About the Book

Book: Mortal Queens

Author: Victoria McCombs

Genre: YA Fae Fantasy

Release Date: February 6, 2023

They vanish without a trace, disappear into the night…

Each year on the center island, one girl is chosen to be the next Mortal Queen of the idolized fae. The mortals praise these lucky girls, but their daughters are never seen again.

The fae realm is eternal night, where disputes are settled by chess matches, power is acquired through the most devious kinds of trickery, and seven illusive kings roam. The fae hide their faces behind masks and guard their glass hearts to keep them from shattering. But beyond the veil of this luxurious paradise, a dark secret simmers, for their Queens have disappeared.

When aspiring artist Althea is selected, she is desperate to avoid the same mysterious fate. With no one to trust, she conceals messages in paintings and receives anonymous replies from a stranger who slowly reveals the tale of a girl who outwitted the fae. Only if she is clever enough will Althea survive the fate of the Mortal Queens. As long as the king who cannot love does not claim her first.

Review: My Thoughts

I loved this book. I can't wait for the next one!

Readers meet Althea immediately prior to the Choosing ceremony, jumping over rooftops with some stolen vegetables from her neighbors garden. Following her and her brothers to the ceremony, her current life situation and her future desires are revealed. Knowing the chances of her dream to be the Mortal Queen are slim, she looks forward to escaping her island home and training as an artist. That doesn't happen because she is choses, just has her dad predicted before she left the house. When she arrives in the fae realm, the beauty is unparalleled, just as described, but nothing else is as she expected. The fae love their queens, but they love their tricks just as much, if not more. Thea does make some friends and alliances with interesting fae, Talen, Odette, King Bastian, his sister Troi, and King Thorn. She discovers some of the secrets of the realm quickly, but others are out of reach. She uses her artwork and her alliances to learn and plan, but most of her plans do not work as desired.

A few of the revelations throughout this book were predictable, but that did not take away from my enjoyment. Many other mysteries are still left open. This was a quick read with quirky characters, unique settings, and interesting problems to solve. There were tense moments of action while I read in suspense to see which way a trick would turn, tender moments of devotion between siblings and friends, and heated moments of a possible budding romance.

As a personal preference, I do not love it when a book in a series ends in a cliffhanger. I like it when each book wraps itself up while leaving an opening for more. This one is definitely not complete. After finishing, I have many unanswered questions. I don't know who to trust or what is going to happen next, but I do know I am rooting for Queen Thea and am looking forward to seeing her next steps and where or to whom they lead. When does Book #2 come out?

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About the Author

Victoria McCombs is the author of YA fantasy books such as The Storyteller’s Daughter and The Royal Rose Chronicles. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and three children. Her days are filled with coffee, reading, golfing, board games, and homeschooling the littles.

More from Victoria

There are several parties thrown in the fae realm, so today I’ll be sharing a party favorite recipe! I’ve had strangers reach out years after a party to ask for this recipe, and it’s so simple to make!

Cucumber Party Sandwiches

Ingredients: One French loaf (the thinner, the better. It will be topped with a cucumber.)

1-2 cucumbers

8 oz cream cheese

½ cup mayo

1 package dry Italian dressing

We’d always buy the French loaf in a roll that you bake like crescent rolls, however I’ve struggled to find them recently, so I just buy the premade bread. However you acquire your bread, you’ll want it cooked and sliced into inch thick pieces.

Cut medium-thick slices of cucumber

Combine the cream cheese, mayo, and dry Italian dressing.

Spread the mixture over the bread, then top with cucumber. May garnish with pepper if desired. Done!