Review of Agatha the Beloved Queen

[Anastacia Goeda]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Agatha the Beloved Queen" by Fred Pilcher.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Agatha the Beloved Queen by Fred Pilcher is a novel telling the story of how the main character Agatha grew into her title of beloved queen amongst her people. The book is split by chapters, each chapter being from a different point in Agatha's life. We follow her from her time as a young girl, when she is still learning the ways of the royal court. We see her form bonds with the people in the kingdom and learn that her values differ from the rest of the upper classmen. These values definitely make it so Agatha has naysayers in the court. Will Agatha be able to serve her people as queen? Have a read and find out.

The positive aspects of this book are notable. The author does an excellent job of placing the reader in Agatha's time. The diction shows her emotion and you feel everything with her. The story is slightly unpredictable but as a reader you hope that it has the happily ever after that is typical of such a tale. The way the book is written makes you feel like you're sitting around a fire being regaled by the tales of the beloved queen Agatha.

Nothing, however, is without negative aspects. Honestly, this book is not gripping enough personally. Perhaps this genre is just not suited to me but it was a tad boring to read. Nothing captivated me and towards the end it felt like shock value was being used to keep the reader invested in the story. And, even the shock value was predictable and felt fake. The main antagonist is introduced too late in the book for the reader to truly develop any feelings towards them. They are also so flat as a character. All we see are their deeds and not really anything about the reasons behind them except the regular old "evil person does bad things" schtick. The buildup of this story is drawn out and the ending feels rushed.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars . The book is not unbearable to read but it is not the most exciting either. For a book released in 2020, you just expect more from it.

People who enjoy historical retellings are more suited to reading this book. If you like intense romance, you will not be finding it here so steer clear if that is a deal breaker.

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Agatha the Beloved Queen
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