This is a story seeped in adventure, mystery and angst. The author creates a wonderful world with three different classes. Each of the classes all aspire to become part of the next which is how it should be.

Throughout the story the reader has to figure out why a Nameless person was able to be named Queen. After all if the king has to name his successor on his deathbed how does he whisper the name of someone who doesn’t have a name or does she. Our protagonist and the other characters in the book also have to figure this out. It is only the King’s daughter who finally figures it out and shows the protagonist how it comes to be that she is the successor to the crown.

This is a very intense book that will have the reader wanting to turn the page to find out more. I fell asleep two nights in a row reading because I didn’t want to put the book down.

If you enjoy books that have mystery and intrigue all surrounded in fantasy then you will love this book. I hope the author makes a sequel.

I was not intending this to be my first finished book of the year, but a funny thing happened while I was reading it.  I ended up becoming so immersed in the story that I could not stop reading it, and before I knew it, I was done. Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin is a fascinating story that one could argue pertains to the current leadership and today's political climate as much as it does about the imaginary world of haves and have-nots in which it is set. It definitely sheds light on the unnamed and unacknowledged class system that currently exists in the United States as well as all over the Western world. In particular, it explores the twin question of "What is power?" and "What does it mean to rule versus lead?" -- two very prescient questions for today's climate.

Fast-paced with a good blend of action and exposition, Ms. McLaughlin does a decent job of answering all questions without forcing readers to suspend disbelief. The magical elements exist but never overshadow the story. The characters are a bit one-dimensional, however. Their growth consists of becoming more aware of one's strengths, weaknesses, and values. The story thrives in spite of this, or maybe even because of it since so much of the story revolves around who should make decisions on behalf of others.

As a debut novel, Nameless Queen is a strong showing but not without room for improvement. Again, it kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning and made me forsake the one book I wanted to finish above everything else. I enjoyed the polite but pointed messages within the story and appreciate the reminder that with privilege comes the duty to protect and care for the less fortunate. Given what is occurring all over Australia and the continuing immigration sagas around the world, it is a message worth repeating.

This was such a surprise to me. I’ve never really liked books that don’t contain any type of romance but I really enjoined this book. I loved Coin, she’s a strong character. She has had to learn to be strong since she’s nameless and lives on the streets. Of course everything changes once she becomes queen. She’s still nameless but there’s a secret behind it all.
When she gets to the palace she has her fears and her doubts but she’s good at not letting others see it. After all she’s a still a young woman and she knows that being queen is a bigger danger for her and she has to watch her back. She can’t be sure of who’s good or bad.
I really enjoyed this book. It looks like it’s a series and I can’t wait for the next book. I really want to know Coin’s name

This was a great read. I hope there is more in the series. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. It was not your typical story. I can’t wait to see what could happen in the next book.

"What’s one more impossible thing?"

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Nameless Queen left me feeling confused and dissatisfied. What's one more impossible thing? Everything about this book felt unbelievable and unrealistic. The characters and their circumstances, how certain events transpired, and even the way the story concluded. It was all just too inconceivable. What? You just happened to have an object on your person that saved your life after someone stabbed you with their sword? The object would've been bulky and noticeable (unless they were wearing a very flowy top), and it simply wasn't presented in a way that felt believable.

Additionally, someone "tortured" the king for years. How?? He was the mother-effing king, with a Royal Guard, Royal Council, family, friends -- it didn't make sense that one person was able to maliciously practice projecting their emotions onto him without consequences. Are you telling me the king wouldn't have been able to make them disappear, or just have them killed outright? Also, how the hell was he protecting his daughter? None of this made any sense to me. (If you've read this and have a theory, let me know!)

Another aspect of the story that bothered me in terms of believability, was Hat. Her existence was an issue after certain circumstances, and her appearance was very distinct. It didn't make sense that no one recognized her later. (I'm trying not to be spoilery!) Other characters were there and felt important, but then faded into the background once the story reached a certain point. Devil, for example, was someone I really liked, and thought her character brought something interesting to the table. I hated that she wasn't more involved.

Coin's actions never rang true for me. She follows a hunch, berates herself for doing something without help, but then does it anyway. She's used to being alone, but then seems to ask for help with ease when it matters. I'm not sure if this is making sense, since I'm having trouble finding the words to explain why Coin's actions felt flat and not at all authentic. She just inexplicably knew what to do. A hidden army? Oh, let me take this very vague comment and solve it within the hour. What? I was right? Imagine that! Should've brought back up... *groans*

No one noticed a missing baby???

I'm also not entirely sure how the hallucinations and illusions worked, since everyone knew they weren't real. If you know something isn't real, wouldn't that make it easier to dismiss? Coin making alternate versions of herself and/or disappearing is one thing, but fire and lighting? Not so much. It was somewhat believable, since she could also make people feel the illusions, but the fantastical elements of this story weren't clearly defined. The logistics didn't work. When someone explained why the magic didn't work on the Nameless, it wasn't specific enough. There weren't enough details to describe why only those with names were affected, and how certain changes occurred at the end. The characters give you a reason, but it felt too easy and convenient.

Glenquartz was weird. He was described as an older man that had lost his wife and child, but his relationship with Coin felt inappropriate. He's her personal guard, but his actions felt more grandfatherly. Creepy grandfatherly. He was smitten with Coin after just a few days, and I wasn't sure what endeared him to her. OH! He has supposedly guarded the royal family his entire life (his family has for generations), but he was unaware of what was happening to the king? The previously mentioned thing that should have been avoidable? If he was the king's personal guard, there's no way he wouldn't have noticed what was happening. He also didn't come across as guard-like (an example would be him sharing a bed with two young girls). There was no stoicism. His words and actions didn't mesh with how a Royal Guard would behave. Even his mannerisms felt off to me.

It also doesn't make sense that the villain was able to get away with as much as they did. Everyone knew how important Hat was to Coin. Coin advocated for her and it was a Big Deal. That means Hat was someone they knew about, so the villain shouldn't have been able to do The Thing. Also, Coin should have been able to call them out on several occasions, but didn't because...??? Why didn't she just show them, or have other people investigate for proof?

Another thing is the cadet that nearly murdered a child because they were anxious to do something. His punishment? Coin makes him see spiders that aren't there. Those harmless illusions were not a sufficient punishment for what he tried to do. He would roll his eyes at her afterwards, and it felt like the two were playing with each other. Gross.

Nameless Queen still gets three stars from me, because it was a solid read with an interesting concept. I think if the history of the world had been elaborated on, and the secondary characters had been built up a bit, it would've helped the overall story. I did have problems with some of the holes, and you'll definitely need to be able to suspend your disbelief for this one, but this was also a review copy and those holes might've been filled with dirt or cement by now.

I wish the magic had been discussed more, particularly the treaty in the king's bedroom with the shimmery writing, because WHY? It felt important, but was never addressed again. After finishing this book, I still had way too many questions floating around in my head, and I want my thoughts to feel more grounded when a story reaches its conclusion. I don't think there's another book in this series, but I could be wrong.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 11, 2020.

Not sure how to describe this book without giving things away. There were some twists that I thought I saw, then thought I was wrong and ended up being right....Odd premise for a story for me, a class of people without names that everyone pretty much ignores. From this group of Nameless comes the new queen. I was confused a bit, and it took me longer than it normally does to read a book pretty much because it just wasn't exciting me to read.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

In the city of Seriden people are divided into Royals, Legals and Nameless and the power of the sovereign is linked to magic. When the king dies and his magic tattoo ends up on the arm of a Nameless girl, turmoil will take over the city until it’s determined whether or not she’s the legitimate heir and fit to rule.
I found the story interesting and highly entertaining. With the backdrop of secrets, magical powers and political intrigue, the Nameless Queen will have to find out why she was chosen to lead the citizens of Seriden.
Something I really enjoyed about this story is that the author didn’t give anything away and the reader keeps leaping from one surprise to the next until the very end.
My only con on this book is that it was too long for my taste and I think it would have done better without some of the embellishment, but in all, it’s a nice story if you like the genre.

4 stars

“How you make people see you isn’t necessarily how you really are.”
-Rebecca McLaughlin, Nameless Queen

This book was a lot like the YA books I have read and also very different. It has magic and mystery. The world is entirely made up as well as the rules. Those are some of the things we all love about this new YA genre. When you have such a fictional world, it gives readers an escape from school, work or any other real world things they wish to leave behind for some time. This book gave us that escape from our own lives.

I enjoyed how this book is different in the romance sense. Everybody loves the idea of love. McLaughlin gave us that, but in family form. There was no hero who cam in and convicted our MC to change or develop and then they fall in love. There was no complicated meeting and the female lead convinces the male lead to change his ways or see things differently. This love story was about family. Nameless Queen gave us the love you can find in your friends or your siblings. We were gifted with a complete feeling of friendship and loyalty all through the family you have or make.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. It did not feel rushed and I have almost complete closure on what happened during the plot. The only thing I am missing is whatever outcome came to the general. I would recommend this book to others since it is a well written stand alone.

-Stone

This book is a bit like its titular heroine, the Nameless Queen. I can’t say it’s exactly the book I expected from the blurb, but it’s definitely a good YA fantasy about powerlessness, feeling like you don’t belong, and creating your own found family.

“I am a misplaced puzzle piece. Worse, I’m a puzzle piece glued to the center of an otherwise beautiful painting. And the painting is on fire.
I am the thing that doesn’t make sense.”


The population of Seriden is divided into three castes: the Royals (the nobility), the Legals (working class), and the Nameless (basically homeless). The King or Queen is designated by a black crown tattoo on their shoulder, and they pass the kingdom (and their magic) to the next Royal by saying their name as they die. Sounds simple (if a ridiculous way of determining who the ruler is), but of course, everything changes the day after the king dies and Coin, a 17-year-old Nameless girl, wakes up with the crown tattoo. When a younger Nameless girl is arrested for a crime, Coin is forced to reveal herself as the queen. But no one, it seems, knows what to do with a Nameless queen, and Coin’s forced to choose between her past life and, well, no life at all.

“I swear by everything Nameless,” I say, stopping in front of him and pointing in his face, “that if you call me Highness or my lady one more spetzing time, I’m going to punch you right in your excellently bearded face.” I pause, collecting myself. “And I mean that … in a … not violent way? Yeah, I’ll work on it.”


Coin definitely had a lot of markers of my favorite sort of YA heroine. She’s prickly, but ultimately has a heart of gold. She does, unfortunately, suffer from Mary Sue syndrome, as she’s somehow able to immediately master magic and Royal etiquette near flawlessly. Even with that, though, I still liked her and enjoyed watching her try to adjust to royal life while still fighting for the Nameless. The other characters were decently done, from the scheming Royal Belrosa to Coin’s guard, Glenquartz, and I especially loved Esther, the princess and the one who was expected to be the next Queen. Her relationship with Coin was particularly well done.

My main criticism of the book is that the magic/caste system never really made sense to me. As the Queen, Coin has magic, like the ability to create illusions, but the magic only works on named people (so the Royals and Legals). Since she’s Nameless, that means she can create illusions that others see but she can’t. I never really understood why the Nameless weren’t affected by magic, despite the Charter history lesson. I do usually enjoy being thrown into a fantasy world and being left to figure out the why’s and how’s myself, but the magic system felt simultaneously too regimented and too loose to make sense to me.

“Things happen to us,” I say, “things we can’t control and things we don’t want. But we are more than what happens to us.”


So, what did I like about this book? At its heart, it’s all Coin making her own found family, with Glenquartz, the Legal guard assigned to her, with Hat, the Nameless girl she saved from execution, and Esther. It’s a bit preachy at times, yes, but the message itself was well done, and I liked watching Coin realize she could rely on other people and not worry about them hurting her back.

I also appreciated that there’s no romance in this book. While I’m a humongous romance fan (see, uh, my entire Goodreads history), I think it would’ve taken away from Coin’s journey in this book. Plus, it’s nice to see that not every YA heroine needs a romantic partner to make their story complete.

Overall, yes, this leans heavily toward wish-fulfillment and Mary Sue, it’s still an enjoyable found family fantasy, and I think it’ll hit the spot for many teen readers. Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I got an ARC of this book.

I have always been a fan of fantasy books by women about the underdog coming into her own. There is just something soothing about the path that these books take. There is some danger, but you always know who will win in the end. I expect certain things from this genre. I love these certain things. Then my world gets turned upside down. 

So this is very much exactly what I wanted and expected, but taken one step further. A lot of the fantasy books with underdog characters have a sort of caste system set into place. The system is used to partially create that underdog narrative and to create a structure for the society. In this world, it was also used as a major plot point. Class plays a huge role in the book, more than any other book I have read in the genre and I am here for it. There was so much about this that came into play and I just wasn't expecting it. There is a whole plot line that wrapped up into "well duh, I would do anything for food and shelter too", but was also completely unexpected because I have yet to read another book that took that step. 

The class system also goes one step further than I have ever seen. Not only are there classes, but there is one class of people that are legally not people. They have no legal rights, protections, and magic doesn't work on them. It was sort of like the YA fantasy version of no taxation without representation. It was pretty brilliant. I really could go on all day about how class played out in this book, but I should probably talk about the other stuff too.

My favorite character was characterized by both his temperament and his beard. Imagine a cuddly teddy bear soldier. You have my favorite character. I loved how the male soldier was much more family oriented and had a soft spot for people. He became a father and mother figure for people. He was a bright part in the novel for me. Having that softer masculinity in a very toxic masculine profession was marvelous. Class also played a factor in this part of the book too. Honestly, just assume class plays a factor in every aspect. It is fantastic like that.

The magic system was unique. It was not fully explained, but I still felt like there were boundaries and there were risks to using it. It didn't feel like it was limitless or that it would change the story for convenience. It felt contained. I liked how tattoos were regulated in this world and that a certain one meant new ruler of the kingdom. I liked how it wasn't passed down genetically. There were ways that it could skip horrible rulers and that the kingdom was passed through magical means. This was all super fascinating. This also played a part in the big twist. The twist was just eh to me. It was hinted at a bit and it wasn't bad. It was just not satisfying. It seemed to wrap up too neatly too quickly for me. I can appreciate it for what it was, but it just didn't stand up to everything else that was going on. 

The ending felt a bit rushed, but that was partly because the big twist just made things a bit too neat. I wasn't shocked or surprised by the ending twist. It was clear that something was going to happen and it only made logical sense that it would happen the way it did. 

Overall, this book is pretty darn amazing. I loved reading it. The twist and the ending were the issues for me. They weren't bad, but when the rest of the book was amazing just good fell short. If you grew up on Jane Yolen and Tamora Pierce, then this really is a book for you.

The Nameless Queen was really good. Rebecca is a new author for me to read and I loved the cover then the blurb of Nameless Queen so I requested it.
The Characters, the story, the scenes drew me in.
The Kingdom of Seriden has a unique way of naming their Kings successor when he dies. The King says the name as he dies and a tattoo appears on the new Ruler.
When The King Says the name of Coin a Nameless Girl only 17 years old, .everything goes topsy turvy because The Kingdom dosnt like where she comes from which is The Nameless.
Seriden has three types of people that live there, the Nameless, know as the homeless and doesn't have any legal rights at all, they steal to survive, Legals who are middle class citizens, workers, craftsmen forced to wear drab clothing, and Royals, the nobility, legislators allowed to wear bright colors. The Seriden don't much like the Nameless.
As the tattoo shows up Coin also gains powers of illusions and is able to read memories and see auras. Coin outed herself as the new Queen to save her friend from being executed. After being took to the Palace she is resented by the others because of where she came from but she does make friends also. All in all I loved this book a lot and cant wait to read more by Rebecca.

This book was basically a 50/50 split for me. To start I will say that I did that that the basis of this book had a lot of intriguing potential. Sadly, I felt this potential was never realized. Would have loved to see more depth, drama and strife added to the story. I found it extremely implausible that Coin slid so easily into her role and that everything that was new to her she excelled at. In my opinion, this took a character you should have been able to root for and easily connect with and made her too one dimensional and in my opinion, boring. Still, I didn't think this was an awful book, just an OK one.

Nameless Queen had me curious - I will say I haven’t read a good dystopian since Hunger Games and it’s not my normal genre.

I did however, like this book a lot. The concept of nameless society is an interesting one for sure. This book kept me wanting more but ended satisfactory also although this has opportunity to be a series. If you like dystopian - this will be your jam most likely. It’s really not mine but I do recommenced this one. It was a nice change of pace for me and the writing was well done (always a plus ).

Thanks for the opportunity to read this copy in advance in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars from me -

Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin is a dystopian novel set in the city of Seriden. There are three classes of people: Royals, the ruling class, Legals, the upper class and the Nameless, those who live on the outskirts of society and survive through pickpocketing and theft. The story opens with a Nameless girl who goes by Coin wakes up to the news that King Fallow has died. When a ruler dies, he or she whispers the name of their successor and a black crown tattoo will appear on their upper arm and that person is the next ruler. Coin soon realizes that she has this tattoo and is frightened to what it could mean for her, a Nameless to be queen, so she hides. After a few days, it is revealed that no Royal has the tattoo and they are checking Legals for the tattoo. When her friend, Hat, is caught pickpocketing a Legal, Coin makes the bold move to expose her tattoo and declare them to stop. Coin is soon taken to the Royal Court where she is thrust into the world of diplomacy and rule. How can a Nameless have the tattoo? How did the king know her true name? What is her purpose as the Nameless Queen?
When I picked this book to read, I was intrigued by the premise. Unfortunately, I found myself losing interest and it was hard to find the motivation to finish. Coin is a typical Mary Sue, while being entertaining, intelligent and likeable, she seems to be able to master everything with very little effort and have no prior experience. When she enters the palace as the Nameless Queen, she instantly has the skills of an experienced and skilled diplomat. She also learns that she has certain abilities like reading someone’s memories or their auras will very little trial and error. The book reminds me of other dystopian novels that are very popular like Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series and Veronica Roth’s Divergent series. If you are a fan of these series or the dystopian genre, I recommend Nameless Queen for you.

Nameless Queen
is available in hardcover and eBook

I wish I could say I loved this but while I enjoyed it for the most part I didn’t love it. The plot was interesting, there is a bit of mystery which is always good. Actually there are a couple of mysteries in this some better than others. I really adored the almost father daughter relationship between Glenquartz and Coin, so precious! Also Hat was one of my favorite characters I just adore her so much! Other than that though this fell kind of flat for me. It started off pretty good but by the end I just wasn’t invested any more.

Pretty strong first book. The world building was detailed enough without becoming tedious. There were a few little details that were great, like Coin's wardrobe choice towards the end and the themed foods for an event.

The main character was likeable, mostly. She was aware of her shortcomings without having to blame herself for everything that went wrong. Given her background, it made sense to me that she'd be quick and resourceful, and she wasn't a quitter. I particularly liked that the story really wasn't about romantic affection at all but focused on other emotions.

There were a few characters that had less to do in the story than I expected. I did like a few of them quite a bit, particularly Hat and Esther. The ending might have felt like everything wrapped up a little smoothly, but it was still satisfying. This is clearly meant to be the first in a series, but it stopped at a good place.

This was a fairly quick read, and I didn't have trouble staying with it. I would be interested in seeing what other kinds of stories the author creates down the road.

This was a good book. Easy to read, enjoyable characters, and a story that compelled me to keep going. What it wasn't, however, was particularly unique or memorable. And that is really my only negative of note: I found it a tad generic. BUT, like I said, I still enjoyed reading it and am glad I did, so let's talk about why!

• The characters were fabulous. Honestly, that's the bread and butter of this story. The characters are just so completely endearing, so enjoyable, that I would fully recommend reading the book for them alone. It's one of those "we choose our own family" type of stories, which I adore. Coin, who's given herself a name as she's not "worthy" of having one, at first resists pretty much all people. But as the story progresses, she learns that not the whole world is garbage. And the people who care for her are just the best.

• The "nameless" concept in general is clever. It's such a great approach to detail the ridiculous classist ways of the society in a way that readers will find enjoyable and easy to comprehend. There are absolutely relevant societal statements in this book, and I am here for every last one of them.

• Even though there were many dark/bleak moments, the book had enough humor for a good balance. I find that this is incredibly important to me lately. I love a darker book, but I also love when the characters can throw a spark of humor, even in satire or sarcasm, during the book. This one was great at achieving that balance, which made it extra enjoyable to read.

Bottom Line: While it may not be permanently seared in my memory, this book was absolutely enjoyable and full of characters I loved reading about. Definitely one to read if you're a YA fantasy fan!

4,5*
Pros: Enthralling world-building, filled with magic and illusions. Lovable and witty characters. Very clever lead and one that actually confides in people instead of going off on their own (a lead that won't frustrate the reader, which is refreshing). Relevant take on prejudice, racism and elitism, in a parallel of today's society. Lack of a romantic plot or subplot was a breath of fresh air.
.
Cons: Too predictable and see-through.

An original story line built on the bones of an often told rags to riches tale. A young woman born into the lowest class of people finds herself named ruler through magic. Rebecca McLaughlin has spent considerable effort to make this community of people fit into a land built around magic. While definitely fiction, the story brings to mind tales of Henry VIII's court and the intrigue of the time. I enjoyed the story and hope to see more from this author.

Funny, well written, action packed, and thought provoking are just a few of they many ways I would describe this book.
I loved the world building and the political and social aspects of this story. From the treaty and magic to the class based divisions of the society, all of it intrigued and awed me.
The characters and their development is truly the brightest and most fascinating part of this book and I was completely blown away by their depth and variation.
I love Coin. She is one of my all time favorite characters. She is strong, determined, kind, compassionate, clever, and oh so witty. She is a survivor. I could not get enough of her and her introspection and growth throughout was my favorite part of the story.
The rest of the cast was also supremely enjoyable. Hat who shined with optimism and warmth. Glenquartz with his sincerity and kindness. Ester with her determination and moral compass. And Devil with her quirkiness and no nonsense ways. Even the villains of the story are complex and not without merit and I found them fascinating.
The plot was great and had my utterly entranced.
I could not get enough of this story and can’t wait for the sequel. This is a inspiring debut and I am now a lifelong fan of Rebecca McLaughlin’s.