REVIEW: The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan

Pages: 408

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: January 23rd 2024

This captivating sequel to The Buried and the Bound draws readers into the twisted and irresistible world of the Fair Folk—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazel Wood. 

As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them. 

But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose. 

Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame. 

But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.

Oh boy. Do I have WORDS. Earlier this year, I picked up The Buried and The Bound from one of my favourite queer bookstores. I’ll admit, it’s one of those rare instances in which I decided to buy a book solely because I’d fallen in love with the cover. The art is absolutely gorgeous. But I hadn’t heard of the book until that day, had no idea it was a series, went in with zero expectations. And isn’t it funny how those books sometimes end up becoming your favourite? 

I flew through the first book in days and then bought this sequel, The Summer Queen, immediately. After the first book ended with Tristan moving in with Leo, and Aziza locked in a battle of trying to learn more about magic whilst proving to her grandfather that she can take risks and stay safe, I was excited to see where things were going next. 

With the reveal of Hazel’s true identity in the previous story, The Summer Queen takes our trio out of their comfort zone and into the heart of Elphame. I loved how different this book was in terms of tone and location. It’s darker, and the characters are in a place they never expected to be. It’s less of the real world, and that makes everything scarier yet more exciting. 

The characters are what makes this series so special to me. Not that the plot isn’t completely amazing, but the characters are the heart and soul. I love them dearly. I cannot possibly pick a favourite out of the main trio. 

Dion made a great addition and I’m eager to discover more of his story. I also need further interactions between him and Aziza because I love their vibes. It will be interesting to see how his potential involvement shakes things up for our main characters. 

More than anything: I NEED LEO’S CURSE TO END!!!!!! It’s the most incredible and frustrating aspect of the story and it has me on tenterhooks every single time there’s a scene between him and Tristan. 

• Found family at its absolute finest. These characters were thrown together and now they’re the cutest trio I’ve ever read. 

• Intriguing subplots. I’m still struggling to figure out what the main story is: is it Hazel in Elphame, is it Leo’s curse, is it Aziza reuniting Meryl with her family, or is there a greater, more specific threat that they all have to tackle? WHO KNOWS! And that’s exactly what makes this story so excited. 

• Gorgeous cover art. Just allow me a moment to be shallow and gush about how visually pleasing these books are on my shelves. 

The Summer Queen was everything I wanted in a sequel, and it’s made me fall even more in love with this story and these characters. The wait for the next instalment is going to be brutal, and I can’t wait to see what it has in store.

Royal Rating: