This limited deluxe edition is printed with gorgeous stained edges, stunning foil on the case, and striking printed endpapers!
A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath.
Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.
But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.
With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.
A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath.
Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.
But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.
With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.
Title: Queen of Faces
Author: Petra Lord
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co/Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication Date: February 3, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I have to say, the blurb for this book pulled me right in. It had such great potential for being a totally epic fantasy book with a unique world and concept. And I had not listened to any of the narrators so I was ready to hear new voices and see what they brought to the story. Plus, the cover definitely shows me I would chose a book for its being pretty!
What really drew me into this book was how it was exploring fluidity and transgender identity. It had such potential to take a subject that is hard for many and explain it in a way all would understand. And, while it does address much of this, it was very confusing in the way that it was done. There was nothing particularly unique about each individual character. I was glad for the titles with the character names at the beginning of each chapter or else I would not have known which character I was listening to. I really didn't find myself caring about the characters, their lives, their relationships, or their challenges.
I was bored most of the time and found myself speeding the narration up so I could get through the chapters. Even by 75% I really didn't understand what the point of the story was. And the amount of telling rather than showing was just too much. It made the story very hard to read and the pacing was very uneven.
I love dark academia. Another thing that drew me to this book. But it truly wasn't explored all that much. I needed it to be more central to the story, since magic and the schooling is important to the characters. But it was just kind of background noise rather than lending anything substantial to the story line. And the story line was confusing much of the time. I needed more background and world building. I needed more development of the characters within their society. or just development of them in general. They never learned throughout the story. No growth anywhere. The story just never came together for me.
I'll give the author props for interesting writing and prose. And I could see myself liking the narrators individually or perhaps in other stories. But I also had a hard time with the narration and genders and just identity in general. Also I did enjoy the found family aspect and the uniqueness of the magical system.
I really think the story has such great potential but the execution failed to bring it to fruition. It was a wasted opportunity to educate others on the trans community and the struggles within. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing on with this series.
Author:
Petra Lord is a biracial trans author. She has a BFA in TV Writing from New York University, which she uses to recommend TV shows to her parents and predict the endings of movies.
She's currently based in Los Angeles, where she feeds her dual addictions to hot pot and Korean barbecue and sustains herself off videos of her cat. Queen of Faces is her debut novel.
Represented by Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park, Fine & Brower
For foreign rights, please contact Kat Toolan at Park, Fine & Brower. For film/tv rights, please contact Debbie Deuble Hill at IAG.
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