The Orphan Queen (Orphan Queen, #1)

by Jodi Meadows

[ladygrey]

I wasn’t in love with Jodi Meadows first trilogy. But I thought it was decent enough to read the while thing. I went into The Orphan Queen expecting it just to be ok.

And it’s, admittedly, not extraordinary. The prose is functional. The characters are fine. It isn’t particularly witty or engrossing. The world, is imaginative and unique but doesn’t draw you inextricably into the story. And yet, when I’d reached the end I wanted more.

I realized, especially in the final third, I’d been enjoying myself. That the dynamic between Wil and Black Knife was interesting enough to keep me reading, to make me want more of the story and more of the (minor) intrigue and more of them together.

I also have to give Meadows credit for a well crafted story. The plot turns and evolves quite nicely, even though it’s obvious. From the first pages it’s clear that Tobiah is Black Knife. That creates, however, something of a reversal of intrigue where he knows her identity (sort of) every time they meet and the reader knows it even if Wil doesn’t. And I especially liked the way the characters spun each other and in turn shifted the story. It felt organic and even with all the resolution by the end, there’s a great deal left to uncover in the next book. Also, it was refreshing that the story didn’t feel like it was retreading the worn ideological grooves of YA currently.

In the end, it wasn’t mediocre at all. It was enjoyable and the sort of thing I’ll reread and I’m looking forward to The Mirror King. Plus, it’s always fun to see authors progress in their craft and enjoy their books more each time.