Book Review: Long May She Reign

Long May She Reign
Rhiannon Thomas
3/5

I don't know if I want to give this book three stars or four stars, because on one hand, it was a pretty enjoyable read, on the other, it wasn't super original. I liked the grittiness of it without being super unbelievable, I don't feel like it was really a fantasy, more like a historical fiction. Basically, like 400 people get poisoned and now Freya, a girl without any social skills and a love for science, gets bumped from #23 all the way to #1. Obviously, this isn't easy for her, she never expected it, she never anticipated how she would be able to deal with something so far away. Given all of that, I liked Freya, I think she handled it a lot more realistically than a lot of authors who tried to do the whole awkward-into-a-queen thing.

It's a standalone, so it's a lot more simplistic than a lot of political intrigues are. Like the politics are solely limited to this kingdom, there isn't a single other kingdom mentioned at all. That makes an easy read to follow, but made a lot of things (like the whole unresolved relationship thing) a little difficult for me to believe. It was all about the civil war which popped up after something as alarming as having 400 of your nobles murdered. If it had been a duology or a trilogy, I could see room for expansion. As it stands, it's just a very straightforward murder mystery set in a completely realistic but fictional kingdom.

I also loved the science element, it could have felt overdone, but it also felt like it met with what could have been accomplished by someone working in a lab on their own. It wasn't magic, so it wasn't fantasy, but I did feel like it was a fun character element to give to Freya. Some may say it felt obligatory, it could probably get annoying, but where things stand, I think it was nice.

I think I would recommend this book as more of a political thriller type book, a historical fiction. Fantasy is a stretch, the characters are fun, and the politics are believable. I won't even get into the romantic element, I don't feel like that was nearly as important as the synopsis makes it feel. If you hate books where the romances make the characters act stupid, then this is a pretty good choice for you. Overall, it's nothing that will change your life if you read it, but it's pretty enjoyable.