Long May She Reign

Freya may be a member of the court of the kingdom of Epria, but she has little interest in social niceties; “much happier with equations and research,” she greatly prefers conducting chemical experiments in her laboratory. Having taken the opportunity to slip away from King Jorgen’s ostentatious birthday banquet, she later discovers that she is one of only a few survivors of a mass poisoning. With the majority of the court dead, Freya, formerly 23rd in line for the throne, is suddenly queen. While her advisors scheme, and an army gathers to oust her, Freya uses her wits, intuition, and scientific reasoning to attempt to find the killer. The suspects are many, ranging from the King’s illegitimate son to a group of underground revolutionaries—this is as much a murder mystery as it is a fantasy, and Thomas (A Wicked Thing) includes just enough background detail to give shape to Freya’s world. Freya is an intelligent and resilient heroine who, when thrust into a position she never wanted, stays true to herself and champions the disenfranchised. Ages 13–up. [em]Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Feb.) [/em]