Queen of Coin and Whispers

The king is dead. Long live the queen. Seventeen-year old Lia is checking the sheep flocks when the news comes. She is queen. Young, idealistic, she sets about trying to redress all the wrongs that had been perpetrated by her Uncle. At the same time she wants desperately to discover the truth behind the death of her father. This is also the aim of Xania – also convinced her father has been murdered. The queen needs a protector – a spymaster willing to kill; Xania needs access to the court. Will the friendship that develops survive the pressures of trying to do right when the only answer is unpleasant compromise?

Romantic, intense, this is very much the 21^st century fantasy where rather than quests taking a hero into strange lands to face monsters and others, we are immersed in  the politics and relationships that make up court life; claustrophobic, dangerous and full of secrets upon secrets. However, the aim is the same – to grow up, to find love – and here we have two girls navigating this perilous landscape, making mistakes, full of ideals, learning that achieving ideals may require difficult choices, that relationships are always complicated. Corcoran is an assured writer. Her style is contemporary and direct; background information is introduced subtly – no long digressions. Both Lia and Xania speak in their own voices – they are recognisably distinct in style. This dual narrative then allows different perspectives and access to separate chronologies which brings a depth and interest to the plot which in itself conforms to the pattern set by this genre. An enjoyable addition to any Fantasy section and an author to watch.