I thank the publisher and author for the eARC of "Queen of the Unwanted", this review has been delayed for years and I apologize for that. It's mainly due to personally disliking the characters (Delnamal and Mairahsol) the world is fascinating but alas none of the characters truly appeal to me until later in the book.

To be forthright, I thought for a good chunk of the first part of this book that Alys daughter Jinnell, wasn't dead. That she would be used by Prince Waldmir in some way instead, or gain a foothold and use him as a puppet in Nandel. It seemed too abrupt and out of character a death, her uncle Delnamal making her something of a heroic martyr seemingly blind to sealing Aly's fate at Women's Well and rising her up as a sovereign.

Throughout the book Aly juggles family issues between her son Corlin's violent outbursts and plotting her brother Tynthanal's unwilling marriage to the daughter of to Queen Ellinsoltah of Rhozinolm's own uncle Kailindar's daughter Kailee despite his having given his heart to Chanlix. (This relationship between the three of them kept me invested throughout, so bravo!)

I am glad to see Shelvon, Delnamal's divorced queen and Waldmir's daughter finding friends in Falcor and Ruby and beginning to teach women defense. I wish she would reach out to Waldmir or Zarsha, or at least yell at them. I hope it happens.

Ellin has her hands full as well as that trade agreements & marriage her own to negotiate with Zarsha (they are quite the pair and I realized I disliked the pattern of almost but not quite a queer tease of a thruple with Ellin, Zarsha and Graesan that repeats with Chanlix, Kailee and Tynthanal; you also have the issue of Elwynne).

And new plots from Khalpar, woven by Mairahsol who's desperate to be more than the queen of the unwanted, to do something that will set her apart and give her power and comfort, sends her to Women's Well against all odds and there she'll set in motion her own Curse (or Blessing?) upon all of Aaltah’s Well.

The first book in this series was my first foray into the feminist fantasy genre, and I enjoyed so much I couldn't wait to pick up the second book. The characters were so well-written and the world building was fascinating. I hope Jenna Glass has more to come!

I disliked the first book and I disliked this one just as much. These books claim to be about feminism but they have constant fatphobic remarks. I also am not a fan of the way sex work is discussed in this series whatsoever. And the fact that this is not intersectional in its feminism is extremely frustrating and disappointing. I would not recommend this series to anyone, and I won’t be reading anything further from this author.

DNFed at almost 20%. I think the weakness of this series, at least for me, is that it exists mainly to make a point, and the characters and setting therefore don't entirely stand on their own. Now that I had already read the first book, the 2nd one was doing very little to further the message or the plot or the characters.

I could not even get to this book, after reading (DNF) the first one expecting more than what was offered.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with this e-Arc. I am very grateful! Will definitely read more from this author in the near future.

I was unable to read but will be featuring the book in a 'I Wish I'd Read That' series. Text below:

I was a huge fan of Jenna Glass’ The Women’s War, release in early 2019. The world is immaculately plotted, filled with fascinating characters, and a society that is long overdue for a massive shakeup. It was one of my favorite books of the year, and the sequel sound equally amazing.

Queen of the Unwanted is the second release in the series with an eye-catching cover and a description that promises another well-drawn story to build on the epic conclusion of the previous entry. If you’re drawn to strong female protagonists, a fantasy world that’s both beautiful and dark, and beautiful magic, this is definitely a series for you.

Had the year gone differently, this would have been on the top of my to-read list in May. Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out. Thank you to Del Rey for the chance to read – click through the links to read more about the series or to get a copy for yourselves.

I like the cover. I like feminism. I love fantasy. But, this was just meh. Also, there isn't a lot of diverse representation that a feminist novel needs

characters were more developed in this one! fast pace, we learn a lot more about the world and the intentions of the characters. I had some trouble connecting with the main character but as the story unraveled it became easier to follow and adjust to the setting.

I picked up this book because for the most part I enjoyed the starting book in this series, The Women’s War. But I have to say that I found the message of that first book to sometimes be heavy-handed. Not enough to spoil my enjoyment, but more than enough to make me wonder what would happen next.

Queen of the Unwanted certainly carries on directly from the events in The Women’s War, making it impossible for any reader to start here and make any sense of current events. Or, honestly, to care about what happens to the characters.

This is definitely a middle book, with all the inherent problems therein. Which means not only that you can’t start here, but that it fulfills the sense at the end of the first book, that the situation our heroines, Princess Alysoon of Women’s Well and Queen Ellinsoltah of Rhozinolm are at a point in both of their stories where things are dark and turning darker – quite possibly as a prelude to turning completely black.

So this is a story where more gets revealed but little gets resolved, setting the stage for the third book in the series at some future date. Hopefully not too far in our future, as this is a complicated series which makes picking up the action after a long hiatus a rather daunting affair for the reader.

Although I’ll certainly be back, if only to find out what happens next!

Escape Rating B-: I have to say that this book drove me absolutely bananas – and not always in a good way. I really did want to find out what happened after the earth-shaking events of the first book. But that means I wanted things to actually happen. This entry in the series, being a middle book, means that lots of people are maneuvering, and there is tons of political wrangling and shenanigans, but that in the end, not much happens.

Or at least, not until the very end, when the action suddenly proceeds apace, only to leave readers with multiple terrible book hangovers as they wait for the next book. Whenever it appears. I listened to 80% of this and then read the rest. The audio was interesting enough to keep me occupied while driving, but when things picked up I couldn’t stand to continue at that slow pace.

So, the story is slow going for a lot of its length. Of which there is rather a lot. And there are oodles of political machinations, but they don’t seem to go anywhere for much of the story.

The big message in this one is that old saw about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely. The history of this place is that men have had all the power, all the time, and now that women have carved out their own, tiny piece of it the men will do anything to get their absolute domination back.

The message is extremely heavy handed, to the point where it gets overdone. The reader feels a bit bludgeoned by it – as many of the female characters are beaten and degraded on a frequent basis. The treatment of women in this entire world is utterly appalling.

At the same time, the stakes are so high, and yet, particularly in Women’s Well, the behavior of both Princess Alys and her brother Tynthanal feels so petty and selfish. Neither of them seems to be thinking of the greater good of their beleaguered kingdom, but rather railing against all the things that are just not going their way in their personal lives.

And the major villain of the piece does tip into over-the-top-ness and reaches villain fail. Not just that he is so inept he can’t possibly succeed at anything, but that it is amazing that his own country doesn’t depose him early on. He’s not just evil, he’s a bad king and it’s OBVIOUS. He is neither respected nor feared and that should be a short trip to a headsman’s axe.

Instead, he becomes a figure of ridicule, not just to his court but to the reader. He has no self-control; neither over his temper nor his overindulgence in food and drink. His steadily increasing girth is meant to evoke the figure of Henry VIII, but Henry, for all his petulance, was an effective king which Delnamal NEVER is. Instead, the villain’s increasing weight becomes a vehicle for mockery and it just feels wrong.

Speaking of things that feel wrong, one of the points I mentioned in my review of The Women’s War was the utter lack of same-sex relationships. This feels like a world where such relationships would have been frowned upon if not banned, but human nature happens. There’s a whole spectrum of it that isn’t happening here in circumstances like the all-male army barracks and the all-female abbeys for unwanted women where it feels like it would have.

I know I’m complaining a lot about a book that I gave a B- rating to. I liked this story. I liked the first book better but I’m still very interested in seeing what happens. Even if it drives me crazy yet again.

I really love this series. This is great continuation from the first book The Women's War, and it picks up not long after the first left off. I love the switching perspectives between the characters because it helps give a better picture of the world. I also love that it's such a feminist story despite it taking place in the same type of world where many misogynistic fantasy is written.
The worldbuilding is also fantastic. The system of magic that Jenna Glass has written is so intricate and complex and original.
However, I would be remiss if I did not point out the obvious flaws in this book. For a feminist fantasy novel, there are no lgbtqia+ characters. I think that the inclusion of lgbtqia+ representation would make the worldbuilding more complex and interesting in addition to adding representation.

A world where the subjugation of women is considered proper and pious is the backdrop for this feminist epic fantasy by Jenna Glass. Thanks to the sacrifice of three women, this way of life changes in an evening of earthquakes and tidal waves that leave destruction as well as a complete societal turn around in its wake.

What I Loved
I loved the unique magic of this world. People create magic potions and enchanted objects from a combination of motes that they pluck from the air. Motes come from a series of wells that dot the land, and some people are more adept at seeing different motes and determining what they can use them for than other people. There are also female motes, male motes, and neutral motes – each serving a different purpose. Most males cannot see female motes, and most females cannot see male motes. To find a mote and use it, one must open their mind's eye, which causes their seeing eyes to have a white film over them until they close their mind's eye. It is both an intricate and straightforward method of magic. The concept is quite simple, but the practical aspect can be incredibly detailed and complicated to explain and master.

In The Women's War, I loved the fiery determination found in the main characters, though in The Queen of the Unwanted, these same characters lost much of that fire and instead succumbed to depression and indecision. The change in states of being is understandable considering all they had been through, but it made for a much darker and denser read. I wanted them to rally and make the deaths matter through the changes that they create rather than appear ineffectual and refuse to grow and take the story forward. Instead of being the harbingers of change that they were in the first book, they are the products of the resulting mental health issues, such as depression and possibly even PTSD. It is tough watching Alys and Corlin go through such a dark period, though it is totally in keeping with what they have been through and is handled in a very respectful manner.

I love the world-building, particularly in The Queen of the Unwanted. I felt like I had a good understanding of how their magic worked and why men maltreat women. It is remarkably interesting how the different areas approached the religion in different ways and how things had been evolving consequently. It was just a matter of time before women fought back against their oppression. I loved how it finally happened, in a way that held a great deal of inherent revenge attached to it.
Let's say that the men received their just rewards.

To Read or Not to Read
This series is an insightful look at oppression and the many stages that oppressed people go through to acquire the freedoms they deserve. Many intriguing dialogues could result from such an impactful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Queen of the Unwanted in exchange for an honest review.

Queen of the Unwanted is the second book in the Women's War by Jenna Glass. Released 12th May 2020 by Penguin Random House on their Del Rey imprint, it's 592 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a fantasy trilogy which I fear will likely be stamped with a strong feminist label and miss a significant portion of its potential audience. It's a very well written epic saga with strong characters (both male and female) and an overarching slowly developing plot. It's the second in the series (though there's also a prequel), and does *not* work well as a standalone. In fact, my review was delayed because I wasn't able to give the book a good analysis without the background from the first book, so I had to go read that one before revisiting Queen of the Unwanted.

I found the world building somewhat lacking, which is surprising and disappointing in a massive epic doorstop brick of a book (the kind with maps on the inside cover). Women have been brutalized and kept as chattel for centuries, and they've had just about enough, thank you very much. There are three central female characters, one a queen, one a crown princess, and one a Machiavellian abbess of a religious order (whose remit includes religious prostitution).

I probably read more speculative fiction and fantasy than any other genre and I found this one a slog to finish. The plotting borders on glacial tempo. The characters struck me as self absorbed, tragic, or downright unlikable. That the author is quite adept at her craft is evident on every page. There wasn't any clunky or cringe-worthy writing; it's quite readable - I just found it a chore to pick up and finish.

This one struck me as a lot more in the vein of Joe Abercrombie or Brian Sanderson than Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, or Sheri Tepper. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it *is* a thing.

Three and a half stars, rounded up for the undeniably competent prose.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
Queen of the Unwanted is the second book in The Women's War series, which is classified as women's literature, although I believe anyone could, and should, enjoy it!

In this fantasy world, kings rule, unwanted women are delegated to the Abbey (brothel), and magic is wielded based on sex.

While the above statement is the truth, we are now seeing the changes taking effect after the world shaking Blessing/Curse (depending on who you ask) has been cast. A spell that takes just a tiny sliver of power away from the men and awards it back to women... this little thing has thrown the world into a tailspin.

This book continues where The Women's War left off. Alys has been awarded the position of Sovereign of Women's Well, and while she's the leader, she is dealing with a devastating loss. She's a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a leader. She's also the sworn enemy to her homeland and declared a traitor by her half-brother. She's dealing with many things and doing the best she can for her new principality, but will it be enough?

What I love about this series is that every single character has a story. All the females (Queen Ellinsoltah, Kailee, Chanlix, and Mairahsol) have something that makes them human, they have flaws but they never give up. I must mention that even the female villain in this book, one I truly despised, totally shocked me. I would never guess that I could empathize with this woman, I wouldn't think I could like her... and here I am, still thinking about her.

This story takes the patriarchal society and is turning it on its head. I love the magical elements, the political intrigue, the character building, and even the budding romance. I will mention that this book took a while to build up, but by 40% I was completely enthralled and didn't put it down until I was done!

I waited a year for this book and it was worth it! Very good follow up to Women's War. In Women's War a spell had been cast that gave women power over reproduction and also gave them the power to kill if they are badly hurt.

In the aftermath, many are trying to reverse the spell even though this is very unlikely. Three strong women are going to have to hang onto their power and find a way to work together to stay safe.

I am looking forward to more books like Queen of the Unwanted from this author!

After reading The Women’s War, I wasn’t keen on continuing the series. The cliffhanger ending was brutal and left me emotionally exhausted and angry. But like giving birth, the memories of the pain faded and I decided to try again.

Queen of the Unwanted is an adequate follow-up to The Women’s War. There is a lot of development of the political climate of the world of the Seven Wells. I can only assume this is meant to set you up for the next book in the series. I kept waiting for the women (Alys and Ellin) to prosper in this area, but it did not happen.

Alys and Ellin are still the main protagonists, but there was not a lot of growth of their characters. I was disappointed they did not play a larger role in this book.

The two characters that seemed to have the biggest roles and, indeed, ended up in the climactic scene that was very near the end, were the characters with the least amount of brains. Selfish, self-destructive and totally not worth caring about.

And that was the biggest problem for me with this book. Because Alys and Ellin appeared on too few pages, I did not have a character that I wanted to sympathize with. That, for me, is very important.

Here’s the thing. It is still a pretty good story and many that loved The Women’s War will like this one too. So, don’t let my negative comments affect you if you are one of those readers.

Do read The Women’s War before you read Queen of the Unwanted.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I read the first book in this series and it was good. I love the way the story is told and women wanting control over their own lives. This story is empowering and get my energy. I enjoy the three main women in this story all trying to do what they can for women. There is magic in this world that gives them the strength to take control over themselves. I love the world this series takes place in.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Women's War by Jenna Glass, but the same cannot be said about its sequel, Queen of the Unwanted. In fact, I did not enjoy the reading of the sequel so much that I did contemplate marking it as a DNF. The only reason I did not do so was the fact that I wanted to give the author a chance to redeem herself and the story. Plus, I skimmed the last seventy-five percent of the novel to minimize the pain. When all else fails, skimming is your friend.

Unlike that first novel, there is so much to dislike in Queen of the Unwanted. First off, Ms. Glass provides no recap or reminder of what happened in the first book. There is nothing to refresh your memory on the numerous characters, the complex politics, and the magic that exists. You have to use context clues for most of it, but clues for how the magic works are few. While I appreciate the fact that the author tried to eliminate what can be a tedious part of any sequel, with the number of characters that narrate and the relative complexity of the world and its magic, to do nothing is a frustrating experience.

Secondly, there is no action throughout the entirety of its 592 pages. The story is literally one political maneuver after another. There is more worry about trade agreements and alliances than anything else in the novel. If I wanted a story about economics and government negotiations, there are plenty of other books that exist that tackle that topic. I do not expect a feminist saga about magic and power to include such mundane topics for so long.

Thirdly, there is absolutely no character development among any of its numerous characters. When I say numerous, I mean it too. If I remember correctly, there are at least seven different narrators around whom the story revolves. Yet, none of them show growth or maturity. All of them are jockeying for power in some fashion, but no one seems to be learning anything.

Lastly, as the narrators are solely in the upper echelons of their respective cultures, we never see how their decisions impact their citizens. We get hints that some of their policy decisions are not popular or have devastating effects for the lower classes, but we only see this world through its leaders. I am not a fan.

While the first novel was a fantastic example of feminist literature, there again is another area in which Queen of the Unwanted leaves me wanting. The only truly feminist idea in the novel is that it shows that women can lead a country as well as, or better, than men. Unfortunately, we don't really see these female leaders do much of anything except negotiating political marriages for themselves or for others. Plus, we see the two other female leaders fight amongst themselves for power, showing the very same dangerous female relationships that any working woman will understand. The use of marriage as a political gambit does not feel very feminist to me, and no one wants to see yet another example of toxic female coworker relationships. So, the very thing which made The Women's War so impressive is practically nonexistent in the sequel.

Sequels tend to get a bad reputation for not being as strong or good as its predecessor, but rarely have I come across a sequel that is almost its predecessor's opposite, as is the case with Queen of the Unwanted. I remain shocked that a sequel could turn its back on everything which made the original story so good. The lack of action, the absence of character development, the missing recaps to tie the two stories together - they call combine to create a reading experience best avoided. After all, there are plenty of good books out there more worthy of your attention.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com

This is the second book in a fantasy series about how three different women - one a queen, one the crown princess of a new principality, and one the Abbess of an abbey - try to lead their people, and help women take back power over their bodies and their lives that had previously been denied by the men that ruled over them.

In this book, Queen Ellin becomes more adept at ruling her kingdom, but still makes mistakes and often must rely on guidance from one member of her Council and Zarsha, the man who wants to marry her. She is barely hanging on to her crown, isn't sure who she can trust, and faces one adversity after another. Alys is also facing challenges in getting recognized by other kingdoms, as well as setting up trade agreements necessary for the survival of her young principality. Every day that Women's Well is not recognized brings it closer to invasion and possible annihilation. She must make hard decisions for the better of her new kingdom that take a personal toll on her already fragile psyche.

To add another level of conflict, the fervent king of the island nation of Khalpar orders his abbess to find a way to reverse the spell (women refer to it as a "blessing", men call it a "curse") that changed the world. The abbess agrees to do it, but has ulterior motives for doing so.

Once again, this long book (592 pages) could do with some serious editing. Like the first one, 200-250 pages of this book could be cut without losing any of the story. Also like the first book, the story unfolds slowly. It focuses on the female rulers' struggles to lead their people and avoid wars. The main characters are developed further, although they don't make nearly as much progress as you would expect in a 592 page book. Ellin struggles with self-doubt, and Alys wallows in pain and misery, for much of the book. At a certain point something needs to give, but nothing changes much. This gets tedious to read.

Overall, this is a good second book in the series and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting but typical of the middle books of a trilogy. There is a lot going on as more is revealed. The characters are more fully developed and the world building is more complete. The action is there to get everyone in place for the next book. Nothing is really settled. Just awaiting the next book in the Women's War series.