all of the other stops on the blog tour and look out for #The CagedQueen on Twitter.

Review: Namsara - Kristen Ciccarelli

Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli, published by Gollancz on 5th October 2017

Goodreads synopsis:
In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

Review:
When I started 'The Last Namsara' I was a little bit worried that it was going to be too fantasy-driven for my tastes.  However, after the first few chapters I was completely drawn into the amazing world that Kristen Ciccarelli has created.  There's danger, dragons, romance and a whole cast of unforgettable characters that had me turning the pages faster and faster. 

The story tells the tale of Asha - a dragon slayer.  Marked by a dragon when she was just a child, Asha's whole life is about redemption.  After making a deal with her father the King, she sets out to track down and kill one particular dragon - but not everything is as it seems and Asha begins to uncover a web of lies, along the way to some truly startling revelations. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all the mini stories that were interwoven throughout the book.  They were fascinating and linked with certain things that were happening in the plot, adding a level of depth and richness to the storytelling.

One of my favourite parts of the story was the romance which develops between Asha and one of the slaves.  There is a lot of focus in the book on the divide between the people of the city and their slaves.  The treatment of the latter is often cruel and degrading and they do not have any rights at all.  A relationship with a slave is forbidden, so Asha takes some huge risks when her feelings begin to develop for one particular slave.  Asha is an incredible character and she really drove the story along and kept me riveted throughout.  I enjoyed seeing her personal development and the way that she gradually becomes more enlightened as she uncovers secrets and truths which have been kept from her for far too long. 

'The Last Namsara' is an amazing YA fantasy which will captivate and entrance readers.  The first in a new series, I'm very intrigued to find out what will happen to Asha next.