The True Queen (Sorcerer to the Crown novels, 2) - Hardcover

Cho, Zen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1509801073 ISBN 13: 9781509801077

Publisher: Macmillan, 2019

Synopsis

Fairyland’s future lies in doubt . . .

The enchanted island of Janda Baik, in the Malay Archipelago, has long been home to witches. And Muna and her sister Sakti wake on its shores under a curse, which has quite stolen away their memories. Their only hope of salvation lies in distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal runs a controversial academy for female magicians. But the pair travel via the formidable Fairy Queen’s realm, where Sakti simply disappears.

To save her sister, Muna must learn to navigate Regency London’s high society and trick the English into believing she’s a magical prodigy. But when the Sorceress Royal’s friends become accidentally embroiled in a plot – involving the Fairy Queen’s contentious succession – Muna is drawn right in. She must also find Sakti, break their curse and somehow stay out of trouble. But if fairyland’s true queen does finally return, trouble may find her first . . .

The True Queen is Zen Cho's spelling binding second book. It's set in a sparkling version of Regency London, with a fairy tale twist. And although it's set in the same world as her award-winning novel, The Sorcerer to the Crown, this reads as a standalone.

‘A sheer delight from beginning to end'
Samantha Shannon

A joyous mash-up of Jane Austen and high fantasy’
M. R. Carey

About this title

Review:

Totally immersive, an utterly enjoyable experience. Here East, West and the Realm of Fairy meet: three vivid and vastly different societies steeped in the paradox of belonging and alienation. A story full of humour, heartbreak, and hope ― Cho captivates once more (Karen Lord)

I sat up all night racing to finish it (again). Another magnificent outing from Zen Cho, this is like a Blandings castle with dragons (and I can't think of higher praise!). I selfishly hope for a new novel in the series every year from now till the end of time. Clever, funny, and compulsively readable - I loved it! (Lavie Tidhar)

A joyous mash-up of Jane Austen and high fantasy (M. R. Carey)

A sheer delight from beginning to end. Cho perfectly conjures the opulence, absurdity and conflict of the period, and her magical societies are so wholly interwoven with history that you’ll start to believe there really was a Sorceress Royal – and that centuries ago, you really could travel through Fairyland from one side of the world to the other (Samantha Shannon)

Just finished this beauty – intricate, inventive and joyful. What a five-star treat! (Vic James)

Complex and rich – the sort of book that if it was a MasterChef dish, all the judges would be asking for more (Genevieve Cogman)

A delightful follow-up to Sorcerer to the Crown! Cho applies her characteristic wit and charm to a tale of cursed sisters – a story I found as enchanting as her Faerie Court (S. A. Chakraborty)

A captivating debut . . . tells an entertaining story with wit and consummate skill (Guardian on The Sorcerer to the Crown)

An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susannah Clarke, full of delights and surprises. Zen Cho unpins the edges of the canvas and throws them wide (Naomi Novik on The Sorcerer to the Crown)

A winning combination of magic and thrill (Washington Post on Sorcerer to the Crown )

Book Description:

A magical adventure set in Regency London, fairyland and an enchanted island: war looms in the lands of fairy as two sisters are separated, plots thicken and there are rumours of a new contender for fairy's throne.

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1509801073
• ISBN 13: 9781509801077
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384