genevieve5's reviews
248 reviews

I have rarely felt so hard-core exposed-and seen-by a book than I felt with this one. From not realizing you’re queer until later even though you’re surrounded by queer family/friends, to being convinced you’re straight & that it’s homophobic to think you might actually be queer, to so much in between. I lost count of the moment Imogen’s thoughts and feelings felt eerily like my own. Thank you, Becky Abertalli, for letting me and I’m sure so many others know we are not alone in our feelings.

Content Warnings

The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Queen and the Knave-the narrative conclusion to Sarah M. Eden's Dread Penny Society series-is, in my opinion, nothing short of phenomenal. It is genuinely one of the most expertly plotted, tightly-woven, and heart-poundingly-tension-packed finales I have ever read.

Its cast of characters, as ever, is strong and lovable, and it was thrilling to see the whole Dread Penny Family come together for another high-stakes adventure (and trust me, the stakes in this one are higher than ever). As many of you likely already know, this book also focuses on two new protagonists (as well as the delightful characters that populate the equally delightful penny dreadful tales sprinkled throughout the book)-protagonists readers met briefly in past books in this series, but whom I was excited to see get their time in the spotlight and develop over the course of the plot.

And they did not disappoint.

I fell in love with the stories of Moirin and Fitz almost instantly. They are dynamic and well-crafted characters, with a strong balance of humor, heart, and seriousness who show significant growth throughout the book, both individually and in their relationships with each other and with the other characters in the book.

That, of course, really shouldn't surprise me. Nor should Eden's talent for creating such a vast array of clues, backstories, and sometimes seemingly insignificant elements, all interspersed throughout the plot, and cleverly woven together in ways that I, for my part, always find pleasantly shocking and thrilling.

She has done it, after all, for the entire series. But she continues to amaze me every time.

This, as I can say from personal experience, is the kind of book that is likely (if you enjoyed the previous books in the series) to hook your interest and not let go. The kind you may end up losing sleep over because you just need to know what happens next. That sets your heart pounding from all the plot twists and tension.

And that proves, ultimately, to be even more satisfying than I, at least, initially anticipated (and I went in with high expectations).

Well done, Sarah M. Eden, and thank you. I can't recommend this series or this title highly enough.

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genevieve5's reviews 248 reviews

genevieve5's reviews
248 reviews