This book was a true gem to read. The beginning was so spectacular, the poetry, the atmospheric writing in BOTH types of perspectives were extraordinary. In fact, I'd argue that the writing style is this book's strongest feature. On top of this, one thing I noticed was the ever present tension within the book; there is always some new piece of information or character aspect given to us and the story did not feel like it spent dragging amount of time on a same piece of plot, rather it kept advancing and i appreciate that a lot. The themes of feminism, queer romance, and pretty privilege was especially executed really well. This along with the writing style really gave a unique voice to the main character.

However, the gradually started becoming more boring by the second, not due to lack of plot, because while the political intrigue was done well, it felt overshadowed by the lack of interesting characters. No other characters were given depth and honestly so many of them were too tropey, they did not have any uniqueness to them. I still stuck with the book because of the beautiful writing and i will also stick with 3 stars for its exceptionally good beginning and an ending that i really enjoyed for it connected back to the beginning.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

the review for this book will be uploaded on my goodreads, blog, twitter and barnes and nobles website on 6th June 2021 (i will update and add the links of all of that here once i post them)

3.5/5 Queen of All was a unique fantasy that focuses on Jeni, a fourteen year-old girl from a poor farm. When her cousin Sisi is invited to the City to attend a ball with the Crown Prince, Jeni finds herself on a path of discovery, coming-of-age, and love.

What stood out in this book for me was the writing. There is a consistent tone to Jeni’s perspective and a mysterious tension throughout the book until the end, where we are left off with the desire to read more. The author described the dynamics of Jeni’s family quite well, and while some of the other characters didn’t stand out for me, the build-up around Jeni’s relationships with others did.

The worldbuilding was a bit weak, but we do get a good sense of the royal, wealthy culture that takes place in the City. One thing about the worldbuilding is that so much of it seems irrelevant until the end, where I believe the story will lead into a second book. We get a lot of background info about the magic and history of certain people in the land, plus the Old Tongue which is a forbidden language, but not much of that comes to play until the end. We see Jeni go through training accompanying Sisi, and eventually she takes things into her own hands to learn more about history. I liked that the author chose to include this part because Jeni doesn’t know how to read in the beginning and she comes a long way, but I kept wondering when any of that knowledge would truly play a part in the story.

We watch Jeni struggle with her feelings for her cousin (they aren’t related by blood) and the realization that she is gay. I appreciate the sensitivity and care the author took to weave their relationship throughout the story, but it is difficult at some points to watch Jeni’s love unrequited. Their Aunt that accompanied them is also gay, and the conversation Jeni and her have was sad, but insightful. There isn’t a queer norm in this world and ultimately Jeni’s love becomes a sacrifice for Sisi, who ends up being Queen. While Sisi has made some sacrifices, I feel Jeni was overlooked by even her, and Jeni’s hard work is often unnoticed. This made reading occasionally difficult because you’re reading Jeni’s emotions and feelings, while Sisi ends up finding happiness while Jeni struggles to figure out what she wants as she dedicates her time and life to Sisi. Their relationship was my favourite throughout the book, but it isn’t the kind that leaves you happy by end.

There is also quite a bit of discussion around how beautiful Sisi is, and subsequently, how Jeni is not. Jeni is the opposite of Sisi in shape and natural beauty, but Jeni is still young and growing into herself. The topic of pretty privilege appears throughout the book, sometimes a bit too repetitive, but well-done. Jeni often is a little down-trodden or unconfident about her appearance, but also has the strength to ignore the surface-level opinions of others. I liked how she grappled with this aspect throughout the book as I feel it was pretty realistic. Also, with the society they were thrust into, appearance means quite a bit.

The ending made this story for me, where we see Jeni realize her power and understand herself more. She comes to terms with her feelings for Sisi and recognizes that while their relationship will never be realized, she still loves Sisi and is glad she made the sacrifices she did. Jeni sets off to confront her questions and find out more about her mother, who we read of in the prologue. The concept of Gaia and magic has me interested in reading further. Queen of All almost read more like the prologue or origin story for Jeni and an exciting adventure ahead. In some ways I feel a bit eluded by this story because it has so much unanswered, but fingers crossed there will be second book to satisfy my wonder!

Thank you to NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for the ARC.

Jena lives with her family and with her best, Sisi, firmed in her family's farm. A farm that is struggling badly, pushing Sisi to accept an offer to go to the capital and meet with the prince. A trip Jena and her aunt take with Sisi. The trip is the beginning of a journey that will change Jena's life forever and will fill her life with happiness, sadness, discovery and acceptance.

I enjoy YA's and fantasy books, so when I had the opportunity to read a new book by a new author I did so right away. The book is first person, something I don't usually like, but It was well done in this book. There were long stretches of descriptions with barely any conversation, but I was ok with it since it is a made up world and it needs to be explains and the stage set.

The story was of self discovery and it was well done. The book takes you on a ride into a world I found myself immersed in and thinking about it when I was not reading about it. It was interesting and it didn't give you all the answers right away.

If you like YA and fantasy, definitely give this book a read!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC of this book from GenZ (Zenith Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be honest, I tried getting into this story. I tried and tried but was unable to get past the 5th chapter. The errors in writing were so bad that it distracted me from he story. I will try again when it has been edited but as of now, I will not be finishing the book.

I chose to read Queen of All as part of my personal quest to try new genres. I have always been in the ‘I don’t like fantasy camp’. I was wrong.

Queen of All is a story of unrequited, deep, and selfless love, set on a backdrop of secrets, magic, and an evil Prince.

The plot moves at just the right pace, keeping you captivated and wanting more. I enjoyed the similarities and comparisons between the society within the book and that of the real world. How women can be objectified, belong to men, ‘affections’ can be traded for, and that they are expected to behave in certain ways.
I felt the story arc of Jena comprehending and coming to terms with her sexuality was done incredibly well, it was a gradual process, and I was touched that her Aunt Mae was able to offer her someone to talk to and show her compassion and understanding.

The author’s writing style is original and ingenious. The development of Sisi and Jena throughout the book and their ‘coming-of-age’ in terms of growing from girls to women is poignant. Whilst Sisi finds love and settles down ‘traditionally’ into her womanhood, Jena grows into her strength, independence, and spirit.

I cannot wait for book two to follow what happens next for Jena, I’m completely gripped!

Thank you, NetGalley and Zenith Publishing for the e-arc.

i can only say the same thing as the previous reviewers - e-arc only contains the cover and back of the book. 3 stars placeholder until/if there's an actual arc of the book!

As the previous comment states, this is only the front and back cover. But a beautiful front and back cover it is, I am excited to read the book when it actually comes out. The design of the cover is eye-catching and not too busy, the teal and gold going well together and reinforcing the idea of royalty. The excerpt of the book on the back is even more intriguing than the except provided on NetGalley, I am excited to see more of the book when it becomes available.

4 stars for the cover and excerpt design

Would love to review the book once it is uploaded! However as previous post states this is only the front and back cover. Going to give it a 4 star rating as a placeholder till the full version is granted. Great cover at least!