The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears
Narrated by Sandra Okuboyejo
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Set in Timbuktu, suitors wanting Princess Mariana's hand in marriage must first survive Emperor Sulyeman's trials, including finding the bark and wood of a tree that doesn't exist, or surviving a bath of boiling water. Princess Mariana wants an end to the trials. The princess's handmaiden, Amie, is the disinherited daughter of a wealthy merchant who was stripped of everything and forced into serving at the palace. With her help, Amie seeks to put a stop to the trials and slaughter of the empire's young men.

The story is a young adult, dark fantasy, inspired by a Malian fairy tale, and both the premise and cover sucked me in. Fall from grace type stories are always intriguing to me, and in this case it wasn't even Amie's fault that she lost it all. Young love, adventure across the dangerous Sahara, Gods, deadly trials, and hidden truths all made for the base of a captivating story.

Unfortunately I felt like things moved rather slowly and I found my mind drifting often while listening to the audiobook. The narration was very well done, but the aspects of the story I was interested in weren't embellished as much as I would have liked, and some of the pacing felt a bit uncomfortable; some parts dragged on while others felt a bit glossed over. The ending felt rather abrupt and though I understand the cliffhanger ending, I didn't feel hooked enough to continue the series.

It was an easy story to follow, and while it may not have been right for me, I do think there is great potential in the novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

I’ve had my eye on the sprayed-edge edition of this book for months—it’s been sitting in my Amazon cart as I debated whether to preorder or wait for the release. Even if the story didn’t win me over, the book’s stunning design was a major temptation. Luckily, I was thrilled to receive an ARC from NetGalley, and after finishing it, I’m convinced: I’ll be adding this beauty to my shelf.

This debut novel is clearly the first in a series by a newer author, and while it’s not without its flaws, it shows serious potential. I’ve noticed mixed reactions from early reviewers, with some marking it as a DNF or saying they struggled to get through it. Personally, I might’ve just hit it at the right time because I devoured it in a single day.

The pacing may test your patience at first—the first four chapters are slow—but things start picking up around chapter five. It’s a slow-to-medium-paced read overall, with the momentum building steadily after the halfway mark. If you’re expecting non-stop action or a romantasy vibe akin to some of the genre's big hitters, this isn’t that. But it is a solid YA fantasy with its own charm.

The story centers on Amie, a member of high society whose world is upended when her sister betrays her, leading to her exile from the social circles she once thrived in and the end of a wedding to her childhood love. Stripped of her status, Amie becomes a servant to a princess whose suitors are—quite literally—dying to win her hand. As Amie forms an interesting bond with the princess, she decides to help her end the deadly trials surrounding her courtship.

Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say this story introduces intriguing characters and sets the stage for significant growth—both for the protagonist and the overarching narrative. Amie’s journey is compelling, even if it feels like the author is still finding their footing.

While it may not be a new favorite for everyone, I see great potential here and am curious to see how the series evolves. If you enjoy character-driven YA fantasy with a slower burn, this one’s worth a shot.

The Scorpion Queen is the story of Amie, a teenager who has been disinherited by her family for something that she didn't even do. She was forced into servitude in the palace, and finds herself serving Princess Mariama. Amie is forced to choose between helping the princess or running away with the boy she is in love with.

I definitely expected this book to be a bit more action packed than it was. It started out pretty slowly, but picked up the pace partway through. I appreciated that there were several plot twists that I didn't see coming. While I enjoyed the story overall, there were definitely some pacing issues and I wish there was a bit more character development. I never felt a strong investment in any of the characters, or their relationships with one another. I'm definitely interested in seeing where the relationship between Amie and Mariama goes in the future, because it seems like there is a lot to explore there. The magic system was really interesting, and a deeper explanation of it would have fantastic.

I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator. Her voice fit the vibes of Amie's character really well. The narration was easy to understand even when sped up.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy!

The scorpion queen

Amie’s life completely changes after she is disinherited and at the center of a crime. She is sentenced to serve a Princess. The Princess’s father has set up a challenge for those who want his daughter’s hand in marriage. Those who fail are met with a brutal end, being burned alive.

Amie initially sees the Princess as another rich girl who she can’t relate to at all, but the more she gets to know her and what she is going through internally, they start to bond. Even with this, Amie still plots to run off with Kader, a scholar who is seen as an embarrassment compared to his strong and stealthy brothers.

She gets stuck in the middle of helping the princess and end the trials for her hand or run away with Kader. They set off on a quest to make a change and take a stand.

I see how some of the themes are considered dark YA fantasy. Was a bit confused at the ending in seemingly a cliffhanger but no indication that this is a series? Would’ve benefitted from a bit more, it was so abrupt and unresolved. I would read a sequel, but I’m not raving about this book. It was just okay.

Narration was excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/28/25.

Mina Fears delivers a dark and gripping fantasy in The Scorpion Queen, a tale of power, betrayal, and survival. Set in a vivid and dangerous desert kingdom, the story follows a fierce and cunning protagonist as she navigates treacherous politics and ancient prophecies. Fears’ world-building is richly immersive, and her characters are complex, morally gray, and utterly compelling. Packed with tension, intrigue, and unexpected twists, this is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy with a razor-sharp edge.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Duration: 10 Hours, 45 Minutes
Narrated by Sandra Okuboyejo
Release Date: 01/28/2025

🦂 YA
🦂 Dark Fantasy
🦂 Historical Fiction
🦂 Malian Fairytale
🦂 Forbidden Love/ Love Triangle
🦂 Found Family
🦂 Forbidden Magic
🦂 Adventure

Mina Fears did an excellent job with world and character building. It is set in Timbuktu in the 1350s. There is a lot of scandalous higher society court politics. Which leads into a lot of royal drama. Not to mention, a ruthless ruler, Emperor Sulyeman, who had no issues holding violent and gruesome trails for any man that wanted to be a suitor for his daughter. Including, boiling them alive.. publicly. Princess Mariana, isn’t okay with this and wants to end the carnage before there more than the ninety-nine corpses.

The story’s FMC is actually not Princess Mariana. I know? Plot twist already! However, it is her handmaiden, Aime. Who is a sixteen year old girl that gets stripped of her position (daughter of a wealthy salt merchant) don’t being framed for a scandalous crime. After losing everything, I mean everything.. family, status, and her lover, she is then placed as the handmaid. Torn between the past and her present, we watch her battle her inner turmoil. Whilst, building a friendship with Mariana.

Ending does leave you with a a cliffhanger and wanting more! If you’re into high stakes, self discovery, magic, raw, emotional, mystery and adventure, this book is worth the read!

As for the narrator of this book, I did enjoy listening to it. I think she was a perfect match for the characters voice. Helped to bring the story to life.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

The story was very intriguing and interesting even though it took a good 8 chapters to really start getting into the story. For me I think this would be better read not listened to. The narrator fell flat for me, their voice didn’t relay enough emotion and there was no different between voices when different characters were speaking.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had really high hopes for this! The summary sounded so intriguing and the cover was gorgeous. However, the first 50% of this book was so slow-moving and honestly sometimes felt like the author was just trying to fill up space to make it novel-length. Once we reach 50%, then it starts to get interesting with the commencement of their quest. And the writing at times was really descriptive and well-done. However, I couldn’t really find the main character all that relatable. I love rooting for a main character and her ultimate goals to be reached, but in this case, I found it hard to get attached to Amie. And I really really wanted to love her.

The narrator for the audiobook was great though and really brought it to life to the best of their ability.

Overall, a decent novel, but the pacing of the story could be greatly improved.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc.

this was an ok ya fantasy debut, but unfortunately the pacing of the plot left me rather confused, especially considering the dark fantasy element.

as for the audio, i think the narrator did a fine job!

I quickly tackled this 11-hour book via audio, which the narrator, Sandra Okuboyejo, read. I have some thoughts about Okuboyejo's performance. Though I flew through the narration, Okuboyejo did not wow me as a storyteller. While listening to her, I can hear her reading the words rather than becoming the character. She's not quite relaying the story or telling the character's version of events, and it comes off monotonous, like a step above a student reading aloud in class. This solo book was not for her, but she'd be good if she had a supporting cast in a multiple-POV book.

I actually liked this book more than I thought I would. Usually, when I read a synopsis of a new author's work, it doesn't give good details about what I'm getting into. Either it's overselling the novel, or it missed the mark completely. I didn't get that with this book. The Scorpion Queen was straight to the point and didn't stray too far from its mission. However, there were some pacing issues, particularly in the book's first half. It could have been evenly distributed throughout the narrative. Additionally, the book lacked the Fantasy elements I was hoping for, which may disappoint readers expecting a more fantastical setting or plot.

The reveal kept me listening. The plot twist was not what I was expecting, and it made you question who the villains were the entire time.

It wasn't a bad book. It has its lulls here and there, but it is still pretty enjoyable. A cliffhanger was produced at the end, but I have no idea if there will be a sequel or not. I'd pick it up to finish out the story if there were.

The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fear is the first in a YA fantasy series. It takes place in ancient Timbuktu and includes Mallan mythology. The story follows a disgraced salt merchant's daughter named Amie.
Amie's life is not going the way she planned it to. She has been accused of a crime she didn't commit, had everything taken away from her, and is now a servant of Emporer Suleyman's daughter, Princess Miriama. Emporer Suleyman has set up gruesome trials for anyone who seeks his daughter's hand in marriage. For most of the story, this is not Amie's main concern she just wants to save enough money to run away with her former betrothed, Kadar. Amie gets closer to the princess and agrees to help her end the trials.
The world this is set in is dark and brutal some scenes are terrifying to listen to after Amie sets off on her journey through the desert. Amie as a character isn't always likable but I do understand her. Her life has been hard in a way that makes her selfish at times. She has a steadfast resolve and a lot of loyalty until others betray her. I'm interested in seeing how she develops throughout the series.
Amie's relationships with the other characters are also complicated and compelling. From her sister to the other maids and especially Princess Miriama, there is still a lot to explore.
The main adventure of the story doesn't begin until halfway through but this allowed me to get invested in Amie and her friends.
I also enjoyed the audiobook version read by Sandra Okuboyejo her voice went well bringing Amie to life.
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillon Audio for this arc. All views and opinions expressed are my own

When Amie is sixteen years old her life takes a turn that she never saw coming. Amie is promised to, and in love with, Kader, but when her sister Haddy tells a devastating lie–blaming her for the very affair that she was having–Amie is sent to the imperial palace in Timbuktu to serve Princess Mariama of Mali. Her father, Emperor Sulyeman, has devised a series of trials to find a suitor for his daughter, trials that have led to the death of 99 men. While a life at court serving another is not the life that Amie planned for herself, she finds herself getting close to the princess and the two for a bond, but that bond is soon tested when Kader arrives at court, forcing Amie to choose between the two.

While I was excited to listen to the novel after reading the summary, overall this novel came up short. In regards to the characters I didn’t feel as though they were as developed as they could have been, which I found disappointing because I wanted to like these characters, especially Amie. The same could almost be said about the plot. Some parts of the narrative seemed too drawn out and developed but added almost nothing to the story as a whole, and other parts that I wanted more from but just seemed to disappear. I really just wanted more.

I did enjoy Sandra Okuboyejo’s style of narration. She created suspense within the story with the changes in pace and the use of inflection. I hope to listen to another novel narrated by her soon.

The narrator was really good and the story concept was pretty cool. It just felt overall a little basic and trendy. Nothing about it really stands out from other books 9f this nature. I also thought the romance would be between her and the princess, but that was my own mistake that lead to disappointment.
Not a bad book overall, just a little oversaturated.

📖✨ Just finished The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears, and it's giving fairy tale danger meets fierce girl power vibes! 👑🦂

🌟 What I Loved:
📍 Unique Setting: The Malian-inspired world? STUNNING! 🌍 Rich culture, lush imagery, and so refreshing in the fantasy realm!
📍 Fierce Female Leads: Amie’s glow-up from mistreated merchant’s daughter to a total survivor? YES, girl! 💪 Plus, Princess Mariama is beautifully complex—deadly, yet captivating.

🤔 What Didn’t Slay:
📍 Pacing Woes: Some chapters felt lightning-fast ⚡ while others dragged a bit. Wish it stayed balanced! It took me until the very end to really enjoy. The first 75% of the book just seems like filler.
📍 More Depth, Please! Some plot twists felt half-baked—like they started brewing ☕ but didn’t steep long enough for full flavor.

🌟 Overall: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 stars)
A fierce fantasy dripping in deadly royal drama 👑🩸 and West African folklore magic. While it didn't fully steal my heart, it's a solid read for fairy tale lovers who crave diverse, enchanting worlds! 🌿

#TheScorpionQueen #BookReview #MinaFears #DarkFantasy #Bookstagram #YAReads #DiverseFantasy #FairyTaleVibes

I truly don’t think I’ve gotten THIS sucked into a YA fantasy, THIS fast in a longggggg time! 🦂

If you’ve been following me for a while, one of my biggest obstacles when it comes to any fantasy is complicated and convoluted world building. But from page one, the world building of this novel has had such an ease to it (while also being not boring nor lacking any detail, which is a very delicate line to toe in this genre). Needless to say I’m absolutely loving @minafears writing!!!!

⭐️THE SCORPION QUEEN, out JANUARY 28th⭐️

Thank you to @flatiron_books for the review eARC copy of this book and Macmillan Audio #MacAudio2024💕

4.25/5
This was an exciting adventure that brings court politics with a scandalous higher society. The FMC strength and emotions towards others is very well achieved with the first love, her betrayal and her thoughts on the society itself. I found she embodied what someone who felt betrayed should and the story line of her sister and her is very well written. The story has an interesting plot twist and it was such a great listen.
The characters were very well distinguished with her voice and she put the emotions needed to figure out what seemed more extreme than another. The story was unique and such a fun listen.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced listening copy.

Mina Fears gives readers a suspenseful historical YA fantasy, as the story follows the events of Amie's life as a young adult woman in Mali, which is ruled by an arrogant and horrific Emperor. As Amie goes to work for his daughter, the Princess Mariama, things become more difficult, more complicated, and more hopeless. The actions of Amie's sister are further reaching than she can imagine, with Hattie (sp?) taking Amie's decisions away from her.

The narrator, Sandra Okuboyejo, is absolutely outstanding. It really felt like Amie was telling the story. She did a great job capturing the emotions, but also the seemingly hopeless of the entire situation at hand. I would absolutely listen to other books narrated by Okuboyejo.

As long as readers go in knowing they are not getting a traditional HEA, and that this is a true fantasy with an ending that can be taken however the reader wishes to interpret it (happy, sad, or anywhere inbetween) then I think readers will enjoy this book! I recommend this for all YA fantasy readers, and some YA romantasy readers. Readers that enjoyed What the Woods Took (by Courtney Gould), A Song to Drown River (by Ann Liang), Off With Their Heads (by Zoe Hana Mikuta), and Masquerade (by O.O. Sangoyomi), will enjoy this title.

Im stuck in the middle with this one. It's honestly a good book with a good story but I felt like there's more potential for it. But since I can't give half stars, I have to give it a 3 star rating rather than 3.5. The audio was good but not one of my top rated. It may have just been me and not really being in the fantasy mind set though so don't turn it down just yet! I'll definitely be giving it another shot once I get back into my fantasy era.

This book took me awhile to get into. I found the main FMC frustrating. Also, it took awhile for the journey to begin and I did like that. The narration was done very well.

Thank you @macmillanaudio for the gifted copy.

*sigh* I feel like I am on a string of meh audiobooks. The Scorpion Queen had a lot of potential and a lot of good ideas that never really coalesced into a good story.

The first forty percent of this story or so feels like an entirely different book than the last. The first part is almost entirely devoid of magic and is more a royal family drama (and an ok one if it paid off) while the last half goes into a completely different world with so much magic and very quickly built systems and world building. The first half of any book should be establishing the second half but this felt like they were so disconnected to as not be necessary to each other. Magic goes from not really existing to being the solution to every problem.

Amie was actually a pretty interesting character to me, she was one of the few I have seen who was just happy with her lot in life to be married and just settle down in the society that works for her until all that was taken away and even after that, she is more fighting to go back to the status quo of marrying this guy than trying for anything broader or more grand. Its a different perspective from a lot of YA heroines so I didn't mind it but I don't know if it was utilized that well in her development as the author seemed to get wishy washy about her motives and actions.

Overall, this was just pretty disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by Sandra Okuboyejo who did a wonderful job.