Review: Queen of Faces

Queen of Faces

Series: Queen of Faces

Author: Petra Lord

Henry Holt, 2026

ISBN: 9781250362971 (hardcover)  

$31.99 CAD (hardcover)      

424 pages

Ages: 15 years and up

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord is an episodic dark fantasy novel set in fictional Caimor. Ana is a young witch in a world where the magical elite can swap designer bodies at will—but Ana, stuck in a body both dying and of the wrong gender, is not an elite and she cannot afford a new one. Her hope for survival lies in attending the prestigious Paragon Magic Academy and developing her magical skills. Inevitably, Ana finds herself embroiled in revolution and adventure. The book appropriately addresses growth mindset through a magic system that is founded on personal growth. Character development is central to the action.

Prose and writing style are not the strength of this book with repetitive, simplistic, and predictable sentence constructions, while the overall story remains engaging, and the reading level is accessible to the target audience. Queen of Faces is the first of an anticipated trilogy, with the sequel set to release Feb. 2027.