From the books description, I was hesitant but excited that perhaps this would be a well done throwback to the Divergent knock offs of days past. I was extremely pleased to find that not only was this, indeed, a well written throwback but it's also so much so it's own thing. My only grudge against this was I wish I had been aware that there was no romance in this (not because it needed it but because it didn't and I was so nervous the whole time that one would crop up).

**Review will be posted on my blog on January 5, 2020, closer to publication date**

**3.5 STARS**

Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The city of Seriden is ruled by whoever sits on the throne, and its society is divided into three classes: Royals, Legals, and Nameless. Coin, is Nameless, and like other Nameless, they have no names but give themselves their own names. But if she is truly Nameless, how did the crown tattoo, signifying the heir of the throne get passed down to her? How can a King name her if she has no name? Is she a real queen or an imposter and what does this mean for the Nameless in Seriden.

What I Liked:

*I liked Coin a lot. She is a thief and a grifter, using her stealth to steal and survive but that’s not only why I like her. She’s snarky and never lets things really get to her. Even being thrown in a dungeon or finding out the truth about her name never truly dampened her spirits. She knows how to hide her fears, treating this “gift” of the tattoo as a con and noting all the players in the game. I always had this feeling while reading the story that Coin would be able to get out of any jam or situation that she encounters. She tackles the problem head on.

*Coin and her relationship with Esther, the heir apparent, was something I liked because Coin doesn’t have friends except Hat. So seeing Coin have another young woman helping her and eventually in her corner was nice to see. This story has a mostly female cast which was nice.
*
Interesting world building about the classes of people and how the Nameless are denied rights. I kept reading to try and figure out how Coin fit into the story and how she was going to be able to help the Nameless. It was interesting enough to hold my attention and want to learn more. Obviously the Royals and Legals make out better than the Nameless but I was left with some questions.
*
There wasn’t a romance in this story and it didn’t need one. Coin seemed engaged enough in making connections with other people that it was okay not to have a romance. Not going to lie, was I looking for one? Always. 😅 But this story was good without one.

*The story explores themes in this book about family, who you are if you don’t have a family or a name given to you-the importance of a name and belonging.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:
*Needs more world building because there is mention of neighboring kingdoms and treaties. I kept kind of waiting for some ambassador form the neighboring kingdom to show up or something, isn’t there always some ambassador at court? But relations between Seriden and the other kingdoms aren’t strong…but why?

*Esther explains the history of magic in one chapter and I get magic was bound to the one who will rule Seriden but I think I wanted to know what kind of magic did people have. It sounded like a magical world until the kingdoms bound the magic into ink. Do the other kingdoms find their heirs the same way? With magic tattoos? So in Seriden only the crown tattoo bearer can use magic. Also, the Nameless aren’t affected by magic…so Coin is raised Nameless but clearly is not, since she’s Queen now, so she did have a name – it’s a little bit confusing because apparently she’s not affected by magic. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And speaking of magic, I want to see this Seriden with magic unleashed!

*The ending leaves it open to a sequel so we shall see what happens there.

Final Thoughts:

If there is a sequel I hope it explains and expand on some things in the book that left me with questions. I really enjoyed Coin and her perseverance. She took what life handed her and rolled with it. Also it’s rare to find a young adult fantasy without a romance, and here we have one that is a pretty good story without one. Overall this is a promising debut!

I've been dying to read this book since I saw it, and I was over the moon when I was approved for this title. If you like scrappy, feisty heroines, books about royalty, court intrigue, unique magic and strong female friendships, then this is a book you want to read.
Coin is a Nameless, a pickpocket on the streets of Seriden, a city with a rigidly enforced class system. There are the elite Royals, the legal, and the Nameless at the bottom. As a Nameless, Coin has absolutely no rights and is unrecognized by the law. Nameless are degraded and persecuted. According to their own government, they are not people and don't exist. That is why it is a shock when the King names Coin as his heir before his death. What ensues next challenges the social structure of Seriden, as well as everything Coin has ever known or thought about herself. As she navigates through a royal court filled with people who wish to claim her power for their own, Coin steps into her power, and Seriden will never be the same.
I thought the world building here was masterclass. The tensions between the social classes paint a real picture of the elitism and classism that rules Seriden, and enables McLaughlin to paint a powerful story that deals with privilege and identity. And the magic system here, while I wished there was a little more to it, was very unique. I really enjoyed watching Coin develop throughout the book. She takes no nonsense from anyone and consistently defeats the odds while staying true to herself. I also loved her relationships with other women, especially Esther and Hat. It is always glorious to see women supporting women, an idea that transcends the bonds society places on them. I also loved that there was no romance in this book at all.. It is refreshing to see a character driven plot that doesn't revolve around a relationship with a man, and that shows women doing great things without needing a love interest. Overall, I liked Nameless Queen a lot. It's a strong debut about identity, privilege, and lost family. It's definitely worth the read.

I'll be honest, I am not really sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy it, but it didn't really feel original to me. I suppose that is the way to describe it.

In Nameless Queen there is an entire class of people, the nameless, who do not have rights or privileges as citizens because they have no name. The law does not apply to them, nor does it help them, or protect them. As you can imagine from the title the new Queen is chosen from among this group. It takes until almost the end of the book to figure out how a Nameless became Queen, when they dying ruler has to speak the name of the person he/she wishes to succeed them.

Anyway, no one is happy about her becoming Queen and she has to deal with the politics around her, Except all she really ends up dealing with is the new magic she possesses as the Queen.

My biggest question in this book deals with the Assassins festival., where she can either willingly or unwillingly pass on her title and the power. They keep wanting to train her in etiquette and all that so she can deal with life at court, but if they expect her to give up the power (which they do) why bother training her in Anything?! It may be a small point in anyone else's eyes but it bothered me the whole time.

Anyway, the characters are pretty good, particularly Esther, but I just feel like they really lacked anything that made them stand out as original or memorable. I liked the book but I didn't love it.

I didn't really enjoy this book. The concept seemed like it could have been interesting. However I found the plot and world building lacking. We weren't given enough information and often the information we had just didn't totally make sense. For example, a nameless girl whose name was spoken by the king to make her the next ruler. How does that work? What name did he say? If I'm completely invested in the characters or plot or I'm having a great time with the narrative, it's east to overlook holes or mistakes. But when I'm bored and not connecting with anything they just stand out more. This book just wasn't for me.

This was a really fun story about a strong willed, right minded and sassy girl who finds her life flipped upside down. Coin (as she is called because really she is nameless) lives on the streets and must resort to grifting to survive. One morning her life changes when she finds out that the King (how has recently died) has named HER as his successor. Needless to say no one is happy about this, not the upper class (there is a very distinctive cast system in place) or Coin herself.

I won’t give away the plot but I will list why I enjoyed this story.
1) The strong main character. Coin is very strong willed, she is loyal, determined and doesn’t bend to others demands. I loved that she was stoic and brave but also knew when to take advice from others. She stood her ground and was the best Queen these people had ever had.
2) Her personally bodyguard/friend. Just an awesome character and I would have loved more from.
3) The cast system and how one nameless girl stood up for human rights.
4) The action and “mystery” that came with the story. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen, how she gets named as successor; who was she in a previous live…
5) The friendships that were built and stood the test of the story. I would have liked a bit of romance, but it was a wonderful story without it!

I every much enjoyed this story; it flows well and keeps the reader engaged. It did read a bit younger than I expected, but I think it would be perfect for its intended audience; middle grade and up. I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review. I will be adding this to my holiday buy list for my niece.

I have another new author to keep my eye on. Although there’s no magic formula to determine what makes a good novel (not to mention I can’t always explain why certain books simply work well for me while others do not), there are still a few key elements I generally look for, including believable and compelling characters, realistic atmospheric and world-building, and writing that is smooth and easy to get into. The Tethered Mage managed to check all these boxes and also succeeded in delivering an absorbing plot with an altogether rewarding blend of intrigue and fantasy. If this is what Mclaughlin has to offer for her effort, then she will go very far indeed.

From beginning to end, Nameless Queen was a joy to read. Though not the most original story ever, the familiar elements still resonated strongly with me because of how well everything was put together. Characterization was excellent, which for a book like this is essential, since relationships make up the bulk of the narrative. And of course, at the heart of this weave of bonds and attachments, our protagonist acts as the thread that binds everyone together.

I haven’t even really talked about the plot yet, but I think it is enough to say I was kept entertained through the entire novel, even when we got the slower chapters which were dominated politics. There’s a good amount of tension as well as deftly crafted intrigue in this story, which also throws us plenty of action and danger to keep us on our toes.

#NamelessQueen #NetGalley

Nameless, like Coin, give themselves a name. It is usually personal and sometimes painful thing and you should never ask how they got their name. When the king dies, Coin ends up with the magical tattoo naming her the next heir. Coin gets new abilities and quickly learns, and practices how to benefit from these abilities. Being on the street her whole life has given her a lot of skills to keep herself alive, and she has an amazing read on people, situations, and a great sense of humor.

While this book was kind of a learning as you go book, I felt that you got to wade through learning with Coin. A lot of the details are given to you throughout the book instead of shoved down your throat in the beginning. This gradual education on the rules, class structures and people themselves is so methodical that it is easy to remember. Sometimes when reading the book they give you so much information at the beginning you either have to have a great/ awesome memory, put a bookmark in it so you can refer back to it, or try to muddle your way through until you make since of it all.

All in all I loved the book, and while it ended there were a few things that were up in the air so I am not sure if it is a stand alone novel or not, but it was amazing. I also really loved the acknowledgements I have never read an acknowledgement at the end of a book that made me laugh so hard!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What could be more dehumanizing than having a whole class of people in your society be so below contempt that they do not even have names? Seeing these wretched circumstances allowed in any society makes me feel as though the entire caste system is set up as predator ans prey. The Nameless are subhumans that anyone "above" them are given license to treat as they please. As is the case in Nameless Queen where many nameless are disappearing and no on in power cares at all.

It seems absurd for the line of succession in any kingdom to be held at the mercy of the whim of fate, how would the powerful stay in power? By cheating? Oh yes, and murder? Yes that too. That's why the stakes are so unbelievably high for Coin to A: survive the machinations of court, B: be able to foment any sort of support to form a government who would support her, and C: have the people of the Kingdom follow someone the majority of society sees as beneath them.

It's an uphill battle, and one that while the twists are not terribly surprising, the villain in quite villainous!! A worthy read.

First a few tidbits of information about this story:

- In Seriden there are 3 classes: Royals (upper class), Legals (middle class) and Nameless (poor/homeless).
- Magic is controlled by the King or Queen who bears the crown tattoo. This crown is passed on the deathbed of the ruler by speaking the name of the individual the dying ruler deems fit.
- Coin is one of the many Nameless children on the streets who steal to get by and wakes up after the death of the King with the crown tattoo on her arm. But how (she has no birth name; Nameless) and why?

Though the novel centers around this impossible heir and her acclamation into the Royal world their are many underlying themes at play. As characters are introduced we see the different classes and the conflicts of station among the people. Seeing past an individual's upbringing and giving them the ability to become more than what their position allows, or simply giving the sense of 'home' to the forlorn. Coming together no matter your upbringing during a time of tragedy and uniting and volunteering aide. For a young adult novel this took a well laid out look at the separation of class and the hindrance it has on a society. Deep, I know.

Coin comes from the streets where everyday is a new con to survive. Everything Coin has been through and will go through molds her into who she is supposed to be. The author does a great job of the characters learning to 'own their truth' and never being ashamed of that truth. Embracing what they have been through in Life to come out the other side victorious. In a way it has elements of a coming of age novel. My favorite message from this book and one that I personally hold dear centers around family. Family is not what you are born into but what you create and surround yourself with. I applaud the author for this straightforward theme.

I had a great time reading this novel, however there are some areas that needed a little more. Seriden is a city that reminds me of the 1850s on the edge of a seaport but there isn't enough world building to truly get an imaginative idea of this place. We learn there is a treaty but lack information about those other thrones and why exactly Seriden is at odds with them. Magic is contained by the tattoos but exactly how and why magic is even contained at all is a glossed over mystery. Lastly, this is a quick read but I feel it was almost too quick. Coin gains a certain mastery that other's have taken their entire lives to perfect. I understand for a story like this that the unfathomable occurs but I do believe her learning curve should have dragged slightly to be more believable for the readers.

I received this ARC from the author, Random House Childrens and NetGalley for an honest review. I would recommend this book to other's especially if they have vivid enough imaginations. This book has many great themes and it's all done without swoony romance.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of someone from a lower caste becoming queen but it just wasn't executed well for me. I didn't really feel like the universe was developed well enough and it just came up a bit empty. So many questions were left unanswered and I felt like there were just so many things that were impossible. None of it really came together for me.

Looking back at the book, I felt like nothing really happened at all. There wasn't any action until the very end of the book and even then it was so anticlimactic. Most of the plot was predictable and cliche. It just didn't really stand out for me.

I did, however, like the relationships that Coin had, although I wish those had been focused on more, along with a better central conflict. I think you might enjoy this if you enjoyed the Red Queen series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. It started off very intriguing and Coin was very clever and devious and I really enjoyed her character. The book seemed to be headed in the direction I expected. But then it took a turn and I'm not sure where exactly it started going wrong but the whole world created just didn't feel right.

A seemingly large group of people without names? Why couldn't they create their own names? Real names, could no one really just decide their name was Johnathan maybe even throw in a last name, was it really necessary for them to call themselves things like Coin or Hat. Not to mention these "nameless" must have had children of their own and could give them names.

Beyond that annoyance the biggest issue I have is the fact that there were no laws for these nameless. That doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't seem even remotely plausible a civilization would decide that this large group of people didn't need any laws to follow? Typically the lowly cast has more laws or at least held more firmly to those laws than people of higher classes.

I also didn't understand how this magic system worked. The nameless weren't affected by the magic but clearly the "nameless Queen" had a name because the king spoke it. Maybe I'm missing something but regardless of how she grew up if she had a name she should have been apart of this magic system but throughout the book she was clearly on the other side of it.

Towards the end I was still intrigued enough to finish it but I didn't really care how it ended, it was beyond redemption at that point. And I didn't grow attached to any of the characters, except maybe Glenquartz, he seemed like a decent guy. But the book as a whole just didn't work for me.

One of the more exciting books I have read in a while. I found myself comparing the issues in the book to issues in real life. Do names define who we are or do we grow into people we want to be despite our names?

The story was gripping and exciting, but I was confused and a little disappointed of how the story was resolved at the end of the book.

It was still a thrilling story entwined with mystery, suspense, and dynamic plot twists from beginning to end.

McLaughlin created an interesting world. Power and duty are as often as curse as a blessing and this is especially true in McLaughlin's novel of a street rat who suddenly has a chance to be Queen. On the surface it sounds like it should be a dream, but when looked at in the light of day the reality is not so bright.
She explores issues of economic class and social justice in an accessible way. Her 'villains' are not the evil plotters seeking chaos or complete destruction as in most fantasy epics. Her 'villains' are much more realistic. They are mortals with their own motives and goals, but they are no less villainous to the story.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and how much I enjoyed it! I loved that there wasn’t too much teenage angst! I also loved that they got over their hurt feelings pretty quickly like adults and worked to get stuff done. Also glad that it ended on a happy note, but slightly open ended in case it’ll be a series :)

NAMELESS QUEEN is the debut novel of Rebecca McLaughlin. The concept sparked my interest, but the delivery didn't quite meet my expectations. The story takes place in a dystopian fantasy where where its residents operate on a caste system. There are three types of citizens. The lowest of which the main character belongs to. After a king's death, there's a hectic search for his successor. A magical tattoo of a crown appears on our heroine, Coin, thereby thrusting her into the role of queen. However, there are traditions that allow contenders to fight for a chance at the crown thereby jeopardizing her newfound title. A title that if she keeps can change the treatment of the Nameless for the better.

I wasn't impressed with this story. While I liked Coin's journey, I couldn't help but compare it to Mare's and the Red Queen trilogy (which I wasn't a fan of). Both MCs live in a high fantasy dystopian-like world. Both MCs are apart of the lowest caste system. At the start of the story, both are thieves. Both MCs suddenly receive magical powers thereby thrusting them into the highest tier of society, masquerading with titles of nobility that neither want, and surviving enemies at every turn. Even the titles are too similar to be ignored. The rags-to-riches story is nothing new under the sun, but the similarities between both stories really pulled me out of my whole reading experience.

Here are some things I did like:
* crisp clean prose
* decent pacing
* no love interest
* strong female friendships
* the MC's overall character arc

This wasn't a standout debut novel to me. I hear the author has a second book in the works. I'm very curious to see what she has up her sleeve next.

This is an amazing book. The ending threw me off just a bit. I wanted more! The twists and turns keep the reader guessing. Coin is homeless and nameless. She becomes queen. The how and why are pretty awesome. Can you rule effectively? Can she even maintain her status without being killed? Read to find out.

Nameless Queen was good, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. The premise of the story is that there are three classes of citizens, the lowest of which are denied rights and steal to get by, and one of these criminals is abruptly named queen. Coin was a strong female lead, and I liked that the author never made her seem naïve or dumb. Hat was her closest friend, but she never really did anything for me. Neither did Glenquartz, who seemed too good to be true and was thus unbelievable. Esther, the young lady everyone expected to queen, was decent. She was kind of one dimensional, but I liked what she stood and fought for. There was also a brief, one page reference to a gay couple, and that inclusion was nice. The setting itself was okay, and there was clear effort to flesh it out. I don’t really know what this story was missing, but it just didn’t catch my attention. I never wanted or felt like I had to read it. I don’t know how to add that spark to this story, and it really wasn’t all that bad, but at the same time it wasn’t anything spectacular.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading the Nameless Queen -- it was a quick and fun read, yet slightly confusing at times. Coin, a Nameless in a society where Nameless literally have no names (aside from the names they chose themselves ---and those names are chosen out of personal and traumatic events) and no rights, she is magically chosen to become queen. The small country, already uneasy with whisperings of rebellion is ready to erupt as Coin learns how to be queen in circumstances beyond her control. This book is based on Coin's survival as Nameless, and as Nameless Queen. While I was slightly disappointed at the lack of romance (yep, a sucker for a 'smoldering look' sometimes), I liked being able to focus on the character of Coin herself and how she navigated the deep waters of reigning without literacy. I will definitely keep my eye out for other books by Ms. McLaughlin.

I really enjoyed this book. A few details I wish were more thought out than they were in the book, but it's still a very interesting concept that I feel had some very real sentiment relating to true experiences minorities have and still do go through. I'd really like to see the next book, if there will be one, touch more on the magic and the history of it. A deeper backstory of the interesting world that has been created.