Fairyland’s future lies in doubt…
The island of Janda Baik, in the Malay archipelago, has long been home to witches. And Muna and her sister Satki wake on its shores under a curse - which has stolen away their memories. Satki plots to banish it in London, as Britain’s Sorceress Royal dares to train female magicians. But the pair journey there via the Fairy Queen’s realm, where Satki disappears.
Distraught, Muna takes her sister’s place at the school, despite her troublesome lack of magic. Then the Sorceress receives an ambassador from the Fairy Court, which has incarcerated her friends - for supposedly stealing a powerful talisman. Their Queen is at her most dangerous, fearing for her throne. For the missing trinket contained the magic of her usurped sister, Fairyland’s rightful heir. Mina must somehow find Satki, break their curse and stay out of trouble. But if the true queen does finally return, trouble may find her first…
The True Queen is Zen Cho’s spellbinding second book, following her award-winning The Sorcerer to the Crown. This standalone is set in that same wonderful Regency world with a fairy tale twist.
PRAISE FOR THE TRUE QUEEN
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, author of The Best of All Possible Worlds
A joyous mash-up of Jane Austen and high fantasy M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts
intricate, inventive and joyful. What a five-star treat! Vic James, author of the Dark Gifts trilogy
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, author of The Bone Season series.
