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Series Review - Queen's Thief: A Series by Megan Whalen Turner

Series Reviews discuss at least three books in a series and cover the overarching themes and development of the story across several books. Thank you to Patron Case Aiken who receives a monthly shoutout. Full Audio Here Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books LENGTH: 300 to 450 pages per book, there are six books as of spring 2025 AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Secondary Character(s). TITLES IN SERIES The Thief (1996) The Queen of Attolia (2000) The King of Attolia (2006) A Conspiracy of Kings (2010) Thick as Thieves (2017) Return of the Thief (2020) Moira's Pen (2022) Minimal Spoiler Zone Series Premise Queen's Thief begins as the story of one...

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.

Darcie Little Badger is an extraordinary debut talent in the world of speculative fiction. We have paired her with her artistic match, illustrator Rovina Cai. This is a book singular in feeling and beauty.

TITLE: Elatsoe
AUTHOR: Darcie Little Badger with Rovina Cai (Illustrator)
PUBLISHER: Levine Querido
YEAR: 2020
LENGTH: 368 pages
AGE: Young Adult
GENRE: Magical Realism
RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: Ace/Aro Main Character(s).

ELATSOE is a thoughtful and vibrant story about grief, truth, and life, as Ellie tries to fulfill her cousin’s last wishes and stop his murderer (with the help of her ghost dog). It's a coming-of-age story, where Ellie is figuring out the bounds of what she can do, and what responsibilities come with her heritage (spiritual, magical, and mundane). 

I love how this feels to read. It’s kind of a murder mystery, except Ellie is trying to prove how the murder happened since she’s been told who did it. I like the way that stories and memories are woven into Ellie’s narration. It makes them feel like part of her thoughts, as they so clearly are. She’s so full of stories that her point of view wouldn’t feel complete without them. She’s deeply connected to her family, and looks up to her Six-Great Grandmother as example and inspiration.  The worldbuilding is good, it’s shown through Ellie’s perspective in a way that feels effortless. It’s a world where ghosts, vampires, and fairy ring teleportation coexist but don’t all follow the same guidelines, and this does some pretty cool things with adherence to the clashing rulesets. 

A moving read that blends small joys with slow mourning, don't miss ELATSOE.

CW for racism (microaggressions), grief, violence (graphic), blood, animal death (backstory), child death (backstory), murder (not depicted), death (graphic).

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A dark-haired girl in a red coat stands surrounded by large ghostly dogs running by as leaves flutter in the wind.



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