Review by Booklist Review
Elodie is the eldest daughter of Velle's queen and destined for the throne until her sister Brianne is born, fulfilling a prophecy for the kingdom's New Maiden. Deeply upset by her change in fortune but also concerned for the fate of Velle, as the New Maiden might pose a true danger to the kingdom, Elodie takes desperate action. She intends to purchase a sleeping potion from the mysterious Sabine, an apothecary, but is accidentally sold a potent potion for sadness instead. The mistake is realized too late, and Brianne is plunged into an unwakeable sleep from which Elodie and Sabine must rouse her if their kingdom is to be saved. Emotions run high in this engaging fantasy, where sparks fly between Elodie and Sabine and royals battle. The dangers of dictated religions and the manipulative power they can wield provide an interesting undercurrent to the narrative, which advocates for conscious action and genuine communication between families. A quick, magical, and interesting read.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--The Prophecy for the population of Velle predicts the return of the venerated New Maiden, born to the third daughter of a third daughter. The eldest of three daughters, Elodie has been training to assist her youngest sister, the ascending New Maiden Brianne, as the Queen's Regent. When their mother Queen Tera dies, Brianne is only 13 and not yet of age to take the throne. Elodie's training is dismissed by the misogynist Chaplain, who doubles as Brianne's father, seizing the chance to commandeer being Regent for political gain and his nefarious ideals. Desperate to keep the land from being run by the Chaplain, Elodie seeks out an apothecary, Sabine, for a potion to put her sister into a deep sleep until she is of age, with the goal of temporarily defaulting the crown back to Elodie as eldest daughter of the deceased queen. This gripping sapphic fantasy portrays the anti-hero princess taking on the patriarchy. Potential love interest Sabine has a deep sadness that results in magical tears for her potions. The absolute rage of Elodie and the softer, emotional needs of Sabine complement each other and help their alternate character traits emerge. As they work together to help Brianne unseat the Chaplain, some alliances with friends and family change, making trust hard to come by. The Chaplain's fictitious sinister religious sect is metaphorical and a cautionary tale. Just when readers think they have this sorted out, a twist ending alludes to a second book in the planned duology. VERDICT Immersive and intense; hand this royal fantasy to readers of Kendare Blake's "Three Dark Crowns" and Victoria Aveyard's "Red Queen" series.--Lisa Krok
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