SPORTOCHICK’S MUSINGS: I found it a great read and can’t wait till the next book.

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The Lost Queen

by Aimee Phan

Pub Date May 06 2025
PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group

DESCRIPTION

A heroine like no other, ancient magic unleashed, a fated epic battle–the first book in an enchanting YA fantasy duology inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood, and self-discovery.

Jolie Lam, a high school sophomore in San Jose, is known for two things: her bizarre freakout at last year’s swim meet and her fortuneteller grandfather with visions of dragons and earthquakes. Friendless and ostracized, Jolie’s life takes a dramatic turn for the better when she saves the school’s it-girl, Huong Pham, during a haunting vision of her own. Taken under Huong’s wing, Jolie’s world transforms, in more ways than one.

As Jolie and Huong’s bond deepens, they unlock long lost powers: telepathic abilities, fluency in Vietnamese, and eerie premonitions. This leads them to a shocking revelation: they have ties to legendary queens and goddesses of ancient Vietnam. While a thrilling discovery, it also sets them on a perilous journey.

The girls must navigate dreams and portals to piece together their past lives and reclaim their immortal elements before their ancient enemies strike again. But all is not what it seems, and Jolie must determine friend from foe, truth from lie, and ultimately right from wrong in this battle for all she loves and the fate of the world.

REVIEW

Recently I’ve been reading books involving Asian cultures. What I have learned is that they all have deep seated belief systems that cause one to pause and think. It is quite fascinating reading and unlike what most people are used to reading.

Author Aimee Phan does a stellar job of sharing their culture in this Sci Fi Fantasy book. Her creative descriptions in both the US high school scenes and the past Vietnam through a portal are believable and well executed drawing the reader into a storyline that keeps them on their toes.

There are so many twists to the story that the reader will need to stay alert and pay attention so they can see where the storyline ends up and why. I found it a great read and can’t wait till the next book.

What I took away from this book is that everything isn’t always what it seems… to follow ones intuition. It will know the truth.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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