A Queen in Hiding

Spanning the course of 12 years, Kozloff’s sweeping debut fantasy, the first in the Nine Realms series, introduces a vast cast and an intricate universe. After a political betrayal, Queen Cressa of Weirandale is exiled. She joins her husband on the high seas, working to wipe out the threat of piracy as part of her long-term plan to retake the throne, and sends her eight-year-old daughter, Cerulia, into hiding with a common family who know the child as Wren. As the years pass, Wren develops the ability to communicate with animals and Cressa’s quest takes a tragic turn. Meanwhile, Weirandale’s regent, Matwyck, searches for the missing princess, seeing her as a threat. Elsewhere, a group of zealots from the kingdom of Oromondo invade their neighboring countries, leading to a guerilla war. This series opener is literary, ambitious, and epic in scope, but it is unclear how the disparate plot threads will connect, and the novel ends just as the story picks up. Readers will be left hooked but unsatisfied. Agent: Nell Pierce, Sterling Lord Literary.(Jan.)