Queen of Corvids

by Jess McFarlane

All the men she had killed, all the bodies that had fallen to build the path to where she was now. The gods had brought her here on a road of destruction and blood.

The corrupt chieftains of Eryn have been defeated, but instead of the peace she so desperately wants, Muirne Arasgain has attracted attention from the Kalti Queen, Ursula. Their first meeting is tense, violent. Once back to safety, Muirne declares the Queen of Crows an enemy of her country and prepares her army for battle.
But the remaining chieftain of Slíab, and an old ally to the Arasgain family, has been watching from his lonely mountain. And when he calls upon Muirne for a meeting, she is once again thrown into disarray.
Leaving behind the name of Fáelben, Muirne Arasgain finally embraces the woman she has the High Queen, a benevolent leader. And in doing so, she finally faces the feelings she has for Riagan, the brute who slayed her warriors all that time ago.
Muirne almost has everything she has fought peace in Eryn and a restored society under matriarchal rule. But can she lead her army, her country, and her feelings in the right direction? Or will she only succumb to the pressures that have been put upon her?

Filled with action, feminine rage, found family, and a fiery combustion to the slow burn you’ve been waiting for, Queen of Corvids is the tantalising third book to the Arasgain Rule series.

464 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 7, 2026

About the author

Jess McFarlane wrote her first book by hand when she was 14. Since then, she’s used words to escape reality and has so far published 3 novels. Her 4-book series, Arasgain Rule, is her current self-publishing project, and is due to be fully released by mid-2026. She’s a proud disabled/chronically ill, Palawa woman, who grew up on Bundjalung and Darkinjung Country, and now lives on Yorta Yorta Country with her husband, Alec, and their German Shepherd, Sam. When Jess isn’t writing, she enjoys playing video games, reading, archery and cooking.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this books as a ARC, all opinions are my own. Big thank you to Jess for having me as an ARC reader again! If you haven't read the first two books, please read these first.

Where do I even begin? This is the third book in the Arasgain Rule series, and it is amazing. I love following Muirne's journey, with herself, with Riagan, with her family. Even though I found myself yelling at her again for keeping her beautiful bear at a distance once again (still).

In this book the villian was bat shite crazy, the fight scenes were epic. Jess is so good at writing these, you feel completely immersed in the battles.
And the slowwwwww burn... the flame burns so bright. The love story is intense, it's sweet, it's a green flag MMC, he has my whole heart.

Something I adore in this series is the matriarchy Muirne is building. The way she interacts with other women is an inspiration, love her so much for it.
We get some wonderful scenes centered around womanhood, about the kindness and sisterhood women could have amongst themselves.

[Morgan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmygod, just a masterpiece of a book. I absolutely loved it when I read as a BETA read and just reading again as an ARC, it was just beautiful and I am just so happy every time I get sucked into this world.

The characters, the plot, the descriptions, are just all so wonderfully written. I feel like I'm there with the characters and I can visualize the places in the story. I love it all.

Queen of Corvids has taken me on such a rollercoaster of emotions. I was giggling one minute and then crying the next. I was on the edge of my seat and then you just feel such relief when things work out. But this book has everything you could want; betrayal, loss, budding romance, pain, SPICE (like finally!! 🤣)

My favorite character in this series is Riagan for sure. The things that come out of this man's mouth are just perfection. He's totally book boyfriend (husband) material. He is such a source of strength and love for Muirne and I love a possessive yet adoring MMC and he hits both of those so well.

Muirne is just amazing in this book. She is slowly knowing what she wants and by midway through, she is not afraid to admit, especially to Riagan, her fears and her wants. I love that for her!

Ursula is definitely an interesting and brutal character but she is so necessary for the plot and the growth that happens between Riagan and Muirne. I think Muirne really needed someone on her level to fight and Ursula definitely knew how to push the right buttons and she was itching for a fight as well.

Brennus of course was a source of amusement throughout the story, he just pops up whenever and wherever he wants and it made me laugh. Temair and Ena of course are just the perfect family to Riagan and Muirne, they know what to say and they know how to endlessly tease them. I just love them all. Piran wasn't even that annoying in this book, he played his new role so well it made me forget how much I disliked him in Man of Bears 😂

Now this series has a massive slow burn and boy did it ignite in this book!!! I loved every moment of it. Because you get the build up throughout the story, the slight touches, the small moments, the smiles, the forehead kisses!!! Just perfection! And I just loved the spicy moments because Jess has a way of writing these scenes with so much emotion and consent and just love between these two characters. I just loved it so much.

I could write about this book all day, it's so good. So if you have not read this series, I highly recommend! It is one of my favorites and the writing is just so beautiful and the characters just stick with you. Definitely an amazing story.

[Melissa Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 5 stars!

I loved this book, just as much as the last two!

Queen of Corvids carries the series confidently into its third instalment, and wow, things seriously heat up here! Muirne is confronted with a new threat, a queen even more cunning and with absolutely nothing to lose, while also exploring her deepening connection to her enemy turned lover, Riagan. The first two books feel like perfect stepping stones to this one, setting the stage for relationships to finally breathe and evolve. With that fight for freedom comes new dangers, and neither MC is quite prepared for what follows.

I absolutely adore Muirne. Her fire, confidence and loyalty have always been a highlight, but it is her growth that truly shines here. We see a softer, more human side of her, especially when it comes to her desires for Riagan. And Riagan… honestly, a man who knows exactly what to say. Strong, quietly possessive and fiercely protective. Perfection. And FINALLY, we get the moment we have all been waiting for, the slow burn igniting into pure FIRE, and it was HAWT. The spice was handled perfectly, with all that yearning paying off in deliciously steamy flames.

While this instalment leans more into character driven storytelling, particularly the push and pull of Muirne and Riagan’s budding romance, the tension never falters. The addition of the enemy Queen was brilliant, I loved just how unhinged she was. The battle scenes were expertly executed, exactly what I have come to expect from McFarlane, and the found family elements, especially Brennus, were done so well.

What to Expect:
🐺 Badass FMC
🐻 Cinnamon roll MMC
🌶️ Spice and steamy scenes
⚔️ Battles and heart-stopping action
🍀 Irish mythology
❤️ Found family & LGBTQI rep
🔥 Slow burn enemies to lovers
🐺 Tension and Challenges
🐻 Epic Love Story

Fans of rugged, battle bred warriors with spicy mouths when it counts, Irish mythology, strong and self assured queens, bloody battles, epic passion, and spice that hits like a meteor, all wrapped in Viking-esque settings with found family, will absolutely love this series.

Thank you SO much to Jess for having me back as an ARC reader. I cannot wait for the finale, something tells me it is going to be EPIC! 🔥


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[Anita D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of Corvids by Jess McFarlane
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Spice: 3 / 5

This book is a perfect continuation of the Arasgain Rule series.

We continue to follow Muirne Arasgain 'Fáelben' in her journey to make Eryn a better place for all of its residents.

Jess' writing has only improved since Woman of Wolves and Man of Bears. I have no complaints about syntax, grammar, or the general writing style. It was all excellent.

The real story, here, though, is finally getting to see Muirne and Riagan acknowledge and lean into their love for each other. The slow burn in this series was real, but it was worth the bloomin' wait. Muirne and Riagan's relationship has slowly built from true enemies to lovers. There is no insta-love in this book. They slowly build their trust in each other and their love for each other grows at a steady pace.

At the end of Man of Bears, we got to see Muirne and Riagan's first kiss. Towards the end of Queen of Corvids we get to see Muirne and Riagan's first sexual intercourse. It's basically a whole chapter of loving. And honestly, it was some of the best written sex I've read this year. (6 out of 5 stars for the smut!)

I loved when Muirne shed her skin and remade herself to be Muirne Arasgain instead of focusing on being Fáelben. I was so happy with this scene. I loved seeing Muirne acknowledging that to be a true leader of Eryn she needed to be more merciful.

The battle scenes between Muirne's army and Ursula's army were so well written and engaging. The pacing was great.

I cannot wait for book four (the finale) in this series.

I received an ARC of this book from the author. I was not incentivised to read or review.