Day’s YA: THE SCORPION QUEEN

THE SCORPION QUEEN by Mina Fears
9781250852946
1/28/2025
Flatiron Books
Ages 12-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Once the daughter of a prosperous salt merchant, Amie’s life is overturned in an instant when her sister frames her for a scandalous crime. At sixteen, Amie is now disinherited and forced to move to the imperial palace in Timbuktu, where she will serve Princess Mariama of Mali. As she joins life at court, she immediately begins plotting and dreaming of escaping Timbuktu with her former fiancé, Kader, so that they can start a new life together away from the rumors that follow her.

However, in the palace, Princess Mariama’s father, Emperor Sulyeman, has created a series of impossible marriage trials for his daughter’s suitors. When they each inevitably fail, he boils them alive in the city center, leaving behind ninety-nine corpses. As Amie grows closer to the princess and learns about her hatred for the trials, she starts to care for her in a way she can’t explain. And when she discovers something in the palace that may help to end the trials forever, she teams up with the princess and the other servants to hatch a plan that will require them to seek the aid of an exiled god. Will she continue on in the journey to end the trials, or will she choose to flee with the boy she loves after all?

This debut fantasy from Mina Fears is steeped in West African cultural traditions–with magic woven throughout the story, it draws from the rich history and mythology of the Mali Empire. The setting is immensely vivid, and it feels as if you’ve been transported to the past, to the city center of 14th century Timbuktu. I loved the inclusion of classic fantasy tropes with a new twist on them–from the gruesome marriage trials to forbidden romances and a violent ruler. The book also delivers strong friendships that only grow as the book progresses, creating a sense of found family. It’s a fast-paced read, and with high-stakes situations and deceit at hand, the twists make it feel impossible to put the book down once you pick it up. I was on the edge of my seat multiple times while reading, wondering how Amie and the other servants would manage to escape the horrors they were facing. Fans of fairytale retellings and books like UPROOTED and CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE will especially love this one, and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment to see how the story continues to develop.

“Political intrigue, terrifying gods, mesmerizing magic, and a complex love triangle coalesce in a dark and brutal historical fantasy helmed by a disgraced heroine determined to forge her own path.” —Publishers Weekly

Happy Reading!
<3 Margo

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