I loved this sequel! I found that the twists in the plot kept me guessing, and I couldn't read this book fast enough. I really enjoyed the first book in the series but The Two-Faced Queen was even better! And the ending packs quite a punch. I'm so excited to read the final book in this series!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(i received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

while i was engrossed in the characters' morally gray personalities, i could not fully immerse myself in this book because i did not know about it being a sequel in a series. (i have not read nor completed the first book.)

Dnf. Struggled with the first book and couldn’t get any further with this one unfortunately.
Like the writing style but the story is lacking for me

For those of you in the mood for a wonderful fantasy series # The Two-Faced Queen is excellent. This is the second in the Legacy of The Mercenary series. Brother and sister vie for the throne while on the brink of civil war......
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Nick Martell, and # Gallery Books

I have a hard time with this series. The first halves always are a struggle to get through, and it's discouraging me right from the start. I thought we would be past this after the first book but the problem is still here. It's a pity because there are meaningful lines that I appreciated greatly.

There is too much swearing for me as well. I'm not against cussing but when it almost becomes a character trait I don't like it. Plus, I wanted more layers from the characters. Because of this lack of caring, I didn't feel for their deaths or their betrayals.

There was potential but the author focused too much on dramatic effects than his chatacters.

Unquestionably an engrossing sequel. The worldbuilding was unique in and of itself, and the characters were diverse and well fleshed out.

Was unaware this was the second part in a series.

Rating based on average response by other readers as I have not read the first book and felt a bit lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this book. I really enjoyed the first book in this series but felt like the writing completely changed in this one and I did not like it one bit.

I was very disappointed as I wanted to know what happened to the characters but I just could not do it.

I felt like the author kept trying to write funny lines that just did not work, by themselves or together.
Moreover, the pace was all wrong, I just did not care, things weren’t advancing at all as fast as in the first book and so, it lost me pretty fast.

I absolutely adored and love this book with all my heart. Nick Martell’s passion for writing and storytelling really comes off again in the sequel. I absolutely loved the twist and the surprises that were uncovered throughout the story. There were many unexpected moments that I could never have imagined and it was just such a joy when you found out unexpected things. Also, the ending was so emotional but also traumatic because of what happens and I’m so excited for the final book.
Full review to come on YouTube.

Let me say this: there is something really painful in reading a book in which we have snow and cold and frigid air while, in your little corner of the real world, you sweat just for the privilege of being alive. (And no, lucky me, at the moment the weather here is not that bad, but in the days in which I was reading this book, well… It was pretty bad!).
And sure, on one hand it was a relief to be able to imagine the cold and the snow, to feel them at least a little bit. But it was also torture. This little reflection aside (okay, it was more me complaining about the weather than a real reflection but it is just a detail!) this is a terrific book.

I loved the first one and I was a bit scared that this one would have not met my high expectations, but my fears were unmotivated. This book was great! And you know what is even better? That it was so captivating that I devoured it!
It is quite a chunky book, but it didn’t feel like it. It is not that it is really fast-paced, it felt more like even-paced at that, at least to me, but there is so much going on (sometimes a bit too much, if I am being completely honest) that you just don’t have time to feel bored. And you are compelled to turn page after page because you just have to understand what is happening or you need to know what would happen next. Simply as that.

And Michael is a great narrator. Sure, he may not be the most reliable narrator out there, but I loved him more for this. And he is an amazing MC. He is young, and in this respect, this is a series about growing, too. Becoming an adult, discover some hard truths, and learn to assume responsibility.
And it is about making mistakes, even big, atrocious ones, and trying to make amend for that. But it is also about the importance of having other people around us, our safety net, being from family or friendship. And sometimes even people who are not really our friends can lend a hand in growing and in building our really needed net.

And we have some interesting characters with our MC here. I am not the biggest fan of Michael’s brother, and I really hope to see less of him around, and from time to time I was really exasperated by Serena, even if I liked her, at least for the most part. She is intriguing when she is not exasperating. And she has a ton of potential. I’d love to see the queen she would become!
Dark is one of the most mysterious people out there. And we make some unexpected discoveries about him. And even if they help to make some light on him and his father, they rise some pretty big questions too. Because now guessing where the story would take us is even harder than before. But hey! I am not complaining here, at all. I am eager to know what would happen next and to see where the story would take us to. And I cannot wait! And there are some other pretty interesting characters in there, Dawn, The King of Stories, Oliver, Rock, just to name a few. They all are alive on these pages and they are a nice addition to the story.

And last but not least, a bit about the plot. This book is full of action, mysteries to solve, things to prove, rebellion, betrayals, twists, and revelations. There is just so much going on! And sometimes it is a bit too much. Our characters have a limited amount of time to accomplish some pretty difficult tasks, namely, they have a week. So you know that what you are reading is somehow a week-long thing. But sometimes it feels like weeks, at best. And this is because there is really too much going on. The good thing is that you won’t be bored, because there is always something important going on, and the author manages to keep all the balls going, he doesn’t lose some of them during the narration and all things would get a solution or something. Nothing is forgotten or dismissed. And this is good. Really. But sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. But all in all, had a great time with this second volume and I am pretty eager to read the next one!!

This book was so incredibly gripping. The most interesting thing about this book was the world it's set in. It was complex and utterly unique from other fantasy worlds we've seen. All the characters are diverse and different to one another, really giving that relatable feeling. This series is going to be something special in the fantasy world, and I'd recommend this book to my fantasy-loving friends!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Gallery/Saga Press for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
This book made me so sad because the cover is honestly one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. However, the story did not keep me interested.

When I saw this book was available via NetGalley, I was excited. My favourite fantasy review blog, A Quill To Live, gave the first book in the series an excellent review and I'd had it on my to be read pile for a while. Unfortunately, when I finally got to reading the first book, A Kingdom of Liars, I felt a bit of trepidation - I struggled with it. But, I was still keen to give The Two-Faced Queen a go.

I just couldn't get into this. There was not enough detail to really understand the world created and the characters felt wafer-thin. The book is told in first-person narrative by Michael Kingman, and frankly, he's a bit annoying. There also is some editing problems where he refers to someone by name, then the next page, asks who they are. What?!? That feels petty, but it really got to me.

In the end, this book just felt too hard. There are good ideas and interesting concept, but I can't commit the brain space to try and ferret them out.

It can be hard to quell expectations going into a sequel but those picking up The Two-Faced Queen need not worry because it is absolutely amazing! I've given 5 stars to both novels and would give more if allowed.

I continue to be enthralled by the worldbuilding of this author, including how fleshed out the Hollows feels and the vast array of regions outside of it just waiting to be read about. I was also thrilled to see tidbits of other magic systems as the system of Fabrications is one I really enjoy. A high cost magic system is a must for me.

The characters grow in depth in this sequel. Michael takes another huge step forward again in this story but we also get a lot of development in his family and friends as well as a few new faces. There's loss of course, this series doesn't shy from that, but I felt it was justified and worthy as a reader. Romance has a bigger stage in this story as well compared to the first but it fits in perfectly with both the plot and characters.

Where it and Michael go next is hinted to in the epilogue (at least the location is) and I already can't wait to read all about what happens next. Now on with the waiting!

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.
This sequel was much better than the first and i was so happy to see that it didn't fall down the second book syndrome .
The world building and magic system is more thoroughly explained.
After Michael escapes his execution he becomes an apprentice. But as all books need some action and plot ofcourse he isn’t free of troubles.
There are lies and secrets. There is a murder mystery running alongside Michaels quest to prove his innocence.
I’m really excited to see where the next book in the series takes us.

A really great follow up to the first book. I think this author will be joining my list of must-buy authors.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel way more than I did the first book. It was just so much mire developed and the story arc over are was very well done. Can’t wait for more from this author.

Sequel to the Kingdom of Liars.

As P.T. Barnum is often quoted as saying “Always Keep Them Wanting More”, The Two Faced Queen does just that.

Michael Kingman’s family have been outcasts among the citizens of Hollow and branded as traitors ever since their father was executed for killing the son of the King. More recently, Michael was arrested and accused of killing the same king. Narrowly escaping execution, he now is an apprentice of Orbis Mercenaries and therefore is walking around a free man. But that doesn’t mean that all has been forgotten. Wherever he goes trouble follows and people go out of their way to avoid any contact with him. He has lost most of his life long friends but the one that hurts him the most is the friendship of Serena, the king’s daughter and would-be queen. The animosity she has for him is the underlying theme throughout the story, even as he tries to prove to her that both he and his father are innocent of the crimes they are accused.

While trying to prove his innocence, Michael and Dark, the Mercenary he is apprenticed to, become embroiled in stopping murders plaguing the Hollow. These murders are being committed by two individuals known as the Waylayer, an international assassin and the Heartbreaker a serial killer that has returned to once again terrorize the citizens of the Hollow. How will it end and how many more will die….?

This book has it all: secrets, lies, betrayal, and forgiveness. And I for one can’t wait for the next book in this amazing series.

Oh what a sequel!!!

This second installment in the Legacy of the Mercenary King is even more gripping than the first one.

Like The Kingdom of Liars the Two-Faced Queen is told by a first person narrator, who is again the main character of the book: Michael Kingman. He is the middle child of the three children of the Kingman family: Lyon, Micheal and Gwen. Their father was executed for having killed the King’s oldest son and in that progress the children were branded as traitors. At the end of the first book Michael is accused of killing the King despite him committing suicide. To escape execution he joins the Mercenary company

The world the story is set in is a cruel one, which we already see as children get punished for the sins their fathers committed. Hollow is still a feudal system with the King and his high nobles having all the power. Those nobles are the ones that can use magic or have an army of magicians. The price to be able to do magic, or as it is called here, fabrications, is the loss of memories, especially if you’re not properly trained in those skills.

The book is fully packed with different characters of different types of people of different parts of society: High nobles, low nobles, fabricators, ravens, scales, skeletons and so on. It took me a while to figure out who is who and what. There is a huge cobweb of intrigues and plots that gets slowly unravelled and left me clueless till the very end. This ending really surprised me as I didn’t expect it at all.

It took me a while to get into the world the story is set in and I am still not sure I completely understood it all but that didn’t harm the story at all. It also took me a while to get used to the use of guns in a fantasy book as I am usually reading kind of medieval fantasy. So this world is on the brink of a new technological development stage. But of course the nobles who can use magic want to keep the common people from gaining power by using advanced weapon technology, so guns are banned in the city of Hollow.

The revolution of the rebells, under the leadership of an immortal, want to abolish royalty and the nobles and they try to take over the city.

There is also a murder case which is getting solved. Despite me not normally liking murder stories I immensely enjoyed the hunt for the Heartbreaker.

In addition to the topic of friendship there is also a developing love story here.

The book is really gripping, even if I am not sure I understood everything well enough. I cannot wait to read the finally installment in the series to find all the missing pieces to the riddles that appeared here.



I did not only read the book, I once more also listened to it on audible. I enjoyed the way Joe Jameson made the characters come to life and the way he used different voices for the different characters. I can recommend both versions for book as they’re both excellent entertainment.

The Two-Faced Queen is an amazing sequel . This novel in The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings series follows on from the events of his first book from published in 2020, The Kingdom of Liars. Michael is frustrating as ever but i adore him so much.. Come on man.. Book 2 further expanse on the world and memory magic system. People who enjoyed book 1 will enjoy this.