**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**
Title Nameless Queen
Author Rebecca McLaughlin
Description from Amazon
Everyone expected the king’s daughter would inherit the throne. No one expected me.
It shouldn’t be possible. I’m Nameless, a class of citizens so disrespected, we don’t even get names. Dozens of us have been going missing for months and no one seems to care.
But there’s no denying the tattoo emblazoned on my arm. I am queen. In a palace where the corridors are more dangerous than the streets, though, how could I possibly rule? And what will become of the Nameless if I don’t?
Release Date January 7, 2020
Initial Thoughts
This book was on my radar for a while, the premise seemed interesting and I really liked the idea of a main character with no name. As you know well by now, I am striving to read everything in my NetGalley queue before the end of 2019 so I can start fresh in 2020.
Some Things I Liked
- World building and magic. I really liked the unique world building and the magic system created in this book. It can be difficult to create magic that only one character can use without it “solving all problems all the time” and I think Rebecca McLaughlin achieved that balance. Coin had magic where others did not, but she was not all-powerful or invincible because of it.
- Family ties. I loved that a huge portion of this story was about Coin finding herself as well as finding her family. Family doesn’t always mean blood-relatives and I loved the process of how Coin discovered that.
Something I Wasn’t Crazy About
- No romance. I’m ok with no romance in stories (take my obsession with the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman), but here, I really missed it. I thought a romance for Coin would have been an interesting way to explore her character as well as a way to round out her identity. One of the main plot points is Coin finding her place in the world (given that she doesn’t even know her own name) and I thought creating more relationships would have given the reader a better sense of who she is.
Series Value
This book is not cited as a series, but, I would like to know more about the characters and world Rebecca McLaughlin created. There are several other cities mentioned as well as a somewhat uncertain future laid out that I think sequel novels could be built upon. I would read another installment of this series either in the form of a direct sequel or a spin-off.
Final Thoughts
I liked this story. I think it has good bones. Good world building, solid characters, unique magic. But, for me, it was missing something. A romance sub-plot would have been nice, but, that aside, I still thought there was something missing. If this story gets a sequel, I can easily see myself revising my rating. But, for now, this was a solid three star read for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
- Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke – if you liked the idea of an underdog character becoming a hero, put this upcoming release on your TBR.
- Frostblood by Elly Blake – if you liked the mystery around the main character’s identity mixed with elements of revolution and magic, try this series by Elly Blake.
Books Over Everything 