To Steal A Throne
Burton presents an intriguing premise in this tale of fantasy espionage, following Remira, the Shadow Queen, as she vies for political control for her half-brother Luc. Readers are thrown into a courtly world of power plays, bribery, magic and violence.
Full of twists and turns, at its heart are tragic family dynamics and the promise of a love story. Remira is a strong, ambitious protagonist, yet often naive and assuming the worst in everyone she meets. Despite her magical powers, she can’t seem to tell the difference between what is a lie and what lies beneath.
Despite this, you cannot help but root for Remira as her power feels fleeting from the get go. While the author understands the rich tapestry of the world she has created, she takes little sympathy on readers. It is an impressive feat to develop such a deep lore and history of the fictional Videi and its peoples, but it is sometimes hard to keep track of the countless political and societal phrases thrown at you.
To Steal a Throne presents a dark and complex world, but Burton could have perhaps spent longer explaining her world-building early on to slowly introduce this new fantastical society to readers.
For fans of rich fantasy.
