THE SCORPION QUEEN

In imperial Mali in 1359, a 16-year-old girl finds magic, danger, and love while working for a princess.

Aminata Aqit cannot wait to escape the royal palace. Ever since her older sister, Haddy, told a lie that ended Amie’s engagement, Amie has been stuck working as a chambermaid for Princess Mariama Keita, the only daughter of Emperor Suleyman. The pampered daughter of a successful Songhai salt merchant, Amie finds it difficult to adjust to the dawn-to-dusk work in Timbuktu. Sweet-natured Penda and outspoken Jeneba, her fellow chambermaids, provide advice and comfort as she learns the ways of the Malinke court. However, she can’t adjust to the emperor’s Trials: Any man seeking Mariama’s hand in marriage faces a challenge in the desert. Those who fail are placed in a pot of boiling water. Disgusted and depressed, Mariama seeks to end the Trials before the 100th suitor dies. When Amie finds a magical map leading to the home of Hausakoy, god of metalworking, Mariama believes it offers a solution to her father’s brutality. Amie’s faith in family and friends is tested as she, Penda, Jeneba, and the final suitor venture into the Sahara. The oppressive imperial regime affects the lives of both Mariama and Amie, forming the foundation of their bond. Over time, Amie questions her sexuality and feelings for Mariama in a beautifully organic way. Strongly developed themes of betrayal and trust add depth to the vivid worldbuilding. Unfortunately, unresolved plotlines in this stand-alone work ultimately leave readers hanging.

Masterful storytelling let down by a lackluster ending.