I gotta say, this has got to be the most boring book I have read this year. The synopsis sounded really interesting, but the premise...ehh. Kind of a tired trope for me.

Our MC Coin is nameless yet one morning wakes with the crown tattoo on her arm making her the new ruler of the country, granting her with some magic that isn't really explained all that well for the part of the book I read to (and considering how much I did read, it should have by that point). And this is a problem because she is "Nameless", and typically only the "Legals" and the "Royals" get the tattoo. None of them want her to have the tattoo because she could be more loyal to the other nameless and start to give them rights, *gasp*. How DARE she want to give people the chance to have jobs and homes and food legally... What a HORROR that could be for the country.

Anyway, Coin as a character is so dull. She hardly struggles with her new powers, she can create illusions almost instantly. She mostly complains about annoying shit and is forced to take etiquette classes... for some reason. The council plans to force her to hand over the power during some tournament, so it seems really pointless for her to take these classes. Yet, they don't bother to teach her how to read, and with her being nameless you'd think it would be assumed that she couldn't since the Nameless don't really exist in their society as people. They can't have or DO anything, most of them are orphans.

I feel like this book is more suited for a few years ago, at the height of the Dystopian genre. Because now, the book feels like a tired trope. Especially with Coin being a Mary Sue of sorts.

This is a world divided into three different class systems. The royal, who have the most control and power. The legals, which seem to be the working class. And then the Nameless, who are so below everyone else they don't even have a name.
The story is told from a Namless girl who calls herself Coin. Where the king dies, she is named heir by a magical tattoo appearing on her arm. Instead of running away she faces her destiny head on.

Going into this book I didn't have high hopes for it. Something about the name threw me. However I was very much surprised by it. There was great characters and intriguing storylines to get swept up in. There isn't any romance in this book but the story does not lack because of it. Between the character development and the political aspects there is more than enough going on to keep reading.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

This book starts with an interesting idea, gets a little uninspired in the middle, but ends on a high note. Rounded down because it doesn’t make sense to me that Coin could be both Nameless but also have her name spoken as the Queen. I don’t feel like that ever really gets resolved but the implications of each status have major impacts. Nothing is truly unique or remarkable but it’s a fun read and I actually think a sequel would be more successful now that the world building is done.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Soooo good. You follow this nameless girl who goes by Coin. Who comes from a world of Nameless, loyals, and royals. They have a different way of bestowing the crown by saying a name of the heir with their last breath. Coin wakes up and wakes up with a crown tattoo on her arm. Becomeing the QUEEN of the kingdom because on the king's death bed he whispered her name. HER NAME. But she is nameless how or why would he name her and not his daughter. She plans to except until fate makes her show herself to save her "friend" and potentially everyone else. You have twists and turns and you can just feel the emotions in the words of this book.

I would total take points off for the ending tho. Like IT WAS RIGHT THERE GIVE IT TO ME!!!

Yeah this book was not for me, as in I wanted to DNF it, but pushed through it. The world building was lacking, character development was lacking. The book was very predictable and I hated that because it really sounded cool, and had a lot of promise-just wasn't executed very well.

Overall, I thought this book was a good standalone ya fantasy novel. In the beginning it was giving me major Six of Crows vibes because the main character Coin is a part of the "Nameless" lower-class who live on the streets and have to steal to survive. However, this quickly became a royalty-political power struggle novel, with major "chosen one" vibes. The part that stuck out to me the most was that THERE WAS NO ROMANCE in this book! Instead, the book focuses on the power struggle between the societal classes as well as the friendships between the female characters, which was kind of refreshing! There did seem to be a tiny hint of a f/f relationship between the MC and a secondary character, but it was never fleshed out. I wish we had gotten a little more character development from some of the characters, but as a short standalone novel I understand why some descriptions were modest. I really enjoyed Esther and wished we had seen more of her. My biggest beef were the bad guys: Marcher, gang leader (morally gray?) and the general (standard evil villain) -neither were fully fleshed out nor is the reader given a clear understanding of what their goals actually were and the "why" behind them.

This novel was refreshing. It is the first novel I have read in awhile where the main female character was not entwined in some type of romantic relationship. This allowed Coin to fully grow into herself and it truly a breath of fresh air to read.

Alright, this book was an absolute borefest. It sounds extremely promising. A story about a nameless girl, who rises to power from streets and has no concept on how to rule, which checks off a lot of boxes for me. I love stories about queens, who come from peasantry and come into their power. However, this was not that story.

Coin is from the nameless class, who are more or less peasants without a home and resort to thieving to support themselves. They remain nameless for their entire life as a sign of their rank. There are also the Legals, middle-class, and Royals, who are nobility. The line of succession for the Seriden throne is determined by the last monarch, who utters the name of whoever he wants to be the next ruler and then a black crown tattoo appears on said person's arm. Imagine Coin's surprise when she discovers this tattoo on herself.

Attempting to save her friend, Hat, from execution, Coin reveals that she is the bearer of the tattoo and whisked away to court, where her presence creates quite a stir. The nameless are not supposed to be named as royalty, but the court must accept Coin as their temporary queen. However, they propose to Coin that she remains as their queen until the Assassins' Festival, where the crown tattoo and the power to be the sovereign can be transferred to whoever bests the bearer. Of course, this is not as simple as it appears and Coin discovers that her past and identity are not as clearcut as she always believed.

Overall, the story and the characters are just not compelling. Coin is completely a Mary Sue and I did get a feel for her character at all. I know she's a thief, done 'terrible' things to survive, but this is a backstory that repeatedly is told to the reader, but her skills and knowledge never really come into play. Sure, she reveals her tattoo to save her friend, but that's the only way that her past becomes involved in this story. The side characters are also entirely forgettable. There's Glenquartz, which is an absolutely ridiculous name. He's a guard at the court with a quite tragic past and he helps Coin for no apparent reason. Esther, the daughter of the dead king, also plays a significant role but again, there's no explanation for her motivation either.

As I already said, the story and characters were not compelling. The world-building leaves a lot to be desired and the dialogue could be cliche. At the end of the story, there was nothing that I particularly liked about the characters or the story. It just felt flat.

No one has any idea how excited that I got accepted for an arc on Netgalley. So, I thank you Netgalley and Crown Books for the opportunity to read Nameless Queen prior to publication. This review is an honest review.
I am a sucker for anything with royalty in it, so this book was right up my alley. It sucked me in from the beginning and interested me about the caste system. I did dock a star because I didn’t feel like the caste system and world building were built that well, but you can somewhat understand it still.
We start off with a dying king and him giving the name of his heir. The only problem is that his heir is Nameless and it is impossible. Coin, the Nameless heir has two options: accept it or run. But, with the way events turn out she accepts it and at first people of skeptical. They do not want a Nameless Queen, it is impossible. She must do what the Royal Council says, but will she?
I definitely recommend Nameless Queen. It’s fast and engaging. Coin reminds me a lot of Celaena from Throne of Glass with her wit and cunning tongue. Pick this up, you will not regret it.

I loved this book!! Rebecca McLaughlin created a world I could really connect with coming from a poorer family. I loved Coin’s character development and the way she grows as the Nameless Queen. I can’t wait for book 2!

Rich and unique in world-building, McLaughlin has created an entertaining tale perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Victoria Aveyard.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley..
In this Kingdom you have three classes of people: the royals, the legals, and the nameless.. The main character is a nameless girl who call herself Coin. She has grown up on the streets, stealing and grifting. When one morning she wakes up with a tattoo of a crown on her arm. This means that she is meant to be the next ruler of the Kingdom. Now she knows that not one of the Royals wants a nameless to be on the throne and if she comes forward their is a good chance she will be killed. When Coin is discovered she is taken to the palace and put in the dungeon until the other rulers decide what to do with her..
I struggled a little bit in the beginning to connect with Coin and the other characters, but by the middle that had changed.. We find out some royal secrets, and there is a mystery to be solved, and Coin has to figure out a way to keep her throne..
Then at the end this thing happens.. and i was like "oh no this can't happen"" then I held my breath........
Spoiler alert


and it all ended well. what i was hoping to happen did.. I don't know if this is supposed to be a standalone or if we will be seeing more of Coin and her friends but I would read more by Rebecca McLaughlin especially if we can see this world again..

I really liked the concept of the book. The class basis is genius and unique, however the book fell flat for me. I know stories are supposed to be magical and make the extraordinary real, but some of the things ( like Coin being able to learn things almost instantaneously) were just too incredulous to make the story believable. The world is unique, but overall it just did not work for me. Definitely a lot of potential there, just not executed very well.

The Nameless Queen is filled with so much depth. The story takes place in the city of Seriden and follows a young homeless girl with no name except the self designation, Coin. In Seriden the title of King or Queen is passed on just before death with the current ruler saying the name of the future ruler. At that time a crown tattoo as well as certain magical gifts pass to the named heir.

The first layer encountered is the socio-economic divide between the three classes of Seriden. You have the Royals. These people come from families who have passed the crown back and forth throughout the years. For the most part they make up the Council that leads the city. Next you have the Legals. These people would be considered middle class by our standards. They have jobs, homes, and food but things are not always what they seem. Not all Legals are created equal but all Legals are considered citizens of Seriden. Lastly you have the Nameless. The Nameless have no home, no job, they must steal or con for the food and clothing they have, they are not considered citizens, and they have no names other then the ones they give themselves. So, without a name how does a Nameless girl end up the next heir and with the crown tattoo?

Being Nameless is a lonely existence. You can only rely on yourself. You need to fight and work hard for every little thing you obtain. It can be risky to develop relationships or friendships with others. The slightest infraction can get you arrested and the Royals would rather execute you then waste time caring for a prisoner. Despite this, Coin forms an alliance with a younger girl called Hat. Throughout the story you can see the way Coin constantly keeps Hat at arms length while at the same time going to great lengths to ensure Hat’s safety. It is during one such instance that Coin’s crown tattoo is revealed and she is outed as the heir apparent.

The final layer is an understanding of what Shakespeare himself made so famous, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Basically a name is merely a label. It does not define us. We are defined by our actions, who we are, and how we present ourselves. Coin had a chance to learn her real name but learning that name would not change where she came from, how she had lived her life, or the person she chose to become.

Rebecca McLaughlin tells an engaging story. She built a wonderful world with enchanting characters. These contracts are presented in a manner to make the reader think hard about their own life without getting in the way of the story being told. I enjoyed the Nameless Queen and highly recommend it.

If someone where to give a class on a modern day Mary Sue, this book would be required reading. 'Coin' is an accomplished thief with all the moxie of a girl three times her age. She is able to still the gold fillings from a marks mouth while they are chewing on a pail of nuts without anyone the wiser. She can beat up street thugs and demand sanctuary from the grapevine operators, all without breaking a sweat.

She is a Nameless, but by some stroke of luck the dying king names her Queen. Oh and did I mention those come with mysterious powers she is able to master in two pages. Oh and did I mention she is a snarky sarcastic queenling with everyone who she is supposed to be scared of because they hold her life in their hands. But you know who has time for al that when you are being the best heroine the world has ever seen.

I honestly could not finish this book. Sure I love fantasy but this just goes beyond the pail. The author makes a point of repeatedly mentioning the Nameless, the Legals and the Royals but never explains what or who they are, or how they came to be. Its almost as if everything including world building and the story take a back seat just to introduce us to Coin and show us how badass she is.

One minute she can barely feed herself and the next minute she is throwing up complex illusions and swiping pillows in the royal palace.

I guess I wouldn't mind this being a character driven story if the everything else had been well done, but sadly not. The story starts rolling 4 pages in, and its like L.A. traffic, stop and go without nothing but dandelion fluff in-between.

This was such a promising start, but sadly got lost on its way to 'Next Katniss' land.

In a cold, dystopian world where only the wealthy have an identity, the Nameless wander the streets scrounging to exist. Children become thieves just to survive and their street smarts are all that keep them alive in a dog-eat-dog world. Coin is one of the strongest, but she will soon learn there is more to her than not having a true name. Now she has to do is survive the royal court with its monsters, machinations and deceivers, all while giving the Nameless a voice.

NAMELESS QUEEN by Rebecca McLaughlin is a brilliant tale of finding one’s true identity and how far one will go to protect those who matter while doing the right thing, no matter the personal cost. Politics, family, strength of character and a heart-wrenching discovery are all told in a fascinating and fresh way that will keep readers’ imaginations running at full tilt!

Rebecca McLaughlin is an author to watch for action-packed, emotionally charged, quality young adult fantasy reading!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Random House Children's/Crown Books for Young Readers! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (January 7, 2020)
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I wanted to love this story based on the concept and I pushed myself to read 50%. The world building was not there, character development was severely lacking, and there was no relationship connections. I even wanted to like the main character but after 50% I knew very little about her or her past. This book was just not for me.

I really loved this book! Coin is a well-written main character; she is snarky, tough, and has a great arc throughout the story. She reminded me a bit of one of my favorite characters, Sage, from “The False Prince”, though she is her own unique person. The side characters were great, and I was fully invested in the book as I wanted to find out what happened to everyone.

While I was briefly confused once or twice about some aspects of the world of the book, I really enjoyed the tension and politics of the society. It was really interesting to read about the Nameless, though I felt bad for them and I wanted to fix their place in society.

There is no romantic subplot, which I was initially a little disappointed about because I usually prefer books with a little romance. However, the story was a strong one and I didn’t feel like it was lacking anything without a romance. If anything, a romance would probably have distracted the reader from Coin’s journey, so I’m glad the author made that choice.

I enjoyed the plot twists a lot, and I hope there will eventually be another book about Coin! I’m not sure if there will be, and the ending was satisfactory for a stand-alone, but I think there’s room for a sequel. (Also, it would be fun to see what kind of guy would be a good match for Coin!)

If you enjoy reading YA books with sarcastic characters, royalty, and plenty of twists and turns, you will enjoy this book! I highly recommend it!

Content: mild swearing, including made-up swear words. No romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel was an enjoyable read and it not a love story, which makes it all the more interesting. Coin is an interesting character, for who would expect a Nameless to become a Queen? However, she cannot be nameless since the king had to give a name for the magic to pass on to another. Coin has enemies from her life on streets and now encounters more in the palace, for the Council wants her to "peacefully" give up her tattoo on the Assassins Festival. Coin has no issues there, but things are not as they seem. Nameless are going missing and Coin wants to find out why. Coin gets some unlikely allies, but her troubles are only just beginning. She will have to become more than who she is if she wishes to join the Nameless with the Legals and Royals. Coin will also discover truths about herself and others and will have to make a choice of doing what is right or accepting what is.

I received a free copy of NAMELESS QUEEN by Rebecca McLaughlin in exchange for an honest review. In this high-fantasy world, magic and law exist for the top two tiers of society: the royalty and the legals. The bottom tier of society, the nameless, is immune to magic, and, though the laws do not apply to them, they aren’t protected by the laws, either. Basically, the nameless cannot hold jobs and are subject to “execution” for any reason. When the king dies, the throne unexpectedly and impossibly passes to a seventeen-year-old nameless girl. The nameless girl is now queen, but her throne grants her no power or rights; instead, she is now in more danger than ever. Can the impossible queen serve as a pawn for the counsel, will she have to turn over her position to someone with rights, or will she be able to achieve sovereignty?

This was a great book. I highly recommend it to fans of magical political fantasy and to fans of stories exploring the difficulties/rebellion/liberation/elevation of slaves and the otherwise downtrodden. Though a sequel is not guaranteed, the conclusion leaves room for another adventure.

#NamelessQueen #NetGalley