Long May She Reign - Rhiannon Thomas

Title: Long May She Reign
Author: Rhiannon Thomas
Publisher: HarperTeen, 2017 (Hardcover)
Length: 422 pages
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy
Started: March 23, 2017
Finished: March 30, 2017

Summary:
From the inside cover:

Freya was never meant to be queen.

Twenty-third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of the court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

She may have  escaped from the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don't respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, she knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom - and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can't trust anyone. Not her advisers. Not the king's dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya's enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide of she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.

Review:
There's some hype surrounding this book, so it was a given that I'd pick it up. Plus, how could I turn down a book with a heroine that shares a name with my dog?

Freya, the daughter of a noble mother and a merchant father, is an anxious and intelligent girl who would rather conduct experiments in her laboratory than sit through the lavish and pretentious parties the king throws for his court. On the night of the king's birthday celebration, Freya and her friend Naomi leave early to test out Freya's idea of a portable heat source, As they work into the morning, they discover that practically everyone who had attended the party with them, the majority of the nobility in all of Epria, has been killed from arsenic poisoning. With the king and his heirs before her now dead, Freya automatically becomes queen, the very thing she never wanted. Of the court members that survive, some suspect her, some despise her, and most think very little of her. Unsure of whom she can trust, Freya decides to solve the mystery of the massacre herself; while at the same time trying to learn to be a better ruler than the king before her, and defending against an invasion from those that want her dead.

This story has great potential and there were many things I quite liked, but unfortunately it didn't quite deliver. I loved Freya and her characterization, that she is more logical and loves science but also has social anxiety issues. She has a strong sense of her own moral code and sticks to it regardless of the influence of others, and I admire that in a character. Once she knows the ropes and how things work at court, she is confident in her choices and exercises her power as queen to bring about positive social change. The book had a big focus on female friendships, which I also enjoyed (yay for books passing what I imagine is the book equivalent of the Bechtel test). However, there were a few things that didn't really fit. The fact that even though Freya has a legion of people against her (Torsten Wolff and his supporters), she manages to dissuade them and succeed by playing on the idea that she was chosen by the Forgotten, it was just way too easy. Also, Freya just happens to find amazingly supportive people to help her without any betrayal or typical back-stabbing (not counting the twist at the end)? Again, way too easy. There was conflict mind you, but it was so easily resolved. Fitzroy's character was your typical clown who plays everything for a joke but in reality just masks the kinder persona beneath it, which I feel is something I've seen before and would've liked to see him a bit more developed. Freya's social anxieties seem to disappear halfway into the book, so there's that as well. And although the murder mystery aspect was quite well-constructed and interesting overall, the end result just wasn't all that realistic (can't elaborate due to spoilers). There was also no real world-building, which is disappointing since I quite enjoy learning about a novel's universe and how things work in it.

Recommendation:
This is an enjoyable read overall, but won't be a jaw-dropping favourite due to the above issues. Oh, but there's also a quirky lab cat, so that gives it a few more points in my book.

Thoughts on the cover:
I really enjoy the fortress/prison in the beaker bottle, it's a very unique image that works well for the tone of the book.