Rhiannon Thomas
Young Adult/Fantasy
Releases February 2017 from HarperTeen
From Goodreads:
Freya was never meant to be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly, and the king and his courtiers are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.First, pretty cover is pretty. I have no idea what the futuristic tentacle-like wires of smoke and magic are at the bottom, but they intrigue me, as does the castle in a bottle. Story-wise, I love that Freya had absolutely no illusions that she would sit on the throne given there were 22 people in line before her, so I feel like she'll be a true underdog in the viper's pit that is court politics. There's nothing I like more than rooting for an underdog (except of course romance – hello, there king's dashing and enigmatic illegitmate son!), so I'm starting my countdown for this one already. Please come faster February!
Freya may have survived the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.
Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.
