The Queen’s Secret, by Jessica Day George, is the second installment of the Rose Legacy series. The story follows a young woman named Anthea and her companions in the Horse Brigade. The heroes of the horse brigade have the unusual ability of being able to communicate mentally with their horses. Together, they must stop a threat to their kingdom.
Jessica Day George presents the reader with a descriptive, well-visualized world that is familiar enough to be vividly believable while at the same time including enough fantasy elements to provide exciting escapism. The politics of the neighboring kingdoms provide a backdrop for the action, but for the most part that aspect stays in the background instead of bogging young readers down with complex intrigue. The protagonists are noble and community-minded, willing to put the needs of other people…and their horses…ahead of their own.
One interesting aspect of the author’s storytelling style is the unique use of a different narrative voice. The horses of the story speak often with their riders and carry on dialogue with them, and at some points, entire short chapters are told from a single horse’s point of view. This varied perspective provides entertainment but also serves to solidify the horses’ position as characters, not just pets, in the story.
Young readers, particularly those who love horses, will find much to enjoy in the book.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Characters threaten others with guns a few times; report of past injury to a character; report of a naval battle with few survivors; minor property damage; report of a vehicle accident without injury; report of a fight; a few reports of deaths form disease; a character slaps another on the back; reports of a few past executions or murders; report of book burning; a character with a serious, bloody gunshot wound is discovered and his injury treated; a character snaps horse reigns at another a few times; a character intentionally infects another with a disease; characters have guns fired at them; horses are whipped with reigns to make them go faster; a building is destroyed; characters discover dead bodies (but no gore); an animal collapses from exhaustion.
Sex/Nudity: A boy and girl are bashful around each other a few times; a girl is jealous that a boy pays attention to another girl; a girl is embarrassed when she sees a shirtless, muscled man; characters hold hands, hug, or kiss on the cheek a few times; a girl is embarrassed to see a boy’s discarded undergarments; speculation that a character is flirting for political gain; a girl puts her arm around a boy.
Mature Subject Matter:
War; plague; smuggling (mention); kidnapping; discrimination based on national citizenship; gender discrimination.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Report of people drinking wine, ale, and whiskey; morphine is used in a medical context.
