Review: The Gypsy King by Maureen Fergus

Title: The Gypsy King (The Gypsy King, #1)

Author: Maureen Fergus

Publisher: Razorbill Canada

Publication date: January 22nd, 2013

Genre(s): Young Adult (Historical Fiction / Fantasy)

Source: Publisher

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 400

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A runaway slave with a shadowy past, sixteen-year-old Persephone has spent four long years toiling beneath the leering gaze of her despised owner and dreaming of a life where she is free to shape her own destiny. Then, one night, a chance encounter with a handsome chicken thief named Azriel changes her life forever.

Sold to him for a small bag of gold coins, Persephone soon discovers what she already suspected: namely, that Azriel is not what he seems. And when she realizes that he believes Persephone has a special destiny—she is determined to escape him and his impossibly broad shoulders.

But things are no longer as simple as they once were. Torn between her longing for freedom and her undeniable feelings for the handsome thief with the fast hands and the slow smile, Persephone faces the hardest choice she will ever have to make. And no one least of all her—could have imagined the shocking truth her decision will reveal.

The Gypsy King started off with an event from the past, where an old gypsy women said that there would be a gypsy kind who will make peace between two places. We are then taken to the present, where we meet Persephone. Persephone is a 16 year old runaway slave, who just adores animals and has them as her only friends. When she meets this certain thief one day, that's when her world starts to change. The next day, that certain thief comes over and "buys" Persephone from her owner. Persephone then embarks on a long journey with Azriel, and along the way, she starts learning more about the world around her.

Persephone was an amazing character to read about! She was so kind, but took care of herself very well. I loved that she loved animals, and it was great to see how a big role those animals played in the book. I loved the relationship between Azriel and Persephone, and I liked that they were more innocent than the usual young adult characters. Though I did feel like there was a bit too much detail regarding the government and the historical/political aspects, but maybe it's because I'm usually not very good at understanding them. There were a fair amount of characters that I really enjoyed reading about, and even the evil ones were a joy to read. The world building in "The Gypsy King" is amazing! i think of it as this beautiful magical forest where it's full of nature and animals. Maureen Fergus's writing style is also very enjoyable, and I liked how some chapters were about Azriel and Persephone's journey, while some were chapters about the government issues and events. 

Overall, The Gypsy King was a very enjoyable read! I was also glad to have met Maureen Fergus herself! She's a hilarious person! I would totally recommend this to all fantasy, historical fiction readers out there. Though I do recommend it to the younger "young adults." I sometimes forget that it's young adult, and sometimes I think of it as middle grade. Anyhow, I really did enjoy it overall, and I'm glad I already have my hands on the second book of the series!