Book Review: Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

Title: Queen of Faces
Author: Petra Lord
Series: Queen of Faces #1
Pages: 432
Publication Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, Lev Grossman, and R.F. Kuang.

Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.

But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor’s smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.

With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!

I don’t usually say judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you totally should! It’s gorgeous, and the story is exciting and dark and so incredibly immersive. I read this with Leslie @ Books Are the New Black, and we flew through it. A fast-paced, action-packed, thought-provoking fantasy, this is a great start to Petra Lord’s new series.

The story follows Anabelle Gage, who is stuck in a body that is literally falling apart, and, unable to afford a new body, she’s completely out of options. After failing to get accepted into Paragon Academy, an elite magical school, Ana does something desperate and ends up working for the magical elite. Thrown into the academy anyway, she’s forced to hunt rebels and a feared dark witch. Along the way, she teams up with a dangerous, messy crew and starts questioning who the real villains are.

I was so immersed in Ana’s story right from the beginning. She’s gone through so much and is justifiably angry, scared, stubborn, and desperate. She’s also a bit impulsive, which totally stressed me out because it led to some really intense situations. lol The story is told primarily from her and Wes’s perspectives.

The multiple POVs were great. I always like getting the perspectives of different characters. It adds so much to their stories and my understanding of their feelings and motivations, and I found Wes to be just as compelling as Ana. Wes has a much different background from Ana, and they definitely contrast each other well. Their connection is complicated and built on lies, secrets, and betrayal, and it makes for an unpredictable read. You never know who might turn on someone or who is good or bad. There were a couple of characters that took me by surprise, and I loved that!

The secondary characters were also intriguing, and I liked the found family vibes. There’s also a bit of a slow-building romance and what could be a possible love triangle. I’m not usually a fan of the love triangle trope, but in this instance, I’m curious to see how it plays out.

Overall, Queen of Faces was a really strong read with an interesting premise, memorable characters, and great themes. The magic system and worldbuilding are unique and immersive with dark academia vibes, political intrigue, manipulative authority figures, deadly rivals and allies, and an institution whose true intentions are unclear. The whole premise of chassis and body swapping reminded me a bit of Chloe Gong’s Immortal Belongings. It’s definitely a terrifying concept that leads to some thought-provoking ideas about identity, gender, dehumanization, and the abuse of power. There was one plot point that I didn’t love, but I have a feeling it will make more sense as the series continues. It definitely didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the rest of the story. It’s dark, messy, and emotional, and I’m really curious to see where it goes next.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.