5 out of 5 stars
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The Unexpected Queen by A. R. Kaufer is a fantasy book that weaves love, dislike, duty, and a hint of desperation into a smooth, compelling read.
Fragile Miss Sera oversaw the Dahvaene's estate and met Dankin while searching for a job. No one knew anything about this handsome stranger, and Sera was curious. Their meeting pulled him into her life and gave him a clear view of what she would rather keep hidden. They went down the path to love. Their love story fully began when he gave her an unexpected gift — a gift that could make her queen and take her away from the world she had always known. Would she last long enough to enjoy the gift, or would she fall apart?
The Unexpected Queen is one of those books you go into predicting every turning point just to be shocked that it doesn't come out how you expect, and I love that. The book goes through a familiar path in an unfamiliar world the author creates. It retains the familiarity and still has twists you won't expect.
Another thing I liked about this book was the unexpected openness of the characters. There was no sneaking around, and their intentions were known early enough. I wanted to flag this as a negative aspect, as I did not expect the author to do that. However, midway into the story, it made sense why the author did that. I wouldn't want to say more for fear of giving away spoilers.
The Unexpected Queen also has a lot of drama. She includes familiar mythical creatures with different powers and backstories. It was fun seeing the author reimagine the lives of these creatures — not following the known script. The characters' names might be difficult to pronounce, but they add flavor to the story. Once you get sucked into all the action, you won't worry about pronouncing them right.
Even though I stumbled through some sentences, and it had me re-reading some lines, there was nothing I disliked about this book. From the characters to the plot and the overall nature of the book, I loved every part of it. The Unexpected Queen dragged me through emotions and even made me scream at the characters at some point.
The Unexpected Queen will appeal to fans of fantasy and mythical creatures and readers of all ages who want to read about familiar creatures from a fresh perspective. It is professionally edited, and I rate it 5 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed every bit of it.
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The Unexpected Queen
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