The True Queen

March 1, 2019

Cho returns to the world of her debut novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, in a story that relegates the Sorceress Royal to the background while bringing to the forefront Malay witch Muna and her best friend Henrietta. Muna's search for her lost sister takes the women from the ballrooms of England to the court of the Fairy Queen of the Djinn, a capricious and malevolent dragon who punishes her courtiers to cover up for her lack of true power and guilt of usurping her sister's throne. As Muna and Henrietta dive deeper into the machinations of the Fairy Court--and outrun its dangers--Muna discovers she's much more than she ever thought she might be and Henrietta accesses her inner fortitude in the nick of time. This Regency-based fantasy starts slowly as new characters and underlying mysteries are introduced. And the patience of those who immerse themselves in this world will be rewarded. Once Muna discovers her truth, the action kicks into high gear and doesn't let up until the satisfying conclusion. VERDICT Recommended for fans of the first book in the series and Mary Robinette Kowal's "Glamourist Histories" series as well as fantasy readers looking for a heroine's journey, with dragons.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2019
Cho returns to the magical alternate Regency England of Sorcerer to the Crown (2015).A storm at sea leaves sisters Sakti and Muna washed up on the beach at Janda Baik without their memories and suffering from a curse. The powerful witch Mak Genggang grants the two young women her protection, but their effort to determine who cursed them takes them to England--or at least, it takes Muna; Sakti is lost during the perilous journey through Fairy. Muna takes refuge with Prunella Wythe, Britain's controversial Sorceress Royal, who has opened up an Academy to teach young women to become magiciennes. Meanwhile, someone has stolen a powerful magical talisman from the Fairy Queen, and she blames England magicians in general and Prunella in particular, threatening to put them all to death if the item is not returned. Muna must find some way back into Fairy to find Sakti and dodge the wrathful Fairy Queen while concealing from Prunella and her fellow instructor, Miss Henrietta Stapleton, that she cannot do magic. It's not entirely clear why Muna feels she must hide the truth about her magic and her predicament in general other than her (somewhat reasonable, given the societal context) mistrust of the English or the author's need to inject additional tension into the plot. The title offers perhaps too strong a clue as to the real source of the Queen's anger as well as the nature of Sakti and Muna's predicament, but watching the strands of the plot converge and the details play out still offers some surprises and wonderful set pieces. There's even a sweet dash of romance at the end. As in her previous novel, Cho offers plenty of sharp commentary on the misogyny and colonialism of this magical version of Regency England, in which spells are thrilling and exotic when performed by a witch from the Far East but scandalous when cast by an Englishwoman.Perhaps not as groundbreaking as the debut but a solid follow-up, nonetheless.

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April 1, 2019
Cho returns to the alternate 19th-century England of Sorcerer to the Crown with a standalone tale full of delightful characters and devious plots. Sisters Sakti and Muna wake on the island of Janda Baik with no memories. Mak Genggang, a powerful witch, casts a spell revealing that Muna and Sakti are cursed. When Sakti begins fading, Mak sends Muna and Sakti through the land of Fairy to the magic academy for women run by England’s Sorceress Royal, where they hope to find a cure. But Sakti gets lost in Fairy, and Muna must learn to navigate high society alone, uncover their lost past, save Sakti, and defeat the curse. Cho effortlessly layers a shrewd commentary on colonial hypocrisy and patriarchal double standards atop a riveting adventure set in an immersive magical society. Readers who take pains to ignore the heavy-handed hint in the title will enjoy the witty dialogue, touch of romance, and surprising twists and turns of Cho’s entertaining historical fantasy. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Assoc.

March 1, 2019
Sisters Muna and Sakti are like two halves of a whole. Muna is calm; Sakti is fierce. Sakti has magic, while Muna does not, and neither have any memories of their past lives before being found on the shores of Janda Baik. The sisters know they have been cursed, and what is worse is that Sakti is beginning to disappear, literally. Her only hope is to go to Britain, where the Sorceress Royal, Prunella Wythe, has started an academy to train women in magic. However, Sakti is lost along the way, and Muna must convince her new instructors that she has power. As Muna tries to discover what happened to her sister, she is drawn into the machinations of society and class, and the truths she discovers will lead her straight to her past, in all its tragic glory. In her follow-up to Sorcerer to the Crown (2015), Cho continues to confront class and gender roles in an alternate Regency England while showcasing entertaining prose and characters. A delightful historical-fantasy novel that will capture readers in its layered story line.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)