Book Details:
Book Title: Queen’s Catacombs (The Frean Chronicles #2) by Jordan H. Bartlett
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 416 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: CamCat Books
Release date: Mar 2023
Content Rating: PG. Very clean, but there is some brief violence.
Winning the crown was only the beginning.
Jacs, now the rightful Queen of Frea, seems to be Queen in title alone. She scrambles to learn the customs and traditions of a Realm she had only read about in books. The Council of Four have her firmly under their thumb, and their ideas for the Queendom are oppressive and outdated. Their knowledge of her mother and Master Leschi’s whereabouts is the only leverage they need to make the new Queen dance to their tune.
Jacs is determined to find those who were taken from her and do what’s right for her Queendom. But in her search for answers, Jacs uncovers a much darker truth from the Queendom’s past that will forever change its future.
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Book Title: Contest of Queens (The Frean Chronicles #1) by Jordan H. Bartlett
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 464 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: CamCat Books
Release date: Jan 2022
Content Rating: PG. Very clean, but there is some brief violence.
In a Queendom divided, can one girl unite the realms?
Jacs, an inventor’s apprentice from the Lower Realm, has only ever dreamed of what the land among the clouds holds. That is until she finds a letter from Connor, an Upperite boy hoping to learn more about the land below. Little does Jacs know, Connor is actually Prince Cornelius of the Queendom of Frea. With wooden boats and hot air balloons, the two begin a secret correspondence. But their friendship is divided by a heavily-guarded bridge and an inescapable prejudice.
The strength of their bond was thought to transcend distance and time, but when the royal family visits the Lower Realm, the Queendom’s feud is reignited.
To save her people, Jacs must infiltrate the Upper Realm and earn her place to compete in the Contest of Queens. In a story about friendship, love, bravery, and defying gravity, Jacs will strive to prove that a Queendom is strongest when united.
Bartlett, Jordan. Contest of Queens. Brentwood, TN: CamCat Publishing, 2022
Contest of Queens has an interesting premise – Queens rule and Kings support. It is very obvious from the story that Jordan Bartlett is interested in putting women first. The book is well-written and the characters are ones that will draw the reader in.
Conner (Cornelius) is the Prince. It will be his responsibility someday to choose a queen to rule the Queendom – his job will be to serve as her advisor. She will get to choose if she wants to marry him or someone else (male or female).
Jacs is a smart gal from the Lower Realm. Much like in the Upper Realm it is the women who are the driving force behind schools, government, etc.
Since the two realms (although they are both ruled by the queen) have very little interaction, it is very interesting how Conner and Jacs “meet.” It will be interesting to see how the plot line plays out in the second book.
My concerns with Contest of Queens are philosophical – the values of the author as portrayed in the book do not match up with Biblical values. Men being punished if they get a woman pregnant without her permission (even if they are married). Women rule over men – men can advise but women are the actual rulers. The “god” of the book is a goddess – and “Goddess” is used almost as profanity. Implications once or twice within the text that gay marriage is acceptable also goes against Biblical values.
Because of my concerns I cannot recommend the book for a K-12 Christian school.
I received a complimentary copy of Contest of Queens. This is my honest review.
Meet the Author – Jordan Bartlett:
Jordan H. Bartlett is a New Zealand-born Canadian with a love for children’s literature and female empowerment. She grew up reading books about boys for boys and found it hard to find a strong female heroine she could relate to. Bartlett wrote Contest of Queens to give young readers that character she so longed for in a world where gender norms are reversed. Bartlett currently resides in Banff, Alberta where she works as a Speech Language Pathologist and is a certified yoga instructor.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
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