Book Review: The Cobra Queen by Tara Moss

The Cobra Queen

by

Tara Moss

Publisher: Echo Publishing 
Publication date: 3rd March 2020
Series: Pandora English #4
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal
Pages: 298
RRP: $29.99 AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

In the months since Pandora English left the small town of Gretchenville to live with her mysterious great aunt in a supernatural Manhattan suburb, her whole world has been turned upside down.

Pandora has discovered she is the chosen one, the Seventh Daughter of a Seventh Daughter, and during the impending Revolution of the Dead, she alone will have the power to save all life as we know it. The Agitation is unfolding, building towards the Revolution, and Pandora can no longer deny the truth in these incredible prophecies. But what will she do when the moment comes? How can she stand against the army of the dead?

Pandora’s relationship to her spirit guide, Lieutenant Luke, is intensifying. She’s had to grapple with ghosts, vampires and necromancers. Now, with the Blue Moon approaching and a new exhibition opening at The Met, which celebrates an ancient female pharaoh done wrong in antiquity, powerful forces threaten to upend the balance of life and death. Pandora is given the chance to find out what happened to her parents all those years ago, but first she must put her own supernatural gifts to the test.  

I don’t do paranormal or vampires but seeing as this was sent to me as a review request I thought I would give it a go.

First of all it’s the fourth book in the Pandora English series so I wasn’t sure if I would find myself totally confused. I’m happy to say it was really easy to follow the story even though I hadn’t read the first three books.

Pandora works for fashion magazine, Pandora in her human life. She state the name similarity is purely coincidental. However Pandora English is also The Seventh, chosen to save all humankind against the rise of the undead. Pandora’s two worlds are distinctly separate in this book and her thoughts and fears are still mostly human. She hasn’t fully accepted her role as The Seventh although she has accepted the other world and its inhabitants. We follow Pandora as she navigates both worlds, somewhat awkwardly at times.

I enjoyed the character of Pandora. She was a bit scared about this whole saving the world scenario and even a little reticent. These are traits I like in a ‘chosen one' as it makes the story more realistic and we get to see more character growth.

I loved all the history, myths and legends of Ancient Egypt.

I did enjoy the story and Pandora was very likeable. I couldn’t quite do the ghosts and the sanguine/vampires and yes, the book gave me nightmares. Thank you Tara Moss.

Readers who devour paranormal will love this series.

My rating 4/5          ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Tara Moss is an author, novelist, documentary maker and presenter, speaker and human rights advocate. Since 1999 she has written 11 bestselling books, published in 19 countries and 13 languages, including the acclaimed Mak Vanderwall crime fiction series and Pandora English paranormal series. Her first non-fiction book, the critically acclaimed The Fictional Woman, was published in 2014 and became a number one national non-fiction bestseller, and her iconic cover design, featuring her face labeled with ‘fictions’ or stereotypes about women won Best Non-Fiction Book Design. She is PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney and has earned her private investigator credentials (Cert III) from the Australian Security Academy.

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge  and the Australian Women Writers challenge