THE RAVEN THRONE, by Stephanie Burgis, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Aug. 8, 2023, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
Two siblings must work together to save their triplet sister and their kingdom in The Raven Throne, by Stephanie Burgis.
Now that Cordelia sits on the Raven Throne, life in Corvenne must change.
When their triplet sister became the Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. For Rosalind, no more fighting. For Giles, no more loud singing. But what they didn’t foresee was having to foil a wicked plot against their sister.
When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family’s greatest enemies lurk at every turn, and it will take all of the triplets’ deepest strengths to fight against them. —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing
It’s been two years since Stephanie Burgis introduced us to Cordelia, Rosalind and Giles in The Raven Heir. Their tale was captivating. Now, Burgis is back with the next chapter in their story with The Raven Throne. And make no mistake, The Raven Throne is a definite sequel and should be read as such.
It’s also a lot different.
This time around, it’s Cordelia who plays a supporting role and Rosalind and Giles take center stage. It’s a smart way for Burgis to mix things up. It gives readers fresh perspectives and new material to digest.
The Raven Throne takes place just six weeks after Cordelia is crowned, and all three of the triplets are struggling in different ways to adjust to life as royals. Cordelia is always surrounded by people and struggles to hear the land she’s tied herself to. Rosalind is being forced into acting like a lady and being shamed at every turn for not living up to expectations. Giles no longer turns to music, trying to charm everyone with his personality instead.
I was excited to see Burgis exploring these two characters, and she really gets to the heart of what makes them who they are. And moving them out of the castle for a while came as a breath of fresh air.
The Raven Throne is a fast-moving read that fans of the first book won’t want to put down.
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