2.5 stars rounded down
The Vanished Queen describes Vetia, a land under the authoritarian regime of King Karolje, and the fight by his son Prince Esvar and a girl, Anza, swept up in the resistance to remove him from power. Both are in part inspired to fight by the history of King Karolje and Esvar's mother Mirantha, whose journal Anza finds in the Prologue while in college. We are told the story of how they fight to bring down Karolje through the perspectives of both Anza and Esvar, as well as Mirantha, whose past we learn much about.

The novel started off decently, but quickly became confusing or boring, as it took me a little too long to figure out that Tevin and Esvar were the king's sons, as I hadn't read the description. The family tree in the back helped me keep track of the story's family politics, though it does make the book somewhat predictable when you see the relationships laid out so cleanly.

I had more trouble connecting to Esvar's chapters because he seemed more wooden than Mirantha or Anza, though both of them bored me at times as well. I hadn't expected this to be a more adult fantasy, nor did I expect it to be so slow, which ruined a lot of the drama for me. It was very well done and, I imagine, a realistic depiction of the carefulness and slowness that must go into planning a coup, especially when Esvar and the resistance need to learn to trust each other to a degree. However, there were times where I became disinterested and had to push myself through this book, particularly because I didn't feel any tension. <spoiler> None of the twists were especially surprising, most of them could be guessed 200 pages before they happened, so I always knew where the book was going. Mirantha obviously survived and became Sparrow. Anza’s father obviously knew her and got her to hire the tutor for Anza. Tevin was obviously not dead. </spoiler>

The only “different” aspect of this book is that neither Anza nor Esvar are leaders in a resistance nor are they the main power players at court, but that isn’t enough for me to deem this truly unique because they are so close to the centres of power.

I enjoyed the urgency that Mirantha’s affair was written with. It contributed a lot to her character building and made her situation in the undescribed  early marriage years more understandable.

The world building likely contributed to my disinterest in the story. I could barely picture the setting, which made it difficult for me to remember where anything was happening. I don't think this was for lack of description, but I likely skimmed some of the scenery when I would get bored. The book also has no obvious culture for inspiration, which makes it hard to picture architecture especially.

One odd thing about this book was the amount of times suicide was discussed. All three main characters almost kill themselves at one pint or another. It wasn’t idolising suicide, but it was making it melodramatic. 
Although they interested me most, the journal entries from Mirantha always felt impersonal when they were quoted in other chapters, almost like letters to an acquaintance as opposed to personal thoughts recorded for later.

Karolje, particularly at the end, often gets called evil, which felt really simplistic. I did like the discussions of how he maneuvered to keep power by manipulating ethnic tensions and controlling the narrative by his words as well as force.

Overall, this felt like a passable political fantasy with average writing, solid character building, but a missing world and no novelty factor for me. Because of the popularity of political fantasies, the bar for them to be worth reading is set much higher, similar to what happened with dystopians years ago.

This read was hard. I did not like how they kept switching the tense. It was an interesting idea that was completely original. However i had a hard time getting into it. at the end i was not really invested in the story i just wanted to know what happened so it could be over.

I really enjoyed The Vanished Queen! It was a fantasy full of politics, resistances, betrayals, secrets, and powerful King. I enjoyed the various points of views and how they all connected.

I think all of us love Game of Thrones for multiple reasons, but one of my favorite aspects was the actual strategy of trying to win the throne and watching alliances form, plans be put into place, all while trying to put trust in people you don’t trust, hoping they won’t betray you, and keeping it all under the watchful eye of the one in charge.

If that aspect is something you also enjoy, The Vanished Queen is definitely worth reading. It was interesting to see all of the characters find their way, learn how to put their trust in others, and try to make a move that wouldn’t destroy their kingdom. So many fantasy novels skip straight to assassinating the King, but this book brings up the very valid problem of: Then what? Is the successor powerful enough to win the throne without being killed in the chaos? Would someone else, say someone who helped bring the assassination about, have an ulterior motive to put someone else on the throne? A powerful and unjust king has just as many allies in the court as the people seeking to right the wrongs and you can’t just kill the king to save the kingdom.

I loved this book and definitely recommend it!

The Vanished Queen by Lizbeth Campbell is a standalone epic fantasy. This is the first time I have read Campbell, and after completing this book, I hope to read more of her, as The Vanished Queen was a fantastic read. The story has three POV’s; Anza, Esvar and Mirantha.

We meet Anza, our heroine, at that start when she is sneaks into the library where all books have been locked up and forbidden. She comes across the diary of Queen Mirantha, who disappeared or was killed 12 years by her husband, the King. The diary, as Anza will read, details Mirantha’s hard life with the evil and corrupt King Karolje, who rules the kingdom with fear and terror under a vicious rule, which has created a resistance that is bent on overthrowing him. Mirantha loves her two sons, Tevin and Esvar, who even to this day, love and mourn their mother.

Anza, whose father was executed by the King, becomes more determined to join the resistance, as she reads Mirantha’s journal. When she meets Sparrow, the leader of the resistance, she proves that she is an asset, especially as she has been trained by her father to excel in fighting and bow shooting. Anza was a fabulous heroine, as she was strong, smart, independent and loyal, not to mention her hatred of the king. After a resistance attack, Anza is taken to be questioned by a bad corrupt captain, only to be saved by Prince Esvar, who claimed she was innocent of any wrong doing.

Prince Esvar, the second son, wants to protect and help his brother, who is the heir to the throne. They both know their father has no qualms in killing them, if they stand in his way. Esvar will eventually befriend Anza, and uses this opportunity to approach the resistance to help defeat his father. With Anza at his side, Esvar tries to convince Sparrow and her team to help him eliminate the close supporters of the King, and help them defeat the King. Can Sparrow and the resistance trust the Prince?

In the Queen’s journal, we learn how horrific Karojle ruled and destroyed innocent people, as well as making her life difficult, even to the point of killing someone close to her, who she was having an affair with, as well as other friends. Then she is taken prisoner to disappear, but everyone knew the King was behind her ‘disappearance’.

In a short time, Anza and Esvar will find themselves attracted to each other, which will become a slow built romance that remains in the background. I loved both Anza and Esvar, as they were great together, with Esvar determined to help his brother take the throne, even if it meant his death. Early on the story was a bit slow, but as in all fantasy, the beginning introduces all the major characters, when we learn about this world. The world building was very well done, with many details to give us a glimpse at these wonderful characters, and the political intrigue, struggles and the battle to defeat evil.

The Vanished Queen is a wonderful dark adventure, with fantastic characters, and a world filled with evil, secrets, lies, deceit & betrayal. I will say there is an amazing twist that blew us away. Very well done. The last 1/3 of the book was intense, exciting, non-stop action, that had me on the edge, as we raced to the climax. What I loved the most about this book, was that it was a standalone, not having us wait for a couple more books. Thank you, Lizabeth Campbell for this fantastic story. If you like fantasy at its best, I suggest you read The Vanished Queen.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Vanished Queen

Author: Lisbeth Campbell

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: bisexual rep!

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: Fantasy, court intrigue, mystery

Publication Date: August 18, 2020

Publisher: Saga Press

Pages: 496

Recommended Age: can't recommend dnf-ed

Synopsis: When a country is held in thrall to a vicious, despotic king, it’s up to one woman to take him down.

Long ago, Queen Mirantha vanished. King Karolje claimed it was an assassination by a neighboring king, but everyone knew it was a lie. He had Disappeared her himself.

But after finding the missing queen’s diary, Anza—impassioned by her father’s unjust execution and inspired by Mirantha’s words—joins the resistance group to overthrow the king. When an encounter with Prince Esvar thrusts her into a dangerous game of court politics, one misstep could lead to a fate worse than death.

Esvar is the second son to an evil king. Trapped under his thumb and desperate for a way out, a chance meeting with Anza gives him the opportunity to join the resistance. Together, they might have the leverage to move against the king—but if they fail, their deaths could mean a total loss of freedom for generations to follow.

Review: Unfortunately I had to dnf this one at 33%. The story was good and I liked it but it just wasn't grabbing my attention. Maybe another time will be better for me. Also, this book has a bi rep!

Verdict: Not for me at the moment but maybe for you!

An exciting, incisive story crammed with political intrigue and tortured emotions. This is a book which focuses on just how hard the act of rebellion can be, from a number of different angles, especially when facing a particularly entrenched evil with many complicit associates. The action clips along at a good pace, and the book does not shy from the consequences of its characters' actions.

The only problem I had with it is that the characterization is in places... not weak, exactly, but uneven. Esvar particularly goes through some vacillations that don't always feel fully supported. I think I can see what Campbell was going for, but all the same, the turns aren't quite earned. The love story, too, feels a bit abrupt not so much in its development but in its depictions. That, I can more easily shrug off as a stylistic choice; softer emotions tend to take place in the margins of this story, not on center stage.

Content warnings: sexual abuse, graphic violence, and suicidal ideation

The Vanished Queen was one of the better fantasy debuts that I've read recently. It was fast-paced and engaging, with great world-building and dynamic, well-developed characters (including a believable villain in the king).

I especially loved all the political maneuvering involved in the story. I don't think I've read a fantasy rife with as much politicking since I read the ASOIAF series for the first time over five years ago, so that was a pleasant surprise for me with this book.

I also think that a lot of people will be pleased with the LGBTQ+ representation in The Vanished Queen. In the world where The Vanished Queen takes place, there isn't really a stigma surrounding non-straight sexualities, so people can live their lives without anxiety about their sexuality. One of the protagonists is bi, and a few small roles are also filled by queer characters.

Overall, the Vanished Queen was a great book with strong writing, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading fantasies with a large political component.

This was a fantastic book. It pulled me in from the very beginning.

Multiple (third-person) points of view, none of which I confused for the others. Campbell described just enough of the setting as it was needed, and filled in other details later. Very well-written.

These characters were all believable, complex, and interesting. I wanted to see what would happen to them. The evil king truly seemed sadistic.

What did I love about this book? The political intrigue. At the beginning, I couldn't see how things would weave together. (Yes! I love not seeing exactly where a story is going.) For some reason, I really needed to read something rife with behind-the-scenes machinations, and this was perfect. In a world such as this one, the characters wrestle with their own morality and choices.

What a pleasure it was to have 2 prince brothers who were NOT at each other's throats! Esvar and his brother Tevin are not close friends or confidantes, but they supported each other. Not to say that Esvar didn't have his own ambitions, but he supported his brother's claim to the throne as heir.

Also, this book is standalone, which I prefer.

Altogether, I loved this book. I look forward to reading more by Lisbeth Campbell in the future.

I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s an actual stand alone fantasy novel! And it’s an excellent debut novel!
There’s a evil king who is perhaps just a touch too evil. There’s just no doubt he’s an utter sociopath that deserves to be put down like a rabid dog. The book does excel though in being clear there would be consequences for simply killing him no matter how bad he is because even with an evil king there are still factions and consequences that have to be considered.
I really look forward to this author’s next book!

I really wanted to like this book. The blurb and description were so promising, and it has a gorgeous cover, but the story fell very, very flat for me and I ultimately decided to DNF.

There's this evil king - Karolje - except... we never actually see him being evil. We are told that he is evil, but all he does is sit on his throne being too-thin and on the way to dying.

Then we have two princes who - we are told - are resisting him. A resistance fighter who - we are told - is part of the resistance.

Pretty much nothing actually happens. The characters think a lot, and recall things, and think about how awful the king is and how they're going to resist... and that's it for the first 15% of the book. I honestly couldn't force myself through any more of it because it was a slog.

Also the writing-- besides being long-winded and very Tell-not-show-- is choppy. Full of short sentences. One on top of the other. Kind of like this. Occasionally there will be a long sentence, or an attempt at a more flowery description, but overall it is painfully flat.

This was a good, solid book. The plotline was interesting - a twisted king who rules with fear, his kind princess wife who didn't really know what she was in for, and their two sons who raise the question of which parent will ultimately impact their development and future selves.

A complex and layered book about political struggles and revolution. This book felt timely to read during all of the sociopolitical strife currently ongoing in the USA. There are strong female characters whom I admired and a compelling tale of rising up to overthrow those who abuse their power. Although marketed as fantasy there is virtually no magic in the book, which surprised me. However it is a strong story and I would definitely read more in the world.

I really enjoyed reading The Vanished Queen and how you got more than one point of view. The story is mainly told through the viewpoint of Anza and Prince Esvar with flashbacks that tell the story of the vanished queen - Mirantha. I would recommend this to those who like to read about political/courtly intrigue, revolution, and enjoy strong female characters.

While I haven't finished this book yet, I am captivated by the three main characters and can't wait to see how -- or if -- they can save the kingdom. The mystery of what happened to the Queen is lurking at the center of the story. I'm not sure what genre this really is, though. It feels like fantasy, but there is no magic (at least not yet.) It's not historical fiction either. No matter what it is, the writing is good: visual without being overly descriptive. The struggle with the morality of killing in a rebellion or as a soldier creates tension for two of the characters. This might be a young adult book, but I will have to finish it to tell.
(Unfortunately I have a long list of books I am supposed to be reading right now.)

Vanished Queen is a complex, multi-layered, and slow-building political intrigue within a medieval setting. The strengths of this book surrounds the depth of the characters and the time spent establishing their motivations and fears and convictions. Unfortunately, such in-depth attention with the characters meant that it is much more difficult to manage pacing. For me, the plot did not move forward at an immersive pace until about 75% of the way in.

Negatives aside, if medieval political intrigue, royal drama, and an overarching story about overthrowing tyranny is up your alley, it's worth the read!

I struggled to get into this book, although I'm usually a fan of prologues, this one just slowed down the beginning action for me. Although it does give important information throughout the story, as plot points unravel and thicken, it just kind of started the book off from a rough point for me. Once I was able to get into the story more, I did enjoy it. I liked the characters, and thought they were all compelling. I wish there'd been a little more development at times, and sometimes the plot just couldn't quite keep me entertained - but I overall really enjoyed the story concept, and had fun reading this.

The Vanished Queen was a good book, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Pros: Strong writing, terrific alternate world building, believable villain (the king, nice to see one that isn't just a cardboard cutout), a couple of surprises that you might not see coming.

Cons: The politics. If you like stories about old-world/medieval political maneuvering, this is definitely for you, because the plot is rife with it. I thought it (they?) overwhelmed the story.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of the quality of the writing.

*ARC via netgalley and publisher in exchange for my agreement to review; my opinions are my own*

The Vanished Queen is a well crafted epic fantasy story that examines at power and justice. It is told from three points of view and in two timelines. I really liked the current timeline and Anza and Esvar's point of view. I was slower to connect with Queen Mirantha's point of view. This might be because from the beginning we know that she was disappeared by the King. King Karolje is a tyrant and Anza joins the resistance when he touches her life. Esvar, the younger prince, releases her from prison when she is picked up in a raid that had nothing to do with her. From this chance encounter Esvar begins to think of what it would mean to join the resistance and through Anza he begins communicating with them. I liked their relationship but also them as individual characters. The story did need the characters to have emotions and Anza seems to be full of life and cared for those around her even when she keeps trying to distance herself.

The Vanished Queen was a little slow for me to get into but once I did it was a fun read. I expected it to be much darker than it was, and I'm glad the author didn't have the story turn darker. The characters were alive with flaws. Lisabeth Campbell has written a novel that is full of wonderful quotes and messages that translate well to the real world. I will be recommending this story because it is the best epic fantasy novel I've read this year.

I received an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. When I first saw this book on Netgalley the cover initially hooked me and then I read the synopsis and was very intrigued and excited! But unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.

The beginning of this book started off strong. A tyrannical King who controls the city through fear and quickly disposes of anyone who stands against him. A young girl who is fighting for change, fighting for her city and its freedom. And then the Prince, second in line to the throne, who is trying to find a way to fight back against his sociopath of a Father without losing his life in the process. There was a lot of potential but it fell a little flat for me. I never felt any attachment to Anza, one of the main characters. She was very one-dimensional and I just lost a lot of interest during her chapters. Esvar, the Prince, was very much of the same. There were a couple of other side characters that we also never knew a lot about, they would come in and then come out of the story with very little background. The one character I really loved was the Queen, Mirantha. The book tells a couple of chapters from her POV (via a diary) and I absolutely loved those chapters! They were far too short for my liking and I wished we could have more!

The world building was beautiful and detailed! The political intrigue, conspiracy and fight for the crown while battling neighboring kingdoms was what kept me reading this book! The pace was a bit off for me and I tended to lose interest during the slower times but usually it would pick back up again just before I truly lost interest. I do want to give a warning that this book does touch on some dark topics (torture, forced abortion, rape) so please be aware of that if you have some triggers.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me but I’m sure others would enjoy it! The writing was well done and the world building was beautiful but without the characters to connect with I just struggled to finish this book.

The Vanished Queen was a book that sounded right up my alley: an epic fantasy that touts a complex, multi-faceted story complete with a rich cast of characters, not to mention the potential of a brand new setting filled with unique cultures and warring kingdoms—all set within a world with magic. And indeed, it was a solid novel that delivered on all its promises, but it also had its share of stumbling blocks—namely, that of trying to do too much.

With a large number of characters also comes a large number of plot threads. I enjoyed the story weaving Lisbeth Campbell has done here, and by the end of the book I was really starting to appreciate how everybody and everything was coming together. Still, it took a long time for the big picture to come into focus, and while it was doing so, the narrative struggled to balance out the multiple plot lines.

As the connections started to form, this also made some of the developments feel too convenient to be actually believable, what with all our key players encountering each other supposedly by chance in this vast empire. All told, The Vanished Queen is a solid entry into the epic fantasy genre. The novel also has the distinct feel of an introduction, and a long one to be sure—many mysteries remain unsolved, and even with the big game changer close to the end, the final conclusion was underwhelming in the sense that no real resolution presents itself. That said, I will definitely be reading the next book, now that the basic setup for the series is complete. I expect the sequel will be throwing us straight into the action, and I’m looking forward to more revelations and answers.