The Promised Queen

by Kate Johnson, James Joseph (Narrator)

‘What’s so funny?’ she snapped.

He wanted to brush away that sweaty hair from her nape and kiss her there. His fingers remembered the heat and silk of her skin when he’d unfastened her dress. The scent of her, warm and rich, still lived in his mind. He wanted to lick the salt from her skin.

Remember you can’t have her. ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘At all.’ He stood and extended his hand. ‘Your vessel awaits.’

In a world without magic, only the cunning survive…

In a realm where magic has vanished and a kingdom teeters on the brink, Ember Hart, a master thief with a hidden past, is thrust into a strange new world and a destiny she never sought. Anointed as ‘the Promised One’, she is bound by a twister prophecy into an unholy union with the kingdom’s beastly prince. Rumours of his brutality haunt the palace halls.

But Ember is no sacrificial lamb.

Forming a precarious alliance with the dangerous Rhaell, Captain of the Guard, Ember seizes the chance to return home by helping to restore the kingdom’s lost magic. In this land of danger and desire, can she reclaim her freedom or, with every barb and bated breath, will her growing awareness of Rhaell risk everything she yearns for?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Fiction, Enemies To Lovers, Royalty

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

Kate Johnson lives in rural Essex where she belongs to a pride of cats and puts up with a demon puppy. She did actually do most of her homework, but quickly so as to have more time to stare out of the window thinking about heroes. Stay in school, kids. Kate has done a variety of not-particularly great jobs, ranging from airport check-in to lab assistant, but much prefers writing for a living. For one thing, the hours are better, and no one ever tells her off for not ironing her shirt. In fact, the lack of ironing might be the single greatest advantage to being an author. Kate loves going off at mad tangents, which you’d surely never have guessed, but also enjoys reading romance and fantasy, watching funny stuff on TV, drinking coffee by the gallon and occasionally leaving the house. The Untied Kingdom is her first novel to be published in the UK.

Reviews

[elizabeth rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thief with a sharp tongue. A kingdom losing its magic. A prophecy with teeth. 👑⚔️

When a petty theft lands Ember Hart in a crumbling fae realm, she's crowned the "Promised One" and shoved toward a political marriage with a beastly prince...

Johnson's world-building is darkly enchanting—dragons, magical sacred trees, creepy mermaids, fae politics—it’s immersive and wildly entertaining. 🧜‍♀️ I especially loved the blend of quests, curses, and monster tropes. 🐲 🌳 ⚔️

The Promised Queen is fast-paced, funny, feral, and fierce. I tore through it in days and desperately want a sequel! 💖 However, some readers may find Ember’s modern (vulgar) language jarring in a fantasy world.

If you love rebellious heroines, brooding protectors, magical quests, and stories that balance spice with soul—this one’s for you. ✨


Important to note: the book features sensitive themes around pregnancy, reproductive control, and state violence, which may not be for everyone. While it clearly criticises this system through its characters, readers should be aware of these darker threads.

[Rianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Here we go: Was this book good? No. Did I enjoy it? …Also no. Except somehow yes? It’s complicated…

Let’s break it down: The worldbuilding? Thinner than the excuses I tell myself for buying yet another book while my TBR is already never-ending. Things just happened? It’s as if someone had a fantasy bingo card, closed their eyes, and threw darts at it. Prophecy? Check. Magic’s dying? Sure. Sexually aggressive heir-obsessed king? OH BOY, BUCKLE UP.

Speaking of King “I Need an Heir” Onas— SIR. SIT. DOWN. If I got a nickel for every time you mentioned your need for a baby-carrying bride or tried to emotionally manipulate people with your sad old man breeding agenda, I’d have enough money to start my own kingdom and ban men from speaking entirely. You need therapy, not a throne.

The romance? Full-speed-ahead insta-lust with zero chill. The sexual tension was less “slow burn” and more “let’s microwave this scene until it explodes.” I audibly winced at some of the dialogue. Ember deserves better than someone who flirts like he just discovered innuendo five minutes ago.

But here’s the thing: for all its messiness, it wasn’t boring. I cackled. I side-eyed. I gasped at the plottwist which I obviously did not see coming (I rarely do). And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least mildly intrigued about what absolute chaos the sequel will throw at me next…

So, yeah. Was it unhinged? Yup.
Did I kinda have fun? Also yup.
Will I read the next one? …le sigh. Yeah, probably!

[Phoebe ❀ ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and fast-paced fantasy romance! It kind of had similar vibes to Quicksilver - falling out of the sky/a portal and into another world - and I was very intrigued in the beginning. The FMC, Ember, finds herself transported to a new, unfamiliar, and slightly deadly realm. She arrives after having just been stabbed and subsequently finds out she's their prophesized queen and will be forced to marry the beast of a prince and birth his offspring (likely killing her in the process). Talk about a warm welcome! This poor girl.

One thing that carried me through the book was the humor and sharp wittedness of Ember; her inner dialogue (and the dialogue in general) was quite funny at times, occasionally veering towards being immature. I think where this book fell short with me was the lack of world building, which made a lot of the book hard to follow and become fully immersed in. The central quest in the story began to drag on at times and I found myself mostly invested in the romance, which is a slow-burn between Ember and Rhaell, the captain of the king's guard. Rhaell is basically a cookie-cutter romantasy love interest that I found to be a little too cliche and an amalgamation of every typical romantasy archetype: brooding, growly, scarred, etc. But nevertheless I am a sucker for slow-burns with great buildup and lots of tension, which this book definitely delivered despite the somewhat lackluster / confusing magic and world building.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Ciara Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because of the twist, The Promised Queen ended up feeling more like a monster romance than a typical romantasy, which wasn’t something I was expecting from the cover or blurb. Given that it isn’t something I’d typically pick up, my rating should probably be taken with a pinch of salt as I’m likely not the ideal reader for this book.

Despite not being what I’d typically read, I found the story entertaining and read it in twenty-four hours. I liked both of the main characters and felt very sympathetic towards Rhaell after learning his backstory. The author has created an interesting world with some unique depictions of magical creatures. It’s a fast paced story right from the beginning and I was drawn in from the first couple of pages. The twists and turns surprised me and I was delighted to see some wrongs righted for Rhaell at the end. Some of the language and sexual conversations were a little crude for my liking, but this may be on me for not realising exactly what I was getting myself into.

While not the perfect book for me, I think a lot of others will really enjoy it and if monster romance is your thing then I definitely recommend giving it a try!

[Danielle Strona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story is full of twists and turn that will have you gripping the edge of your seat! I devoured this book in 3 days, and I need the next one ASAP. Fans of Throne of Glass will love The Promised Queen.

The Promised Queen follows Ember, who is a thief in her world. When trying to save a maiden from a murderous secret society, Ember ends up being sacrificed in her place. When Ember arrives in this new world, she is named 'the Promised One', as her arrival has been prophesied, and now she must marry the beastly prince. Ember is determined not to be a sacrificial lamb and forms an alliance with Rhaell, the captain of the guards. Together, Ember and Rhaell go on a quest to restore the kingdom's magic that has been lost by trying to find pieces of the Heart of Yskar. Once she gains all the pieces, Ember hopes to take a portal back home to her life. As Ember and Rhaell journey together, Ember and Rhaell's relationship starts to grow into something more. Ember now must juggle her feelings for Rhaell, while trying not to marry the prince.

I loved the FMC, Embe MC can hold their own. She knows what she wants, and she will go after it. I also loved her inner monologue, she was hilarious. I also loved her relationship with Rhaell. I won't go into too many details and spoil it... But they will have you kicking your feet in the air! This is a slow burn, but trust me, it is worth the wait! It is spicyyyy.

I liked the pacing of this book. When I first started reading it, I thought that because it was so long, it would all wrap up into one book. Well, boy, was I wrong. This book will keep on throwing the best twists and turns at you until the very end. The world-building was vivid without being overbearing, and you felt like you were there in the world with the characters. It was gory and bloody during the battle scenes, and didn't leave much to the imagination! lol

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, it was a 5/5 for me!

[Camilla_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 rounded to 4

I'll be honest, a few pages in I thought this would be a hate read for me. It was so ridiculous from the get go, with a foul-mouthed FMC I was sure I'd dislike. But, dearest readers, it grew on me! I ended up devouring the whole thing in under 12 hours, and while I never fully loved Ember, I sure as hell enjoyed her mad journey! The romantasy fans will lap this one up: a beastly prince, a dashing misunderstood captain of the guard, a brash young thief turned reluctant Chosen One. There's scintillating, passionate romance, high stakes and over the top plot twists. It's a highly entertaining and fun popcorn read.

Recommended for anyone who loved From Blood and Ash, A Fire In The Sky and Trial of the Sun Queen.

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explicit. I feel like I'm generous by giving it a three. The first 80% of the book dragged something terribly. This is an adult romantasy, but it reads very much like a YA book. There was very little depth in plot or characters, and the twists were spelled out a little too clearly for me to feel like they were interesting. I almost DNF'd at several points, but it was the book of the month for one of my subscription boxes so I stuck with it. I liked the two different worlds, and the different groups/tribes in the magical world. I really liked the hunt for the different stones, but it felt like each of those bits were a bit rushed and mainly about putting the main character in peril. I felt like most of the characters fell rather flat in this one, but expect they might be fleshed out in later books. All in all, a little disappointed but if you like romantasy you'll probably like this one.

[er]

DNF at around 15 %, at least for now.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing and I had no problem with the setting and how the story was going, my issue was with the dialogue and language used. The fmc sounds like an average american teenager, and in my opinion it doesn't fit the setting. This is not an urban fantasy and the fmc doesn't come from the "normal" world, so I don't see why she would speak like a contemporary teenager. Also, there was an unnecessary focus on her figure.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabrielle Perna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting... Its classification as the "hottest brand new romantasy" is a little farfetched. I am not sure if Kate Johnson could choose if she wanted this to be a romantasy or a high fantasy book. Johnson did a poor job of world building but made the plot waaaaay too complex for a romantasy. The point of a romantasy is that the plot is supposed to be led by the romance, about 65% in did was the plot led by the romance. The FMC, Ember Hart, fell from her own world into a new one and was told she was the promised one. There was very little background on the world that Ember came from so the reader was left to assume what they world was. I felt from her speech pattern she was from our world of sorts. There was too much use of common modern language, and it made Ember sound incredibly unintelligent. Without the proper set up of Ember's world I was unable to know if her use of modern language fit with her past or no one caught it when editing the book. The romance aspect was okay; it felt that the "love" for each other was a little rushed as the passing time was not really made clear to know how long they had known each other. I am fairly sure they had only known each other for a month or so and it felt their "love" was a little rushed. Along with the rushed relationship, the sexual dialogue of them was very childish. It was so cringey and I could not get passed the weird conversations concerning to sex. It took me so long to read this book and for a romantasy that is a bad sign with any good romantasy I will read that in a three-day max. This was a last-minute e-ARC request, and I tend to find with the One More Chapter publishing house either the books are super unique and good, or they are super tropey and fall flat. I am a super easy rater and rate everything 4 to 5 stars so this being a two from me is not very good. The ending of the book was pretty good, and I would think about reading the next book only out of curiosity, but I would not purchase the book at all.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nancy Weiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun romantasy perfect for readers just exploring the romantasy world and such an easy and entertaining read.

FMC Ember is living her thieving life in the mortal realm until she unexpectedly falls through a portal in the fae world. The dialogue of her character was hilarious and the juxtaposition of being in a modern world with foods, slang words etc and an old fae realm was brilliant.

She’s been honoured as ‘the promised Queen’ to save the land and to restore all magic. Along the journey we’re introduced to MMC Rheall who is such a dreamy MMC - touch her and die, possessive… just the whole concept of his character was amazing.

The plot was interesting, reminded me so much of infinity stones and having to collect them all but at the same time completely different. My complaints would be the vulgar character of the king and the choice of words by constantly saying to his grandson to “bed her” and “breed her”. I totally get it’s part of the character but he was an arsehole the whole way through. Then at times as I was enjoying the book, more towards the middle I felt myself getting distracted and not fully immersing myself within the story a couple times - a few pages were a little lacklustre.

Things I loved

MORTAL/ FAE REALM
FORCED MARRIAGE
TOUCH HER AND DIE
POSESSIVE MMC
SPICE 🌶️🌶️
SLOW BURN (written extremely well)

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Collins & Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.75 stars.

This book had me hooked omg!

It was truly hilarious, I love a foul mouthed FMC. I love that the FMC was also highly suspicious of everyone, naive characters jar me a little bit and although she didn’t have a clue what was going on, she was definitely the queen of adaptation.

This story had scheming, prophecy, heist like situations and arranged marriage and so much more. I highly recommend this to everyone it was a true delight to read.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! When I started the prologue, it reminded me of Inej from Six of Crows which had me so excited - I really wanted to enjoy this book! But it was unfortunately a bit of a let down.

The biggest issue I had was the main character’s tone of voice - she uses words like “ain’t” and “shitting fuckbollocks” which feels weird in a high fantasy setting. I’m not sure if it was intended to make her look uneducated or less polished, but for me it mostly just took me out of being immersed in the story and was jarring. Some of the language she used felt far more modern than her world seemed to be also… while I wanted to just chalk the way she spoke up to her being from another world, the world she was from had barons and mining as a key industry and horses as primary transportation.

I did, however, generally like Rhaell and his storyline. At first I was a bit skeptical because Rhaell is described as model hot but seems to think he’s ugly because he has scars on his back… Jamie Fraser would like to have a word! It does all make sense by the end, and I thought he was an absolute highlight character in the book.

That said, there was never a moment early on which made sense for them to start having feelings for each other. It kind of just came from nowhere - Rhaell constantly tells himself “you can’t have her” but it’s not super apparent why he knows he wants her? Or what it is he wants? The entire beginning of the book felt incredibly rushed in all honesty. It felt hard to believe that Ember was a thief because we really just see her steal one thing that kicks off the book and are TOLD she’s a thief. It was hard to understand what the point of Ember’s way of speaking was because we see almost none of her world before she gets transported. And we don’t really see why the main characters develop feelings, we just get told they do.

I really enjoyed the mystery behind the stones and the adventure to gather them all - this is right up my alley for the kind of stories I like. I wanted more in all honesty! I feel like this easily could’ve been stretched out to two books to really take the time to build up the romance, but also flesh out the world we’re in and spend more time getting to know the Rakaa for example. I think it would’ve been much stronger for the book to span 6 months to a year in time, versus what was seemingly a month max.

Overall, while there were aspects of the story I liked and see a lot of potential with, for me personally I struggled with the pacing and the main character’s way of speaking. If those types of things don’t typically bother you and you care more about the overall storyline, you might enjoy this book more than me! It seems like there might be a sequel from the way the book ended - while the book itself for me is getting a 3, I don’t think I will be picking up the next book unfortunately.

[Mimi]

DNF at 50%

This book was amazing – it started out with good writing, pacing and worldbuilding, and I was kind of in love with it until the romance part started.

The writing and story initially hooked me from the first sentence, and I practically flew through it delightedly, sure that this would become one of my faves.
I must say I really enjoyed the writing style, which is engaging and beautiful. It is also very easy to read, and I was making fast progress.
The characters, especially the FMC, had me intrigued. Ember started out as an interesting, headstrong and independent protagonist.
Sadly, as soon as the romance plot started in earnest the story lost its charm for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Rhaell and Ember at all. They went from strangers, to lustfully pining and then professing their undying love for each other in the blink of an eye. There was no emotional buildup to their love story, and it all left me feeling like I was missing some vital info.
Their lack of chemistry and debauched/wildly inappropriate thoughts made the romantic scenes seem more awkward and weird than anything else.
As the story went on, the way Ember talked also threw me off. Her dialogue began to feel overly simplistic, which made it hard to take her seriously.
I did like the world building, at least the bit we get to know. We learn very little about Ember’s world but judging by the way she talks and the little info she gives about where she is from, I assume she is from “our” world, just a few hundred years earlier.
We do learn more about the world she stumbles, or rather falls, into and it seemed rather interesting. I was really torn about whether I should try to power through, because I do want to know how it all ends, and I’m also sure that it is going to get way more interesting, alas I think life is too short to spend your time reading a book that frustrates you and I really didn’t want to resent a book that I was initially so excited about.
That being said, this is by no means a bad book – the story is interesting, the characters are well written with distinct personalities, and the writing is solid, but I am no fan of romantasy, especially not the graphic, overly spicy type.
I’m quite sure that lovers of the genre, who like a spicy edge and a fast-moving romantic arc and appreciate a good, engaging plot as well as interesting magical worlds will love this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperColling UK, One More Chapter for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lyndsey Mowat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC! This book turned out to be quite different to what I expected it to be 😂 My first monster romance read?!

One thing I did love was the entertaining plot, along with sassy dragons (was not expecting that) and a twist that I did NOT see coming.

There were a few things that knocked the rating down for me, though:
- Some of the dialogue was super modern (I did cringe once or twice ahhh) which didn’t seem to fit the setting at all. The FMC came from a town that seemed very set back historically yet she seemed to speak with modern slang? It did feel a little jarring when the romantic storyline was progressing and she called the MMC ‘mate’ 🙈

- I felt there could have been more of a build up to the romance. They’d spotted some attractive things about each other, but next minute they couldn’t live without each other?

- I do feel like the book should contain a trigger warning or two. I’m not personally affected by the themes in this book but I can totally see why others may be. The language relating to SA is quite heavy for most of the book.

Overall, I’m glad I finished the book and the twist really did catch me out! Really interesting plot but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll reach for book two as I feel it’s going to be much more of a monster romance, which just isn’t quite right for me. ☺️

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Rating
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!
Ember gets sucked into a world that isn't her own, and is being told she's the "Promised One". She freaks out over being told she has to marry a guy that everyone is told is "beastly," so she starts working with the Captain of the Guard to get back to her own world.

This book hasn't even come out yet and I am chomping at the bit for the next book! If you like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, or From Blood and Ash, this is a book for you. I am obsessed with Ember and Rhaell! Ember even more so, because who doesn't enjoy a foul-mouthed fmc? She's so fricken funny and I love how she confuses people with her slang. Some of the shocking twists didn't surprise me, but there were a couple that did!

This book was fast-paced and I ate it up. I finished it in a day. I am so looking forward to the next book!

(Kate.. there's gonna be a next book, right? PLEASE?)

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as part of a book subscription and thought I would give it a try. I eye rolled the whole time. One dimensional characters, zero depth, miscommunication trope heavy, predictable plot, and YA world building with romantascy smut. Not sure why but I kept reading, so it gets 2 stars for that.

[Falling_Into_Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!

The start for me felt a little bumpy but within a couple of chapters I was beyond hooked!

The danger & slow burn romance is so deliciously weaved into it throughout which only makes the ending have more of a punch!

There is not many books that manage to get a twist past me without me guessing but this book completely blindsided me!

Absolutely phenomenal book and i am desperately hoping to get more!

[Nataša · Rating 3 out of 5]

Najväčší problém tohto tu je, že autorka sama nevie, či to chce byť romantasy alebo high fantasy.

[Devika · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the books that has been on my physical TBR for a while is The Promised Queen by Kate Johnson. This author is known for her Best Hex Ever series and now comes with a new romantasy standalone. I really was looking forward to read another book by this author, but what will The Promised Queen bring to it's readers?

The storyline is exciting, but also gave me the chills. The only thing the promised one is there for is to make heirs. Kate Johnson wrote a storyline that is easy to read. However the whole pregnancy thing is a dealbreaker for me in the storyline. I feel like I would have enjoyed the story more if there wasn't so much attention into putting a seed into Embers womb.

Check out my full review on my blog Boekensteeg

[Romy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️4,5 stars✨️
I’m fairly new to the fantasy and romantasy genre and to be honest I was starting to wonder whether these genres were actually meant for a reader like me? Maybe these genres were just not meant to be for me :(

The promised queen proved these beliefs so wrong!
Because this book:.. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!
From beginning to end this book had me sitting on the edge of my couch. I even forgot to change metros when I was traveling, because I was so captivated by the story.

In The Promised Queen we meet Ember. Ember is a master in thieving. While she’s out hunting for valuables one night, the unthinkable happens. After trying to steal a pretty jewel, she wakes up in a magical realm where everyone speaks about the so-called “Promised One”. And the people hard-willingly believe it’s her!
We follow Ember in her mission to reclaim her freedom and return to home. But that is easier said than done..

Even though I knew at some point where the story was going, I didn’t mind!
I enjoyed every minute of reading this book . I was sad when I noticed that I had read the last page.
10/10 would recommend reading this book if you like reading a romantasy novel with a bit of humour, lots of yearningggg, quite a bit of adventurous missions and a magical plot!

[organisedchaosbooks]

The Promised Queen was a solid 3-star read for me not one I disliked, but also not one that completely won me over. What truly stood out was the vibrant world-building, the intriguing characters, and the spice, all of which made the story enjoyable. The plot itself felt refreshingly unique, offering something different from the usual tropes.

That said, the pacing was a bit uneven at times it moved too slowly, while other moments felt rushed. Additionally, some of the storytelling deviations pulled me out of the immersion rather than enhancing the experience. While I found the main character generally likable, certain reactions didn’t entirely make sense to me. For example, their strong emotional response to events affecting other characters felt intense despite not having built a deep connection with them.

I think I would have enjoyed this book even more if it had been a little more concise and had placed greater focus on the supporting characters. However, I can absolutely see this being a hit with other readers who love immersive fantasy and unique storytelling.

Thank you so much for the earc. All thoughts are my own.

[Margaryta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not gonna lie, I was drawn into this by a beautiful book cover and I thought how this was nothing like other romantasy novels out there, with the throwing knives/swords, flowers and intricate lines on the book covers, and it definitely will be better than any other fantasy romance out there. Was I wrong?

Mostly because of the pacing inconsistencies, modern language and soft magic system, I rounded up the overall reading experience to 3 stars. Perhaps, I would’ve liked it so much better if not for the Biblical references, American colloquialisms and the mentions of a very modern looking makeups, nicknames like “Buttercup” and “Sparks”. Speaking of languages, why did Rakaa have Scottish accents? I’m not against all of it per se, but I don’t think there’s a place for that in a high fantasy setting. It was not something I expected to see here, and I found it extremely distracting and out of place.

The book starts with the main character, Ember, trying to steal the High Lord’s Stone from Baron Varne’s mansion. Soon we learn that she has two young brothers and a sick father who requires a medical attention. She was in a wrong place at a wrong time and was transported to a different realm. By the limited description of it, her own world was an alternative version of the US, I’d say 19th century. But moving a character from one fantasy setting into another and making her talk like a 21st century’ woman, that didn’t work for me. Speaking of, Ember is not very pretty, and she’s not special, not a bit, she’s a very simple girl who just wants to go home and wear pants and not the beautiful dresses.

The magic system was undefined, e.g. if they wanted to have a light in their hand they could summon it, if they wanted to prevent their belongings from soaking they could simply put a charm in their bags, if they wanted to move around the humongous castle, they could use a magical portal; when Ember wished to become invisible she just did that. By the end of the book, I had a vague understanding of what those Stones (“horocracs”) could do.

Ember didn’t become a thief by choice, although it felt that way. Even so, the heroine is very true to herself. She knew what she wanted, and was honest about her desires. But the constant lusting over main LI, Rhaell, was very off-putting nevertheless.

Rhaell was a misunderstood Ice Planet Barbarian, who just wanted for someone to love him for his big, enormous, massive…heart. While reading his POV, we know he’s not indifferent to Ember, but he still rejected her, not just once, but multiple times. A “no” means “no”, right? It seems, the heroine had a different opinion on this matter - the scene where they were lying together under his jacket, felt off, she simply took advantage of him. Overall, their love story was a little rushed and I don’t believe one month is enough time to develop these deep feelings.

The King Onas’ POV was very random, but at the same time it was refreshing to read a villain’s perspective in a romantasy novel, and I wish his character was given more book time. I was also a little disappointed by how things played out with the “Deer and Rainbow’” storyline. It was an amazing idea, but it fell flat for me. In addition to that, I don’t think there was enough time to build a connection with some of the characters, and so I was rather indifferent to the tragic events involved Caeda and Phoebe, and the emotions, the author was tying to make us feel.

Every time I thought this can’t be more epic there’s no plot twist left, I was proved wrong. The second part of the book reminded me of A Court of Mist and Fury, and then I see the description of the book on Goodreads is changed to “Sarah j Maas with twist you won’t see coming”, which wasn’t there when I came across this book for the first time.

Not gonna lie, there were a couple of good jokes that made me laugh, but they were screaming the USA-21st-century-humour. Not to say I didn’t have fun, but it’s not the book to lose your sleep over, and I don’t think I’ll continue with the rest of the series either. It reads as a YA or NA romantasy novel, but with the excessive swearing, lusting and the description of some gory scenes.

To sum this up, it has a great potential, but at current state the books feels unpolished and requires more editing/writing. Possibly, to develop/strengthen the characters, make them more complex, especially Ember, I’m afraid she didn’t change much throughout the book, she neither evolved nor devolved. Besides, a lot of chapters/scenes seemed to appear out of the blue and were somewhat unrelated to the rest of the story. As I mentioned in the beginning of my review, the pacing had some issues. The second part of the book made me feel like I binged a miniseries.

There were certain things I wish I knew before coming into this. Like the heroine’s “condition”, which’s a sensitive and difficult topic for me. Anyhow, if the issues described in my reviews are “no brainier” for you, if you like a miscommunication trope, and your book couple to be on an adventure with lots of plot twists and surprises on their way, if you’re intrigued by the magical trees, and you like your romantasy “medium-spicy”, with a light world building, this one could be for you.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed it and on the other, I really struggled.

To start with my highlights:
• The book was pacy and engaging. It flowed really well and it was easy to get drawn in to the action that was happening, particularly from around the 60% mark when the action really ramped up.
• The mystery element of finding the stones and working out how to use them to restore magic was really intriguing. I found myself drawn into the mystery and trying to pick out key clues to discover what was happening alongside our characters. There was maybe some predictability, and I did find myself working out a pretty big reveal early on, but overall, I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.
• I really liked Rhaell. I think of our two main characters, his story was the most interesting to me and he felt slightly more three dimensional than Ember did. I found myself rooting for him and understanding him more – it was just that bit easier to pick out his motivations for his actions and therefore get behind them.
• The book offers an important commentary on the issue of female autonomy and reproductive rights. The ability/decision to have children is a core feature of the book and this is something it’s worth being aware of going into it if this is a potential trigger for you. I liked the different perspectives on this we saw and the challenge to the status quo that Ember offered.

And on to my hesitations:
• At times, the book felt a bit jarring with the disconnect between Ember’s more modern/advanced world and the more typical fantasy world that she found herself transported into. We spent so little time in Ember’s world that the language she used at times or the technology she referred to felt very out of place. The longer she spent in her new world the less I did notice this, but it had the effect, particularly early on, of taking me out of the story. This also added to some early difficulties in getting fully immersed in the world I was reading about and finding the book a bit slow to start (although as I’ve already noted, the pace absolutely ramped up as the book went on).
• The language was also quite crude at times. As an example, there was a big fascination with women’s chests – it was a major topic of conversation and contemplation throughout the early chapters of the book. Not to be outdone, a man’s crotch was also considered in great detail at one stage. To me this was unnecessary, and really took me out of the story while reading.
• As we approached the end, it felt slightly like new characters and plot points were being brought in to set the book up as a series when prior to the last 30 or so pages, it very much felt like it could have worked as a standalone. While I don’t necessarily have a problem with this, it did feel a bit forced at times and honestly, I’d have very happily wrapped this up the way I thought it was going as a standalone. Nonetheless, some interesting characters were introduced and I am definitely intrigued for the sequel.

Overall, I felt this was a really promising book. It did have a few elements I struggled with, but generally, it was pacy, intriguing and kept me keen to read on, and I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel.

With thanks to the publisher One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ahead of publication.

[123_Romantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
2.5🌶️

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for reaching out to me to read a copy of the arc for this book!

This book was definitely one that got better as you kept reading! I will admit, I struggled with it at first to get into it. I liked the story but the writing felt a bit wordy and it doesn’t help that being American and trying to read more British style slang and writing threw me off a time or two, but I kept going! 😊

The Promised Queen follows our FMC, Amber, who works as a thief to help her family stay afloat (her father and 2 brothers), unappreciatively I might add. On her latest heist though, she stumbles upon a young girl chain to a slab screaming for help. After freeing the girl, who gifts her a gaudy looking necklace, Ember herself is then captured by a group of people looking to sacrifice her. It’s only then that she plummets to a new realm unexpectedly, with people declaring her the Promised One sent to save their kingdom and restore magic to their sacred tree. A prophecy foretold her coming, but Ember tries to insist it’s a mistake and she wasn’t supposed to be the one who’s there.

Right away, she’s engaged to the prince, who is massive and only sparks stories calling him a beast and ugly upon compare. Her sole duty? Have heirs. But for a realm whose birth rate has dropped and anyone shown to be getting rid of pregnancies, Ember has a major secret she must keep or risk death.

Our MMC, Rhaell, Captain of the Guard, and insistent on being around Ember, knowing she truly is the Promised One but is looking to save magic in a different way than the king believes. He recruits Ember and her special thieving skills to acquire the stones for the heart of the tree, knowing a secret to the kingdom’s history no one else has discovered. They work together to capture the stones, save the realm, so Ember can get herself back to her world. It’s starts to get complicated not only when this tasks becomes beyond deadly, but also their obvious attraction for one another. Torn between wanting to go home to a loveless family, but still home, and staying to be married to a beast, Ember doesn’t know what she truly wants.

Again, this was a book that got better as I read. If I was going to rate based on the first part of the book, it might have been 3 stars, but as the plot developed, the spice kicked in, and some major plot twists I didn’t see coming, I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected!

The spice 🌶️ is slow burn and we deal with a size difference trope but it was written well and went on for a good length, which I liked. If I’m going to invest in a slow burn, I want it to count and this did, so I was happy!

For the longest time, I actually thought this was going to be a stand alone book, because I figured things were wrapping up, but then BAM, plot twists and so much more that I was wrong and it’s set up nicely to continue into a next book! I will be curious to see where it goes and who the true villain will end up being!

[Ash Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ember, our FMC, is thief and a good one. She steals out of necessity, to provide medicine for her father. She breaks the law so her brothers don’t have to. She’s lived a hard life in a hard world. Ember picks the wrong house to steal from and finds herself being viciously sacrificed for a ritual she knows nothing about. The Promised Queen is a portal fantasy and Ember falls through the portal into a strange, new world. Now she has to find her way back.

The world Ember finds herself in is just a brutal but filled with magic, prophecies and creatures she could never have imagined. Ember’s declared the promised one, foretold to arrive when the land has been blighted. Magic is fading and children are few and far betweeen. She’s promised to the King’s Grandson, and expected to produce heirs. To the king, women are nothing but vessels for babes. The king is horrifically patriarchal and beyond traditional. It seems the prince, the beast, follows in his grandfathers footsteps if the court gossip is to be believed. He’s said to be monstrous, deformed, abhorrent.

Ember has to find a way home.
Together with the captain of the guard, Rhaell, they journey across land and sea to find a way to heal the land and send Ember home. Inextricably drawn together despite the secrets they’re both keeping. The threats come from every angle and it’s a race against time to complete their quest before they’re discovered or killed.

Full of twists and turns, exciting and fast paced. A more unique Romantasy, with a high fantasy setting and a modern, sexually confident, foul mothed FMC. Some readers might find this jarring but I enjoyed it.
Rhaell’s backstory is heartbreaking and he carries the weight of his past.

There’s plenty of interesting species and societies explored; Myr, Dragons, Hafmey, Rakka and literal Sea Horses. The Myr are fascinating and i could read a whole book on them. Multiple POV’s. The magic in this world is all around and can be claimed by anyone, wielded by will, what’s available is easily summoned and controlled.
The last section is wild and some of the twists and turns I didn’t see coming.

Some heavy themes in this book that may trigger some people ; abortion, pregnancy/birth trauma, generational trauma, infertility, threat of sexual assault. Though there is a strong conversation about bodily autonomy that feels particularly prevalent in today’s world. A strong message that a women’s value is not measured by her fertility.
Aside from the above darker themes, The Promised Queen is a fun and easily readable.

[carleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Goodreads has this booked tagged as #3 in The Forgotten Empires series- it is NOT that. That series is by a different author. ***

The Promised Queen beings with Ember Hart amidst a robbery, where she accidentally comes across a kidnapped girl prepared to be sacrificed. In freeing her, Ember is forced into her place. Ember literally falls from the sky in a realm where she is prophesized to be a "Chosen One," provide an heir to the kingdom, and return magic to the land.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this book about 20% in. I initially chose it because the cover was striking, and the description seemed right up my alley. I think this book is a very promising concept but I just couldn't get invested into the story. For starters, though very descriptive, the writing is also very wordy. I kept getting distracted by differing accents or dialects and by repetitive lines where a mood, feeling, or thought was expressed. I loved the concept of Ember's character: a woman who is underestimated but passionate and forward. However, her dialogue did not land for me. Her trying to seduce Rhaell immediately after waking up in a foreign place and trying to escape felt very very out of place. Additionally, the plot movement felt inconsistent. For example: In the beginning we jump into the plot with the sacrifice and arrival of The Chosen One, but she never slows down to actually express worry about her crippled father and little brothers (aside from a few fleeting thoughts). Then we are meandering the castle and meeting everyone (This felt very slow) where she seems to bounce between accepting that she is here enough to disrespect or "buck up" at certain royalty (I think we are trying a little too hard to achieve attitude here) or she is plotting to escape. There is also random added POVs - I'm not a fan of how Deer and Rainbow were introduced. It felt like it very much stood alone from the rest of the story's beginning and though I'm sure it leads somewhere conclusive in the end, the integration of their characters did not mesh with the story being told. Again, the premise was strong, but there were too many inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story as I was reading. I think if it were written with a better pace and more continuity, I would've really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Victoria Foxdenreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mate, I nick jewels and paperwork and shit. I can't nick a whole country."

You've heard the premise, you've read the story; FMC is a poor, lower class no-one, living on the breadline and stealing to get by, except when she ends up in the royal court she magically ends up enchanting everyone.

Yeah Ember is not that girl. The titular promised queen, Ember, is common-as-muck, coarse, not extensively educated, and definitely does not fit in among a sea of willowy, ethereal fae. I found Ember's character to be an absolute breath of fresh air, her one liners regularly cracked me up and as a girl from the not-so-fancy North East of England, I couldn't help but read her lines in my accent. She's sassy and contrary but she's also blessedly reasonable - she goes along with things when necessary to save her own skin and I hugely enjoyed her throughout.

The MMC Rhaell, whilst from a very different world, is similarly real-feeling and intriguing. Though tall, dark-haired, and muscular, all of the women at court and beyond find him repulsive, and Ember is perpetually baffled by this. Despite the interesting characters at play, I couldn't really work out the dynamic between the two or Rhaell's interest... until it smacked me in the face and the revelations didn't stop coming.

This book is cleverly written and I went through cycles of guessing plot twists, only to decide I was wrong half way through, then becoming unsure. Kate Johnson isn't heavy handed with her foreshadowing, so when stuff dawned on me, it DAWNED on me. I'm talking pausing, grinning, OHHHing out loud.

This had so many crucial elements that die-hard romantasy fans will love - prophecies, portal magic, fantastical creatures, "I can't lose you" moments - but it's written in such a fresh, interesting way that once you get past the initial feeling of "this isn't quite what I was expecting", it becomes even more of a joy. The first half of this book coaxed me in slowly over a few sittings, but at 47% I became HOOKED and devoured the rest of it in one evening.

I'm truly excited to see where this story goes and I'm praying that The Promised Queen gets a sequel because I need need need more Rhaell and Ember.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins / One More Chapter for the eARC***

[Katheryn Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ember Hart steals the High Lord's Stone, she hopes only to buy her father more medicine. She certainly doesn't expect to find herself in a strange new world, where she is declared to be The Promised One who must produce an heir with the prince known as The Beast. Ember's only hope of getting home is to restore magic to the kingdom, which means joining forces with Rhaell, Captain of the Guard, and trying to not to get distracted by how ridiculously handsome he is...

Romantasy is a little outside my comfort zone, but I loved Kate Johnson's Hex and Hexability so much I couldn't resist this one. I made sure to read it slowly to take in all the details - which was not easy given how much I wanted to race through it - and I found the plot really clear and easy to follow without becoming repetitive. I loved all the world-building, which felt new and exciting, and I particularly liked the interpretations of various mythical creatures (dragons!). I also thought the plot was really strong, as each of the stones that Ember and Rhaell hunt down to restore magic to the kingdom provides its own adventure while driving the overall story. I would personally have preferred a more definite ending, especially since ending The Promised Queen in a way that seems to pave the way for a sequel does introduce quite a lot of new elements into the story at its end, but I did appreciate that it this book has a satisfactory ending in its own right. And I found the first chapter that suddenly switches to the subplot pulled me out of the rhythm of the story, but I could soon see how these chapters contribute to the book as a whole.

The romance plot is every bit as good as I'd hoped, with some unique takes on familiar tropes and plenty of spice. I read The Promised Queen in one sitting, and it has reminded me why Kate Johnson is one of my favourite authors. But readers might want to know that this book deals with some difficult issues, including abortion and the threat of sexual violence, although always sensitively.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for an advance copy. The Promised Queen is out 5 June.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

The magic system and idea of a promised one foretold to save the magic was pretty interesting, the worldbuilding did get a bit confusing and complicate at times but I still loved reading about it.

I wasn’t expecting this to be a monster romance from the cover, title or blurb and I know part of it is to keep the shock factor. But I would have liked a trigger warning page or a note somewhere of some of the themes because there were some pretty dark and intense scenes that may be very triggering for some readers.

The pacing was not consistent at did have various speeds, which I didn’t mind too much, but when it came to the relationship between Ember and the mmc it was hard to figure out how much time had actually passed since they first met.

Whilst the book main,y focuses on the pov of the fmc and mmc there is also a chapter where it is from the kings pov (which felt a bit like a filler chapter) and there was also a pov for two characters that weren’t really explained until near the end.

I have never read a book that had the word t*ts in almost every chapter and sometimes right after each other in a different sentence, some of the spicy scenes was a bit cringe with the dialogue.

The language that Ember uses did feel very out of place (I know she is from a more modern world), there were times when she would speak normally per say and then the next dialogue she has she’s speaking like a roadman that’s lurking in an alley.

Ember didn’t really have any character development and with the funny pacing we didn’t really see her connect with many of the side characters (like Phoebe and Caelia) and considering some of them do have impact on the plot it would of been good to see her interact with them.

The ending was very good and did leave an interesting ending that has me curious but I don’t think I will buy either book. It would be a fun read for someone who wants a blend between fantasy and a spicy romantasy.

[Helen Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ember Hart is a thief. But one bad job finds her falling from the sky and almost bleeding out in the arms of a terrifying soldier. When Ember broke into the manor of one of her town's lords she didn’t expect to find herself tied to an altar and used as a sacrifice in a creepy ritual.

Waking up in a world which is most definitely not her own she’s faced with a vicious king who only sees her as a broodmare to provide him with prophecised heirs that will restore his kingdom's magic and secure his family’s bloodline. Rhaell is the captain of the guard and is assigned to protect Ember until her wedding to the terrifying Prince Bronadyr is complete.

The King’s grandson is considered a monster by the people of Yskara but as the only blood heir the King has he is the reluctant heir to the throne. When Ember is told of the Prince’s brutality she forms a plan to escape and return home to her family. But she cannot do it alone and tries to persuade Rhaell to help her. Rhaell finds his loyalties tested as he sees Ember as more than just the Prince’s bride-to-be. She’s clever, cunning and determined to get herself home, and unlike the women of Yskara, she doesn’t take sh*t from anyone.

This was a twisty romantasy which kept me guessing up until the last few chapters. The slow burn between Ember and Rhaell was perfect. Ember is the more experienced of the two, as Rhaell’s scars mark him as undesirable in Yskara and females find him unattractive. But Ember has scars of her own and sees Rhaell as strong and loyal, and cannot deny her attraction to him.

It’s always refreshing to read strong female characters and I liked that Ember knew she had flaws but embraced them and carried on regardless. The King really is vile and I couldn’t help but cringe every time he made an appearance.

I enjoyed the world-building and like the idea that there are different realms/kingdoms where people no longer mix but still have knowledge of each other. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and I am dying to know what happens next!

Thank you to One More Chapter for the eARC!