The King is Dead

Product Information

Benjamin Dean is clearly drawing on his years as a celebrity reporter to make both the tangled lives that result from the pressure and the way it's all reported feel so painfully familiar. Gossip Girl but make it royal - a Black LGBTQ+ royal reimagining full of scandalous secrets, rollercoaster romances and one hell of a mystery. This deliciously dark and addictive YA thriller follows the lives of the young, rich and famous through relationships, loves lost alongside struggles to stay alive. I loved that Benjamin wove realistic aspects of racism and homophobia into the story, showing just how true of an issue this is, not only with royals, but in tabloids as a whole. Featuring a vibrant rainbow design, and our super-sized Q logo, you won't find a more stylish way to make a statement.

Benjamin Dean | 9781398512573 | NetGalley How To Die Famous | Benjamin Dean | 9781398512573 | NetGalley

I liked the descriptive and poetic writing and rooted for James, the closeted Black seventeen-year-old King who could trust nobody. Their conclusion: a nice story, but … a bit boring and a rushed ending, a fun read but off pacing, a solid book but lacking subtlety, you name it. Of course, this book is not required to be subtle in its approach, but I do think it was so unsubtle as to be a detriment to the plot at times.Yes he is a teenager, but he makes the DUMBEST decisions that I have a hard time anyone raised to be a monarch would make. The plot twists were absolutely amazing and had me shocked at every turn, as every time I thought I had figured out what was going on, something else happened and changed my perception. Just finished this after reading this in one afternoon and I have to say I enjoyed it more as it went on!

The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean (Paperback) – Queer Lit The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean (Paperback) – Queer Lit

A scandalous peek behind the royal curtain, with more jaw-dropping, OMG-twists than even the most salacious tabloid journalist could create. When James' boyfriend suddenly goes missing, threatening envelopes appear in the palace, and gossip and scandals that only he knows are leaked to the public. I wasn’t entirely sold on how James could tell someone he loved them for the first time, find out they’re missing, then fall for someone else almost immediately afterwards.It seems like James and Eddie's mother, before she became the first Black person to marry into the royal lineage, would have—or should have—at least considered what it would mean for her future children to become royal heirs to a monarchy built on the bones of colonialism, but that didn't come up, which felt like a missed opportunity for more complexity. I love all things autumnal and baking year-round, plus I adore cats with a passion (because who doesn't?