Review of “The Queen Will Betray You” (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2) by Sarah Henning

Henning, Sarah. The Queen Will Betray You. New York: Tor Teen, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-1250237460 | $17.99 USD | 352 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

The breathtaking sequel to Sarah Henning’s The Princess Will Save You–a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CROWN…

After a thousand years of political stability, the realm of The Sand and Sky is up for grabs. Four kingdoms, four rulers vying for the ultimate prize, sovereignty over the entire continent: A ruthless old king spinning webs, whose schemes encompass generations. A widowed queen whose only credo is all kings must die. A runaway queen whose unexpected return upends everyone’s plans. And a prince-in-waiting determined to wait no more.

Standing against them are a dispossessed princess and her stable boy love with a surprising claim of his own. Their only hope in the face of unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds is the power of true love…

In the series

#1 The Princess Will Save You

Review

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Queen Will Betray You builds pretty well on the first book, doing what a good sequel should do: taking the initial setup and raising the stakes.

While I felt book one was a very by-the-numbers story that wore its influences on its sleeve a little too closely (and there’s nothing wrong with that), I appreciate that this book made the attempt to flesh the story out, expanding on the politics and getting the characters into new situations.

I had mixed feelings about Luca and Amarande going their separate ways for a good portion of the book. On the one hand, it resulted in more character growth for them as they found themselves facing these different challenges on their own. And there are some developments, especially involving Luca’s identity, that engaged me, even if it does still play into some familiar tropes. But I also felt it resulted in a tonal shift away from the feels which were more prominent in the first book.

I liked this and it is a lot better developed than the first book. But at the same time, it is fairly standard for the genre, not really standing out in any particular way. However, there is a lot to enjoy here, and if you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll like how it all plays out.

Author Bio

Sarah Henning is a recovering journalist who has worked for the Palm Beach Post, Kansas City Star and Associated Press, among others. While in South Florida, Sarah lived and worked through five hurricanes, which gave her an extreme respect for the ocean. When not writing, she runs ultramarathons, hits the playground with her two kids and hangs out with her husband Justin, who doubles as her long-suffering IT department. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, which, despite being extremely far from the beach, happens to be pretty cool.

Buy links

Preorder Campaign

Bookshop (affiliate link)