Review: The Scarecrow Queen - Melinda Salisbury

The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Salisbury, published by Scholastic on 2nd March 2017

Goodreads synopsis:
As the Sleeping Prince tightens his hold on Lormere and Tregellan, the net closes in on the ragged band of rebels trying desperately to defeat him. Twylla and Errin are separated, isolated, and running out of time. The final battle is coming, and Aurek will stop at nothing to keep the throne forever . . .

Review:
The eagerly awaited finale to the series is finally here!  There was no stopping me after I got my hands on this book and I couldn't wait to dive straight in.  This was a fitting end to a superb series which did not disappoint.

Although I thought that the previous book, 'The Sleeping Prince' had suffered a little bit from middle book syndrome, Melinda Salisbury held nothing back in 'The Scarecrow Queen' which was an exciting and explosive read. 

Twylla and Errin may have been separated and their forces divided, but they are by no means defeated yet, as we see them preparing to do battle against the Sleeping Prince.  The book alternates between their two perspectives as each has their own challenges to face in the final show down.  I actually ended up enjoying the parts of the story told by Errin the most, as she quite literally has to extricate herself from under Aurek's control.  He was very creepy and such a great villain in the story.  Errin has an ally in Merek and desperately wants to save Silas too but her situation is precarious.  Twylla meanwhile is attempting to bring together a band of rebels as the time for battle draws near.  I enjoyed seeing all of the characters and the threads of everyone's' stories gradually coming together

The story was fast-paced and gripping and there were some incredible twists and turns lying in wait.  I couldn't have guessed how the story was going to be concluded but it was genuine brilliance.   

A perfect example of a YA fantasy series that knocks your socks off!  I loved it and can't wait to read more by Melinda Salisbury in the future. 

Review: The Sleeping Prince - Melinda Salisbury

The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury, published by Scholastic on 4th February 2016

Goodreads synopsis:Ever since her brother Lief disappeared, Errin's life has gone from bad to worse. Not only must she care for her sick mother, she has to scrape together rent money by selling illegal herbal cures. But none of that compares to the threat of the vengeful Sleeping Prince whom the Queen just awoke from his enchanted sleep.

When her village is evacuated as part of the war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin is left desperate and homeless. The only person she can turn to is the mysterious Silas, a young man who buys deadly poisons from Errin, but won't reveal why he needs them. Silas promises to help her, but when he vanishes, Errin must journey across a kingdom on the brink of war to seek another way to save her mother and herself. But what she finds shatters everything she believed about her world, and with the Sleeping Prince drawing nearer, Errin must make a heartbreaking choice that could affect the whole kingdom.

Review:
First things first…the cover art for this book is mesmerising!

I initially thought that this was going to be a straight sequel to the superb ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’. I was expecting the action to pick up with the main character Twylla, so I was puzzled at the beginning why the characters didn’t seem familiar. I soon realised that this was more of a companion novel. It takes place in the same world originally created by Salisbury but features a new protagonist and approaches the story from a different direction. It’s not until near the end of the book that everything starts to make more sense and the threads of the plot weave together.

I enjoyed ‘The Sleeping Prince’ but I did find it quite slow. Most of the action in the first-half takes place in the home of Errin, a young apothecary-in-training who has been left alone to look after her mother. Her brother turns out to be Lief, who readers will be familiar with from the previous book. The only help Errin receives is from the mysterious Silas who she knows little about, except for the fact that she is unwittingly drawn to him.

When the neighbouring kingdom of Lormere is invaded by the Sleeping Prince, a fairy book nightmare come to life, Errin has to make the difficult decision to undertake a dangerous journey to save her mother.

At the start, I kept wishing for things to speed up a bit more. I liked Errin and I was intrigued by Silas but it was slow. Be warned. Don't give up too quickly. The second half of the book was much faster paced and featured a whole host of new and old faces. I was drawn more into the story and into Errin’s struggle and I started to really enjoy it.

The ending was such a cliffhanger and left me frantically checking that there weren’t just a few more pages to enjoy!  It's going to be utter agony waiting for the next instalment.

Overall, not as gripping as ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’ and suffers a little from middle book syndrome but sets things up deliciously at the end for the big finale.

Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter - Melinda Salisbury

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury, published by Scholastic on 5th February 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.  She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

Review:
'The Sin Eater's Daughter' is a glorious fantasy drama that will enchant you and leave you wanting more.  This fabulous debut from UK author Melinda Salisbury, starts strongly and goes from strength to strength as the story builds up the tension between the characters and the political intrigue played out behind the scenes of the Royal Court.

Twylla, the main character, is blessed in the eyes of the Gods.  However, she feels more cursed than blessed, with a deadly touch that can kill a man or woman.  Used by the Queen as a Royal assassin, she has almost become resigned to her life, until she meets Lief, who is tasked with guarding her safety.  He opens her eyes to the truths that she cannot or does not want to see.

There are so many things to love about this book.  I enjoyed the first person narrative immensely.  Twylla is an extremely likeable character who is put in an unenviable position.  Her narrative felt like she was talking directly to me and I empathised with many of the difficult choices she has to make.  She undergoes quite a personal transformation and by the end of the story she is a changed person. 

Yes, there is a love triangle of sorts but it's brilliantly written and left me constantly changing my mind about who I wanted Twylla to choose.  I wasn't expecting to like both male leads as much as I did, even though they both have secrets to hide. 

The ending was totally unexpected and made me rethink my thoughts about some of the characters.  I didn't see it coming at all which is a tribute to Melinda Salisbury's captivating and amazing storytelling skills.   

There's only one thing I want to know now.  Is there going to be a sequel and if so, when can I get my hands on it!