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The Queen's Reign
When Elle discovered that she was the sole heir to the throne of Eabha–a throne currently controlled by a queen who kills mages–she had to question everything she knew about herself. When her foundation is shaken with losses, it leaves her questioning her decisions, even as she moves forward to protect her people–people that barely know she exists.
But she can't do it alone. The rebellion is going to need more help than just the mages in hiding. When Elle travels to Vaeslera to request aid, she discovers what she knew about the past was only the beginning of the secrets surrounding the current queen.
When someone threatens those closest to her, Elle must decide exactly how far she will go to protect them. Can she protect them and win back her kingdom without endangering her heart in the process?
The Queen's Reign is book two of The King's Quartet duology, a no spice fantasy romance.
But she can't do it alone. The rebellion is going to need more help than just the mages in hiding. When Elle travels to Vaeslera to request aid, she discovers what she knew about the past was only the beginning of the secrets surrounding the current queen.
When someone threatens those closest to her, Elle must decide exactly how far she will go to protect them. Can she protect them and win back her kingdom without endangering her heart in the process?
The Queen's Reign is book two of The King's Quartet duology, a no spice fantasy romance.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2025
8 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Selby
4 books17 followersS. C. Selby writes fantasy and contemporary romance laden with heavier themes and a lot of hope. Her romance is steamy, but usually closed door and she has a firm belief that if it's not happy or hopeful, it's not the end.
She lives in the South with her amazing husband/best friend, heathen puppy dogs, and her adult daughter. In her free time, she's a mood reader and you can find her on Instagram posting about her favorite books under @vannahreadsalot.
She lives in the South with her amazing husband/best friend, heathen puppy dogs, and her adult daughter. In her free time, she's a mood reader and you can find her on Instagram posting about her favorite books under @vannahreadsalot.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 29, 2025
"Grief changes you–no matter how you experience it. It shatters a part of you. You can either take those shards and wield them like daggers, cutting yourself and others in the process, or you can put them back together."
What an incredible conclusion to this duology! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning!! I loved the multiple POVs and felt more connected to the characters because of it. The tension, fast pace, and stress of this story is top notch and pulled at my heart on more than one occasion.
The development of Elle’s character is amazing including her growth of moving forward from all the grief and pain she suffers rather than seeking revenge, knowing she has the support of those around her, and the understanding of her power and all that she can do.
Queen Keres’ back story is absolutely heartbreaking and I could feel sympathy for all the pain and grief she goes through, which kudos to the author for making me feel for the villain!
The relationship between Elle and Soren definitely had me anxious to see how they would get their happily ever after. But when they did, I was happy dancing for them! 🔥🔥🔥
(The HEA is promised at the beginning of the book so it’s not a spoiler. 😉)
The twists in this story were absolutely FANTASTIC!! I highly recommend reading The King’s Quartet before reading The Queen’s Reign.
Read this story if you enjoy fast paced, beautiful world building, romantasy, and high tension!
"From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew that even if this woman was not my queen, she owned my soul, my strength, my allegiance until my last breath."
The author has included content warnings at the beginning of the book, and I have listed them below.
Heat level: Mentions of sex, scenes leading up to sex but fade-to-black, explicit language
Triggers: Grief, fear of loss, loss of loved ones, death of a child, violence, betrayal.
Stress level: High Ending: Happily Ever After.
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.
What an incredible conclusion to this duology! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning!! I loved the multiple POVs and felt more connected to the characters because of it. The tension, fast pace, and stress of this story is top notch and pulled at my heart on more than one occasion.
The development of Elle’s character is amazing including her growth of moving forward from all the grief and pain she suffers rather than seeking revenge, knowing she has the support of those around her, and the understanding of her power and all that she can do.
Queen Keres’ back story is absolutely heartbreaking and I could feel sympathy for all the pain and grief she goes through, which kudos to the author for making me feel for the villain!
The relationship between Elle and Soren definitely had me anxious to see how they would get their happily ever after. But when they did, I was happy dancing for them! 🔥🔥🔥
(The HEA is promised at the beginning of the book so it’s not a spoiler. 😉)
The twists in this story were absolutely FANTASTIC!! I highly recommend reading The King’s Quartet before reading The Queen’s Reign.
Read this story if you enjoy fast paced, beautiful world building, romantasy, and high tension!
"From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew that even if this woman was not my queen, she owned my soul, my strength, my allegiance until my last breath."
The author has included content warnings at the beginning of the book, and I have listed them below.
Heat level: Mentions of sex, scenes leading up to sex but fade-to-black, explicit language
Triggers: Grief, fear of loss, loss of loved ones, death of a child, violence, betrayal.
Stress level: High Ending: Happily Ever After.
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.
July 28, 2025
What a freaking conclusion! If you’re looking for a duology that will keep you on the very edge the entire time this one will do it! I absolutely loved both books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will warn you to check the triggers the author pushes these characters to so many emotional limits. The anxiety I felt was definitely worth the ending. This author doesn’t hold anything back in these books. I highly recommend this duology! It’s captured and takes you on a journey to an epic HEA!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will warn you to check the triggers the author pushes these characters to so many emotional limits. The anxiety I felt was definitely worth the ending. This author doesn’t hold anything back in these books. I highly recommend this duology! It’s captured and takes you on a journey to an epic HEA!
July 5, 2025
Well, this was so worth my time. I'm astonished of how much I loved Elle's story and her character growth. This book had a lot of chances to take a dark turn or make me really sad, but I believe that I just found my next comfort read.
Ok, to set my "just finished the book" thoughts aside, from the first book I loved the perspective this author gives to the origin of each story and crisis in the main characters, and lately I like the way each author gives the context to their villain and how Keres and Elle seemed to reflect the same pain and could be the same person because of the circumstances and loss they lived through.
I liked the approach of Elle, that even though she could act on her grief and need for vengeance, she makes the decision to keep moving forward and to not fear loss but to feel every emotion without shame and with the support of her found family. Also, very nice touch, the introduction of wisdom behind knowing her past so she can make better decisions than those before her, like that new characteristic of Elle.
Storyline-wise, I thought I was going to get tired of the rebellion or the planning behind the battle, since every fantasy book author loves to overextend the "war takes time" narrative, but I liked how the narrative was short and to the point, and it supported the characters and their way of thinking. By this I mean they didn’t want an endless war and bloodshed because they were fighting for freedom, not revenge. I liked Elle's approach to any alliance: confident and not rushed, and how the flow of the plot, during that part of the book, was linked to her emotional state as a main character.
Now, I need to let this out (since no one has read it yet):
I knew it!! (I'm not going to say what since it's a big spoiler). From the introduction of Soren and his profile or personality, I knew he would be very important.
Also, nice touch with the multiple POVs that allowed the main political plot to grow and have depth, besides the thoughts or ideas of the MC's narrative about it, so the story wasn't boring but kept the readers on their toes.
And new characters, chef's kiss, one example being Avyanna and Dorian (the why I loved them is a tad of a spoiler, but if you read the book, you might find out why).
I have so much left to say, but I kept it short because I respect the no-spoilers readers, so S. C. Selby, thank you for letting me read book 2 as an ARC reader. For a moment I was very scared and jumpy about the plot twists, but I really enjoyed reading The Queen's Reign (and the surprise left in the end).
Ok, to set my "just finished the book" thoughts aside, from the first book I loved the perspective this author gives to the origin of each story and crisis in the main characters, and lately I like the way each author gives the context to their villain and how Keres and Elle seemed to reflect the same pain and could be the same person because of the circumstances and loss they lived through.
I liked the approach of Elle, that even though she could act on her grief and need for vengeance, she makes the decision to keep moving forward and to not fear loss but to feel every emotion without shame and with the support of her found family. Also, very nice touch, the introduction of wisdom behind knowing her past so she can make better decisions than those before her, like that new characteristic of Elle.
Storyline-wise, I thought I was going to get tired of the rebellion or the planning behind the battle, since every fantasy book author loves to overextend the "war takes time" narrative, but I liked how the narrative was short and to the point, and it supported the characters and their way of thinking. By this I mean they didn’t want an endless war and bloodshed because they were fighting for freedom, not revenge. I liked Elle's approach to any alliance: confident and not rushed, and how the flow of the plot, during that part of the book, was linked to her emotional state as a main character.
Now, I need to let this out (since no one has read it yet):
I knew it!! (I'm not going to say what since it's a big spoiler). From the introduction of Soren and his profile or personality, I knew he would be very important.
Also, nice touch with the multiple POVs that allowed the main political plot to grow and have depth, besides the thoughts or ideas of the MC's narrative about it, so the story wasn't boring but kept the readers on their toes.
And new characters, chef's kiss, one example being Avyanna and Dorian (the why I loved them is a tad of a spoiler, but if you read the book, you might find out why).
I have so much left to say, but I kept it short because I respect the no-spoilers readers, so S. C. Selby, thank you for letting me read book 2 as an ARC reader. For a moment I was very scared and jumpy about the plot twists, but I really enjoyed reading The Queen's Reign (and the surprise left in the end).
July 26, 2025
"Epic" is not a big enough word.
How do I possibly describe my experience with this book? It would be like trying to hold moonlight in my hands. Nevertheless, I will do as best as I can.
If you haven’t read The King’s Quartet, stop here, go read it, and then come back.
This book picks up after the startling cliffhanger (which does not get resolved in a timely fashion, but trust me, you won’t mind) of book one. Elle and company are in hiding, looking for allies to help when they are ready to take Eabha back from the false queen. The rebellion know that they can’t fight their way to said queen without allies. And holy cow, do they find some allies, but not without going through hell a few times.
The relationship between Elle and Soren grows, and probably because both of them realize that they can only control the now, and why not take every moment together that they can? I won’t say it’s a clear path to that happily ever after, even without the looming threat of Queen Keres, but they make it there.
Speaking of Keres, we finally get her backstory, and it’s crushing. If I’d been through what she had, I very possibly would have done exactly as she had done. What happened was not fair or right in any way, but…she still had the choice of how to respond to all of those things, and she made the wrong choice, time after time.
The story is engrossing, and goes places that I didn’t expect but really loved. The writing is so good that I could, at every turn, easily visualize the settings, characters, and locations. The author is just as good at the quiet moments as she is at the action sequences, making a well-balanced narrative. And though this book clocks in at over 400 pages, you will find it hard to put down, as you will be almost desperate to find out what happens next.
I cried multiple times while reading this book; sometimes it was a sad cry, other times were happy cries. I became so invested in these characters that when it came to the final showdown, my watch kept giving me high heart rate alerts as I was reading. (It’s fine, this always happens when my emotions are at their greatest height.)
I guess the bottom line is that I feel like I went on this journey with the characters, instead of just being a witness. It was worth every high and low, every advance and retreat. It’s everything I didn’t know I wanted out of a fantasy epic, and you’d do well to experience it for yourself.
How do I possibly describe my experience with this book? It would be like trying to hold moonlight in my hands. Nevertheless, I will do as best as I can.
If you haven’t read The King’s Quartet, stop here, go read it, and then come back.
This book picks up after the startling cliffhanger (which does not get resolved in a timely fashion, but trust me, you won’t mind) of book one. Elle and company are in hiding, looking for allies to help when they are ready to take Eabha back from the false queen. The rebellion know that they can’t fight their way to said queen without allies. And holy cow, do they find some allies, but not without going through hell a few times.
The relationship between Elle and Soren grows, and probably because both of them realize that they can only control the now, and why not take every moment together that they can? I won’t say it’s a clear path to that happily ever after, even without the looming threat of Queen Keres, but they make it there.
Speaking of Keres, we finally get her backstory, and it’s crushing. If I’d been through what she had, I very possibly would have done exactly as she had done. What happened was not fair or right in any way, but…she still had the choice of how to respond to all of those things, and she made the wrong choice, time after time.
The story is engrossing, and goes places that I didn’t expect but really loved. The writing is so good that I could, at every turn, easily visualize the settings, characters, and locations. The author is just as good at the quiet moments as she is at the action sequences, making a well-balanced narrative. And though this book clocks in at over 400 pages, you will find it hard to put down, as you will be almost desperate to find out what happens next.
I cried multiple times while reading this book; sometimes it was a sad cry, other times were happy cries. I became so invested in these characters that when it came to the final showdown, my watch kept giving me high heart rate alerts as I was reading. (It’s fine, this always happens when my emotions are at their greatest height.)
I guess the bottom line is that I feel like I went on this journey with the characters, instead of just being a witness. It was worth every high and low, every advance and retreat. It’s everything I didn’t know I wanted out of a fantasy epic, and you’d do well to experience it for yourself.
July 23, 2025
Before I begin, I would like to thank S. C. Selby for allowing me to read a copy of her upcoming book, The Queen’s Reign, which is part of The King’s Quartet duology and will be available on Amazon on August 1st, 2025.
Elle found out that she was the only heir to Eabha’s throne which is currently held by a queen that kills mages. Elle’s struggling to figure out who she truly is, especially while dealing with grief and understanding she’s also fighting for people she doesn’t even know. They need allies. When Elle travels to Vaeslera to get help, she finds secrets about Eabha’s current queen that provide more clarity to the usurper’s past. Someone is threatening Elle’s loved ones, and she has to decide whether she can protect them and get back her kingdom without heartbreak.
This book was fantastic. You have Elle, a sassy, loyal, kind, clever, and beautiful young woman that is dealing with grief, her true identity, and finding a way to free her people. You have Soren, a strong, devoted, considerate, and handsome young man that will do everything to protect Elle and help her succeed. The banter between Elle and Soren was sweet, funny, and honest. I appreciated seeing POVs from other characters and thought that the prologue helped set up the tone of the story quite nicely. Learning about the queen’s secrets made me empathetic to her experiences and recognize how sometimes best intentions can backfire terribly. The worldbuilding and tension were written well, and I cheered for the members of the rebellion to succeed and grow more confident in themselves. Overall, if you like great worldbuilding, wonderful found family, fantasy rebellions, and sweet friends-to-lovers comrades with fade to black spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
Elle found out that she was the only heir to Eabha’s throne which is currently held by a queen that kills mages. Elle’s struggling to figure out who she truly is, especially while dealing with grief and understanding she’s also fighting for people she doesn’t even know. They need allies. When Elle travels to Vaeslera to get help, she finds secrets about Eabha’s current queen that provide more clarity to the usurper’s past. Someone is threatening Elle’s loved ones, and she has to decide whether she can protect them and get back her kingdom without heartbreak.
This book was fantastic. You have Elle, a sassy, loyal, kind, clever, and beautiful young woman that is dealing with grief, her true identity, and finding a way to free her people. You have Soren, a strong, devoted, considerate, and handsome young man that will do everything to protect Elle and help her succeed. The banter between Elle and Soren was sweet, funny, and honest. I appreciated seeing POVs from other characters and thought that the prologue helped set up the tone of the story quite nicely. Learning about the queen’s secrets made me empathetic to her experiences and recognize how sometimes best intentions can backfire terribly. The worldbuilding and tension were written well, and I cheered for the members of the rebellion to succeed and grow more confident in themselves. Overall, if you like great worldbuilding, wonderful found family, fantasy rebellions, and sweet friends-to-lovers comrades with fade to black spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
August 1, 2025
I have been looking forward to this one since the minute I finished The King’s Quartet!!
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so this may be slightly vague while also trying to convey just how much I loved this one!
The world building the SC Selby accomplished in this duology is truly amazing. I loved the multi person POV that she used instead of just the main two MCs. That honestly helped me connect with the world in the best way.
Elle is such a strong FMC, despite everything she has been through, she has managed to still be such a sweet girl, with the occasional sassy side. The character growth for all of her characters was truly awesome to read. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would play out in this one.
Thank you so much SC Selby for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this one. I’ve loved every minute of this journey & can’t wait to see the world you dream up next!
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so this may be slightly vague while also trying to convey just how much I loved this one!
The world building the SC Selby accomplished in this duology is truly amazing. I loved the multi person POV that she used instead of just the main two MCs. That honestly helped me connect with the world in the best way.
Elle is such a strong FMC, despite everything she has been through, she has managed to still be such a sweet girl, with the occasional sassy side. The character growth for all of her characters was truly awesome to read. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would play out in this one.
Thank you so much SC Selby for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this one. I’ve loved every minute of this journey & can’t wait to see the world you dream up next!
June 7, 2025
I received an early copy for ARC reading in exchange for my honest review. This one deserves my 5 star review. The Queens Reign is the conclusion to a great story!! I thought I could guess the ending but there were so many surprises, twists and a few turns. This ties up a lot of the questions I had from Book 1. In this conclusion, there was some gut and tear wrenching moments, new friends and relationships as well as huge moments of growth and confidence by Elle, Soren and Ari. As these three search for new alliances to help with their cause of protecting and empowering Elle’s people (mages), they have many challenges, internal as well as their enemies consistently trying to stop and kill them. There are times when I even had some sympathy for some of their enemies, but it didn’t last.
May 28, 2025
I received this as an ARC copy and am reviewing this of my own free will.
The Queens Reign is the second book of this duology. Oh boy, did it blow me away! The story continues to follow Elle and Soren, but some other perspectives are sprinkled in as well. There were surprises and twists that I couldn't have even guessed, some of which made me giddy. the conclusion is fairly fast-paced, but I feel it fits given what happens throughout the rest of the book. I wrote for my book 1 review that the author had a lot of potential, and she hit this one out of the park.
The Queens Reign is the second book of this duology. Oh boy, did it blow me away! The story continues to follow Elle and Soren, but some other perspectives are sprinkled in as well. There were surprises and twists that I couldn't have even guessed, some of which made me giddy. the conclusion is fairly fast-paced, but I feel it fits given what happens throughout the rest of the book. I wrote for my book 1 review that the author had a lot of potential, and she hit this one out of the park.
July 28, 2025
You can not threaten someone who will gladly die for their people.
I love Elle. What she goes through, how she heals, how she grows. A roller coaster of a ride. The author brings you in. With her descriptions and explanations, you feel like you are right there with everyone else. Living through what you are reading.
It's an epic love story. It's an epic battle. With an epic conclusion. This is definitely a Duology you need to check out. Great read.
I love Elle. What she goes through, how she heals, how she grows. A roller coaster of a ride. The author brings you in. With her descriptions and explanations, you feel like you are right there with everyone else. Living through what you are reading.
It's an epic love story. It's an epic battle. With an epic conclusion. This is definitely a Duology you need to check out. Great read.
August 5, 2025
The first half of this book is slow and nothing really happens, but then the second half comes in and BAM! Where was this excitement hiding??? There are many familiar tropes in this tale, but if you like fairytale vibes and princesses galore, this might be up your alley!
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
August 30, 2025
This was a good sequel to the first book. I do feel like there was a decent amount of filler, but I think the backstory that we got and the plot twists had me shocked! I really enjoyed this one, thank you for the ARC 👏🏽
Rating: 4⭐️/5
Rating: 4⭐️/5
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews