"Nameless Queen" by Rebecca McLaughlin presents an engaging fantasy tale with an intriguing premise. The story follows a nameless protagonist navigating a world where names determine power and status, offering a fresh take on the genre.

McLaughlin's world-building is imaginative, and the plot unfolds with a blend of action and political intrigue. However, the character development and pacing occasionally feel uneven, which might detract from the overall immersion.

Despite these minor setbacks, "Nameless Queen" succeeds in delivering an entertaining and thought-provoking narrative. It provides a solid read for those interested in exploring themes of identity and power within a unique fantasy setting.

Nameless Queen is an intriguing fantasy that blends sharp social commentary with a fast-paced, character-driven story. Coy, a bold and resourceful protagonist, challenges a kingdom’s rigid caste system when she unexpectedly inherits the throne. With its unique premise, gripping twists, and themes of identity and power, it’s a compelling read for fantasy fans!

Great idea, bad delivery. This is what I thought when reading this book.

The world building didn't make much sense to me, and I was very interested in the concept. There was no chemistry between the couple, and I wasn't able to connect with them individually or together.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: Nameless Queen
Author: Rebecca McLaughlin
Format: 🎧 (Originally received an ARC from @crownpublishing)
Rating: ✩ ✩

Unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. There were multiple areas that left me feeling neutral or wanting.


First, I didn't feel a strong connection to Coin. It did seem like everything she tried, she was automatically perfect at, which certainly isn't relatable. I appreciated that there was no romance here, but the characters didn't stand out on their own, regardless.


The worldbuilding was subpar. Beyond the caste-system, we didn't learn much about the kingdom or world around it. Some vague agreements with other kingdoms were mentioned, as was information about magic, but I honestly didn't catch much about the specifics.


Finally, the plot and the mysteries were interesting at first, but once things were revealed, I just ended with more questions than answers, and most of them came from plot holes.


Not my favorite, unfortunately, but it actually wasn't hard to stay engaged, which I think is a point in McLaughlin's favor for her writing style. I would be interested to try another book of hers!

Key Points:
• Standalone fantasy
• Found family
• Caste-bound society

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Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. Ok so here is the deal. I've had this book for years now. I would try to read it and just quickly put it down and move to something else. Everything I like normally is in this book. But this just didn't work for me at all. Still I read it bit by bit and this week decided to bite the bullet and read it so I could review it. Here is what I determined was my problem. I am prepared for a heroine of a fantasy book to be the "chosen one" but Coin was an over the top Mary Sue character. There was nothing special or unique about her at all. The plot never felt resolved with little plot holes all over the place. As this was the author's first novel, I will give it some leeway with a 2 star review. Others might really enjoy this but I think it would work best for newcomers to the YA Fantasy genre. There are just too many really strong Fantasy novels and this pales next to those.

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange of a review.

I started reading this one but didn't hold my interest. I thought the concept was good but I wish I could have connected with the main character more.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Oh wow this was AMAZING. the writing was superb. Truly, the prose just HIT and the world building was so unique and interesting. Coin is such a cool character. I loved her wit and nettle. She was HILARIOUS. it's been a while since I loved a character that much.
And the plot was so cool.

I really like first person present and I think Rebecca did such a great job with it. The world building was fantastical and it shone through her writing in each adventure the MC goes on.

I absolutely loved this book. The world build was great and I just wanted to know more and more about the characters in the stiry. I hate cliffhangers but I cannot wait to read next book.

This one is sadly another tragedy to my DNF pile.
It was so so good. I made it almost to the end. But as I had issues with other books around this time. I had to put it down and didn't make it back because I was going though some health issues at this time.

But what I didnread really drew me in. I love ehen I can get pulled into an authors world. And this one did that very well in my opinion. It had characters that I wanted to see what would happen or how they would navigate the world. And a story that captivated me and was written very well

This was a fun and exciting YA fantasy. I did struggle to connect with the characters a bit, but the world building was wonderful.

I gave this a four out of five stars I really enjoyed the storyline, the characters, and the writing style. This book wasn't what I was expecting but I enjoyed it so much. I enjoyed the growth in the characters in this story. I would love to read more about these characters in the future.

Nameless Queen was a gorgeous tale about family and identity and the artful words brought to life a world of magic and mayhem. The characters were phenomenal and the world-building was intriguing and built up a cast system that needed to be changed. It was a wonderful read!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. Nameless Queen is a ya fantasy about a girl who must make a name for herself to keep her crown. I liked the atmosphere and the writing style, but I found the characters and plot to be a bit basic. There wasn't much that happened in the book that I didn't expect.

I was very excited for this book when I requested it but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I still may give it another try in the future.

This was not a book for me. I was not a fan of the characters or the plot. I think this just a case of my type of book.

I made it to about 40% of this novel and then I gave up. It just seemed like every other YA book and it just didn’t stand out. Thank you to netgalley for my free review copy but I was unable to finish.

Nameless Queen unfortunately ended up on my DNF list after I've read 30% of the book. I like fantasy fiction but this one wasn't for me.

Nameless Queen is a rags to riches tale that has a unique fantasy setting and magic inheritance plot. I enjoyed this story and will be reading more from Rebecca McLaughlin in the future.