Kera is a teenage Torian girl under the employ of nineteen-year-old Mackiel Delore Jr, the leader of a local thieves guild. The story is written from the perspectives of each queen in third-person, and the main character, Keralie, in first-person.

Obviously, this rule is only relevant to Iris. For instance, for Queen Iris of Archia (the quadrant of agriculture and nature), rule one states to protect the fertile lands of Archia and uphold the society’s humble, hardworking way of life. In fact, the queens have 13 “queenly laws” they must abide by, though some are more applicable than others. Together, all four queens live in the capital city’s palace, and it is there where they remain until the day they die. Comprised of four quadrants-Eonia, Toria, Archia, and Ludia-each state has its own set of governing officials along with one queen. Scholte’s novel takes place in a country called Quadara. So what’s the story about? Here’s the blurb from the front cover: It looks like a YA fantasy when you see it, and that’s a good thing for genre-readers like yours truly. Visually, it reminds me of Holly Black’s Cruel Prince trilogy mixed with Kathryn Purdie and Lauren DeStefano. Like many other fantasy novels, FDQ has a dark background with a light-catching pile of crowns at the center. Who can resist the words: Four Dead Queens? They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I’d be a liar if I said that didn’t factor into my purchasing decision. (Those by Joanne Pence and Diane Mott Davidson come to mind.)įDQ was the final read in my very first Book Outlet haul from back in February, and it didn’t disappoint. It has undertones of a good murder mystery, which I personally find appealing, as I grew up reading culinary murder mysteries. And no one can be trusted in a world full of ruthless thieves, black markets, a golden palace, daring heists, royal intrigue, noble messengers, forbidden love, four queens - each with a secret, and, of course, murder.Īn enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent.If you’re looking for a standalone YA fantasy novel that’s fun, action-packed, and comes with a dash of romance, get your hands on a copy of Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. But with Keralie and Varin each keeping secrets, everything is at stake. Hoping to find the culprit, Keralie teams up with Varin Bollt. When Keralie steals a particularly valuable item from a messenger, she discovers she's intercepted instructions to murder the queens. Four queens, one from each quadrant, rule as one. Her nation is divided into four regions, each strictly separated from the other. She steals for the black market in her quadrant.

Keralie Corrington is a talented pickpocket.

A thrilling debut YA fantasy novel for fans of The Red Queen and Three Dark Crowns.įour Queens.

Four dead queens by astrid scholte