4.5 stars, but rounded down, simply because the magic system got a little convoluted in this one. Trying to keep track of who had what power, and which power could withstand or beat back other powers got difficult. That is my only complaint.

Other than that, I loved getting to visit with these characters again and follow up their stories. I loved the way that their stories unfolded. We did get new characters, but not so many that it was hard to keep people straight. I do wish there would have been more Taia/Tobias tension. It's like they both immediately dropped past events and just ran back to each other and I would have loved to spend some more time rekindling that relationship.

AND THAT ENDING? I AM WOUNDED 😭😭😭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a satisfying conclusion to the duology! The plot may not have been as hard core as the previous book, but by the way everything tied up to the ending, it was just perfect! I'm going to miss Teia and the gang so muchh!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Rating: 3.75/5

Thrillingly addictive, "Tempest's Queen" is a fantastic sequel in a fantasy duology; Tiffany Wang is an author that improves upon her craft in every successive book and I cannot wait to see what this author does next.

It's been a little over a year since l've read "Inferno's Heir,"and although I was worried I had forgotten the storyline, "Tempest's Queen" does a phenomenal job of subtly refreshing reader's memory throughout the first couple chapters. The cliffhanger at the end of book 1 leads so seamlessly into Teja's motivations and actions at the beginning of this book, and this sequel is written with a beautifully engaging pacing that ensures tension and high stakes in nearly every scene, regardless of whether the scene contains high action. Each betrayal came at a complete and utter shock, inserted into the story so seamlessly to continually engage the reader's attention, and as a result I found myself devouring this book in two sittings.

At it's heart, this story is driven by its bright and memorable cast of characters, each of them brought to life so vividly within this story. The found family aspects were allowed to slowly simmer throughout the course of the story, and I feel like the conflict introduced into the group's dynamic provided an apt space for emotional growth for every character. Unfortunately, the romance element was weaker in comparison to the platonic relationships within the story. The love interests needed a lot more animosity in sorting out their conflict before they absolved their differences, and it felt like their relationship relied on a flimsy trope of "he loved her this entire time."

Throughout her quest through Shaylan, the author provides space for world-building in both subtle and overt ways, allowing readers to see a country that had been hinted at in Teia's ancestry, vastly expanding upon the many different factions of peoples that had been briefly touched upon in book 1. I really enjoyed seeing the creativity with which the story tackles elemental water magic and the different affinities granted to the magic wielders, though I do wish Teia's affinity in particular had been explored on a deeper emotional level, connecting her with her mother, as she discovered her powers. I also felt like the other elemental magic systems did not feel cohesively enmeshed into the story, with only a few throwaway scenes here and there nodding to the peoples of those nations.

Lastly, while the action sequences were immensely robust and engaging, there were moments of discontinuity that disrupted the flow of the scenes. For example, Teia would suffer an injury that broke 3 of her ribs, then take a stab wound directly to her thigh, but in the next instance she would run at breakneck speed across an entire battlefield. It often felt like the injuries the characters sustained didn't have a lasting or consequential impact on the character's movements and after this occurring numerous times, my willingness to suspend my disbelief was wearing thin.

Nonetheless, I still found this story to be highly entertaining and it was certainly hard to put this story down after I had started. Wang's writing has so much incredible potential, and I hope she continues to write more fantasy stories in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This unfortunately was not for me.

thank you for giving me a chance to read an ARC of this from Netgalley before the publication date!

I read both books one after another, a day or two in-between each and I can't recommend it enough! I really loved the characters in this whole story. All the challenges that the main character faced was so well written and thought out. There were several points were I thought "surely, she won't find a different path out of this" and BOOM, Teia basically paved her own way and her own solutions to problems that arise. Solutions that made sense and didn't feel like plot holes or plot armour.

I really loved this duology, I gave the first book 4.5 stars, and this book was even better! I gave it a whooping 5 stars, I would even give it 6 stars if that was possible.

thanks again for letting me read an ARC before the official release. I look forward to reading whatever Tiffany Wang decides to write and publish next!

i know i said that i definitely didn't have enough interest to pick up the inevitable sequel when i read the first book, but here we are anyway. even though this was a sequel, this book could not feel more different from the first in a way that almost made it feel like you never even had to read the first book to get to the second one. i could barely remember what had happened in the first, except for the fact that our mc teia had killed her evil half-brother, assumed the throne, and betrayed the ragtag group of liars and thieves that helped get her there. i was expecting this book to pick up exactly where we left off, with teia now being faced with the challenges of ruling a country and how the political machinations (and overall big baddie lehm) were going to get in her way.

i couldn't have been more wrong.

tempest's queen picks up with teia heading over to an entirely new country - shaylani, where her mother was from - to warn her cousin, the king/emperor/leader of shaylani and potentially? her last remaining blood family that mr big baddie lehm is going to raise some magic sea beast and kill literally everyone. through some wibbly wobbly plotting she s0mehow manages to reunite with the same group of liars and thieves except now they also all hate her guts and want her dead, which seems to be literally the same thing that everyone else wants.

the ragtag group of liars and thieves then go through plot point after plot point where everyone keeps trying to kill them, they fight a bit, there's a secret plot twist where someone betrays them, they overcome that and get what they want and no one dies (except at the end when someone dies and its really not that sad even though she wanted to go to college or whatever she had no other development except for that) and then they all live happily ever after until someone tries to kill them again. and thats basically the plot of the whole novel. sorry for the spoilers but i did mark it as such.

the story felt even MORE rushed this time around as it jumped from place to place, moving the plot along in place of actual character development on the page. just because it was a very plot focused book, the way that teia especially seemed to want to shift and grow as a character but was forced to do so so quickly so that her actions matched where the plot of the book was felt so clunky to me.

i would be remiss not to comment on the writing either. every single chapter feels like it stands alone just because of the way the sentences are constructed. they all seem to start and end with the most dramatic sentences - sentences that i wouldn't find out of place at the very start of a book to hook you in, but the fact that they were literally everywhere. the writing felt so dramatic in a way that didn't match the plot, and reminded me a little too much of the way that people used to write wattpad books - one chapter at a time, posted in chronological order, and that was never gone back on and edited in any way. there were also way too many """"witty"""" one liners that were just not that witty, but the characters who got those witty one liners basically all only had the personalities of one-dimensional comedic sidekick. for that to work, they do actually need to be funny.

the amount of violence in this book also made it feel like an adult book too instead of a young adult one, but that one scene where tobias looks at teia in a way """"she can't decipher"""" and then he tells her he can't tell her what he's thinking because it's """"""not appropriate'""""""..... be so for real. pick an age category and stick with it.

in spite of all of this, i do think the book had some promise. i was interested in the magic system, as underexplained as it was, and the plot of this one was definitely a little more compelling than the first. i was always interested to see what happened next, unlike the first novel. the author to me still has real promise, and i think has really creative ideas, but the execution in this one really flopped for me. i will still be trying the next one.

A wonderful book with great depth and character development. I loved the writing style, the storyline, and the ending. What a solid follow-up to the first book. I flew through this book quickly and got sucked into the world. A great book and a high-stakes adventure.

Tempest Queen by Tiffany Wang
Tempest Queen picks up right where Inferno’s Heir left off, with Teia sailing toward Shaylan—and what a beginning! The introduction to the new setting, a land ruled by water wielders, was rich and exciting. I was immediately drawn in by the vivid world-building and the promise of new conflicts.
That said, the pacing starts to stumble about midway through. With this being a duology, the sense of finality adds weight to each twist and turn—but also makes the rapid buildup of tension feel a bit overwhelming. By the time I reached the final chapters, I found myself thinking: There’s only 10% left—how can this possibly all wrap up in time?
To her credit, Tiffany Wang sticks the landing. The ending is both satisfying and cohesive, bringing resolution to the emotional arcs and political turmoil in a way that felt earned. It’s clear she had a plan for how everything would come together, and it shows.
Overall, Tempest Queen is a wild ride full of surprises, powerful stakes, and a finale that delivers. I was genuinely caught off guard by many plot turns, which kept me engaged to the very end. A strong conclusion to a compelling duology.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. First the cover.. So innovative, so different. But it catches attention and hints that there is fantasy, there is deliberate worldbuilding. Not just romance but details. Then the title. Not short not long. To the point and it stays in the mind. Not combinations of bones ashes blood etc. These were the first elements that brought me to the book. Overall the story was good, as a sequel, the standarts and stakes were high and this book delivered. Masterful writing. Thanks.

It took me a moment to get to this review because the second I received Tempest’s Queen, I had to go hunt down Inferno’s Heir. Tiffany Wang knows how to keep you hooked!

Let’s start with the positives (because there are many):
Teia Carthan is a morally grey menace, and I love that for her!! She’s clever, unapologetic, and always one move ahead. Watching her navigate guilt, power, and rebellion was genuinely satisfying.
The elemental magic? Chaotic in the best way. It’s fast and cinematic, like watching a storm unravel on the page.
The found-family and romance? Messy, yes. But there’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing Teia try (and sometimes fail) to let herself be loved. The romance is not neat, and that’s exactly why it works.
Add to that: court drama, a twisted cult leader, rebellion politics, secret identities, cursed creatures, and a protagonist who is both feared and fragile… I was never bored.
And I need to give a shoutout to Enna!!! Absolute scene-stealer. Her fire, her loyalty, her banter? Obsessed!

But… It’s not flawless. While I flew through the book, some scenes could’ve used more breathing room and emotional depth. And a few plot threads seem like they got snipped short in the final draft.

<spoiler>
(I’m sorry, but we forgive Teia that quickly?? That needed more friction. I wanted guilt, confrontation, real tension — not a group hug and moving on. Some of these Dawnbreakers folded faster than paper in the rain. Also, that ending? A little too clean. After all the chaos, I expected the final act to carry more weight. And Tobias? Criminally underused. He deserved more time, more heat, more heartbreak.)
</spoiler>

That said… I’d still rather read a bold, slightly messy fantasy than a polished, forgettable one. And Tiffany Wang? Absolutely an author to watch. This duology has its rough edges, but it also has heart, grit, and characters I genuinely cared about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Tempest’s Queen was sooo good and a great follow up and conclusion to Inferno’s Heir. It was the perfect combo of action, political intrigue, and romance. Be aware that this is a fantasy with romance NOT a romantasy and that’s just the way I like it. We get to explore more of the world with this book set in Shaylan and seeing more hints at the other kingdoms. I know this is a duology and Teia’s story is complete, but the world building is so good I want to keep exploring the different kingdoms.

Heads up there is little to no recap of Inferno’s Heir so if it has been a while you might want to do a recap or refresher. To sum everything up, should you read this series? Yes, yes you should.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful book! I loved seeing Teia in her queen era and all of the advocations she made for her citizens just melted my heart.

The layered world building blew me away, especially getting to know the Shaylani side of the five kingdoms. I found myself engrossed in the world and I just never wanted it to end!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC - this book publishes October 28, 2025.

Book two in the Inferno’s Heir Duology, Teia Carthan truly steps into her new role as queen. The twists, revelations, betrayals and sacrifices were unexpected and flowed so well with the overall story. The banter and wit from Teia made her one of my favorite YA FMCs I’ve read yet.

Tiffany Wang continues with her rich world-building and complex characters. Great addition to this series! Looking forward to what the author has next.

I had fun reading this but for me it wasn't as good as the first one. It was still really well done and I loved the way the story was told but I just really loved the first book. Being able to see more of the characters and the world was also really enjoyable and I loved seeing how each character interacted with others. It's easy to understand and read too which is a big plus! Overall I really enjoyed this and I think it's a really good conclusion to the duology!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I appreciated the opportunity to review this book for Net Galley. I really enjoyed it. It was very weill written and enjoyable.

Okay... WOW. I really liked the first one... but this was EVEN BETTER!

I loved all the plot twists, all the betrayals, the romance, to see Teia as queen, the pace... everything! Even if I feel like the stakes were less high than on the first one, everything else made this one of my best reads of the month so far. And the ending....!!!!!! I can't say no more because aything else would be considered "spoilery" and I really recommend everyone to give these books a chance, mostly if you're looking for a book with diverse mythology and with a touch of political intrigue and a dash of romance.

4.75 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc!

This book is an interesting read. Writing style of this author is commendable. I personally enjoyed how accessible the writing style is because the words used are not too grand or complicated. However, a huge highlight for me is the way the story still flows nicely. It's smooth but not too poetic or flowery. The author gives you a clear picture without trying too hard.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the eARC.

I honestly enjoyed this more than the original (but it seems I am in the minority). The first in the series was boring until about 60% in, while Tempest's Queen kept my interest from the beginning.

I will say that I do agree with others that there were plot holes, and several concepts weren't explained well or at all. I would have loved to learn more about the magic system and history. I also would have loved to see more of the characters in the "epilogue" to see how everyone fared afterward.

All in all, I thought it was a pretty decent conclusion to the story.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.