From Ballantine Books, The Quarter Queen by Dr. Kayla Hardy is a lush, dark historical fantasy debut inspired by the life of Marie Laveau and her daughter, Marie Laveau II. This is a tense story of magic, New Orleans in the 1800s, racism, slavery, and mother-daughter relationships.
From the author’s website: “FOR FANS OF SINNERS 𝘅 CIRCE 𝘅 THE WITCHER”– and really, that’s all you might need to know to pick this one up!
Bullet points for those short on time:
– debut standalone historical fantasy
– Voodoo, alchemy, catholicism
– bisexual representation
– dark, tense, horrifying
– mother-daughter relationships
Plot Summary:
It’s 1843 in New Orleans, and Ree, the rebellious daughter of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, finds herself often at odds with her mother and often in trouble. She is spoiled/entitled, but when something happens to her best friend and then her mother, it’s time for Ree to embrace her fate as the next Queen, to stand up for her people and fight against the barbarism and injustices of the ruling caste. She needs to figure out how to save her mother and survive not only the coming Inquisition led by an old friend, but also the Brotherhood of the White Hand, and something else equally as dangerous, if not more…
Thoughts:
This book had me on edge the entire time. If not for the horrors of 1800s New Orleans, then for the wild scramble of trying to survive and fight back against them. Kayla Hardy’s writing sweeps you right into the atmosphere of each scene so intensely that I couldn’t tear my eyes from the page, even as quite a few things will make you feel ill, deeply uncomfortable and angry.
The transitions jump around a bit, as the book crosses timelines with Ree in the present and then back to Marie Laveau as a younger woman. I LOVED the development of the story, how Ree comes to know her mother better through seeing her past and realises for herself how little she knew about the situation in the beginning.
Overall, this book was an excellent debut inspired by a historical figure more folks should know about. I loved it and would highly recommend this! Historical fantasy is fast becoming one of my favourite genres, and I will be thinking about this one for a while yet. Now, off to pre-order a physical copy. 🙂
Burn it all down.
Thank you to Ballantine for the eARC via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings:
Racism, slavery, open-door romance, sexual assault, body horror, hanging, violence, torture, murder
About the Author:
From the author’s website:
Kayla Hardy, PH.D., is a mythology expert and award winning multi- hyphenate author and screenwriter originally from Akron, Ohio. She earned a doctorate in English, specializing in creative writing and African American literature, from Binghamton University at age twenty-six. Dr. Hardy served as an adjunct professor at Binghamton University and is an avid scholar and lover of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo. Inspired by her Louisiana Creole ancestry and familial lineage of rootwork and magic, Kayla aims to tell diverse-driven horror and dark fantasy stories.
Originally conceived as a television pilot, THE QUARTER QUEEN was the prose winner of the 7th annual Launch Pad Prose competition. She is repped by Emma Kapson at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
About the Publisher:
The Ballantine Books Group, part of the Random House family, publishes a wide range of fiction and nonfiction that entertains, informs, and inspires. Our goal is to seek out and cultivate the most compelling, varied, and distinctive storytellers—and to bring their work to the broadest possible audience of readers. Our list is comprised of several imprints, including Ballantine, Bantam, Dell, and Delacorte.
Ballantine was founded in 1952 by legendary publishers Ian and Betty Ballantine. From the beginning, we have sought out authors whose work is defined by the intersection of quality and wide appeal.
About Marie Laveau:
Additional thoughts:
I was unaware of the story of Marie Laveau before seeing this on NetGalley and requested the eARC. Here is a perfect example of how fiction helps us increase awareness, knowledge, and empathy. While reading this and afterwards, I searched for more about the history of Marie Laveau. I’m grateful to both the author and publisher for bringing this book to the masses!
This will be my 25th review on NetGalley!