Today I’m reviewing Queen of Faces by Petra Lord. This had a bold and brilliant concept so I was intrigued to see how the story would unfold. Thank you to HarperFire for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally appeared on The Nerd Daily.
Anabelle is trapped in a boy’s body, and in a year, it will kill her.
In the nation of Caimor, the wealthy buy and trade bodies like clothes. But Ana can only afford a grey, damaged male form, and by her seventeenth birthday, it’s already falling apart. As her extraordinary magical ability grows, but her body continues to fail her, she is left with only one choice: become an assassin for Paragon Academy, Caimor’s prestigious school of magic.
But rebellion brews in Caimor, and at its helm is Khaoivhe, the most infamous dark mage in history. As Ana steals, fights and kills for Paragon, and forms a tentative alliance – and maybe more – with the elusive Wes, she discovers secrets that transform her concept of hero and villain … while striving, above all, to become her truest self. And that might just be the most powerful thing of all.
CW: murder, death, violence, suicide, mind control, classism
My Thoughts:
Queen of Faces is one of the most exciting YA fantasy debuts I have read for a while. This is one you cannot miss in 2026 and I am beyond excited to see where the story may go next.
This is an incredibly exciting debut with a magic system and world that you get lost in—it has a dark allure that makes you want to delve beneath the surface. The characters are stunning and I am so excited to see how their arcs continue to evolve in this series, which is one to watch.
Ana is a brilliant protagonist—pushed into this world of subterfuge in a desperate act to survive. The spider’s web she is caught up in only gets more tangled with each passing chapter. I loved Ana almost instantly. She is smart and determined but also with a heart of gold and a fierce loyalty to those she loves. This world has tried to crush her and she will not let it destroy her quite yet. That streak of stubbornness to keep living is something just magical and particularly relevant for today’s readership sadly. Around her are a cast of fantastically flawed characters and Petra Lord has some brilliant arcs in store, both here and I’m sure for the overarching story to come. You should get the pleasure of meeting each of them for yourself so I’ll keep my comments brief. You will love them or love to hate them and within each of them, there is a tenet of something that Lord allows you to explore on the page. There is depth and complexity that hides behind their initial façade. In particular, I cannot say much more but the way that Lord unpicks the Chosen One trope is sublime.
Every time you may think you know where it is all going, you are wrong-footed once more. It is a tricksy book that does not pull its punches. The stakes are high and the twists deadly. You truly feel like you cannot tell who to trust as Lord delves into the gray area between hero and villain, especially how easily each role can be constructed by a narrative. It is rich material used to its fullest extent. The lush wealth of Paragon Academy is sickeningly contrasted with the deprivation of the wider world. Bodies have become a literal commodity that the rich can use at their leisure and just the concept of that is appalling and yet intriguing at the same time. Lord builds on this inspired premise to deliver a YA fantasy that delves into the shadows and the darkness and forces you to confront what is in there.
The magic system in this is inspired and endlessly fascinating. We get to learn more about how it all works and there are nuances that allow for some brilliant surprises and shocks along the way. Lord hints at some deeper shifts too which will be explored in later parts of this story. It is exactly the type of world-building you want to see in fantasy—immersive, intricate and enough to pull you in but also to leave you wanting more. There is so much that intertwines within these pages, politics, power and prejudice amongst some of the most prevalent. It is a society split in two by this magical rift that mimics the social divisions of our own world. So much is familiar and it brings a shard of ice to your heart each time you spot enough. There is a deep anger that runs through these pages and I would encourage allowing it to stoke your heart too.
Queen of Faces is a firebrand of a YA fantasy debut. It is incredible and it is incendiary, promising plenty more that you should ensure you are watching for.
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