Long May She Reign Hardcover – February 21, 2017

I bought this book because of a few of the negative reviews. Everyone has their own taste, but for me, I'm a bit tired of the love-triangle "OMG they took their shirt off and now I can't think" trope. So no, this story does not fall into that "requirement" of YA fiction. There is a romance, but it happens naturally and honestly.I loved this story. Freya is a character I can relate to on many levels. From panic attacks (I've never read a more realistic panic attack), to not fitting in, to being a woman guided by her head and not just her heart.And as for the mass-poisoning mystery, the author did a great job of making me suspect the wrong person.So, if you love a book that's more than swooning puppy love, that has an oddball main character who falls into a role she never thought possible, and who likes stories with political intruige, you'll like this one.

Long May She Reign sets itself apart from the pack of YA which is rife with trilogies and series. It was refreshing to know that this book is a stand alone fantasy-esque kind of book. A very rare book indeed. A stand alone book is a book that must keep it's momentum and tie all of it's loose ends up by the end. However, due to how much I enjoyed this book I actually wish there was more to read.What I loved most was the mystery of the story. It's plot centers around a massacre happening at a royal celebration. This leaves our main character who is 23rd in line for the throne, forced into inheriting the crown after the deadly night is over. We spend most of our time seeing our protagonist navigate herself within her new position, and she's far from accepted by her people. Freya is very awkward but so determined in her convictions. She's brilliant academically, and loves to show off her brilliance in her scientific discoveries. We also see her make some major character development changes as well. She proves with her actions that while she was thrust into this position involuntarily, she shows that she can handle whatever comes her way.I love from time to time to speak to the negative reviews I've seen for the books I read, especially if I feel the opposite. From what I've seen, a lot of people felt this book was very political and not enough action. People also criticized the slow-burning romance. I appreciated the political aspect and I feel it's what makes this book excel. It was refreshing to see a heroine who isn't strong physically, who uses her wits to beat the odds, and just barely at that. It would have felt unrealistic for Freya to succumb to a deeply rooted romance considering half the court was poisoned to death. At the base of this story is the mystery, therefore it's not an action packed YA fantasy book. There was just enough actions to leave me satisfied. People also believe that the reveal of who is the murderer was anticlimactic. I disagree wholeheartedly. I didn't see that reveal coming but once the plot twist was fleshed out, it made sense. Thomas does an amazing job building of the mysterious intrigue and provides plenty of other viable candidates for this heinous crime. The lack of passionate romance and the apparent but subtle fantasy elements allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in the character development, the plotting, and the scheming. The only critique I do have about the action was the lack of bloodshed within the story. Freya's world is dangerous, hence the massacre of poison, but it could have been a bit more gory during the actual fight scenes. It would have made it feel more realistic.Long May She Reign dares to be a standalone in an age where series are in abundance. Rhiannon Thomas is forced to leave it all on the table in this one shot and she delivers to a degree that I didn't see coming. She took an almost unrealistic plot of having her protagonist who's 23 in line for the crown, had her become the next Queen overnight, which turned her story into a magical mystery full of deception, a journey of self-discovery, and brilliant scientific creations. Freya is a heroine readers will ally behind because we are all people who have been thrust into a situation that held a lot of more responsibility than we could have bargain for. She literally turns lemons into lemonade and makes the best out of the situation and becomes a Queen worthy of beautiful ballads and ornate poetry.

When I saw the title of this book, I immediately thought of Cersei at the end of the last season of Game of Thrones where she took the throne by force. When they say it for Cersei, it almost sounds like a curse. When the words are said for Freya, it's more like a hope.Then when I read the first introduction chapter I realized that I loved Freya as soon as I read the first few lines about doves/pigeons and court extravagance. Her wit, her heart and her judgment were summarized in those sentences and I knew I would like her.She is the polar opposite of Cersei, by the way. As 23rd in line for the throne, she wanted to escape and become a scientist. She has heart, she has resolve; she is thoughtful and cares about others and when she realizes this is her fate she doesn't turn to run away, even though she could. There are so many threats to her new reign. She is loathe to kill anyone and will not accuse without proof. But not everyone is as they seem and everyone is keeping secrets.Long May She Reign is a coming of age story for Freya, who wants to remake the throne in her image if she lives long enough. First come the assassins. Next the revolutionaries. Then civil war. No one is what they seem, and with her reasoning skills she must sort the chaff from the wheat before time runs out and an opposing army is at her gates.There is a lot of political intrigue, political idealism, wrapped around a who-dun-it mystery. Allies become enemies, strangers become allies, old and new bonds of friendship are immediately placed in the crucible.I have to say I enjoyed the ride. The story flows along until the end, leaving you satisfied that you finished this stand-alone tale.The pace was steady, the characters not that predictable. Everything was still up in the air and the author keeps you guessing until the ultimate reveal. The romance isn't that developed, but it's realistic. In the span of a few weeks, months after a coronation, when a queen is trying to figure out who to trust and who wants her head, romance is the least of her concerns. She's also used to thinking with her head not her heart, so that would have been understandable coming from a wallflower who always observes people but never engages them.It didn't matter to me that people weren't tortured for their secrets in this kingdom, no one has been beheaded for at least a century, and the royal network of spies kind of sucks because the spymaster's husband has been ill for some time and her loyalty is divided. If I wanted sex and violence I'd go re-read Throne of Glass or Falling Kingdoms. This is more of a G movie, rather than rated R. If anyone dies, it's off screen. There is no love triangle, not everyone is in love with Freya and that is refreshing.What compelled me to read it was all the negative reviews I saw about this book. I supposed it could have been more edgy, more dramatic, more sensual but I don't think that was the point. The point was survival, first and foremost. Survival without losing your sense of self. Survival by being smart, not cruel. Playing to your strengths rather than being someone you're not.If Freya can survive this, we all know she will be a great queen. Long may she reign.