Review: Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the Canadian Manda Group in exchange for an honest review.

Queen Among the Dead

by Lesley Livingston

January 17, 2023

Goodreads Summary:

A stunning Celtic YA fantasy adventure set in the ancient kingdom of Eire, inspired by the legend of the first true queen of Ireland, perfect for fans of Shelby Mahurin and Adrienne Young.

In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests.

Neve is the youngest daughter of the king, and Ronan is a Druid's apprentice-turned-thief, making a living by selling stolen spells. They should be enemies, but their shared hatred of the Druids-and a dark magic that has marked them both-makes them unlikely, if uneasy, allies.

When Eire is threatened by a power struggle, Neve must seize the chance to take her rightful place on her family's throne, with the help of Ronan and the realm's most dangerous outcasts. Their journey takes them to the outskirts of Eire where magic still runs free . . . and where an outlaw and a warrior princess might carve out a future with spells and swords.

Lesley Livingston vividly reimagines Irish legends and fairytales to craft a YA fantasy adventure that will captivate readers of Brigid Kemmerer and Tricia Levenseller.

Review

I'd heard of Canadian author Lesley Livingston before but haven't had an opportunity to read her books until Queen Among the Dead (thank you Canadian Manda Group!). This book was full of intrigue and action.

A complex story with some tongue-twisty special terms, Queen Among the Dead both surprised and confused me. The book had a lot going on but its focus never strayed from Neve who was unafraid and always fighting for the greater good. Even though she struggled a lot, her journey was a rewarding one. However, as much as I appreciated Neve's growth, I found the writing to be choppy at times. A few parts of the story did not transition well into the next. It caused me some confusion but after some processing I was able to keep going.

Ronan wasn't quite what I expected but in a good way. I thought he'd be stoic and mistrustful instead he was mischievous yet thoughtful. Despite some misunderstanding that arose, Ronan's strong connection with Neve delighted me. They were destined to be in each other's lives.

I can't talk about the romance in Queen Among the Dead without bringing up the somewhat love triangle. I actually enjoyed it! It was subtle and didn't take away from the main plot. The ending left no doubts as to who Neve's heart belonged to. And there was enough emotional build up for me to feel bad for the other guy.

A standalone story, Queen Among the Dead was equal parts thrilling and equal parts nerve-racking. What a whirlwind of a journey the characters took me on~

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.