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Crowns #1
North Queen
Gripping and action-packed, Crowns is perfect for fans of thick plots with aching romance. This is a compelling first volume to a deliciously twisting trilogy that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
The Return of a Lost Heir…
The kingdom of Mercia has been at war with the Shadow King and his dark army for ten years. To escape the seer’s vision of her capture, Mercia’s heir to the throne, Princess Norah Andell, is secreted away by her father to keep her safe. But when he dies in battle, so too dies the knowledge of where she’s hidden. She’s lost to the world—until three years later, when she’s found with no memory of who she is or the kingdom that now rests on her shoulders.
A Conflicted Duty…
Loyal and fearless commander of the Mercian army, Alexander Rhemus, has protected the realm against the threat of the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Not only does she hold the fate of the kingdom, but also his heart. However, when she’s found, he discovers she has no memory of him, or what was once between them. With war still looming, Norah is expected to wed and secure an alliance—one Mercia desperately needs to stand against the Shadow King. Now, with Mercia’s future at stake, Alexander finds himself torn between his duty and his heart.
A Twisted Fate…
Norah is thrust into a world she doesn’t know, in a role she’s unprepared for, to save a kingdom she doesn’t remember. Under the hardship of winter and a dark enemy against them, Mercia is on the verge of breaking. As things start to unravel, the Shadow King draws Norah down a path of twisted fate—and it could cost her everything.
Praise for North Queen:
"The political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses."
- US REVIEW
"An epic tale displaying the best kind of fantasy, one dense with mysticism, magic, epic battles and mythology."
- BLUEINK REVIEW
"Gripping"
- BOOKLIFE
"Will hook readers effortlessly."
- KIRKUS
The Return of a Lost Heir…
The kingdom of Mercia has been at war with the Shadow King and his dark army for ten years. To escape the seer’s vision of her capture, Mercia’s heir to the throne, Princess Norah Andell, is secreted away by her father to keep her safe. But when he dies in battle, so too dies the knowledge of where she’s hidden. She’s lost to the world—until three years later, when she’s found with no memory of who she is or the kingdom that now rests on her shoulders.
A Conflicted Duty…
Loyal and fearless commander of the Mercian army, Alexander Rhemus, has protected the realm against the threat of the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Not only does she hold the fate of the kingdom, but also his heart. However, when she’s found, he discovers she has no memory of him, or what was once between them. With war still looming, Norah is expected to wed and secure an alliance—one Mercia desperately needs to stand against the Shadow King. Now, with Mercia’s future at stake, Alexander finds himself torn between his duty and his heart.
A Twisted Fate…
Norah is thrust into a world she doesn’t know, in a role she’s unprepared for, to save a kingdom she doesn’t remember. Under the hardship of winter and a dark enemy against them, Mercia is on the verge of breaking. As things start to unravel, the Shadow King draws Norah down a path of twisted fate—and it could cost her everything.
Praise for North Queen:
"The political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses."
- US REVIEW
"An epic tale displaying the best kind of fantasy, one dense with mysticism, magic, epic battles and mythology."
- BLUEINK REVIEW
"Gripping"
- BOOKLIFE
"Will hook readers effortlessly."
- KIRKUS
587 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2023
1564 people are currently reading
37650 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Tyche
7 books462 followersNicola Tyche is an American author writing romantic fantasy and fantasy romance, paranormal and urban fantasy, and other women’s fiction. Suspenseful plot twists, strong heroines, relatable villains, and melt-your-insides anti-heroes are ingredients for every book, and Nicola is a sucker for a happily ever after.
Praise for North Queen:
"The political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses."
- US REVIEW
"An epic tale displaying the best kind of fantasy."
- BLUEINK REVIEW
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/nicolatyche
Keep up on the latest news, get first chance at new books, behind-the-scenes peeks, giveaways, and more:
Website ➤ www.nicolatyche.com
Facebook Reader Group ➤ www.facebook.com/groups/nicolatyche
Facebook ➤ @nicolatyche
Instagram ➤ @nicolatyche
TikTok ➤ @nicolatyche
Praise for North Queen:
"The political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses."
- US REVIEW
"An epic tale displaying the best kind of fantasy."
- BLUEINK REVIEW
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/nicolatyche
Keep up on the latest news, get first chance at new books, behind-the-scenes peeks, giveaways, and more:
Website ➤ www.nicolatyche.com
Facebook Reader Group ➤ www.facebook.com/groups/nicolatyche
Facebook ➤ @nicolatyche
Instagram ➤ @nicolatyche
TikTok ➤ @nicolatyche
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 726 reviews
July 14, 2023
This book had me in the first half, not gonna lie. But I’m going to include the quote that turned things around for me. “Although their faces were covered, Norah could see they were darker-skinned people, the color of bronzed sand.” Nothing wrong with the quote itself, right? But then the rest of the story happens. And as Norah is whisked deeper into the land of Kharav and pulled into the customs of their people, it was like the beginnings of colonialism. Norah, in this land with people of bronze skin. They kill and murderer without thought and it is so unlike the North where she and her fellow pale people live. The bronze skinned people take multiple wives and go in various states of undress which the North shames.
And meanwhile this king, which she has mixed feelings for, is forgoing customs, bending rules, allowing Norah to break terms of their agreement, all because he fancies her. Every complaint Norah has about the customs of Mikael’s people, he addresses and changes. It didn’t sit right with me.
It put a bad taste in my mouth and really underlies the importance of sensitivity readers. We have seen time and time again where people of darker complexion are seen as “savage” and “uncivilized” because their ways are not what white people are used to. And though this story may not use those terms, it’s written in between the lines. If someone from a marginalized community of color had read this, maybe it would’ve been caught. Maybe someone of a marginalized community did read this and saw no error. But I take that and raise changing the rhetoric we continue to spit in the world that white is pure and good and dark is bad.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
And meanwhile this king, which she has mixed feelings for, is forgoing customs, bending rules, allowing Norah to break terms of their agreement, all because he fancies her. Every complaint Norah has about the customs of Mikael’s people, he addresses and changes. It didn’t sit right with me.
It put a bad taste in my mouth and really underlies the importance of sensitivity readers. We have seen time and time again where people of darker complexion are seen as “savage” and “uncivilized” because their ways are not what white people are used to. And though this story may not use those terms, it’s written in between the lines. If someone from a marginalized community of color had read this, maybe it would’ve been caught. Maybe someone of a marginalized community did read this and saw no error. But I take that and raise changing the rhetoric we continue to spit in the world that white is pure and good and dark is bad.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 8, 2023
I LOVE THIS BOOK
Truly don’t even know how to write a review for it because I just loved every single page of it?? Absolutely fantastic. The fantasy book I’ve been searching for to get me out of a months long reading slump. It’s fresh, unique, unpredictable, keeps you up way too late turning the page because you just need to finish “one more chapter”…and the characters! The world building! And this was the author’s debut novel? Umm ma’am, I am insanely excited to continue following your writing journey because if this was the start??? Can’t even imagine where you’ll be in a year.
I love Norah. I love that she observes that her name doesn’t sound queenly 😂 I love her independence and inner drive even when she has no memories and is advised to just go along with whatever her grandmother says. Though her headstrong personality gets her into trouble sometimes (look, she def made decisions that I was not happy about 😂), she’s confident in who she is and what she believes is right…even though she has no recollection of her past.
ALSO MIKAEL. Our Shadow King. I love how open he is to hearing Norah out and trying to see things from her perspective. He’s open to change and willing to try new ways of life and I just love that about him.
Alexander is fine. Mikael is superior. 😂
Gonna go jump into the arc of book two now!
Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions were not influenced by this.
Truly don’t even know how to write a review for it because I just loved every single page of it?? Absolutely fantastic. The fantasy book I’ve been searching for to get me out of a months long reading slump. It’s fresh, unique, unpredictable, keeps you up way too late turning the page because you just need to finish “one more chapter”…and the characters! The world building! And this was the author’s debut novel? Umm ma’am, I am insanely excited to continue following your writing journey because if this was the start??? Can’t even imagine where you’ll be in a year.
I love Norah. I love that she observes that her name doesn’t sound queenly 😂 I love her independence and inner drive even when she has no memories and is advised to just go along with whatever her grandmother says. Though her headstrong personality gets her into trouble sometimes (look, she def made decisions that I was not happy about 😂), she’s confident in who she is and what she believes is right…even though she has no recollection of her past.
ALSO MIKAEL. Our Shadow King. I love how open he is to hearing Norah out and trying to see things from her perspective. He’s open to change and willing to try new ways of life and I just love that about him.
Alexander is fine. Mikael is superior. 😂
Gonna go jump into the arc of book two now!
Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions were not influenced by this.
June 15, 2023
*Huge thanks to the author and Netgalley for an opportunity to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
What a polarizing book this was for me. I have some stuff to say but before that, let's talk about things that did work for me (with one rule: ignore the first 25% of the book).
I appreciated the barest hint of magic in this one. For once, you know, I think a hint of magic in a book is exactly what I need (especially when I was tandem reading this book with a heavy magic/fantasy book). Also, court drama? I'm always into the internal turbulence of any type of institution. The messy, the better. Also, I didn't expect the marriage of convenience plot there. I was expecting the pining for the childhood best friend type of love but nope. Nice job by the author there.
Nevertheless, what the author did right, she also went completely off the track in another way. Well, at least in my humble opinion. Because listen, that first 25%, was utter shit. I swear, I've never read something so useless to the plot it was infuriating. I probably would've dnfed it so fast if it wasn't an ARC. Everything in that first quarter is cringy, hard to read, and nonsensical. I wanted to reach my hands into the story and pushed the characters in the right direction, repositioning them right, smacking their heads some. It was that frustrating.
With that said, as this was this author's debut work, I get it.
It felt lost. Yup, the plot seems to be lost. It doesn't know what it was supposed to be, so it was kinda wandering in the dark, trying to find its pacing and direction. You can condense the first 25% in a few pages and you wouldn't lose anything from the story, it was that redundant. In this case, since I don't know anything about publishing, editing or writing, I wish someone could point this author in the right direction because, beneath all these issues, this book has its better moment. Or as I like to call it, this book has some good meat. The bones need to be restructured a bit but the meat is there.
The characters sure need some better characterizations, it sent shivers down my spine whenever I remember how bad it was in that first 100 pages. The motives were there, it was pretty decently established. The worldbuilding could need some help, especially during the first half *brrr shivers* but it was pretty good.
To make it easier to imagine what I went through with this book, here were my feelings. The first 25%, shit. The next 50%, average. The final 25%, amazing.
So, where did that leave me? This book was NOT bad though, despite my frustrations. Just because it took me almost a month to get through the shitty part, it's not that unreadable. It left me wanting to continue the series. There's this also complicated fond feeling I have for this book because this was a debut work from the author and the book did find its pacing and rhythm in the end.
No matter what, I believe that this author is just going to get better from now on. And also, hey, maybe it was just me that found the whole initial establishment of the story unbearable.
What a polarizing book this was for me. I have some stuff to say but before that, let's talk about things that did work for me (with one rule: ignore the first 25% of the book).
I appreciated the barest hint of magic in this one. For once, you know, I think a hint of magic in a book is exactly what I need (especially when I was tandem reading this book with a heavy magic/fantasy book). Also, court drama? I'm always into the internal turbulence of any type of institution. The messy, the better. Also, I didn't expect the marriage of convenience plot there. I was expecting the pining for the childhood best friend type of love but nope. Nice job by the author there.
Nevertheless, what the author did right, she also went completely off the track in another way. Well, at least in my humble opinion. Because listen, that first 25%, was utter shit. I swear, I've never read something so useless to the plot it was infuriating. I probably would've dnfed it so fast if it wasn't an ARC. Everything in that first quarter is cringy, hard to read, and nonsensical. I wanted to reach my hands into the story and pushed the characters in the right direction, repositioning them right, smacking their heads some. It was that frustrating.
With that said, as this was this author's debut work, I get it.
It felt lost. Yup, the plot seems to be lost. It doesn't know what it was supposed to be, so it was kinda wandering in the dark, trying to find its pacing and direction. You can condense the first 25% in a few pages and you wouldn't lose anything from the story, it was that redundant. In this case, since I don't know anything about publishing, editing or writing, I wish someone could point this author in the right direction because, beneath all these issues, this book has its better moment. Or as I like to call it, this book has some good meat. The bones need to be restructured a bit but the meat is there.
The characters sure need some better characterizations, it sent shivers down my spine whenever I remember how bad it was in that first 100 pages. The motives were there, it was pretty decently established. The worldbuilding could need some help, especially during the first half *brrr shivers* but it was pretty good.
To make it easier to imagine what I went through with this book, here were my feelings. The first 25%, shit. The next 50%, average. The final 25%, amazing.
So, where did that leave me? This book was NOT bad though, despite my frustrations. Just because it took me almost a month to get through the shitty part, it's not that unreadable. It left me wanting to continue the series. There's this also complicated fond feeling I have for this book because this was a debut work from the author and the book did find its pacing and rhythm in the end.
No matter what, I believe that this author is just going to get better from now on. And also, hey, maybe it was just me that found the whole initial establishment of the story unbearable.
March 27, 2025
“EXCUSE THE Fk OUT OF ME—WHY AM I CRYING OVER HOW GOOD THIS YARNING IS?!"
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5
Audio performance : 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5
Series: Crowns #1
Series Type: COMPLETED, Series
Genre: Fantasy
Sub Genre: High Fantasy, Historical, Romantic Fantasy
Tropes:
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Lost memorys
- Morally Black (he kills someone for her)
- Plot twists
- Political intrigue
- Secrets and Intrigue
- Slow burn
Other:
- Fantasy Species: Humans, Other fantastic creatures
- Format: Audible, Kindle Unlimited, Whisper sync
- Plot/Character Driven: Both
- Pacing: Fast
- POV: Multiple POVS
- Narration type: 3rd person limited Audio - Dual POV narration
- Character gender : F/M
- Spicy chapters: 78%
- Narrator names : Connor Brannigan, Katherine Kennard, Zach Hoffman
- Comparison titles: Game of thrones x Reign (tv show) x
- Popular boyfriend comparison: Alex (Hunt) & Mikael (Lorcan)
First of this is ROMANTIC Fantasy (Not Fantasy Romance, hard to Distinguish in 1min videos on Tiktok), so it still has romance but its not always the focus.
👨👧 Characters
OH. MY. GOSH. These characters are SERVING. I’m talking full-on, no crumbs, just GIVING IT ALL. When I say I felt EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION. I’m not even exaggerating. Like, normally multiple POVs can feel disconnected, but not here. This? It’s like the emotional intensity hit me like a truck. You can FEEL the hurt, the confusion, the pain. You get it in your BONES. And don’t get me started on the female MCcYES, she makes mistakes! But that’s the beauty of her character! She’s not perfect, she’s real, and she’s been through the ringer. Homegirl literally LOST HER MEMORIES, and that’s NOT A SPOILER because it’s revealed straight away. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. Between the memory loss and the castle escape? Oh, I’m begging for answers. And the foreshadowing? Chef’s kiss. It’s subtle, but when it hits? You’re like DAMN, I SHOULD’VE SEEN THAT COMING!
🌎 World Building & Magic (for Fantasy lovers)
Imagine Merlin vibes with a sprinkle of political intrigue. You’ve got your medieval romance, but ALSO, it’s smart, it’s deep, and the world building? PERFECTLY paced. We get just a hint of magic, mostly magical creatures, but something tells me this is only the tip of the iceberg. And the political maneuvering? I’m HERE FOR IT. This book takes a turn you don’t see coming, and it’s such a damn nice break from the usual fantasy tropes.
♥️ What I Loved
Okay, hold up. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO SHE’S GONNA END UP WITH, AND IT’S KILLING ME. Seriously, the yearning? The tension? Ugh. It’s like a sick feeling in my stomach, and I LOVE IT. We’re dealing with MULTIPLE love interests here, and I’m not just talking two I'm saying this is a full-blown love octagon, and I AM LIVING for it. The slow burn is so delicious. The emotions hit harder than any spice would. And that uncertainty? It’s like nothing I’ve read before, and I am HERE for it.
💔 What I Didn’t Like
At first, I thought maybe I’d give this a 4.5, but NOPE. After letting it sit and marinate? I literally CAN’T think of a single thing I didn’t like. It gave me EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION. I needed. It had me pacing around the house, reading, listening, feeling sick with excitement. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I genuinely can’t ask for more than that.
📝 Overall Thoughts
If you need something with a solid plot and ROMANCE that is STILL everything, this is IT. This book is different, fun, and SO EXCITING. I am 100% HERE for this ride.
🚨 Spoilers Below (Because I Can’t Hold It In)
I SCREAMED when I found out this dude had THREE OTHER WIVES. Like, EXCUSE ME? I thought this guy was a main love interest? HAAAAAAA, NOPE. He’s morally GREY, but like nope, not about it. Homeboy, go away. He’s a mess, but I’m low-key obsessed with him, so I hate that I love him. If he’s not the villain, I’m about to lose my mind.
And, like, I might be lowkey team Alex, but also, IDK what’s happening with him. Is he turning into the villain? Will there be more love interests??? The questions are KILLING me. I need BOOK 2, like YESTERDAY. This story ate and I’m just sitting here, waiting for the next round.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5
Audio performance : 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5
Series: Crowns #1
Series Type: COMPLETED, Series
Genre: Fantasy
Sub Genre: High Fantasy, Historical, Romantic Fantasy
Tropes:
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Lost memorys
- Morally Black (he kills someone for her)
- Plot twists
- Political intrigue
- Secrets and Intrigue
- Slow burn
Other:
- Fantasy Species: Humans, Other fantastic creatures
- Format: Audible, Kindle Unlimited, Whisper sync
- Plot/Character Driven: Both
- Pacing: Fast
- POV: Multiple POVS
- Narration type: 3rd person limited Audio - Dual POV narration
- Character gender : F/M
- Spicy chapters: 78%
- Narrator names : Connor Brannigan, Katherine Kennard, Zach Hoffman
- Comparison titles: Game of thrones x Reign (tv show) x
- Popular boyfriend comparison: Alex (Hunt) & Mikael (Lorcan)
First of this is ROMANTIC Fantasy (Not Fantasy Romance, hard to Distinguish in 1min videos on Tiktok), so it still has romance but its not always the focus.
👨👧 Characters
OH. MY. GOSH. These characters are SERVING. I’m talking full-on, no crumbs, just GIVING IT ALL. When I say I felt EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION. I’m not even exaggerating. Like, normally multiple POVs can feel disconnected, but not here. This? It’s like the emotional intensity hit me like a truck. You can FEEL the hurt, the confusion, the pain. You get it in your BONES. And don’t get me started on the female MCcYES, she makes mistakes! But that’s the beauty of her character! She’s not perfect, she’s real, and she’s been through the ringer. Homegirl literally LOST HER MEMORIES, and that’s NOT A SPOILER because it’s revealed straight away. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. Between the memory loss and the castle escape? Oh, I’m begging for answers. And the foreshadowing? Chef’s kiss. It’s subtle, but when it hits? You’re like DAMN, I SHOULD’VE SEEN THAT COMING!
🌎 World Building & Magic (for Fantasy lovers)
Imagine Merlin vibes with a sprinkle of political intrigue. You’ve got your medieval romance, but ALSO, it’s smart, it’s deep, and the world building? PERFECTLY paced. We get just a hint of magic, mostly magical creatures, but something tells me this is only the tip of the iceberg. And the political maneuvering? I’m HERE FOR IT. This book takes a turn you don’t see coming, and it’s such a damn nice break from the usual fantasy tropes.
♥️ What I Loved
Okay, hold up. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO SHE’S GONNA END UP WITH, AND IT’S KILLING ME. Seriously, the yearning? The tension? Ugh. It’s like a sick feeling in my stomach, and I LOVE IT. We’re dealing with MULTIPLE love interests here, and I’m not just talking two I'm saying this is a full-blown love octagon, and I AM LIVING for it. The slow burn is so delicious. The emotions hit harder than any spice would. And that uncertainty? It’s like nothing I’ve read before, and I am HERE for it.
💔 What I Didn’t Like
At first, I thought maybe I’d give this a 4.5, but NOPE. After letting it sit and marinate? I literally CAN’T think of a single thing I didn’t like. It gave me EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION. I needed. It had me pacing around the house, reading, listening, feeling sick with excitement. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I genuinely can’t ask for more than that.
📝 Overall Thoughts
If you need something with a solid plot and ROMANCE that is STILL everything, this is IT. This book is different, fun, and SO EXCITING. I am 100% HERE for this ride.
🚨 Spoilers Below (Because I Can’t Hold It In)
I SCREAMED when I found out this dude had THREE OTHER WIVES. Like, EXCUSE ME? I thought this guy was a main love interest? HAAAAAAA, NOPE. He’s morally GREY, but like nope, not about it. Homeboy, go away. He’s a mess, but I’m low-key obsessed with him, so I hate that I love him. If he’s not the villain, I’m about to lose my mind.
And, like, I might be lowkey team Alex, but also, IDK what’s happening with him. Is he turning into the villain? Will there be more love interests??? The questions are KILLING me. I need BOOK 2, like YESTERDAY. This story ate and I’m just sitting here, waiting for the next round.
February 5, 2024
"Have I not given you everything?"
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Norah and Mikael. (Mostly Norah´s)
I liked Norah´s character overall, I liked how brave and yet also kind she was. How she wanted to show mercy to people but also didn´t shy away from a fight. Sometimes she came across a bit naive to me, but I am hoping she will have some character growth in the second book. Now Mikael (new shadow daddy, hello) was so sweet towards her and it had a bit of the "hates everybody but her" kind of vibe. But sometimes he was a little bit too soft for me.
Regarding side characters I really liked Vitalia and how she grew as a character and how she grew into different roles. I´m excited to see more of Serene and of Kiran in the following books to make up my mind about their characters.
Plotwise this definitely has a more fantasy feel to it than a "romantasy" feel if that makes sense to you. I loved the different kingdoms and the politics that played into it and the pacing of the book is well done. Those elements definitely were more the main focus in this book and I´d say the romance served more of a side act. With that said, don´t expect many smutty scenes in this one. However I enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibes, especially the enemies part. I liked a good slowburn and this one definitely feels well drawn out. There are many good action and fight scenes in here that I enjoyed a lot and I would say overall the book is fast paced and does well to entertain. I loved the short parts from Mikael´s POV, to see and understand his side of the story. I liked the interactions between the characters, definitely some chemistry and tension there.
Overall it was a great read and I hope to be able to dive further into the story with the second book.
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Norah and Mikael. (Mostly Norah´s)
I liked Norah´s character overall, I liked how brave and yet also kind she was. How she wanted to show mercy to people but also didn´t shy away from a fight. Sometimes she came across a bit naive to me, but I am hoping she will have some character growth in the second book. Now Mikael (new shadow daddy, hello) was so sweet towards her and it had a bit of the "hates everybody but her" kind of vibe. But sometimes he was a little bit too soft for me.
Regarding side characters I really liked Vitalia and how she grew as a character and how she grew into different roles. I´m excited to see more of Serene and of Kiran in the following books to make up my mind about their characters.
Plotwise this definitely has a more fantasy feel to it than a "romantasy" feel if that makes sense to you. I loved the different kingdoms and the politics that played into it and the pacing of the book is well done. Those elements definitely were more the main focus in this book and I´d say the romance served more of a side act. With that said, don´t expect many smutty scenes in this one. However I enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibes, especially the enemies part. I liked a good slowburn and this one definitely feels well drawn out. There are many good action and fight scenes in here that I enjoyed a lot and I would say overall the book is fast paced and does well to entertain. I loved the short parts from Mikael´s POV, to see and understand his side of the story. I liked the interactions between the characters, definitely some chemistry and tension there.
Overall it was a great read and I hope to be able to dive further into the story with the second book.
May 31, 2023
I don’t have words for how in love with this book I am. This was so beautifully written and I was addicted from the first page to the last. For that matter, I am still invested and have already marked my calendar for the release of the second book.
The story follows Norah as she wakes up with no memory of her life up to that point and quickly learns she is to be crowned a queen. It seems the course of her life has been decided for her and she has no choice but to follow its course. It turns out that course is not as clear as it initially seems and she has more power over her future and that of her people than she thought.
The characters are not cookie cutter, but rather are a wonderful mix of good, bad, morally grey, caring, conflicted, and passionate. There is not perfect character without flaws or struggles. The realistic nature of the characters causes their stories to truly resonate.
A wild adventure full of twists, turns, and the unexpected, it takes a refreshing look at fate and how one’s reaction to a known fate can change that fate. It examines the complexities of all forms of relationships. The entire story is shrouded in an air of mystery that makes it impossible to put down.
If anyone needs me on August 1st, I will be reading Shadow Queen and will be unavailable for anything else.
The story follows Norah as she wakes up with no memory of her life up to that point and quickly learns she is to be crowned a queen. It seems the course of her life has been decided for her and she has no choice but to follow its course. It turns out that course is not as clear as it initially seems and she has more power over her future and that of her people than she thought.
The characters are not cookie cutter, but rather are a wonderful mix of good, bad, morally grey, caring, conflicted, and passionate. There is not perfect character without flaws or struggles. The realistic nature of the characters causes their stories to truly resonate.
A wild adventure full of twists, turns, and the unexpected, it takes a refreshing look at fate and how one’s reaction to a known fate can change that fate. It examines the complexities of all forms of relationships. The entire story is shrouded in an air of mystery that makes it impossible to put down.
If anyone needs me on August 1st, I will be reading Shadow Queen and will be unavailable for anything else.
September 30, 2024
The scenery and character development is there but I’m not gonna lie I’m still confused as to what’s going on. Also there’s a cliffhanger ending. It’s fantasy so maybe it’s just all groundwork for the series and I will pickup book 2.
# North Queen
# 9/26/2024 ~ 9/29/2024
# 3.5 / 5.0
# North Queen
# 9/26/2024 ~ 9/29/2024
# 3.5 / 5.0
July 13, 2023
This book was SO GOOD 😭 and now sits at one of my top reads of 2023! Romantasy fans will loooove this series! Also we have The Villain Gets the Girl which you guys know is my all time favorite trope 🖤 put that together with arranged marriage, forced proximity, kidnapping and a slow burn filled with tension … I was in utter heaven 🫠
I love fantasy books where the romance is the focus of the story and this one delivers just that with a slight touch of magic. The story starts off with Norah waking up alone in the middle of a forest and having no recollection of how she got there or who she is. This not only made the story super intriguing right from the very beginning (my eyes were GLUED to the pages) but also made it easy to absorb the worldbuilding since we were discovering it alongside Norah.
As Norah discovers that she is the future Queen of Mercia, she is thrown into a life of duty and harsh choices without even understanding who she is and who to trust. She doesn’t even remember Alexander… her once first love who is obsessed with her. But duty comes first and she must marry to save her kingdom from the horrible Shadowlands and their ruthless Shadow King. But then this Shadow King goes and kidnaps her and kills her entire army… I was SCREAMING. Yes I’m team #shadowdaddy
…And that ladies & gentlemen is how one reads until 5am in the morning.
Thankgods the sequel comes out in august 🔥
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review
I love fantasy books where the romance is the focus of the story and this one delivers just that with a slight touch of magic. The story starts off with Norah waking up alone in the middle of a forest and having no recollection of how she got there or who she is. This not only made the story super intriguing right from the very beginning (my eyes were GLUED to the pages) but also made it easy to absorb the worldbuilding since we were discovering it alongside Norah.
As Norah discovers that she is the future Queen of Mercia, she is thrown into a life of duty and harsh choices without even understanding who she is and who to trust. She doesn’t even remember Alexander… her once first love who is obsessed with her. But duty comes first and she must marry to save her kingdom from the horrible Shadowlands and their ruthless Shadow King. But then this Shadow King goes and kidnaps her and kills her entire army… I was SCREAMING. Yes I’m team #shadowdaddy
…And that ladies & gentlemen is how one reads until 5am in the morning.
Thankgods the sequel comes out in august 🔥
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review
June 22, 2023
North Queen follows our main character Norah, heir to the crown of Mercia. Her (future) kingdom is at war with the Shadow King for the last ten years. When a vision was shown of her capture by him, her father tried to change fate and took her away to safety. She has been gone for three years and nobody knows where her father took her. When she is finally found by the regents lord Justice Alexander, they find out that she has lost all of her memories...
Half of the book focuses mostly on Norah's memory loss. She was found in a forest called 'The Wild' and it is here she sees strange things like a fox that seemed to guide her and the people who attacked her anxiously killing themselves by an invisible 'force'. She is then found and brought back to the kingdom by Alexander, where she spends time trying to cover up her memory loss and discovering her kingdom and it's people again. She seems to be finding pieces of the puzzle back by touch and reliving things, mostly with Alexander - who she again catches feelings for. She's also slowly turning back into the more rebellious version of herself.
She eventually hears she is to marry a king she's 'never' met before, to strengthen her kingdom in the war against the shadow king, she is horrified but goes along with it for the sake of her people. She goes on a trip to meet him and is then captured by the Shadow King.
The book for me divides in two; the first half heavily focuses on Norah trying to memorize and kinda re-discover herself. There is tension between her and Alexander and a lot of mystery. Who is she? What happened to her? Where did she go those three years? Would she become the same person she was before? Will there be scheming? What is up with the Wild? Who is the Shadow King and why are they at war? Would she doubt anything she's told by people who know of her memory loss?
The second half of this book focuses on her relationship with the shadow king, her new path to marry him instead of Philipp, after she has been captured and is shown the other side of the story. She sees a kindness in the king. He proposes eventually to not go along with his original plan to use her as bait and kill her to strengthen his position in this war and marry her instead. And she agrees, it would bring peace upon her kingdom without any more deaths.
Towards the end of the book, Norah is definitely catching feelings and being torn about this; what does it say about her for liking such a blood lusting king? She is definitely trying to find her place in all of this. Norah is by character a softer, positive personality and she hates all the death surrounding her. Eventually, the vision of Mikael - the shadow king- 's death seems to become reality when Alexander, the lord justice, also known as the bear, leaves for the Kingdom of Aleon - King Philipps kingdom - for a 'quest'. Norah can't believe her grandmother would go against her and choose war regardless of her marriage. She decides to fake her escapes to her kingdom to go see the powerful seer that Mikaels been to for his fate, to finally found out what may have happened to her memories...
A few plus and minus points;
Please note: I'm a pretty picky reader and details do matter to me.
Here's things I loved and thought could use some improvements:
+ The writing of this book is amazing. It's pretty much flawless, it's descriptive enough to imagine everything and not overly descriptive where it just becomes word vomit. It captivates everything perfectly and I found no repetitiveness.
+ The characters are very likable and their relationships are slowly but steadily build.
+ Intriguing mysteries surround the character; it gets you involved and you just want those answers.
- I thought the memory loss was prominently focused on in the first half of the book and then barely spoken of towards the second half. It is mentioned a few times here and there, but you don't really see this again in her behaviour. She's a more confident lady and seems to know a lot, while in the first half she was more the opposite. She did seem to have most of her memory back through Alexander but it would still show in her not knowing or recognizing things, I think this could have had a smoother transition.
- Also in the first half she corrects people to call her Norah, not queen etc - but doesn't seem to mind this when the shadow king constantly calls her this, rather than her name. She calls him by his name, but doesn't mind the distant approach towards her? They're an energy that pulls them together as much as drives them away from eachother, however I found it took a long time for them to get more personal in words too, especially cause theyre so drawn to eachother in feeling.
I personally didn't feel the connection between her and the Shadow King. I felt more tension between her and Alexander, it was something forbidden but nothing able to fight against. Whereas for the Shadow King, he was just kind to her and she catches feelings rather quickly (however she is doubting about this all the time), as for Mikael - the shadow king - he turns ,,wuss'' kinda fast and I found it a little off putting, it takes away the tension and he is less dark & violent, which he is described as. I think he changes too fast for her, and I would've loved to see him continue on in his old ways for longer and them growing closer slowly.
All in all, this book was a fun read and I'm still very curious what is going on with the Wild, the visions, what is the seer going to tell her; where will she stand in all of this, where has she been those three years and what will change! I think book one has been the set up for the story, for you to meet the characters and get to know the dynamic in relationships, before it really sets off. And it definitely holds enough intrigue for me to want to read the second book!
Rating: 3.5 rounded up.
If you like: Love Triangle, special connection with animals, enemies to lovers, slow burn, multiple pov, mystery in a fantasy book: This book may be the one for you! :)
Half of the book focuses mostly on Norah's memory loss. She was found in a forest called 'The Wild' and it is here she sees strange things like a fox that seemed to guide her and the people who attacked her anxiously killing themselves by an invisible 'force'. She is then found and brought back to the kingdom by Alexander, where she spends time trying to cover up her memory loss and discovering her kingdom and it's people again. She seems to be finding pieces of the puzzle back by touch and reliving things, mostly with Alexander - who she again catches feelings for. She's also slowly turning back into the more rebellious version of herself.
She eventually hears she is to marry a king she's 'never' met before, to strengthen her kingdom in the war against the shadow king, she is horrified but goes along with it for the sake of her people. She goes on a trip to meet him and is then captured by the Shadow King.
The book for me divides in two; the first half heavily focuses on Norah trying to memorize and kinda re-discover herself. There is tension between her and Alexander and a lot of mystery. Who is she? What happened to her? Where did she go those three years? Would she become the same person she was before? Will there be scheming? What is up with the Wild? Who is the Shadow King and why are they at war? Would she doubt anything she's told by people who know of her memory loss?
The second half of this book focuses on her relationship with the shadow king, her new path to marry him instead of Philipp, after she has been captured and is shown the other side of the story. She sees a kindness in the king. He proposes eventually to not go along with his original plan to use her as bait and kill her to strengthen his position in this war and marry her instead. And she agrees, it would bring peace upon her kingdom without any more deaths.
Towards the end of the book, Norah is definitely catching feelings and being torn about this; what does it say about her for liking such a blood lusting king? She is definitely trying to find her place in all of this. Norah is by character a softer, positive personality and she hates all the death surrounding her. Eventually, the vision of Mikael - the shadow king- 's death seems to become reality when Alexander, the lord justice, also known as the bear, leaves for the Kingdom of Aleon - King Philipps kingdom - for a 'quest'. Norah can't believe her grandmother would go against her and choose war regardless of her marriage. She decides to fake her escapes to her kingdom to go see the powerful seer that Mikaels been to for his fate, to finally found out what may have happened to her memories...
A few plus and minus points;
Please note: I'm a pretty picky reader and details do matter to me.
Here's things I loved and thought could use some improvements:
+ The writing of this book is amazing. It's pretty much flawless, it's descriptive enough to imagine everything and not overly descriptive where it just becomes word vomit. It captivates everything perfectly and I found no repetitiveness.
+ The characters are very likable and their relationships are slowly but steadily build.
+ Intriguing mysteries surround the character; it gets you involved and you just want those answers.
- I thought the memory loss was prominently focused on in the first half of the book and then barely spoken of towards the second half. It is mentioned a few times here and there, but you don't really see this again in her behaviour. She's a more confident lady and seems to know a lot, while in the first half she was more the opposite. She did seem to have most of her memory back through Alexander but it would still show in her not knowing or recognizing things, I think this could have had a smoother transition.
- Also in the first half she corrects people to call her Norah, not queen etc - but doesn't seem to mind this when the shadow king constantly calls her this, rather than her name. She calls him by his name, but doesn't mind the distant approach towards her? They're an energy that pulls them together as much as drives them away from eachother, however I found it took a long time for them to get more personal in words too, especially cause theyre so drawn to eachother in feeling.
I personally didn't feel the connection between her and the Shadow King. I felt more tension between her and Alexander, it was something forbidden but nothing able to fight against. Whereas for the Shadow King, he was just kind to her and she catches feelings rather quickly (however she is doubting about this all the time), as for Mikael - the shadow king - he turns ,,wuss'' kinda fast and I found it a little off putting, it takes away the tension and he is less dark & violent, which he is described as. I think he changes too fast for her, and I would've loved to see him continue on in his old ways for longer and them growing closer slowly.
All in all, this book was a fun read and I'm still very curious what is going on with the Wild, the visions, what is the seer going to tell her; where will she stand in all of this, where has she been those three years and what will change! I think book one has been the set up for the story, for you to meet the characters and get to know the dynamic in relationships, before it really sets off. And it definitely holds enough intrigue for me to want to read the second book!
Rating: 3.5 rounded up.
If you like: Love Triangle, special connection with animals, enemies to lovers, slow burn, multiple pov, mystery in a fantasy book: This book may be the one for you! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2023
My thoughts might be jumbled right now but I want to get this out before I forget everything rushing into my head:
The first half of this book had me hyped, I really thought it was going to pick up the pace from a somewhat slow start. I really wanted this book to take a far different turn than it did.
I don’t like love squares. The tension between Norah and Alexander, the odd coupling of Mikael and Norah, and the somewhat lacking in any real depth situation between Soren and Mikael. All of it felt a bit undeveloped and underwhelming, and when I am reading a 500+ page book, I guess I expect more to actually take place.
Was it a decent start to a series? Sure, it had my interest piqued. But when the second half of the book started I felt the ebb of excitement wane greatly.
Norah has a lot of hard decisions to make, especially when she has amnesia and can’t remember her life. But at the same time, I think she made a lot of wrong decisions and is trusting all the wrong people. I mean how many red flags does Mikael have to throw for her to finally see he’s problematic?
I’m sad to say I didn’t love this as I hoped I would. Did the ending have me craving the sequel? I’m not so sure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for the arc.
The first half of this book had me hyped, I really thought it was going to pick up the pace from a somewhat slow start. I really wanted this book to take a far different turn than it did.
I don’t like love squares. The tension between Norah and Alexander, the odd coupling of Mikael and Norah, and the somewhat lacking in any real depth situation between Soren and Mikael. All of it felt a bit undeveloped and underwhelming, and when I am reading a 500+ page book, I guess I expect more to actually take place.
Was it a decent start to a series? Sure, it had my interest piqued. But when the second half of the book started I felt the ebb of excitement wane greatly.
Norah has a lot of hard decisions to make, especially when she has amnesia and can’t remember her life. But at the same time, I think she made a lot of wrong decisions and is trusting all the wrong people. I mean how many red flags does Mikael have to throw for her to finally see he’s problematic?
I’m sad to say I didn’t love this as I hoped I would. Did the ending have me craving the sequel? I’m not so sure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for the arc.
October 1, 2023
I’ve a love and hate relationship with this book. Especially Norah.
Mikael is 🔥🧨!
—multiple POV.
—love triangle.
—political intrigue.
—well written.
Safety:
Hero was faithful to heroine from the first meeting itself BUT…. In his culture it’s normal to have many wives for kings which Norah and we were unaware of. So he has three more wives before her. That news smacked me and made me feel ….. not good. But he dissolves the marriage later and genuinely didn’t know that Norah was unaware of this custom.
And Norah has a OM that she is in love with since childhood. And he is one of the main character in the trilogy.
Mikael is 🔥🧨!
—multiple POV.
—love triangle.
—political intrigue.
—well written.
Safety:
Hero was faithful to heroine from the first meeting itself BUT…. In his culture it’s normal to have many wives for kings which Norah and we were unaware of. So he has three more wives before her. That news smacked me and made me feel ….. not good. But he dissolves the marriage later and genuinely didn’t know that Norah was unaware of this custom.
And Norah has a OM that she is in love with since childhood. And he is one of the main character in the trilogy.
August 8, 2024
This was amazing. Can’t wait to start book two!
September 22, 2025
Kuzey Kraliçesi aka hatırlamıyorum ama yine de gel Alexander 😒
Redditten geliyorum üleyn..
Norah (25) bir ormanda uyanır, ne kim olduğunu, nerden geldiğini ismini cismini hiç bir şeyi hatırlamamaktadır. Ormanda biraz olaylar yaşadıktan sonra Alexander ile karşılaşır ve olaylar gelişir. Meğersem 3 yıldır kayıp Kuzey kraliçesiymiş ❄️ Alexander’ da Lord Juctice ⚖️
Norah ile birlikte dünyayı tanıma olayına bayıldım, ikiden fazla bakış açısı olmasına da düştüm. Kitabın yarısından sonra birden fazla ana karakter geliyor, aşk üçgeninden nefret ederken dörtgene yakalanıyoruz ama yine de merakla aşırı akarak gidiyor. Kuzey Kraliçesine bütün krallar talip oluyor ama Norah’ ın kalbi kimde? O dahil kimse bilmiyor aahakhkl😁
Potansiyelini harcamazsa olay olacak seri ama ratingler konuşuyor.. ↪️
Redditten geliyorum üleyn..
Norah (25) bir ormanda uyanır, ne kim olduğunu, nerden geldiğini ismini cismini hiç bir şeyi hatırlamamaktadır. Ormanda biraz olaylar yaşadıktan sonra Alexander ile karşılaşır ve olaylar gelişir. Meğersem 3 yıldır kayıp Kuzey kraliçesiymiş ❄️ Alexander’ da Lord Juctice ⚖️
Norah ile birlikte dünyayı tanıma olayına bayıldım, ikiden fazla bakış açısı olmasına da düştüm. Kitabın yarısından sonra birden fazla ana karakter geliyor, aşk üçgeninden nefret ederken dörtgene yakalanıyoruz ama yine de merakla aşırı akarak gidiyor. Kuzey Kraliçesine bütün krallar talip oluyor ama Norah’ ın kalbi kimde? O dahil kimse bilmiyor aahakhkl😁
Potansiyelini harcamazsa olay olacak seri ama ratingler konuşuyor.. ↪️
July 21, 2023
Actual rating 4.5 stars
This book was a great read! This story is perfect For fans of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and captivity. Although I don’t usually gravitate towards the amnesia or love triangle trope it was such a great story!
The world was so beautifully woven, super easy to follow the plot, and the author made sure to help us understand the essence of the story.
Our main character Norah is witty, funny, and in the midst of a new life that she’s trying to understand. She tends to get in trouble because of her stubbornness, I’m here for it. The Lost princess trope is definitely one of my fav tropes, reminds me of my love for throne of glass.
Can we talk about the romance? The enemies to lovers trope was clearly present here and there are choices! Which one should I pick Alexander or Mikael lol… I will admit Mikael held my interest longer… it’s all because of the morally grey aspect, which I LOVE. Added to the book boyfriend list lol. So excited to learn more about this journey!
Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a beautiful copy. All opinions are my own.
This book was a great read! This story is perfect For fans of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and captivity. Although I don’t usually gravitate towards the amnesia or love triangle trope it was such a great story!
The world was so beautifully woven, super easy to follow the plot, and the author made sure to help us understand the essence of the story.
Our main character Norah is witty, funny, and in the midst of a new life that she’s trying to understand. She tends to get in trouble because of her stubbornness, I’m here for it. The Lost princess trope is definitely one of my fav tropes, reminds me of my love for throne of glass.
Can we talk about the romance? The enemies to lovers trope was clearly present here and there are choices! Which one should I pick Alexander or Mikael lol… I will admit Mikael held my interest longer… it’s all because of the morally grey aspect, which I LOVE. Added to the book boyfriend list lol. So excited to learn more about this journey!
Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a beautiful copy. All opinions are my own.
maybe
May 16, 2023love squares make my arse itch...
i'll need certain assurances about who will be endgame and how long it will take for it to happen before i even consider reading this.
unfortunately, i'm a sucker for an amnesia trope and i will almost read anything if it shows up on KU.
choices... choices....
i'll need certain assurances about who will be endgame and how long it will take for it to happen before i even consider reading this.
unfortunately, i'm a sucker for an amnesia trope and i will almost read anything if it shows up on KU.
choices... choices....
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August 22, 2025
SO FREAKING GOOD.
This was a reread for me and honestly I forgot how much I loved it. The banter ohmygod. I can't even tell you the amount of times I giggled and kicked my feet.
There was freaking tension, I always wanted to know what happened next. Amnesia tropes aren't typically my favorite but it was done so so well and really was a benefit.
This was a reread for me and honestly I forgot how much I loved it. The banter ohmygod. I can't even tell you the amount of times I giggled and kicked my feet.
There was freaking tension, I always wanted to know what happened next. Amnesia tropes aren't typically my favorite but it was done so so well and really was a benefit.
September 2, 2023
This was so all over the place. The first and second halves of this books feel like two completely different books. The male love interest is literally not desirable and I felt no chemistry between him and the female main character. The vibes were just off.
October 3, 2025
Full review to follow: I have no idea where this story is going to go but I am here for it. The political landscape and waring nations is an amazing backdrop to the lives this story follows. The amount of yearning is next level. I really loved the FMC and how she handled everything that came at her. The different cultures and lands was fascinating. Really loved the world building and character development in this first book. Glad I have sooo many more books to read.
November 19, 2025
It had a slow start and no concise plot, which is not ideal, but the romance was actually really freaking good (slight love triangle with the villain as the main love interest plus a marriage of convenience with astronomical tension) and the characters are just the right amount of intriguing to have me wanting to continue with the series, so hopefully the next book will have a stronger approach to the storyline because the little you do set up during this one was not bad
July 16, 2023
WELL TICKLE ME PINK 🐷
I gobbled this bad boy up so quickly once I reached the 25% mark.
Norah is the the heir to the Northern Kingdom’s throne. But Seer’s all around the world have seen her fate and it is the demise of their kingdom. So her father sends her away. This story begins as Norah wakes up in the forest with zero recollection of who she is and where she has been.
I absolutely adored the feminine rage! Norah is consistently used as a chess piece by powerful men in their political games to win wars. Some of Norah’s one liners had me in fits. So we have MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE PEOPLE, but it is not what you expect.
This story also did an amazing job of showing how truth bends and changes shape depending on the lens of who tells it and who hears it. Not everything is as it seems.
Some of the plot twists made me GASP. There was one moment that FLOORED ME. Unprepared. And I still genuinely can’t work out if this is going to be a polyamorous, why choose relationship, or who end game will be and it’s SO EXCITING!
Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for:
- political intrigue
- feminine rage/fuck the patriarchy vibes
- easy worldbuilding
- morally grey MMC’s (yes, plural!)
- an FMC finding herself and her ferocity (through love and care for everyone) (gives big mother energy)
- interesting, understated magic
- inquisitive animals (foxes, horse)
- hurt comfort
- body warmth in a tent
- marriage of convenience
This was low on the spice but I imagine it will pick up in the next two books
1.5 🌶️
Negatives were that I thought it got repetitive at times, needed some more world building, more feeling from the characters/internal dialogue, less rhetorical questions and more exploration through those questions asked.
Excited to see where this goes!
I gobbled this bad boy up so quickly once I reached the 25% mark.
Norah is the the heir to the Northern Kingdom’s throne. But Seer’s all around the world have seen her fate and it is the demise of their kingdom. So her father sends her away. This story begins as Norah wakes up in the forest with zero recollection of who she is and where she has been.
I absolutely adored the feminine rage! Norah is consistently used as a chess piece by powerful men in their political games to win wars. Some of Norah’s one liners had me in fits. So we have MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE PEOPLE, but it is not what you expect.
This story also did an amazing job of showing how truth bends and changes shape depending on the lens of who tells it and who hears it. Not everything is as it seems.
Some of the plot twists made me GASP. There was one moment that FLOORED ME. Unprepared. And I still genuinely can’t work out if this is going to be a polyamorous, why choose relationship, or who end game will be and it’s SO EXCITING!
Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for:
- political intrigue
- feminine rage/fuck the patriarchy vibes
- easy worldbuilding
- morally grey MMC’s (yes, plural!)
- an FMC finding herself and her ferocity (through love and care for everyone) (gives big mother energy)
- interesting, understated magic
- inquisitive animals (foxes, horse)
- hurt comfort
- body warmth in a tent
- marriage of convenience
This was low on the spice but I imagine it will pick up in the next two books
1.5 🌶️
Negatives were that I thought it got repetitive at times, needed some more world building, more feeling from the characters/internal dialogue, less rhetorical questions and more exploration through those questions asked.
Excited to see where this goes!
September 11, 2023
This was a page turner. I usually don’t care for the “no memory” trope (and I still didn’t), but I still ate this up. I need answers. I literally could not put this down once I got into it. A messy love triangle with a childhood friend turned lord justice, and an enemy king?! Dramaaaa. Thank goodness the sequels are already out and I can binge.
November 22, 2023
A woman wakes in the 'Wild' with no memories.
She is found and returned to her life.
Lots of mystery about her 3 year absence and lots of plots and who do you trust.
She has a childhood friend who she has obviously had some sort of romance with. No details, vague memories of a kiss.
She ends up marrying someone else she discovers he already has 3 wives.
He hasn't been with anyone else since he met her and she discovers this after their wedding night.
Intimate details only between the heroine and her new husband.
He sends the other wives away, annulling the marriages.
Cliffhanger.
She is found and returned to her life.
Lots of mystery about her 3 year absence and lots of plots and who do you trust.
She has a childhood friend who she has obviously had some sort of romance with. No details, vague memories of a kiss.
She ends up marrying someone else she discovers he already has 3 wives.
He hasn't been with anyone else since he met her and she discovers this after their wedding night.
Intimate details only between the heroine and her new husband.
He sends the other wives away, annulling the marriages.
Cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2025
4.5 Stars!
August 23, 2023
23/08/23 - Review
🎧 the innocence - cannon division, Soren bryce
< Already apologizing for my english. My brain is in exam survival mode. 💛 >
Another book on which I totally forgot to take notes. But I am trying to recollect some of my thoughts. Probably just simping.
I saw this book on instagram with the tropes and I was hooked immediately. And I was lucky, because I never read the syllabus of a book, so I bought it nearly blind. (Or better: I asked my boyfriend to gift it to me as a birthday present haha)
I am so glad I read this book, because it had all the things I love in fantasy books!
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, forced marriage, a hot and cute general, who I absolutely fell for, among other things.
Plus a big mystery, which is still a mystery in book two and I love that there is still something hidden at this point, because I always struggle with sequels after the big mystery of the story is revealed, because most times the book becomes pretty boring after that.
Also our FMC is badass! I love her! ESPECIALLY AT THE END, such a badass move.
AND THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THIS BOOK TOOK ME BY SUPRISE!
The characters were all cool as well! Even the grumpy ones and the „unloveable“ ones. I grew so fond of them over the pages, I am glad to be back in book two.
In addition there were a lot of tiny scenarios which gave this story and these characters more depth!
There were one or two times where i thought „ok, maybe we are trying a little too hard“, but this feeling was gone in an instant, because there is always something happening!
Loved it! 🍄💛
28/07/23 - Wow. Just wow. I loved it! And I am very glad, that the next book comes out soon! Review to come 💛
22/07/23 - Don’t mind me, starting twenty books at once only to be overwhelmed with the amount of books I am reading at the same time.
🎧 the innocence - cannon division, Soren bryce
< Already apologizing for my english. My brain is in exam survival mode. 💛 >
Another book on which I totally forgot to take notes. But I am trying to recollect some of my thoughts. Probably just simping.
I saw this book on instagram with the tropes and I was hooked immediately. And I was lucky, because I never read the syllabus of a book, so I bought it nearly blind. (Or better: I asked my boyfriend to gift it to me as a birthday present haha)
I am so glad I read this book, because it had all the things I love in fantasy books!
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, forced marriage, a hot and cute general, who I absolutely fell for, among other things.
Plus a big mystery, which is still a mystery in book two and I love that there is still something hidden at this point, because I always struggle with sequels after the big mystery of the story is revealed, because most times the book becomes pretty boring after that.
Also our FMC is badass! I love her! ESPECIALLY AT THE END, such a badass move.
AND THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THIS BOOK TOOK ME BY SUPRISE!
The characters were all cool as well! Even the grumpy ones and the „unloveable“ ones. I grew so fond of them over the pages, I am glad to be back in book two.
In addition there were a lot of tiny scenarios which gave this story and these characters more depth!
There were one or two times where i thought „ok, maybe we are trying a little too hard“, but this feeling was gone in an instant, because there is always something happening!
Loved it! 🍄💛
28/07/23 - Wow. Just wow. I loved it! And I am very glad, that the next book comes out soon! Review to come 💛
22/07/23 - Don’t mind me, starting twenty books at once only to be overwhelmed with the amount of books I am reading at the same time.
July 7, 2023
First off, thank you to NetGalley, Columbia River Publishing, and Nicola Tyche for an ARC of her debut novel!
This book is the beginning of a story in which Norah, the Princess of Mercia, awakens to find her memories missing and is thrust into a world at war where she must become queen and save her people. While the world and her responsibilities threaten to overwhelm her, she fights to make the decisions that will bring peace, regardless of what happens to her, and finds herself torn between her kingdom and love.
This is the first time I’ve read a book with the amnesia trope and I ended up loving it! It was a great comment on the discussion of nature vs nurture as Norah finds herself pushing against who she used to be now that she has no memories of her past. I loved how strong and determined Norah is, albeit some naïveté, and how she would do anything to protect her kingdom and all innocent lives she comes across. She champions for every people, not just her own, and I found that to be so inspiring. Norah, as well as the other characters, feel so real and complex as they are good and bad and caring and deadly and gentle and destructive and it makes the story so much more deep.
The romance in this book was unexpected but wonderful. It’s not a perfect love, but one filled with mistakes and missteps between very human people trying to find a common ground with one another. There’s enough of a love triangle (potentially a love square) that is vague enough that I can’t guess where it’s going, which is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
I’m so glad I don’t have to wait long for the next book as book 2 and 3 releases in August! The ending has me itching to get my hands on them! Book 1: North Queen, is already out and available to buy on Amazon or read on Kindle Unlimited!
Add this to your reading list if you like:
⚔️Main Character Amnesia
⚔️Marriage of Convenience
⚔️Enemies to Lovers
⚔️Touch Her and Die
⚔️He Falls First
This book is the beginning of a story in which Norah, the Princess of Mercia, awakens to find her memories missing and is thrust into a world at war where she must become queen and save her people. While the world and her responsibilities threaten to overwhelm her, she fights to make the decisions that will bring peace, regardless of what happens to her, and finds herself torn between her kingdom and love.
This is the first time I’ve read a book with the amnesia trope and I ended up loving it! It was a great comment on the discussion of nature vs nurture as Norah finds herself pushing against who she used to be now that she has no memories of her past. I loved how strong and determined Norah is, albeit some naïveté, and how she would do anything to protect her kingdom and all innocent lives she comes across. She champions for every people, not just her own, and I found that to be so inspiring. Norah, as well as the other characters, feel so real and complex as they are good and bad and caring and deadly and gentle and destructive and it makes the story so much more deep.
The romance in this book was unexpected but wonderful. It’s not a perfect love, but one filled with mistakes and missteps between very human people trying to find a common ground with one another. There’s enough of a love triangle (potentially a love square) that is vague enough that I can’t guess where it’s going, which is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
I’m so glad I don’t have to wait long for the next book as book 2 and 3 releases in August! The ending has me itching to get my hands on them! Book 1: North Queen, is already out and available to buy on Amazon or read on Kindle Unlimited!
Add this to your reading list if you like:
⚔️Main Character Amnesia
⚔️Marriage of Convenience
⚔️Enemies to Lovers
⚔️Touch Her and Die
⚔️He Falls First
November 9, 2025
2nd time reading:
I loved this book just as much if not more the second time reading it!! I also tried out the audiobook and OMG IT'S SO GOOD!!!!! The voice of the male narrator?! TO DIE FOR 😍😍😍
____________________________________
Guys, this book!😍 If you're looking for a high fantasy with kingdoms at war, politics, mysteries & a tension-filled delicious romance, look no further & go give #NorthQueen a chance!😍
The book starts with a young woman who wakes up in a mysterious winter forest with absolutely no recollection of where or who she is. Shortly after, 2 men who definitely had ill intentions towards her die a gruesome death.👀
At this point the book already had me HOOKED & together with this wonderful high fantasy world in which Norah is trying to juggle politics & intrigue & is trying to figure out who she can trust & EVERYONE is giving off weird vibes one time or another, this book quickly became a new favourite.😱
Things didin't really seem to add up & in addition to that there's a war looming on the horizon with a dark & evil Shadow King who has no issues letting heads roll to bring his point across (quite literally👀). And did I tell you that said villainous Shadow King is going to be the love interest? No? Well, I fell head over heels for him, because OF COURSE this man had to have a soft core underneath all that Shadow Daddy goodness.😩
That being said North Queen has a DELICIOUS #slowburnromance where I just want to scream at the pages "KISS ALREADY!"😩 Plus, there's tension, longing and sizzling attraction that of course is denied at first, but can't really be denied for long.😏
This book gave me everything I wanted for it and I cannot wait to get more from this world, these characters, the storyline and everything in between.🖤🖤🖤
I loved this book just as much if not more the second time reading it!! I also tried out the audiobook and OMG IT'S SO GOOD!!!!! The voice of the male narrator?! TO DIE FOR 😍😍😍
____________________________________
Guys, this book!😍 If you're looking for a high fantasy with kingdoms at war, politics, mysteries & a tension-filled delicious romance, look no further & go give #NorthQueen a chance!😍
The book starts with a young woman who wakes up in a mysterious winter forest with absolutely no recollection of where or who she is. Shortly after, 2 men who definitely had ill intentions towards her die a gruesome death.👀
At this point the book already had me HOOKED & together with this wonderful high fantasy world in which Norah is trying to juggle politics & intrigue & is trying to figure out who she can trust & EVERYONE is giving off weird vibes one time or another, this book quickly became a new favourite.😱
Things didin't really seem to add up & in addition to that there's a war looming on the horizon with a dark & evil Shadow King who has no issues letting heads roll to bring his point across (quite literally👀). And did I tell you that said villainous Shadow King is going to be the love interest? No? Well, I fell head over heels for him, because OF COURSE this man had to have a soft core underneath all that Shadow Daddy goodness.😩
That being said North Queen has a DELICIOUS #slowburnromance where I just want to scream at the pages "KISS ALREADY!"😩 Plus, there's tension, longing and sizzling attraction that of course is denied at first, but can't really be denied for long.😏
This book gave me everything I wanted for it and I cannot wait to get more from this world, these characters, the storyline and everything in between.🖤🖤🖤
July 10, 2023
The cover drew me in and I'm so glad it did. North Queen is the fantasy story I have been wanting to read for a long time. It definitely gives off Throne of Glass vibes, but also very unique. I adored the characters and the romance taking place in this book.
Honestly so ready for book two, I don't know how I'm going to wait.
Honestly so ready for book two, I don't know how I'm going to wait.
November 17, 2023
BookTok lied to me 😭
July 10, 2023
NORTH QUEEN is the first book in the Crowns series, where we have all the finer points of romantasy: a political intrigue that just keeps building and building, complex character dynamics, and not one but two swoon-worthy love interests for our protagonist. That’s right, there is a love triangle, and surprisingly one I didn’t hate. Perhaps it’s because the tropes the two pairings fall into are my favorites: friends to lovers and enemies to lovers. I was torn for the entirety of the book and still haven’t made up my mind on who I prefer Norah with, and that just goes to show how well layered and built these characters are.
Though I’m not the biggest fan of the memory loss trope, I do like how in this book it served to help the reader understand the world alongside Norah—especially her kingdom, Mercia—and see the dynamics within the court through a perspective that wasn’t biased. The queen regent, the members of the council, even Alexander himself, all had moments where I stopped to question their intentions (though it became increasingly evident that Alexander is too taken by Norah to have anything but her best interest at heart.) That being said, at a certain point in the story I had the feeling that the memory loss wasn’t quite as important as it was in the beginning, perhaps because Norah finds herself in a completely new setting with people who don’t know her. I do wonder what triggered the memory loss in the first place, and am curious to see how this all could potentially affect the whole story and the destiny seen by the seers.
As mentioned above, the romance had me torn for the entirety of the book, and while I was convinced the romance storyline would follow one direction, now I’m not so certain anymore. Alexander and Mikael are ever at odds, and Norah has reasons to be cautious around them both. I do admit I was fascinated by Mikael the moment he came into the picture. He’s incredible complex and morally gray and we see it in the instances where he lives up to his bloody reputation and others where he is surprisingly gentle. The enemies to lovers tension at the start of his interactions with Norah were immaculate, and while they do develop feelings for each other, the very fact they’re so different and their kingdoms have been enemies for so long puts them at odds frequently. At the end of the day, I trust that he cares for Norah, but I do I trust that he won’t revert to being her enemy? Only time will tell.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Though I’m not the biggest fan of the memory loss trope, I do like how in this book it served to help the reader understand the world alongside Norah—especially her kingdom, Mercia—and see the dynamics within the court through a perspective that wasn’t biased. The queen regent, the members of the council, even Alexander himself, all had moments where I stopped to question their intentions (though it became increasingly evident that Alexander is too taken by Norah to have anything but her best interest at heart.) That being said, at a certain point in the story I had the feeling that the memory loss wasn’t quite as important as it was in the beginning, perhaps because Norah finds herself in a completely new setting with people who don’t know her. I do wonder what triggered the memory loss in the first place, and am curious to see how this all could potentially affect the whole story and the destiny seen by the seers.
As mentioned above, the romance had me torn for the entirety of the book, and while I was convinced the romance storyline would follow one direction, now I’m not so certain anymore. Alexander and Mikael are ever at odds, and Norah has reasons to be cautious around them both. I do admit I was fascinated by Mikael the moment he came into the picture. He’s incredible complex and morally gray and we see it in the instances where he lives up to his bloody reputation and others where he is surprisingly gentle. The enemies to lovers tension at the start of his interactions with Norah were immaculate, and while they do develop feelings for each other, the very fact they’re so different and their kingdoms have been enemies for so long puts them at odds frequently. At the end of the day, I trust that he cares for Norah, but I do I trust that he won’t revert to being her enemy? Only time will tell.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
May 9, 2024
SURPRISE!!! To those of you who said “Audrey will never read this series” well. Here we are? Never call me a flake again. This is 4⭐️ bc it kept me enraptured! Best book I’ve ever read? Naur. Some of my notes: Alexander rlly had me in the first half, Mikael gave me the ick (but he grew on me), Norah needs to get out of her own way and accept a little bloodshed on her behalf! You’re in the shadowlands now girl! Anyways, this was entertaining.
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