ESTA: Throne of Silence - The Last Queen Trilogy - Book 2 - Marin Cyrus

In The Last Queen Trilogy, surveillance states and gilded courts collide. A masked young woman holds the key to toppling a tyrannical regime—but love, betrayal, and deadly palace politics stand in her way.  Step into a breathtaking dystopian world where identity is forbidden, survival is a battle, and a hidden queen must rise to challenge an empire built on silence.

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Red Queen, Shatter Me, and The Selection, The Crownless Queen Trilogy reimagines the ancient story of Esther as a gripping sci-fi fantasy filled with political intrigue, deadly secrets, slow-burn romance, and a fierce heroine fighting for justice.

ABOUT THE TRILOGY

Born into the shadows of a regime that erased her people from history, she was never meant to be seen. Yet when fate thrusts her into the spotlight of a brutal selection meant to crown a silent queen, she must hide the truth of who she is—or risk everything.

But power always comes with a cost. And as the palace walls close in, and the fate of a forgotten nation rests on her shoulders, she’ll have to choose:

Obey. Or rise. Bow. Or burn. Survive. Or lead a revolution.

Inspired by the timeless story of Esther, The  Last Queen Trilogy is a powerful dystopian saga of hidden identity, unbreakable courage, and the fight to reclaim your voice in a world built to silence it. For fans of The Hunger Games, Red Queen, and The Selection, this series will take you on a thrilling journey through betrayal, sacrifice, and a rebellion born in silence.

The Last Queen Trilogy

• Book 1: Esta – Veil of Ashes
• Book 2: Esta – Throne of Silence
• Book 3: Esta – Sovereign Uprising

Book in production.

Marin Cyrus is a thriller and dystopian author known for her inventive storytelling and bold reimaginings of historical narratives. She specializes in transforming classic tales from the past into pulse-pounding modern epics, infusing each story with high-stakes action and deeply drawn characters.

In her acclaimed Reckoning Trilogy, a modern reimagining of the Book of Job, she explores the endurance of resilience in the face of relentless adversity. The Reckoning Trilogy, a powerful retelling of Job through the eyes of a female protagonist that casts age-old struggles in a contemporary light. 

Meanwhile, her Esta series—another trilogy—builds a dystopian world inspired by the Book of Esther, weaving suspense, high stakes, and raw human courage into a narrative about standing firm against oppressive regimes. Marin  reinterprets the story of Esther, blending tension and suspense with timely social commentary in a world on the brink.

A passionate champion of female perspectives in fiction, Marin Cyrus centers fierce, complex women at the heart of her stories. Her protagonists often channel resilience, wit, and moral courage, echoing timeless narratives while forging new, empowering paths for contemporary audiences. Through her writing, Marin invites readers to uncover fresh insights in the pages of history—even as they race through the twists and turns of a gripping thriller.

Dystopian Esther meets palace thriller: secret queen, brutal regime, court politics, and a woman who chooses courage over comfort.

1. Dystopian / Oppressive Regime Tropes

• Totalitarian state / surveillance court – power concentrated in a palace or ruling council.
• Silence-as-survival – speak wrong, disappear.
• Resistance-from-within – change the system from inside, not by open revolt.
• Propaganda vs truth – what the people are told vs what the palace knows.

2. Esther-But-Make-It-Thriller Tropes

• Ordinary girl → political queen – low visibility at the start, ascendant by strategy.
• Hidden identity / concealed origin – she can’t reveal who she is or whom she serves.
• A decree that must be stopped – classic Esther beat: a planned purge / extermination / erasure that only she can halt.
• A mentor in the shadows – the Mordecai analogue feeding intel from outside the palace.

3. Court / Palace Intrigue Tropes

• Dangerous court politics – rival consorts, ministers, and advisors.
• Powerful but unstable ruler – charming in public, ruthless in private.
• Secret councils / midnight meetings – decisions made off the record.
• “One wrong move = execution” stakes – every scene has latent danger.

4. Strong, Strategic Heroine Tropes

• Weaponised femininity – she uses what the regime underestimates: grace, beauty, poise, intelligence.
• Smart, not just chosen – she wins by planning, not destiny alone.
• Moral courage under pressure – “If I perish, I perish” energy, but in a dystopian frame.
• Loyalty vs safety – protect her people or protect herself?

5. Secrets, Masks, and Double Lives

• Courtly masquerade – what she presents to the king vs what she’s actually doing.
• Spy-in-the-palace – she’s basically running an op from the throne room.
• Encrypted / forbidden texts – messages, edicts, or histories the regime tried to erase.

6. Romantic / Tension Tropes (depending on how you lean it)

• Dangerous attraction to someone in power – the person she must influence is also the one who could kill her.
• “I can’t be seen with you” dynamic.
• Duty vs desire – love will cost the mission.

7. Trilogy / Arc Tropes

• Book 1 – rise and revelation – girl enters palace, discovers the scope of the threat.
• Book 2 – tightening noose – plots inside the court, enemies name her, decree draws near.
• Book 3 – sovereign uprising – she’s no longer surviving the system; she’s overturning it.

Book in production.

Book in production.