**I RECEIVED A FREE ARC OF THE AUDIOBOOK FROM NETGALLEY AND MACMILLIAN. THANK YOU A TON. THIS HAS NOT IMPACTED MY REVIEW IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. **

*NO MAJOR SPOILERS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS REVIEW**

This was quite the tale! This was a bit of a different direction with my reading tastes and I had never heard of this mythology, which made me all the more eager to dive in. I really enjoyed learning about Amie's world , her culture, and the gods. I like that the writing takes us through a walk of life of a servant and a princess in Amie's culture. I actually enjoyed just being in the 'now' in the book and experiencing what Amie is through her eyes. The narrator did a fantastic job at bringing this world to life. The writing was good, but I did think the pacing was off just a tad. I would of liked a bit more time in the meat of the story, the entire reason they set off on the quest, then of course, the big plot twist. That described more than just. . . what it got. But I understand it is being lined up for a sequel, so there is definitely wiggle room.

Amie man, you feel for her but you are also irritated by her. Sure, you feel bad regarding why she is a servant now, and its almost a fierce sort of protectiveness to save her from the one that wronged her. The author makes you want her to have her happily ever after. Then things happen and its..intriguing. Because while you know the 'main' love story, I feel like there is another one that buds from the story, intentional or not. But regardless, its story of beautiful to see that blossoming and blooming, and to see Amie Happy. But then of course, it all comes crashing down. I for one, would love to see Amie in her villain era.

For the love interest (s?)...they are interesting. I think one impacts Amie's past thoughts and future behavior, but the other impacts her present. The dynamic is interesting and even I started to feel myself torn between the two extremes. But of course, that all goes up in smoke by the end of the book, so I am on a whirlwind just like poor Amie.

Im glad the travel scenes werent a drag, they were pretty quick, so I liked that. But once they got to their destination, I guess I just expected more. I liked the overall tone and interactions, but I felt like it needed something more. Perhaps I am just being nitpicky. The buildup to an important moment was good but also twisted. The author definitely keeps you on your toes.

Overall, I thought this was a strong debut novel full of intrigue, betrayal and a whirlwind adventure with a splash of romance. Be sure to check it out when it releases late January!

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

This was something else. And not in a bad way. I don't the the original story it was inspired by, but there's a lot of different fairytale tropes that are packed into this, and what you end up with is something that's part fairytale, part dark fantasy, and part devastating.

Amie, wealthy, engaged, preparing for her wedding, has her whole world flipped in a single moment. Disinherited, framed, her reputation in tatters, she's brought to the palace of Emperor Sulyeman to serve the princess. The same court where the Emperor has issued that whoever makes it through the impossible trials he has set forth may marry his daughter. There's been ninety-nine suitors so far. None have survived.

As Amie navigates court life, she finds something that may change everything. Setting out, seeking aid from an exiled god, she is determined to take charge of her own life once and for all.

Amie is an interesting character in that she starts out with little agency and a lot of hate. But it's that hate that creates the spark in her to start fighting back. Kader? I hated him from the beginning. As things are revealed there's a moment where even Amie starts to question the truth due to Kader and the way he's left vital information out, but she dismisses it. The world building was really well done, with magic and gods still existing but engulfing the plot for the majority of the book. And of course, once we meet the god, it's like this extra layer was added to the rest of the book that really brought it together. And of course the ending. I liked how it ended, though I can't tell if this will be a standalone or if there will be more books in the series. Either way, I enjoyed it. It was dark, it was full of adventure and betrayal, magic, gods, and a whole lot of anger. And what brought it together for me was the narrator for the audiobook and the emotions she was able to put into her voice to really make this stand out.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

The Scorpion Queen is a debut YA Fantasy by Mina Fears, narrated by Sandra Okuboyejo. The story takes its time to introduce the characters and plot of this action fantasy. Once the quest begins, the story becomes high action and gripping. However, I occasionally felt disconnected from the characters and wanted them to be more fully developed, with deeper interconnections.

The god Hausakoy, the map, and the deceptions made for an interesting and unexpectedly twisty story. Seventeen-year-old Amie came across as invincible and at times self-centered, with blinders on for the boy she loves. Her problematic family situation was not fully explained, and I would have liked more depth to understand it better. The betrayal by females, including Amie's sister, was frustrating, and her sister's motivations needed deeper exploration.

This appears to be a set up for a series and I will be interested in continuing to get a satisfying ending.

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the advanced listener copy. This is my honest review.

After being betrayed by her sister and losing the support of her family and her fiancé's, Amie is sent to work for the princess. Though she and her fiancé plan to run away together, it will take a long time to earn enough money. Amie is still bitter and her sister's lie and refuses to speak with her, but she does grow closer to the princess. The princess wishes to put an end to the trials her father puts potential suitors through since any who fail are put to death. With Amie's help, they put together a plan - but the journey is perilous, and things aren't always what they seem.

While the idea for this plot is exciting, the delivery felt slow and uneven. The characters didn't always feel engaging for the reader, and it sometimes felt like connections between the characters were forced. Despite the first half of the book being heavy on character development, it was still a bit difficult to root for the main character. The action did pick up in the second half, and there were some interesting moments with the deity character. The cliffhanger may lead some to be interested in the sequel.

A fantasy that had a some twists and turns I did not see coming. Now don’t get me wrong one I saw and predicted almost from the first few chapters but as the story went on it became less predictable. I felt Ike this was an original fantasy while combing things I love from other stories.

The Scorpion Queen
Mina Fears
This is the retelling of a Malian fairytale. Meet our main character, Amie; she lives in the palace at Timbuktu. Amie is the daughter of a affluent salt merchant. She was betrothed to marry Kader, the man she loved. Amie was merely sixteen when her father disowned her, for a crime she didn’t commit. She is sent to the palace to serve Princess Mariama of Mali. Emperor Sulyeman is a harsh man; any man wishing to court the princess must work their way through tests that are impossible. When the suitor fails, they are placed in a pot of boiling water and boiled alive. Ninety-nine men have perished in an attempt to marry the princess.
Life in the palace is difficult for Amie, the work is hard, the servants hate her, and the princess is difficult to work for; she is moody. As Amie gets to know the princess they form a bond. Amie and Kader plan to run away together and live far from Timbuktu.
Amie discovers a mysterious map that takes her on a dangerous journey.
Amie had to make a decision to help the princess or escape with Kader. There seemed to be a growing attraction between the princess and Amie. This book felt as if I were reading two books. The first half Amie spent a lot of time complaining and feeling sorry for herself. Grant you she had a good reason to be upset but she doesn’t really change or mature any. Then comes the journey to find something that can only be retrieved from the god Hausakoy. At this point there is a lot of action. Amie has finally matured a bit, and she is now fond of two of the other maids. I’m glad she carried about them because I didn’t. Amie’s sister Haddy comes across as being a spoiled brat willing to throw anyone under the bus to get what she wants. She set up Amie. I don’t care what her excuse is she shouldn’t have done it. Penda and Jeneba hesitate to befriend Amie at first but then they follow where their princess sends them.
This book has great potential. I suggest the beginning is too slow but once it picks up speed and action this is a great read.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

The Scorpion Queen is a new YA fantasy from author MIna Fears that is based on the premise of being inspired by a Malian fairytale. I was really excited about this inspiration and was hoping to really love this one, but unfortunately I don't think it quite ended up being the right book for me. I thought the author put a lot of time into the setting and creation of this world, but I never found myself feeling overly immersed in it and struggled to place it. I also felt that the characters had a lot of promise, but ended up feeling a bit flat to me overall. I really wanted to love this one and I do think it has a lot of potential, but it just wasn't a fit for me. I can see others really loving it, though, and I would certainly check out some other books from this author in the future. I loved the general setting and inspiration for this book, so that was a big plus for me and is what makes me curious for more from this author!

This was perfection! I can't believe how much I loved this. It has magic, mythology, an amazing world, sisterhood and betrayal. It also has tragic romance.
I loved it. The narration was perfect.

I had such a great time reading this book! I'm not familiar with Malian fairy tales, so I went into this pretty blind, just what the synopsis says giving me an idea what this story would be. What a story it was! Reading it was so enticing, I had to know what was going to happen next!

Amie has had it rough, always the least favourite sister of her parents, and then having her sister lie and say the sister having an affair was Amie instead of her, breaking Amie's upcoming wedding to Kader. That her parents then make her a servant in the palace? Just piles on the indignities.

This cast of characters was really great, I loved Amie trying to find a way to be with Kader, while also developing some tender feelings for the princess. The quest for this hammer so one of the princess's suitor's could survive the trials? I loved following along, as they tried to navigate the threats in the way.

This book currently doesn't have anything saying it's a series, but I really hope that it does become one. The way things ended, with Mariama, Kader, her sister, and the maid, I need to know what's going to happen next!

Loved reading this book, and I really hope that it becomes a series!

The Scorpion Queen is Fears debut novel, and unfortunately I think that shows. This book was slow in the first half, causing me to not be interested enough to want to keep picking it up. The setup was interesting, and it did get more intriguing in the second half once the story really seemed to start, but I wish it had happened earlier. Overall, this book didn't end up being for me. There were parts I enjoyed in the second half, specifically the worldbuilding. I think it has a lot of elements other readers will love, so I would still recommend this to those intrigued by it. I would be interested in giving Fears next novel outside of this series a try to hopefully see the improvement in the parts of this story I didn't enjoy, since the parts I did like I though were well done.

The audiobook narrator was good and easy to listen to.

Although I had high hopes for this book, I ended up not finishing it. Mina's writing is descriptive and does a wonderful job invoking the senses for an immersive experience. However, I found the pacing to be slow and found myself wanting the book to be over just to say I finished it, not because I cared about what happened to Amie and Princess Mariama.

I did enjoy Sandra Okuboyejo's narration and appreciated her characterization for Amie as a strong, resilient FMC instead of entitled and whiny as she could have come across.

<i>The Scorpion Queen </i> is an adventurous novel where our main character explores who she is once she has lost everything. Overall, this book and story were enjoyable and engaging. The first half is slowly paced and our main character makes some questionable choices, however, the second half is amazingly done. I loved the adventure, the journey, and character development that happens in the second half of the story. 

You can hear the changes in thoughts, and how our character comes into herself very clearly in the audio edition of this book. Her voice changes and she seems to grow into herself and a way that almost makes her sound different from how she did in the first half of the book. The audio narration does the character development so well! 

I will definitely pick up the sequel, I can't wait to see where the story goes. If you love any stories with old gods, mysteries to unravel and great character development. I would recommend you pick this up! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.75/5 Rounded up to 4/5 Stars

Audio review: The narrator, Sandra Okuboyejo, unfortunately fell kind of flat for me. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and this one was just missing something. The experience of the book was not improved by hearing it without the energy and depth that I look for on audio. Much of the narration was flat, and I would recommend reading this one rather than listening. The production quality was very good.

Book review: This book does YA dark fantasy well! Definitely had enough darkness in it to be considered as such. I really enjoyed the Malian fairy tale inspiration, Timbuktu is a unique setting for much of YA fantasy books lately, which definitely helped draw me to want to read this.

It kind of sets up a love triangle situation, with little hints throughout. Things begin to wrap up as the book progresses, yet the ending is so abrupt in certain developments, while also ending on a cliffhanger despite no mention of the book being the beginning of a series. I was not expecting that at all.

Audio review: 3 stars
Book review: 3.5 stars

While I think there will be people who love this book it just wasn't for me. I wasn't drawn into it as much as imagined I would be by the premise, I couldn't connect to any of the characters and the storyline was rather dull in my opinion. I did enjoy the lore and fairytale inspired parts of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audio in exchange for an honest review.

The first 60% of this book was very slow for me, the ending of the book was much better and I finally found myself enjoying it. I would've rated it 2 stars but I did enjoy the ending and that's why it's 3 stars.

As for the audio part, I do think had I read the book myself I would have DNF'd it but the narration made me keep listening.

I couldn't get into it. Right after she plans to flee her situation she antagonizes the head of her department by showing she won't be broken instead of hiding? The poor planning just sucked me right out the situation and removed any pity I had for Amie. After that I couldn't find myself caring what happened to her.

Oh boy. Where to begin with this one?

First, it started off great. I was a little lost as to how the book was considered a fantasy for the first quarter, but the court-centred plot held promise. Then the fantasy element crept in and everything went downhill for me.

There are 16-year-old dumb characters, and then there are just dumb characters. Amie falls into the second category, and it ruined much of the story for me. It often felt like she had zero agency because everything had to be explained to her. She'll pretend and make you think she's some badass rising from the ashes (of a downfall that still doesn't make sense), but she was quite useless. For example, she would say "we must do a, b, c, d, e, and f," only for any other character to tell her "Uh, just do a?"

The romance was ridiculous, the side characters tedious, and the logic has more holes in it that Swiss cheese. With an ending that unsatisfactory, I must assume it is a series, but I will not be continuing with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy. You can pick up The Scorpion Queen on January 28, 2025.

After reading the description for this book, I expected a high-stakes, action-packed YA fantasy with a fairytale twist. And it truly felt like I got a watered-down version of that.

Tell me why nothing substantial happened for the first 30-40% of this book. They FINALLY leave for their quest about halfway, and admittedly, things did pick up there. The entire sequence with the god Hausakoy was the most interesting part of this, but I didn't care enough about the characters to care if they escaped. For all the character build-up we see in the first half of the book, I didn't find myself rooting for Amie or her plights. If anything, she taught me that there's NO reason to go through THAT much effort for a man OR a conniving best friend who wants to be more than friends. Everyone betrays her at every turn, and even when we find out that the sister who kicks off the betrayal is actually a good guy, it's too late to form an attachment to her.

All in all, not my favorite YA fantasy, and unfortunately, not a series I'll be continuing.

The Scorpion Queen reminded me that not every book needs to be groundbreaking to be enjoyable. And as I am older than the intended audience, I think younger readers would enjoy this even more!

We follow 16 year old Amie after she has been disinherited and just started working as a servant for Princess Mariama. The book starts at the end of a deadly trial for a suitor of the princess. There is love, betrayal, and some fantasy elements mixed in while Amie tries to plan her escape from the palace in Timbuktu and help Mariama end the trials.

I wish there was a bit more fantasy, and with how it ended, I'm unsure if this is a standalone or the start of a new series. It is definitely set up to lean heavier into fantasy if there is more story to come!

I listened to the audiobook, and I think the narrator, Sandra Okuboyejo, was a perfect match for how I was imagining Amie in my head. She brought a melancholy but determined feeling to the character.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a little flat for me. Not a bad debut novel. I look forward to seeing what else she writes in the future. It seemed for awhile that the book was hinting at a women loving women situation and I got all excited for nothing. The book ends on a cliff hanger so I expect a book two!

The narrator was amazing. Her voice got me through the book.