I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed that we didn’t see more of Prunella and Zacharias, BUT once I was a few chapters in, I really became immersed in the story. I went into The True Queen expecting it to start where Sorcerer left off. Not disliking seems a poor foundation for future happiness.” “I don’t dislike cabbage,” Muna found herself saying, “but I should not consider marrying it. The magic in this novel is also particularly thrilling – I loved seeing Cho expand on the mythos of Janda Baik, and the different ways in which characters from different parts of the world viewed the same thing (the Unseen VS Fairy // Malaysian approaches to magic VS English approaches to magic) and how these worlds intertwine. In order to find and save her sister Sakti, Muna is forced to navigate an inherently racist and sexist “high society” on her own – all while keeping up the illusion that she has magical powers. Much like Sorcerer to the Crown, The True Queen deftly deals with issues of race, gender, sexuality, religion, and imperialism. (Said hijinks includes two – yes TWO – glamorous balls this time around, so put on your dancing shoes, y’all). On their journey, Sakti mysteriously disappears into the world of the Unseen (aka Fairy) leaving Muna on her own in England to discover a way to save her sister.

After discovering that Sakti is under a dangerous curse, Muna and Sakti are sent to England for safe-keeping. They’re taken in by the witch Mak Gengang (ARGUABLY THE BEST CHARACTER OF ALL TIME) who tries to restore their memories to no avail. All they know is that Sakti has magic and Muna has absolutely none at all. It follows sisters Muna and Sakti, who survive a terrible storm off the coast of Janda Baik and wake on the beach to find that they have no memories.

The True Queen is technically a stand-alone novel with only a few spoilers for Sorcerer to the Crown (I didn’t know this going into it, so I frantically reread Sorcerer the week before The True Queen came out – but literally no regrets!). A Waterstones employee handed me a copy, describing it as “Harry Potter plus Jane Austen…but better….” and so of course I had to buy it! I fell completely in love with Zen Cho’s beautiful prose and exceptional world-building, and I was so excited to hear that its companion novel The True Queen was coming out this year!

I was living in London, finishing up my dissertation, and in desperate need of a light-hearted book to get me through the week. I picked up Zen Cho’s first novel The Sorcerer to the Crown waaaaay back in 2016.

The true queen by zen cho