Content levels
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
"Matilde of the House of Svanaten has spent her life in training for when she will ascend the Turasi throne. Yet, two years past Matilde's coming of age, her indomitable grandmother remains reluctant to hand over power. When Matilde's exiled aunt, Helena, turns up for the most important festival of the year, suspicion abounds. Why has Helena - long married into the despised Ilthean nobility - suddenly returned? And what of the Ilthean soldiers massed at the southern border? Hard on Helena's arrival, Matilde is struck by a vision warning of doom. And it isn't long before a forceful new enemy strikes at the very heart of power, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake. After narrowly surviving the conflagration that shatters her entire world, Matilde must pit herself against her family's conqueror in a battle not just for the throne, but for her very existence." --Provided by publisher.
Is Shadow Queen appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This dark fantasy contains strong violence including a destructive attack that leaves death and destruction, along with warfare and conquest. The story focuses on political intrigue, betrayal, and survival.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include graphic violence, death, mass death, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be drawn to Matilde's struggle to survive and fight back after her world is destroyed by a conquering enemy.