Review – The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

Title The Hundredth Queen (The Hundredth Queen #1)

Author Emily R. King

Description from Amazon

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.

But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.

Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

Initial Thoughts

I really love Emily R. King’s series, The Evermore Chronicles, that will be completed later this year so I decided it was time to read (listen to) her other popular series, The Hundredth Queen. I also was intrigued by the Indian influences in the description.

Some Things I Liked

• Indian influences. Saris, Rajahs, elephants, etc. I loved all of the Indian inspired elements in this story. I don’t read too much that’s influenced by that culture so this was a special treat.
• Elemental magic. I love a good story with elemental magic and this was so well done.
• Enemies to Friends. We see a ton of enemies to lovers romance stories in the YA book world but I really enjoyed the transition of enemies to friends for Natesha and Kalinda. They have both been through so much and it’s nice to see Kalinda learn to appreciate her more.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

• Predictability – I found that some of the plot twists were a bit transparent. I knocked a full star off for that since it’s the first book in a series. If this was book two or three, I’d forgive some predictability, since I would have had time to really analyze the setting and characters, but in book one, it’s hard to forgive.

Series Value

I enjoyed the first book in this series. I actually started the next book right away. There were just enough cliffhangers and plot elements left untied that I was hooked.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. It’s a solid start to a captivating series. It was a fast read (listen) for me and I finished it in about one day. I like the inspiration and the author’s writing style.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

• Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King – if you enjoyed the writing style in The Hundredth Queen, definitely check out Emily R. King’s new series, The Evermore Chronicles. Two books are out now with book three releasing in December 2019.
• The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala – if you liked the Indian influences in this story, give The Tiger at Midnight a try.
• Frostblood by Elly Blake – if you enjoyed the elemental magic and world building in this series, definitely check out the Frostblood series by Elly Blake.