The Girl King by Mimi Yu – review

Sisters Lu and Min have always known their places as princesses of the empire. Lu is destined to become the first female emperor, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. When their father declares their male cousin heir instead, his betrayal throws both their lives into chaos.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu must flee the court in search of an ally. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. After years in hiding, Nok is forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved. Now they need an army to take back the throne.

Left alone in the volatile court, Min's hidden power awakens. It's a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set's reign . . . or allow Min to claim the throne herself.

But there can only be one emperor, and the sisters' greatest enemy could turn out to be each other...

I haven't read much YA fantasy recently and The Girl King has got me back into it. I loved this story of sisters, mythology and the corrupting influence of power.

The characters were my favourite part of this book and I enjoyed delving into the two sisters' stories. It was refreshing that the story arc of their relationship felt like the most important one in the book. Some things were resolved in this book but there are lots of potential areas that can be explored in the sequel. 

There's also incredible mythology underpinning this book and fantasy elements that built a vivid world. It's a compelling setting that feels grounded in history, at the same time as having a clear magical system.

Another thing I really liked about this book was that there was plenty of action, culminating in a tense final battle on an epic scale. I was able to imagine the big fight scenes and become invested, rather than finding it too overwhelming. 

This is a fast-paced read with rich fantasy elements, and I'm excited to see what comes next for these characters!

Thank you so much Gollancz for the review copy!