The Exiled Queen

by Cinda Williams Chima

Reviewed by Coral

Han and Dancer have left the Fells, heading to the wizard school at Oden’s Ford so that they can learn to control their powers. Along the way they run into Cat Tyburn, who has survived the murder of the rest of her street gang. Having no place else to go, she joins them.

Princess Raisa is also leaving the Fells, escaping from the forced marriage her mother has planned for her. She decides to enroll at the army school at Oden’s Ford, believing it will make her a stronger queen in the future.

Unfortunately for both Raisa and Han, their enemies are closer than they think. Micah, his sister Fiona and their cousins are also enrolled at the wizard’s school at Oden’s Ford.

I am so conflicted about this book, because I like the main characters, I like the author’s writing style, and there is nothing that really bothers me about the book, but it just feels like nothing really happens over the course of the book.

Raisa spends so much of the book just waiting for word from home on whether or not she can return. The disagreements she has with one of the teachers and the romantic tension between her and Amon just don’t feel like enough to keep any momentum in the story, so it felt like it dragged a lot throughout the book.

Even though Han and Micah come face to face, I really don’t feel that Han is in any danger of losing anything, not his life, or his amulet, or even his place at the school.

I wish that more time could have been spent with Fire Dancer, Cat and Amon. They are interesting secondary characters, but we only ever see them through the eyes of Raisa or Han, because they are the only ones who get chapters from their point of view.

I will stick with the series because I own all four books, but I hope that more happens in the next book.

Grade: C