Scorpica

By: G.R. Macallister

Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio

A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.

Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.

Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Shiromi Arserio skillfully balances multiple perspectives in an epic fantasy world ruled by women. When no new girls are born for several years, the five queendoms are thrown into upheaval. Arserio’s narration captures a variety of distinct characters who find themselves in emotional situations: warrior women desperately fighting for their lives, other women fiercely protecting their loved ones, and a resentful sorceress scheming behind the scenes. This wholly engrossing audiobook will absorb listeners in the politics and traditions of a world on the verge of war. Arserio’s careful pacing allows the story to unfold slowly and lets listeners focus on the world-building and the unfolding mystery."

A refreshingly original and well told tale

I really enjoyed this book. The characters and world building were rich and unique. I love the way the author brought to life a matriarchal world ruled by Queens. In Scorpica, when boys are born they’re immediately sold to other kingdoms, while girls are raised and trained as warriors. Much tradition, war, magic, and tragic deaths. Well worth a listen, the narration is just right.

Fantastic start to the series.

Well written and narrated. Look forward to the other books in series. This is my first time with this author.

Scorpica is a great book

Great characters, plot, and world building. Loved it. Cannot wait for the next installment. This woman should write the Xena Warrior Princess reboot.

Feminist fantasy

This was a great and bloody opening to the five queendoms series. If you like high fantasy with political intrigue and violence, you will like this story. I can’t wait for the next book!

Without spoiling, I’d like to answer a few questions prospective readers might have: some POV characters die, so be prepared for that. Men are mostly an afterthought with only a few who contribute to the storyline and not majorly. There are heterosexual and lesbian relationships with only one explicit sex scene and there is polygamy in one of the queendoms. As for non-binary or trans characters (the biggest question I always have with stories that seem so focused on gender): with only 1 minor non-binary character, it remains to be seen how representation might change in future books though it is a possibility in this world.

Complex characters & magic system

Love that the women you hate sometimes are the heroes, and that the ones you trust sometimes turn out to be bad people. None of them are only mothers or only props for the male characters. They are complex and feel real. The world building is rich, with religion, history, and various cultures. Yes, there are very few named male characters, and they are very peripheral. If you are okay with the inverse in books like Lord of the Rings, then I can’t see why you wouldn’t be okay with that here. If you are looking for a book where men are the most interesting and important characters, choose one of the millions of other options out there.