There’s an old adage: Protagonism is best left to teens and the insane. It may well explain the enduring popularity of the young adult dystopian fantasy, a genre teemed with tales of fairies, dragons, magicians, witches, and all manner of fantastical ousted beings going on intrepid adventures. Entering this already saturated space is Petra Lord’s Queen of Faces.
Set in Caimor, where magic is real, the novel reimagines the rich as people who can buy and trade bodies, dubbed ‘chassis’, like clothes. They can change appearances, even outrun illnesses. Upon a cursory glance, the story follows teenagers competing for a coveted spot in the esteemed and elite magic school, Paragon, where only a select few magic-wielding humans (mages) are allowed entry.
But beneath that familiar premise lie weightier concerns: body dysmorphia, poverty, mental health, chronic illness, queer love, and birthright. At a time when trans rights are making news and gaining urgency in India and abroad, the novel offers a poignant lens into what identity can truly feel like when you’re stuck in ‘the wrong body’, forced to live as someone you are not.
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Our protagonists are Anabelle Gage and Nell-turned-Wes, one a girl crippled by an illness and stuck in a sickly boy’s chassis; the other a girl crippled by her own riches to rags story finding new and confusing liberty in a star-woven chassis of a beautiful boy. Around them unfolds a dense world of political uprising, social hierarchies, and magical systems.
The lore may feel overwhelming, and there is a lot to keep up with. There are countries that make up Caimor, oustings based on merit, and an intricate magic system with several of the mages wielding their own personal specialities, named Codexes. Then there are the envious Humdrums (non-magic folks), rogue forces attempting to bring Caimor down, backstories about lost childhoods, and regular yet complex teenage issues revolving around self-discovery.
Add to this the looming threat of Khaiove aka the Black Wraith, a formidable black mage whose very humanity seems to have come undone. But much like the rest of the text, she too has layers to her unbecoming.
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The author packs all this into a tight 420 pages. While fast-paced, the vast scope may feel disorienting to those preferring quieter reads. Lord admittedly shortened the text to one-tenth of its original 5 lakh words, and while the extent of the story does not get compromised, the depth might have suffered. Some of the protagonists’ learning might seem stilted, the emotional payoffs don’t land exactly right, and the climax resolves a touch too neatly, setting up a grand sequel.
Still, the story is tethered on a striking principle: Not all caterpillars make it out of the cocoon; some are casualties and victims, not heroes. If this idea resonates, Queen of Faces is worth the effort. And if not, the endless shelves housing YA fantasy house easier escapes.
Title: Queen of Faces
Author: Petra Lord
Publisher: HarperCollins
Price: ₹899
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