Arca is the second book in G.R. Macallister’s Five Queendoms series. It follows the main characters of her first book in the series, Scorpica, which was one of my 2022 favorites. These women are grappling with the changes happening in the queendoms. As rulers and women of power, they must hold their realms together despite uncertainties. And they each have their own style of completing these tasks.

The primary queendoms Macallister follows are Arca, Scorpica, and Paxim. Within each is a ruler—Eminel, Tamura, and Heliane. In addition, we meet each woman’s companions, allies, and rivals. Macallister humanizes all the characters despite the novel’s considerable political wrangling. She jumps from battles to strategizing and from succession troubles to the challenges of maintaining control. Along the way, we learn more about each queendom’s history.

I always enjoy Macallister’s writing style and have read several of her books. She knows how to engage her readers, as well as how to build descriptive worlds. Like Scorpica, Arca turns hetero, cisgender, and patriarchal norms to a more feminist, nonbinary, and matriarchal perspective. This is only one aspect of the epic, but I absolutely love envisioning the unique perspectives.

This is definitely not a standalone novel, as it begins where Scorpica finished. So pick up both books and immerse yourself in the worlds of Arca and her rival queendoms. They’re a perfect pair. I heartily recommend them both.

Acknowledgments
Thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, Gallery / Saga Press, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review. The expected publication date for this book is March 7, 2023.

Immediately upon finishing Scorpica, I dived into my ARC of Arca. While I enjoyed the first book, there were parts of it that really frustrated me. (Namely, the treatment of men. Yes, men get to be the carriers of most fantasy books and have all the power normally, but STILL. It bothered me that the one male character we got more of did not last long.) Some of those concerns were still present in this book, but overall, I enjoyed Arca much more than the first book in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the new POV characters we received in this book. We get two or three new ones, and their voices add a lot to the story. Especially Ama's -- who I was completely wrong about in the first book. I thought that Azur of the Scorpicae was her but apparently I just read something inaccurately. Two totally different characters in actuality.

ANYWAY -- Ama was my favorite, and I loved her journey but oh how my heart ached at one particular point. It wasn't her fault at all, but her heart was broken in two. Just...shattered. Ugh. I also really love that we got more of Eminel, as well. She really comes into her own in this book and that was delightful to watch. Watching her boss other people around knowing she was the most powerful and in the right was just CHEF'S KISS. Azur and Tamura were frustrating characters -- they were SUPPOSED TO BE -- don't get me wrong, but I really hated reading their POV sections as I do not vibe with who they are. They are very well written, though, and make sense within the book.

I am definitely interested to know where the story is going, and how many more books we'll be getting in this series. The world is fascinating and unique, and held my attention well. Not to mention that Macalliter's writing is top notch. Overall, I'd give Arca a solid four stars.

A fitting continuation of the Scorpica series, flipping gender norms on their heads and exploring new areas of a unique world. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schrager for the ARC

An unput-downable fantasy tour de force as good as the first book and I hope this isn’t the last or even close to the last book in the series! I just finished the second book and already I’m panting for the next one. Hurry, Hurry!