I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. The premise was intriguing and I liked the idea of the trials but things felt rushed and not developed enough. The magic system needed more explanation. I think with a few tweaks this could have been a great read.

Well played, Katelynn Wu. Well played. A girl trapped on her home island due to a prophecy, destined to stay forever unless she wants to watch her home burn.

This is a great introduction to this world, and I look forward to the next one! If you love trials and betrayal. Yelling at the pages in frustration and biting your nails out of anxiety, I think you’ve come to the right place.

The last sentence of this book had me jaw dropped, expecting the next page, only to find out it was the acknowledgements…. I will be adding this series to my lookout list!

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and I liked how everything was intertwined.

However, at times it felt a bit flat or rushed, and I feel like a bit more developing could have transformed this book into an outstanding piece.
Personally I liked the whole trials, lies and political schemes, but the FMC's transformation should have been more gradual and the characters needed more personality. I am upset the magic system was not really explained, because I feel this has a big impact on the events, so the book is missing a few details that would make everything clearer.

All in all, I liked the book, I read it really fast and it captivated my attention because, as I said, the main ideas are very good and interesting.

It had everything to be outstanding, except it wasn't... I'm not saying this like is a bad thing but it should have been more because if it was the book had been escalated in a way that would had more attention.. Of course I wanted to say thank you for letting me read it, I did had fun because it was a fun read but can't say much more

Queen of Spades - Katelynn Wu
500000✨
Absolutely AMAZING! Seriously I don’t know what to say, Katelynn you have created a masterpiece. I did not see that ending coming, out of all my predictions only one came true. Also damn girl you really like to break our hearts and then stomp on them!
Right so, we get follow Spade who in the beginning of the book is the opposite of a badass heroine tbh. Her life is turned upside down when she finds out she has been lied to her entire life and she leaves. She is captured/rescued by a prince and forced to make a deal with him to get back home. The deal? Win a game called the Trials and give him the prize and he will find her home. Easy enough right? Yeah except the Trials will break you, turn you into a weapon or you will die.
Remember how I said the Spade was the opposite of a badass heroine in the beginning? Well the trials turns her into something more.
♠️Betrayal
♠️Prophecies
♠️Magic
♠️Trials
♠️ACOTAR vibes
♠️Courts
So get your paws on this book as soon as you can, I promise you won’t regret it!
Thank you NetGalley, Katelynn and Victory Editing for this ARC, I am leaving this review voluntarily💕

Book Review: Queen of Spades

Before I dive in, I want to thank Victory Editing/NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Queen of Spades. It’s always tough to write negative reviews, especially for a book that authors pour their hearts into, but I need to share my honest thoughts.

Queen of Spades presents a chaotic mix of political tension, revenge, and betrayal, reminiscent of The Hunger Games in its depiction of death as a game. However, the similarities end there. The story kicks off when Spade washes up on Edylan and agrees to work with Prince Chlore. She enters the Trials, an academy where instructors go to great lengths to mold students into unfeeling killers, all for the chance to gain the power to control creatures. In return, Chlore promises to help her return home.

The premise of the Trials feels flawed. It’s baffling that the instructors aim to strip away the students' humanity, transforming them into cold monsters. Spade’s transformation results in her losing everything that made her unique, making her no better than the cruel characters around her. The only character with any semblance of depth is Maverick, but he barely appears throughout the story. Chlore, until the very end, lacks personality, and the sudden romance between him and Spade felt forced. One moment she views him as an enemy; the next, she’s enamored with his charm.

The magic system also falls flat. Characters’ abilities aren’t well developed, leaving readers wanting more clarity. The historical context of Edylan and Arelia’s dark past, revealed late in the book, was disappointing after building up my expectations. On the positive side, the concept of The Prophecy of Suits is intriguing, and the betrayal is shockingly effective.

Overall, with its graphic violence and minimal swearing or romance beyond some tension-filled kisses, Queen of Spades is not a book I can recommend. It had potential but ultimately didn’t deliver for me.

“I wonder sometimes if glory is worth it—if even the prize is worth them taking away what one holds dearest.”
“And what is that?”
“Yourself.”

Before I begin, I want to thank Victory Editing/NetGalley for providing me with this arc of Queen of Spades. <3 Although I abhor writing negative reviews of books that authors put their heart and soul into, I am going to be completely honest about my thoughts on this book.

Queen of Spades is a ludicrous tale filled with political tension, revenge and betrayal that is reminiscent of The Hunger Games because death is a game. However, the similarities between these stories do not extend beyond this element. That said, the crux of Queen of Spades begins when Spade washes up on Edylan and agrees to work with Prince Chlore: Spade will join the Trials, an academy where the instructors torture the students, to win the coveted prize, the power to control creatures of any kind, for Chlore. In exchange, Chlore will sponsor her and find/return her to her home…

Regarding the Trials, it makes absolutely no sense why the instructors tried so hard to build the students into unfeeling monsters, training their minds to kill fear and replace it with whatever the instructors saw fit. I’m even more gobsmacked that Spade changed at the cost of losing who she was, completely. She is no better than the other characters who are virtually all cruel, evil and heartless. Admittedly, the only semi-interesting character is Maverick, but you barely see him in Queen of Spades. Until the end of the book, Chlore has absolutely no personality whatsoever, also the ensuing romance b/w him and Spade had me grimacing. One minute she views him as an enemy and the next she thinks he is charming, handsome and everything any girl could want. :/

It’s worth mentioning that the inclusion of magic is not well done. I say this because the abilities of each character are not fleshed out at all. Whereas the magic and info dump of Edylan and Arelia’s dark history at the end disappointed me after waiting expectantly for the mystery to be unveiled, the idea of The Prophecy of Suits is engaging and the betrayal is impressively revolting. All in all, with a lot of graphic violence and no swearing or spice beyond tension/kisses, Queen of Spades is a book I would never recommend reading for the aforementioned reasons. :(

I received this book as an ARC.

I want to start by saying that this story had an interesting premise. There are places that it excelled and others where it desperately fell flat.

I like the idea of a tournament/trial that results in an ultimate winner. However, I do not understand the point of this tournament. It is stated multiple times that only particular individuals have the “ability” and yet they are giving an ultimate power to whoever wins.

The romance between the two main characters felt forced and built from essentially nothing. My biggest gripe with the book is that the FMC does a complete 180 in personality. I understand that the trials were intended to turn the participants into unfeeling individuals, but the FMC forsakes everything else (including logic) as the story progresses.

I feel like there are small changes that could have been made to make the book more cohesive. Despite all the difficulties, it is a fun read if you ignore the glaring issues. I am intrigued to read the next book and see how the story develops.