I’ve been on such a good streak of YA Fantasy lately. I had started to think that maybe I had grown out of that phase, but it’s just that I’m slowly becoming not part of the target audience anymore. I’m almost 18, and so it’s kinda understandable that I’ve become more picky with the kind of books I tend to like now from that age range. 

For instance, a book like Tempest of Tea should’ve been right up my alley, but sadly, despite being interested in the plot, the writing style didn’t click with me. 

On the other hand, I think the last two books that I read, that is, Darker by Four by June C.L Tan and Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan are books that will appeal to both- the older YA audience and Adult fantasy readers. 

For instance, readers looking for something a step up from Six of Crows would enjoy Darker by Four and Summer Queen a lot. 

Specifically talking about Summer Queen, I had completely forgotten just how amazing of a writer Rochelle Hassan is. Last year when I read the first book in the series, The Buried and the Bound, I had not expected it to get as dark and violent as it did. On the surface, it seems very adventurous and campy, a story about a teenage witch and a best friend that she makes along the way trying to solve a mystery of unexplained disappearances in their small town. There’s found family and an angsty romantic subplot to mislead the reader into getting real comfortable and emotionally invested in the characters. But right when the reader has taken the bait, the author will raise the stakes and the events will go in an unexpectedly gruesome direction. 

As always, with her impeccable worldbuilding, Hassan expands the setting from the small town of Blackthorn to a much more deadly environment. In this second book, we discover more h about the fae world, and their magic and meet various other magical creatures. Unlike the super hot, sexy fae-type creatures that are popular nowadays, the fae in this book is more like actual dangerous mythical creatures who are cruel and mischievous. Along the lines of the kind in Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, or Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. 

The focus shifts slightly from Aziza to Leo and Tristan a bit, I feel, but I didn’t mind that at all. We still have enough of Aziza. It wasn’t like she was sidelined, but Leo and Tristan had a lot of growing up and facing their feelings to do, in a way. I can’t say too much here because it’s the second book, and anything can be a spoiler. But just drop me a dm or comment below if you’d like to discuss them and scream about this book with me! 

There are also a few new side characters that are introduced that I am starting to adore as well. 

It was a perfect book in terms of character development as well. There is so much that our characters have to go through, so much they suffer, and it is all inexplicably tied into the magic of the world.