The Cursed Queen

Gr 8 Up—Unfolding in tandem with The Impostor Queen, Fine's latest novel shifts to the perspective of the Krigere, a fierce people who thrive on raiding, plundering, and killing. Ansa was captured during a Krigere raid as a little girl, but she has earned her place within the group as a formidable warrior. Ansa's world is turned upside down, however, after the Krigere attempt a raid by sea on the Kupari. The Kupari queen manipulates the weather and the sea with incredible force, decimating the Krigere longships. Few survive, and Ansa soon realizes that her close encounter with the Kupari queen has somehow cursed her. Ansa now wields powers of fire and ice, but she cannot control them, and they threaten her place among the Krigere. A high-stakes power struggle is also brewing. This story connects to the preceding one in eye-opening ways, but it can stand alone, too. Ansa grapples convincingly with who she really is and what she believes, and, refreshingly, her romantic lesbian relationship with crush Thyra is fully developed. Compared to the intricately ritualistic world of the Kupari depicted in The Impostor Queen, the Krigere culture is far more straightforward and accessible to new readers. The narrative is highly readable, the suspense is authentic, and the characters will keep teens guessing about their motivations until the very end.