Sooo good! I'm sad this was a standalone book. I loved Coin, I loved the world, I just really enjoyed everything.

Read and LOVED this book!

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Coin is homeless and alone. She picks pockets to survive. The homeless people are called Nameless and are ignored and treated horribly by everyone else and have no legal rights. The king passes away and the kingdom is awaiting news of who the heir is. The heir is chosen as the king speaks his last words, mentioning a name. Then a tattoo magically appears on the shoulder of the person named. Coin happens to be that person, therefore the heir. She’s with her friend Hat when she gets a stinging pain on her shoulder and the two of them see her tattoo. She’s arrested for forging the tattoo and escapes only to be tested by the king’s daughter. Danger, intrigue, and a new world surround Coin as she adjusts to royal etiquette, duties, and the constant threat to her life. Self-worth, loyalty and friendship bind this unique story together, 4 stars!

This book exceeded my expectations. I heard not so great things before I went into it, which is fine! We are all entitled to our opinions!

But this book did a lot for a standalone fantasy novel. And one of my favorite things that it did was lean in heavy to the "found family" trope. Though I feel like it was done in a really complex and messy way. We have our orphan Nameless and she has someone she cares about and it takes the entire book for her to wrap her mind around the feelings she has for the young girl. And I think this is something that a lot of author's graze over with found family and orphans, characters that have spent their entire life alone or away from others. They have to figure out for themselves what it means to have friends or family, blood family vs. found family and just those they care about. They have no one to teach them the meaning of love or what it means to care for others. And I loved how this book really dove into that and we were repeatedly reminded that this isn't something so easily explained and defined by those who grow up completely alone.

I enjoyed for once that this book didn't have any romance. For a fantasy that's rare, and for the type of reader I am, it's rare for me to be okay with the lack of romance. But McLaughlin really focuses on Coin as a Nameless, what it means to be a Nameless, what it means to be alone, what it means to accept a found family that grows up around an individual that doesn't know what it means to even have a family. And a romance would have gotten in the way of that. Instead of adding in a romance we get to really dive into the friendships being made and the hurdles Coin goes through becoming/being the Nameless Queen while also opening up to those around her.

I also liked how Coin's street smarts translated to her time in the castle. She wasn't necessarily good at everything right off the bat but she knew how to use what she learned on the streets to benefit what she learned in the castle. It was a refreshing take on a protagonist "being good at everything right away". Instead we got to see how Coin used what she knew to give her a boost to help her stay alive in an environment where everyone would rather see her dead.

One thing that was a bit of a let down with this book was that for most of it, I felt like it followed the 'YA Fantasy Blueprint'. And by that, I mean that it felt predictable. I knew what was going to happen next and the only thing that was predictable about that was the way it got there.

Besides that though I really liked this book, it was fast paced and enjoyable to read. It didn't necessarily have 'world building' but 'city building'. For a stand alone I think any more world building that McLaughlin would have given us would had been a bit overkill and I thought what they did give us was perfect for the book we ended up getting in the end.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fast paced fantasy about a suppressed group of people who's hope lies in one girl. Though a lot of YA fantasy follow this same equation, I felt like this book gave us a fresh take, short and sweet.

*Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

I picked up and put this book down more times than I count. Sadly one of the main reasons I kept picking it back up was the gorgeous cover, it drew me into the book in the first place. It's definitely very fast-paced but I wasn't a huge fan of the characters or the book as a whole. The concept was super intriguing but this book just fell really flat for me.

This impressive standalone fantasy is perfect for fans of Furyborn, The Red Queen and other dark fantasies with powerful women at the helm. Like other fantasies, it has a political slant, remarking on classism through the lens of a lower born character--Colin, a nameless. Nameless are the lowest of the three social tiers, street urchins who have to be cunning and smart in order to survive. This book will remind many readers of their favorite fantasy books but is definitely worth checking out for the concept.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me due to a weak beginning and cardboard cutout characters. The characters acted as foils but they also did not act their age.

Unfortunately I have to DNF this book. Which is quiet a shame. It’s premise and cover are so intriguing and unique I was excited to get into a new fantasy. But the main character was not enjoyable so reading from her perspective was not easy. This books is more character driven then anything else so the world building was a bit lacking. And although I have nothing wrong with a character dominated story, when you find the main characters who’s perspective you are reading from bland...

I admit, this was one book whose cover captivated me from the get-go. And I was pleasantly surprised to find the content within very worthwhile. Coin and the world she lives in is full so much imagination and Intrigue that I could not stop reading it. It was interesting to see how the poor and the suffering exist, the Nameless whom no one cares for and have no status, in this world dominated by nobles and those with Names and how one survives it. I like how the author portrayed magic and the power behind names, weaving them together within Coin as she fights to survive and find a place to belong. Her best friend/protege, Hat, and Devil, a woman who knows all and sees all the darkness within their location and how to survive it, are also delightful characters with their own quirks that made me wish I was part of their circle of friends. But in noticeably better living conditions for sure. It's been a long time since I found a young adult novel that I really enjoyed as much as I did Nameless Queen. I look forward to reading more by McLaughlin and I do recommend this book for others who enjoy a good fantasy novel where romance isn't the main focus. I know do!

Author Rebecca McLaughlin published the novel “Nameless Queen” in 2020. This is her first publication.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of mild violence. The story is set in another universe in the city of Seridan where magic is real. The primary character is a teenage girl known only as Coin.

Coin is one of the 'Nameless'. Only those who have a name have status in this world. She has been living on the streets as far back as she can remember. Shortly after King Fallow dies she discovers the tattoo of a crown on her arm. That is the magical symbol of the heir to the throne. The only way King Fallow could have passed on his throne to her is by uttering her name.

How can King Fallow have named her when she doesn't have a name? She wants to keep it hidden but when a close friend is in danger she reveals herself. No-one wants a Nameless in charge. She is constantly at odds with those in power, particularly General Demure. With no real education other than what she has learned on the streets, Coin has a difficult time fitting in.

Nameless have been disappearing in Seriden. Coin tries to investigate but does not receive much help from the authorities. She discovers a plot to take over Seriden but finds herself at risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 344-page young adult fantasy novel. The 'commoner-thrust-onto-the-throne' theme is not uncommon. This version does have some things to set it apart. While the novel came to a conclusion, there is plenty of room for a sequel. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

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Enjoyed the adventure and I liked Coin's spunk, sarcasm and compassion as a main character. I didn't love that everything seemed to happen a bit too smoothly and predictably.

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

There was something immature about the writing of this book. Maybe it was the class names/titles, but I had trouble getting past the simplicity of this world.

Coin is Nameless, which means she is among the lowest of the low. Nameless are orphans unworthy of names, basic necessities like clothes and housing , and forced to beg and steal for a living. When rulers die, they pass on their power by literally naming their heir, who will receive the mark of royalty, meaning names are very powerful. But when the King dies suddenly and Coin is now marked as his heir, she must navigate her way through vicious politics and unknown powers while surrounded by people she can't trust.
Seridan is deeply divided into classes, Royals being the wealthiest and most powerful, Legals who are your working class, and the Nameless, orphans who aren't allowed to own property, work jobs and live off the scraps of Royals and Legals. Seridan is a monarchy, whose ruler is chosen when the current ruler is on their deathbed and names their heir, gifting them a black crown tattoo to identify them. This is supposed to give everyone equal opportunity but the rich families tend to just name their son or daughter as heir. This raised a lot of questions, and some were answered, but I felt like I wanted to know more about the history of Seridan, all we really knew was that it was one of many different cities, all ruled much under the same manner and that tensions were a little high among them.
Coin is a very interesting character, she has built a tough exterior to survive as a Nameless. She has mastered certain techniques to con, steal and fight for what she needs to survive. Living such a hard life means that finding people you can trust is nearly impossible, and connections can mean life or death. I liked that Coin was a skilled heroine but it became a little frustrating when she was faced with a challenge and her first instinct was to run, I understand that living a life on the run means running away is a valid and often wise tactic, but it was frustrating to see the character struggle with it.
It took me a very long time to read this, not because of the book, but because of my poor time management skills. It seems that working full time and starting graduate school during a global pandemic does not give you as much leisure time as you might think. The fact that I continued to trek through this book, bit by bit, says a lot about it. I usually just give up and try again later, but I was genuinely enjoying the book.

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

2.5

Nameless Queen is a ya fantasy following a 17-year-old Nameless thief as she mysteriously becomes the new queen. The concept was really intriguing, but the execution did not hit the mark for me. The plot was really straight forward which is inherently bad, but it does make the story extremely predictable. The main villain is clear from the moment you meet them, the mysterious guy is hiding secrets, and the reason why she becomes queen was easy to predict. I don't think this is a universally bad book. I think it is aimed at a younger reader who has not read hundreds of other ya fantasy books. My reading experience was not enjoyable because everything was so predictable and the writing style was nothing special.

I really enjoyed this book! There were a few surprises thrown in that I didn't expect, but they didn't come out of left field. The characters were well-rounded and likeable, not prone to doing stupid things in order to forward the plot. I will definitely read more by this author!

I received an ARC of this book, which has not affected my opinions.

One girl must make a name for herself--or die trying --in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead?

The Nameless Queen was truly a let down. Despite the growing negative reviews I still gave the book the benefit of the doubt and bought it. The book revolves arounds the life of an unknown thief that Is thrusted into the world of royalty and danger. Nameless Queen has roughly the same aspects of other ya fantasy books like Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard but unlike Aveyard’s beautifully created Queen, Mare Barrow, the nameless Queen was not a character that I was able to relate to or sympathize. I truly expected better but do encourage you to take a chance and figure out if this is something you enjoy.

<b>Rating:</b> 3/5 Stars

I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nameless Queen is a politically charged YA fantasy novel. The world is made up of three groups: Royals who rule the land, Legals who are the regular citizens, and the Nameless who are homeless and are generally criminals struggling to survive. The Royals are the only ones who have magic and it is passed from ruler to ruler through a magical tattoo which is passed by saying the next heirs name as they die. The Nameless should never be eligible to become the next ruler since they have no names. Until it passes to “Coin” a Nameless girl who has been surviving as a grifter/con woman on the streets all her life. Suddenly, Coin finds herself with magical abilities and in the middle of a fight for the throne.

What I liked:
I thought McLaughin did a really good job with the world building and explaining the magic system without it feeling like an info-dump at any point. There was a lot to explain but she did it in a way that I felt like I was learning with Coin gradually over the course of the book and it made for a much more enjoyable read.

I always love a snarky MC and Coin definitely delivers on that front. It was funny watching her bring they skills she used on the streets as a grifter into the court to fool the Royals around her. The scene with the pillows was hands down my favorite scene! Yes, you have the typical YA trope where she is pretty much immediately good at using her new abilities and seamlessly joining her new surroundings, but I will say that her being a con-woman helped smooth that out a bit.

I enjoyed the side characters as well. Hat was the cutest and she lightened any of the scenes she was in. I thought Esther was a really well written character as well and her interactions with Coin were gold.

What I didn’t like:
There was a lot that was easy to predict. The villains were pretty obvious early on and I wish McLaughlin would have thrown in a bit more of a curve-ball or a surprise plot twist to spice it up a bit.

Overall, I thought this was a easy, enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a stand-alone.

Unfortunately, this disappointed me. It had a pretty predictable plotline with characters that were bland and uninteresting. This didn't really have anything I haven't read before.