This was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy heist story with a pretty killer world and characters. I also really love the cover of this book. The team of thieves is such a fun ragtag group, and their banter/relationships were pretty believable and immersive. I do wish we got a bit more characterization from some of them, as I found myself going "wait who?" at times. Overall, this was tightly plotted with a fun, compelling cast and interesting world-building. This almost felt like a D&D novel in the way that the characters interacted and the plot unfolded. It was really interesting, and I am pushing my library to order more than one physical copy of this because I think it's going to be a hit!

This is a proper high stakes fantasy heist with some brilliant world building. The team of thieves are lovable and the plot really well laid out. Some of the characters were a bit lacking though - it felt like they didn't really have personalities and I forgot they were existed for a lot of the time! It's a shame though, because otherwise this would have been a favourite read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

The Queen of Days read like those fun Dungeons & Dragons fantasy novels I grew up on. I really enjoyed the story and got especially invested in Tass, who I was not expecting to be a wholly likable character considering she's essentially a demigod. Greta Kelly's world-building is pretty spectacular and not something I expect to be done so well in a Young Adult novel.

It's a good novel--to be great, I think it really needs more character development for the supporting cast. I'm interested in Tassiel's siblings and seeing that play out. Zee and Edik seemed almost like an afterthought, as though Edik is just someone to present Bal with an in-group obstacle. I'd be interested in seeing his fall from grace play out as well. The entire premise might be better served by eliminating some background information about the side characters and giving them their own tales to deepen the mythos. While I really liked Tass and how she developed, I think that she would be a more interesting character if her development had been more fully explored. She's supposed to be this mysterious, morally grey character, but during the chapters from her point of view, she comes across as more of a lonely outcast than a mysterious demigod.

I also think it would benefit the flow of the story to make Tassiel's chapters first person instead of third. It just feels sloppy, as though her part of the story is being told by someone else. Overall, I really like the story. I just think the execution needs some work to make the novel stand out among other really great titles.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

I am so happy I got to read @gretakkelly’s upcoming release, Queen of Days!

Here’s what I loved about this book:
• lots of action
• a family fallen from grace
• the gods and magic
• hilarious banter
• it’s a standalone!

If you love Six of Crows, with the vibes of Prince of Persia, and a Venice-type setting, then definitely add this book to your TBR. It’s addictive and I loved reading it!

★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: kissing + innuendo
TW: violence, blood, language
Out October 24

The stakes are high for the thieves and this adventure and cast of characters has a unique spin. Ensorcelled masks and Goddesses of the Wind, and other worlds,, Greta Kelley creates a whirlwind of adventure, betrayal, machinations, magic and trails of time.

Greta Kelly creates an action packed, face paced and entertaining book from start to finish.
The characters have a duality to their personality that where most characters who are older, exhibit childlike personalities. I've seen this stated as a major detractor for some folks, but I don't agree. I think circumstances surrounding how they live mayhaps necessitated this at some points in their lives.
As far as world building, the creativity is there, but providing the background could have been a little more nuanced, and less of an info dump.
I thought the story was intriguing and provided some twists, but it was predictable for me in some of the storyline.
I would have liked the magic to be a little bit more detailed, but for the focal point of the story, I don't think it was an absolute need.

Overall good book, would recommend and would like to to see where Greta takes the story.

This was fun, fast-paced, and action packed. I love the cover and this was my first book by this author.

I loved the imaginative, well-researched, and in-depth world-building and the loveable band-of-thieves vibe.

My only complaint is the timeline of the book happens so quickly that I felt it could've used a bit more tweaking to have more depth. Still an enjoyable read.

Would read more by this author.
Tysm for letting me be an ARC reader!

The relationships felt too pre-established. Having Tass be the only outsider character to the group felt a bit odd for a story about outlaws and misfits.

This also made it feel like I was missing something from the plot line. Since I never got to see Bal interact with any of his family before the deal with Tass, it made me feel like an outsider as well. I would like to have seen a chapter or two before Kai and Bal got themselves locked in jail to meet Tass. I think this would have added a level of dimension to the characters. I feel like there is somehow too much background, and I would like to see Bal's story start earlier in his life.

Some of the language felt out of place. Uses of "yeah" and "hey" took me out of the story.

Finally, this book would benefit from a map. Since I read an arc, it's possible that a map hasn't been added yet, but it would be a strong inclusion.

Finally, I don't understand why Bal's POV is in first person while Tass's is in third. It reads strangely.

Besides that list of criticisms, this book is very strong. I loved the found family and the plot itself. In the future, I'd like to see more of the magic system expanded upon.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a lot of potential—intriguing plot, cool concept, and potentially interesting characters. Unfortunately, this book didn't deliver. There is this jarring dissociation between the characters' ages and supposed experiences, versus how they talk and think. Simply put, those "adult" characters with extensive history together and complicated backstories still sound and act much, much younger than we are told. The other problem is the world itself. Despite the endless infodumping and persistent pauses to explain things, the world is not coherent. The names are random, the technology is not explained, the magic has no rules. Overall, not for me, sadly.

I seriously enjoyed this book! It could work as a stand alone or spawn a whole world. There were several grammatical errors that I’m sure will be corrected in final editing before the book is printed. I would really like to see a book about Tass, her history, etc. I was also hoping that she would eventually remove her mask but… A fast read, and thank goodness the author didn’t try to force a romance between the 2 MCs. They just wouldn’t work.
I received this eARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available Oct 24,2023.

This book is being marketed like The Lies of Locke Lamora and The six of crows. It’s a high fantasy heist book with a rag tag group of characters. It was fast paced and freaking action Packed. Like you cannot take a break from this book because it just sits in your head. I loved every single second

“And if her heart did not believe her, her head was willing to pretend.”


This is a fun and thrilling read that begins with Balthazar, one of the main characters, arranging a heist at an upcoming ceremony with the help of his crew. He enlists the help of the Queen of Days, a dangerous and mysterious woman who is a well-known thief. Right off the bat, their meeting is strange. She has arranged to meet at an odd location, seems to move about unnoticed, and never reveals her face, instead hiding her identity behind an exquisite mask. I was immediately drawn in when she agreed to help Bal with the heist, but requested an unconventional payment instead of money. As the ceremony unfolds, chaos ensues when the statue shatters and a portal opens, unleashing a pissed off god. The rest of the story is just as dramatic as you'd expect.

“Let chaos reign.”


What worked for me:

One of the strongest points of this book is its world-building. Greta Kelly does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the setting, making it easy to visualize and fall into the world. The book does a great job of keeping its world consistent and believable.

The characters are another highlight of this book. Tass is a badass with a mysterious and dangerous vibe that makes her intriguing from the moment we meet her. Bal, on the other hand, has a personality type that I personally find incredibly annoying in a character. With that being said, I tend to appreciate any book that makes me feel so strongly about a character, so this worked for me. And let's not forget Kai and his well-timed sarcasm.


What didn't work for me:

There are so many emotions being thrown around throughout the book. The stakes are high, there are threats everywhere, and most of the characters have complicated pasts. It felt like there was so much room for character exploration and growth, and by the end of the book I was left wanting more - especially about Mira, Kai, and Tass, who were intriguing but felt underdeveloped.

Another aspect that didn't work great for me was the use of both first and third-person POV. While I understand the author's intention in using both (clever), I found it to be a bit distracting and it pulled me out of the story at times. I did eventually get used to it, but I would have preferred a more consistent POV throughout.


I recommend this to readers who enjoy fantasy heist plots with great world building, adventure, and a hint of mystery.

Introduction:

Stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was a source of amusement for Balthazar and his family of thieves, or perhaps a way to seek retribution against the governor who killed his parents. Also, the substantial reward offered for the statue’s return is a tempting incentive, even though their employer has also enlisted the enigmatic Queen of Days as a last resort weapon.

Little does Balthazar know that this ceremony ain’t just some ho-hum tradition, it’s bona fide magic we’re talking about here! The kind that can open up a portal for the god himself! Except the idol that Karanis was supposed to take over is now smashed to pieces at the Queen of Days’ feet, and a big chunk of it is MIA.

Thoughts:

When I read the book blurb of The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly I was really excited because I live for a good heist. However I am sad to say this book fell short for me in many aspects. The only saving grace of The Queen of Days for me was its impressive world building. By no means Greta is a bad writer. The book had it’s fair share of twists and turns but, personally, it lacked depth and the plot didn’t manage to grasp my interest as I hoped it would.

To begin with, I must mention The Queen of Days’ incredible world building because the effort Greta has put into is admirable. The kingdom of Ashaar and the Nethersphere was described in great detail and I really did enjoy reading all about their customs, traditions and the legends about the gods/Ankaari. However, personally I never thought I’d say this about a book, there was nothing but world building for the most part and that is saying something being a huge fan of epic/high fantasy. While I enjoy extensive world building I need the story arc to have essence and depth to back it up with it. This is where The Queen of Days disappointed me.

The book started off great. I mean who doesn’t love a disgraced family who has fallen into hard times with a protagonist seeking revenge? However, for me, why Balthazar, our male protagonist, his twelve year old sister Mira, the bastard son of their father, Malakai (Kai), their cousin, Zeelaya (Zee) and her husband Edik became a gang of thieves was baffling. I mean, if your father, the mayor was accused of being corrupt and stripped of power (and murdered in this case) would anybody’s first thought be, yep let’s become a bunch of thieves and give them genuine grounds to prove their point? Also, I didn’t understand why The Curator thought they were the best people to carry out such a great task of killing a god (Karanis) because there was nothing in the story that suggested they were that great at their job. Likewise, there was a lot of things in the story that lacked credibility for me but I would leave the others to be the judge of them and to refrain from spoiling the story.

Initially I loved our female protagonist, Tassiel, the half human, half Ankaari. She was bad ass. She was first described as morally grey and apathetic. However as the story progressed she became boring and just faded away into yet another character. There was no real character development in any of the characters and I felt most of the characters were not really needed in order for the story to continue. For example, Zee and Edik. They didn’t add anything to the story. Kai at least provided the much needed comic relief with his sarcasm. I think he was the only character I really liked although he wasn’t given any substantial role in the story.

I think the other problem I had with the story was the timespan of the entire book. Everything mentioned in this book happens within two to three days. Furthermore the plot was extremely weak.

In conclusion, The Queen of Days had great potential to become a great book which started out great but frizzled away as the story progressed.

My sincere thanks to Netgally and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me this advanced reader copy.

this was a strong plot going on in this novel, I was hooked from the first page and getting to read this story all the way through. It had a great fantasy element that works well overall. I enjoyed the way it was written and getting to go on this adventure. Greta Kelly has a great writing style and the way they created the characters and world. It left me wanting to read more as I enjoyed this a lot.

"Bastards all of them. Bastards who’d stood by and done nothing while my family was butchered. The hate boiling inside me was almost unbearable. For Paasch who’d started it all. For the empress who’d done nothing to save us. They deserved worse than the small embarrassment of a spoiled consecration. And worse I would give them. I’d take everything away from them—from him. Just like he’d done to me."

An absolutely amazing fantasy adventure for anyone who loves magic and adventure! Greta Kelly is a wizard!