The Fire Queen and The Rogue Queen by Emily King

35026134. sy475 I'll just put these two together because I read them right in a row, they kind of blurred together, and I'm really behind on reviews.
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There are several moments in each book of the series that I find incredibly interesting. There are many more moments that makes this series kind of like a train wreck--you can't help but watch the thing derail. 

 The Fire Queen introduces us to a completely new kind of tournament just when Kalinda thought she had put fighting behind her. 

 The Rogue Queen is where demons get to battle gods...or bhutas, which are half-gods. Kalinda must now ask all the nations, "Can't we all just get along?" 

 My interest in the series is significantly waning as trope after trope continues to pile up. The world building feels like a work of Frankenstein. We have Vanhi (Northern India/China/Nepal), Paljor (Viking), Lestari (Caribbean), and Janardan (Southern India). While I am happy for all the diversity in the book, it comes out feeling more textbook than fantasy. 

 The intrigue is weak. I always know what is happening even though everyone is trying to be underhanded and secretive. 

 The romance is a disaster and should be on the cutting room floor.

 The only thing saving this series are the characters themselves. They having a living dynamic that is compelling. They have unique personalities that I want to get to know more about them. I just wish they weren't stuck in a world built from other worlds that were done better by the original authors.

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