Review: The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Princess Lu, known as the Girl King, is poised to take over the empire from her father and be the first female emperor in history. However, on the day that her succession is to be announced, she’s blindsided by the announcement that she is to be married to her cousin, who will be named the emperor. Despite this disappointment, Lu refuses to accept defeat, and challenges her suitor to the right to the crown. However, before the challenges commence, the emperor is murdered, and Lu is blamed. She has no choice but to go on the run, as the entire royal army is after her.

While on the run, Lu meets up with Nok, a young man with a strange secret and stranger past, who is willing to help her retake the throne and uncover the plot which led to her father’s murder.

Meanwhile, Lu’s suitor cousin remains focused on the throne, and to secure his place as emperor, immediately marries Lu’s younger sister, Min. Yet Min is also carrying a secret – unknown to her, she is the key to a foretold prophecy, and the bearer of magic with a dangerous destiny. With the help of her new husband and his faithful monk, Min seeks to discover the full extent of her powers, in order to wage war on the North and secure a power her husband can only dream of.

Led on different paths, both sisters travel North on their separate missions, where prophecy, magic, and birthrights are pitted against each other in the ultimate fight for the crown.

The Girl King is an epic adventure filled with magic, wonder and myth, and it captures the reader’s imagination from the first page. Apart from being beautifully written, this story is monumental and moving – within its pages are magic and possibility, and there’s never a dull moment. Complete with elements of the fantastic, the romantic, and the unpredictable, here is something for everyone. If, like me, you felt a sense of loss after finishing this, then be cheered – it’s just the first in a series, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The Girl King by Mimi Yu is published by Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.