Waiting on Wednesday: The Queens of Innis Lear

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The Queens of Innis Lear

Written by Tessa Gratton

402 pages

Published by Harper Voyager UK

Publication date: 17th May 2018

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Summary (from Goodreads):

A kingdom at risk, a crown divided, a family drenched in blood.

The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.

The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.

Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

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Why I can’t wait to read this:

• As mentioned before, fantasy is my happy place so I am usually drawn to read most fantasy books I come across!
  
• This is a retelling/ re-imagining of King Lear, a tragedy written by Shakespeare. I haven’t come across many books which are retellings of Shakespeare plays beyond the most popular few, so this has caught my interest.
• Shakespeare’s play is itself based on a legend of Leir of Britain so there are definitely some fascinating threads of story being woven together here.
• I liked that the title is Innis, island in Irish, which made me wonder if there are further threads of Irish folklore woven in here?
• Magic! Magic generally makes a story better, as long as it has consequences and isn’t used to fix everything in the blink of an eye. I like the idea of the magic being tied to the sovereign and how that could affect people’s choices.

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Has your interest been piqued by this book and the description?

Does it sound like the kind of book you might enjoy?

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See some other Waiting on Wednesday posts here:  When the Mountains Roared, The Exact Opposite of Okay, To Kill a Kingdom, Starfish, The Gloaming, The Smoke Thieves, The Way You Make Me Feel

Read my book reviews of In 27 Days, Gilded Cage, To Kill a Kingdom or Folk

Check out my tips for getting review copies on Netgalley with Netgalley 101

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Thanks for reading!