The King's Queen

The King’s Queen #1

by Haydn Hubbard

“Love is the cruelest killer of all. Do you know why dear?” I shake my head. “Because it’s the only devil that doesn’t hide its horns. We look it in its ugly face every time and still fall for it. We destroy ourselves in the name of love.”

Verosa knew only three things, the first being that to be born Cursed was to be born dead, and the second was that her arranged marriage would be the key to peace for her kingdom. The third was that none of that mattered to her. Her only way out? Striking a deal with the notorious king of mercenaries. Ruthless and obsessed with revenge, Rowan agreed to train Verosa under the condition that she be his key to the palace and all the powerful villains within. To uncover the secrets buried by the king’s queen and earn her freedom Verosa thought she had been prepared to pay any cost, until she began to display signs of a long dead power. A magic that could either save or destroy them all.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Haydn Hubbard is a North Carolina native who spends most of her time daydreaming of worlds filled with love, magic, and occasionally dragons. The King’s Queen is her debut fantasy series and the first of many to come. When Haydn is not writing she can be found competing with her horses, in any local coffee shop, or anywhere where there is a dog.

Reviews

[Allisha (Lady_Perfictionist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book directly from the author who is by far one of the kindest, sweetest humans you will ever meet!

This book was a whirlwind of adventure and turns. I really liked how Haydn spun social classes and made them pureblood and cursed. It was a unique and refreshingly new take on it! There is magic and romance, a group of assassins and a royal princess who just wants to escape.

When I say romance not just a triangle but a square?! 🤣

When it comes to characters there are definitely ones you fall in love with more and others you get annoyed with but all of them stick with you. I won’t go into details to not give spoilers!

As a debut author there were a few times I got lost or the story seemed to jump around a bit. Nothing that I would keep up with but as a first novel this was very well done! I am highly anticipating the second book!!

[Lexi Rachelle Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love being surprised by a book. I went into this thinking it would be fine and little did I know it would have a chokehold on me. I was immediately pulled into the story and stayed up way too late reading it. However, the world building did get a little confusing and I think it would really benefit having a glossary to refer to.

Verosa’s character growth was one of my favorite aspects of the story. I love seeing an FMC get stronger and be able to save herself. I’m excited to see where it takes her in future books.

Obviously I have now added Rowan to my long list of book boyfriends. I do wish we had gotten a few more chapters in his POV and to just learn more about him in general. But I suspect there will be a lot more of him in book 2.

While this did end on a cliffhanger, I’m happy it ended the way it did because it could’ve been so much worse.

The King’s Queen is a captivating journey full of romance, intricate characters, and the danger of keeping secrets. A beautiful start to a series.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy to review!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Haydn at a book fair and almost passed on the chance to pick up this book. It’s a good thing I doubled back to pick up a copy! Once I started reading The King’s Queen, I had a hard time putting it down.

Verona is a headstrong princess determined to live life on her own terms. She endured abuse and neglect at the hands of her mother, and her father sat passively by while it all happened. She’s constantly trying to escape, and on one such escapades meets the handsome yet insufferable Rowan. Little does she know he is the infamous leader of the mercenary group known as the Nightwalkers. As Vera strives to live life on her own terms, hurdles, twists, and turns are thrown her way, all the while bringing her and Rowan closer together. Some of the biggest twists happen near the end of the book. It ends in a cliffhanger, but it’s not as agonizing as some I’ve read.

The King’s Queen has found family, hidden identities, and magic. I would give this one 🌶️

This is a must-read for fans of romantic fantasy!

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, I was an avid reader, reading everything I could get my hands on. I’m an experienced reader as well, having read texts from many different fields, fiction and nonfiction. Fantasy will always be my favorite genre, as when done well the reader is transported to a new reality, able to experience the book as if they were a part of it. The King’s Queen by Haydn Hubbard gave me that experience.

I’m a very picky reader, and if I do not like a fantasy novel, I will not finish it. I have already reread this one, I loved it so much. There were moments when I found myself wishing I could interact with the characters, watching them make decisions.

I was so invested in the book, there would be points where I would be so overcome with emotion I would need to set the book down before I continued reading, due to character choices guiding the plot. I laughed, cried, and sympathized with the pain. The descriptions were vivid, and the ending was perfect. I am HOOKED, and I need more now! Haydn for sure knows what she is doing, and I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

[RileyAnn5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I saw teasers for The King’s Queen on TikTok and couldn’t wait for its release. This book was a whirlwind! It ends in a way that makes you want the sequel immediately! I can’t wait for more of these characters.

[k22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King’s Queen was excellent. It immediately brings you into a new world and charismatic characters. There is mystery, romance, and yes, even magic. I could not put the book down and can’t wait for the sequel! You immediately fall in love with the characters. It would make a great Netflix mini series. I highly recommend!

[Tifany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verosa is trying to escape an arranged marriage and a sheltered life she wants no part of. She makes a deal with Rowan, leader of a notorious gang, to train and help her escape the palace once and for all. But they both have secrets they aren’t willing to share…

The characters are well-developed. I loved some and loathed others. There are some unique touches to this novel in regards to blood types. And there’s an undercurrent of magic playing a huge role in the past and present.

This story has some great tropes – arranged marriage, found family, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, a love square (not triangle!), and touch her and die vibes. The King’s Queen is an action-packed fantasy romance novel that kept me glued to the page.

This will definitely be a top read of mine for 2023, and I already can’t wait for the next book!

Special thanks to the author for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

[Morgan Engel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking New Book Captured my Mind and Heart!

I haven't read many books in the genre of fantasy romance, however, based on this book I will certainly be reading more. I loved how Haydn Hubbard so vividly transformed words on paper into an entire world. I really felt like I was watching all of the action, heartbreak, and romance right before my eyes. Even more, I felt the characters' intricate emotions and the web of connections between all of them. This was definitely a book I couldn't set down and I can't wait until the sequel comes out! I will be counting down the days. I highly recommend this book and any book Haydn Hubbard writes in the future.

[Kailyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I would like to comment on is the originality of the world building, this is clearly a well-thought universe with clear rules. I enjoyed the magic systems as well as the allusions to real-life issues within the context of this world.
While the main character Vera begins the book a "spoiled princess", as the plot unfolds she is extremely easy to root for. I loved her interactions with the other characters, as well as how real her struggles and relationships feel to me as a reader.
Overall this is a beautifully written book, rich with description and love. This is definitely the debut of a very talented author and I can’t wait to see what she publishes next.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly a book that drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, question who’s side you’re on, and is impossible to put down! The author does an incredible job making the reader feel like they are in the book and her artful descriptions helped me truly understand the characters and their emotions. A MUST read for anyone and everyone and I can NOT wait for the next book by this talented author!

[Chrisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is " You're my sister, My sister, my blood, my family. I should want to protect you. to protect you from the sort of boys who want to do with you exactly what I want to do."

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously enjoyed this book! I loved the action, the found family, the friendships, the cloak and dagger aspect of the Nightwalkers, and the magic system was truly unique.

I found all of the characters to be extremely like-able, which is very important for me in a book. Vera’s character grows exponentially throughout the book, and I love that Rowan’s character was steadfast in his beliefs and personality. It was great to see both characters stand their own ground while giving little bits along the way to form a strong bond.

I would have liked to have seen a touch more romance between the MCs and I found myself wanting a little more back story/world building throughout the book. A lot of things were filled in, in the end, so I wasn’t left unsatisfied, but I was slightly confused about certain things as the story unfolded. Unconventional, but not necessarily bad.

I thought the twist at the end was slightly predictable, but it certainly gave for some high blood pressure on my part considering I was seriously invested in Rowan and Vera. So bravo to the author for creating a seriously high stakes plot twist!

Over all I’m very invested in this story and where it’s going to go. I have a lot of questions about a certain Captain of the Guard. I’m very upset over a certain Lady in Waiting, and I desperately want a happily ever after for this band of assassins.

Thank you to the author and MTMC tours for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I truly want to give this book 5 ⭐️ bc if I’m being honest this was freaking great. The only reason it’s not 5 ⭐️ is because I’m trying to be really picky with my 5 stars this year and I feel like there are slight tweaks I would change to the story. But everything went smoothly kept me entertained, there were multiple points I could have left but I felt like I wasn’t done with Vera’s story. Lemme just say, I lost much sleep with this book and it was worth it :)

Now the characters ratings
Verosa (fmc) - 8/10 I feel like I kinda of really know her but at the same time know nothing
Tanja - 10/10 she is the real Icon of this book, like we don’t see her all the way throughout but it’s realistic in thsi books setting. And she eatssss every time
Rowan (mmc) - 7.5/10 okay sk he kinda makes me blush, but I can’t really say I know that much about him, he just isn’t memorable to me
Torin- 11/10 I read this book for him bc, let’s be honest, he’s the best green flag you will ever bed. He is exactly like Kenji Kishimoto (spelling?) without copying. He is literally a cross breed of Kenji and Gerard/Gibsie and you can’t convince me otherwise. But let me repeat, he IS still his OWN character.
Blaine- 3/10 pissed me off from the very beginning.
I’m not wasting words in him

I feel like this book didn’t really have a point to if I’m being honest it has a good foundation and plot but J do hope we get to see an end point/goal for both of them. Also, I really wish there was more info because I kinda got lost at some point with the building if the world.

[Loe Levendusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳?” 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. “𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦”
-Spoiler Free Review

The Kings Queen By @hhubbardauthor

When I tell you all I WASNT ready for this….
Verosa just wants freedom, she doesn’t want to be who she’s expected to be, & when she’s given news that threatens her freedom she makes a decision that leads her straight to Rowan.
Soon she’s taking new risks & realizing things about herself, her life, her friends and family that she never dreamed of.

Haydn had delivered an amazing novel right out of the gate! I was intrigued by the blurb, but honesty didn’t think I’d get so lucky as to be blown away by another book so soon after the past two reviews.
Well I’m obsessed! Her characters are amazing, they grow, the hurt, the love, they sacrifice! The plot is deep and layered and when I tell you everything has a reason I mean everything.
The ending 🤯
I’m more than excited for the sequel!
Check out The Kings Queen on @amazonkindle or buy the paperback on @amazon

5/5 ⭐️

[Linsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow start and had a few slow parts but then the action would pick up and I'd just fly through this. I like how the relationships with Vera and Blaine and Vera and Rowan were handled (I don't want to spoil anything). Although it did seem a little insta-love at points. And the book really picks up at the end, ending on a cliffhanger that has me waiting impatiently for the next one.

It'll also be interesting to see what Vera does with her powers and how she learns to use them in the next book as well as her relationships with Rowan and Blaine evolve. I don't know if I could forgive Rowan as easily as it is implied she does at the end. But maybe I'm just reading into it and there'll be a lot more needed to repair their relationship.

[Summan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the characters, plot, the little banter and the way the author had me questioning some parts (won’t say because spoilers!) but oh my god I was hooked! Could not stop reading and it has me in a chokehold. I need to know what happens next like yesterday.

Verosa is such a strong character, she’s able to see her flaws and want to change - she also sees the best in people and hopes that they’re able to want fight for themselves just as much as she is willing to fight for them. She doesn’t push them to change, she loves with all her fierce heart and will always be by their side especially when they need her the most.

The cliffhanger makes me what to instantly purchase the next one.

I received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/opinions above are my own!

[Michele G]

DNF at 127 pages (chapter 15)

The writing was super confusing in this one. Often times, I wasn’t able to tell which character was saying what. Also, two people would be talking, and I thought it was only them present, then all of a sudden a third character would start talking and I wondered when/how they got there. On top of all of this, there were a lot of grammatical errors and incorrect words in sentences. It needed a good editor.

I stuck around longer than I expected because I felt like there was so much potential in this story and I kept waiting for it to get there. This is a slow burn and I was also into that aspect. But then all of a sudden a character would state they liked the other. It was jarring as it was a lot of telling and not showing.

[Kristen Chambers · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could rate a 2.5, I would. The writing is mediocre, there are quite a few grammatical errors and typos throughout. A lot of phrases are repeated multiple times. I was also gifted this book by someone who thought it was supposed to be spicy- yeah not spicy at all lol. The last half of the book was redeeming and what earned the 2 stars instead of one, since the plot twists made it interesting. I didn't realize it was a series and now I'm mad because I have to read the rest, I can't just leave it off on the cliff hanger at the end.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to meet the author at a bookish event and when she told me about her book coming out I just had to read it. Being that Haydyn is a new author I was not expecting to get pulled into the story as much as I did. The combination or fantasy, romance, and drama hits on some very traditional tropes but was able to keep things fresh. After reading this first story I knew I needed the next as soon as I could get it.

[The OG Bad B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is genuinely such a good time. Haydn sets up a premise that could have easily been trope heavy and stereotypical, but instead kept me on my toes throughout. While there were some issues, a typo here or an abrupt transition there, none of it was enough to disuade from my thorough enjoyment of the story.

Every time I picked the book up to read, I was immediately pulled back in and eager to see what happened next. For those who shy away from indie books, The King’s Queen is the perfect example of why you should support independent authors. There is such magic and raw talent in this book and I, for one, am so excited to see where this series leads and how Haydn grows and develops as an author from here.

[Ophelia Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trop dommage, ça se voit que le plot a énormément de potentiel, l'histoire et l'intrigue également mais les relations/interactions.... Ce n'est pas du tout développé :
C'est censé être un groupe ultra méfiant, secret etc mais en l'espace d'un chapitre on passe de on censé être ennemis à je suis amoureux et tu ne sais pas comment t'en es arrivé là bref

Je garde l'auteur en tête malgré tout car ça se sent qu'il y a du potentiel !

[Allison Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was so hard to put down but towards the end of the book, a twist was thrown in that made me almost throw the book across the room and DNF it but I persisted and thankfully the twist worked out in my favor but gosh it almost destroyed the book for me. Other than that twist, it had just the perfect amount of romance, adventure, and action! It had everything you could want in a book! I’m now on the 2nd book and so excited to see where it goes!

[Kat Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an ending! This was such a fun fast paced fantasy. I loved the complexity of our main characters and the plot twists! It was so fun trying to figure it all out.

I will say some parts jumped quickly to other scenes without any lead way which can cause confusion at the beginning but once I understood the authors writing style a little better I found the flow.

I can't wait for book 2!

[K Chandwani · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, it just got to confusing I had to re read the first 50 pages twice and still am confused by the book and what Rowan is after. I understand the concept of blessed but gods this whole partnership and just the amount of characters confused me so I gave up.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, though some places seemed a little out of place to me. The adventure and the world building were great. I absolutely loved the twists of social norms that you see in most romances; it created a new take for me. Loved it.

[Shiloh Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent plot, some twists and turns. I just wish there was a little bit more building of characters & their relationships with each other. Sometimes it was a little hard to keep up with what everyone knew about each other and where they stood with each other.

[Maïwenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book confused me so much. I really wanted to like it and I did, sometimes, but there were just a lot of inaccuracies and sometimes gaping holes in the story which made it hard to fully appreciate.

[Veronica Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cliffhangeeeer! Whyyyy?

[Coco · Rating 1 out of 5]

no

The girl is such a brat that it made it impossible to enjoy the story. I’d have loved for her to have been less spoiled brat

[Tessa Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book about a girl just wanting to be free. I love this story and want to find out so much more about these characters and their pasts. Super excited to continue reading this series!