I really liked this book a lot. Everything was great: the setting, the people, the main story and the "extra" stories. The people in these chapters were easy to relate to and likable, and they were written well. I really liked Neve and her personality. She's the strong female main character that I can easily relate to, at least for me. The wonders of this world appear to be fascinating and connected to old stories and beliefs. The book Queen Among the Dead had an interesting story based on Celtic mythology. However, it focused so much on describing the world and setting that the characters and plot were not as important.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I was hooked right away with the young female protagonist, and the Celtic lore enriched every part of the story, from characterization to plot to theme. Vivid descriptions without taking away from the pacing of the overall story was a particular strength of this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.*

I loved this book, I loved the story and all the various characters. I absolutely recommend reading the book.

"This is a complicated review because, at first glance, I was seduced by everything about this book: the beautiful cover, the comparisons to other authors, the premise, the mythology... And while I can boast of having enjoyed the reading, it is only fair to recognize that not all of my expectations were met.

The names were the most confusing part; I had to rely on context to try to blindly guess what the author meant each time. Was it a person's name? A clan? What does that word even mean?!
I also have to add: the variations in the writing pace... at times, too many things were happening in one chapter, and then, suddenly, 200 pages would go by without anything happening. The romance also threw me off balance... because even though I loved Ronan, my precious baby, their relationship was almost instantaneous: not my favorite trope.

However, the plot managed to keep my interest at all times, the representation of Celtic mythology was as rich as promised, and the characters won my heart... definitely an incredible experience."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was way too long for what happens in the story. I felt like I didn't even really get a good feel as to what the plot was until 70% through. It could have been a good as the characters were written well but it really needed some editing and direction.

A fantastical adventure imbued with a Celtic origins. Magic, warriors and a power struggle to try and dominate their world. Can a princess and an Outcast work together to save what that love.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at around the 30% mark. I held off my review in hopes that I could come back to this book at some point, but after sitting at the 30% point for a long time I just didn't have any desires to finish it. The story was a little confusing and I would have like it to be a little more thought out and concise. I am sure that this book has an audience, but I was not the it.

A fantastical adventure with likable characters and a well thought out storyline and even a few laughable moments.

I wanted to love this book, because I've not read anything that has a Celtic background before. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. The book starts extremely slow and even once it picks up, it's just not my cup of tea.

I was really interested in this story as I was looking forward to reading the mythology aspects behind it. I did struggle to get through the first part of the book. There were a few contradictions within the story that I found it hard to move past.
The world building was fantastic but I found it a bit chunky and it took up a lot of the story, which I found took away from the characters and what was actually happening in the book.
The romance didn't really 'wow' me, it felt like it was there just because rather than actually adding anything to the story. I'm pretty sure the characters didn't even like each other (even when they were in a relationship).
The ending also felt very rushed, as though the book just needed to end at a certain word count.

Thanks to Zando Projects, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. It's been a while since I dived into a YA Fantasy - I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. I'm glad I picked this book to dive back into this wonderful genre.
When I was a teenager I was absolutely obsessed with all things mythological, but Celtic mythology was too complex and inconsistent for my undeveloped brain. When I first started this book I felt the same way - so much of Celtic mythology is tied up with political regimes and different names for beings with all different capabilities. It seemed easy to get confused by the number of factions in this book at first. But once I let myself just read and enjoy the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This book champions females - the protagonist Neve, is a formidable hero and I loved her (my other favourite being Cliona).
Ronan, the erstwhile Druid turned rogue, was also an absolute treat to read and his snarky inner and outer dialogue were some of my favourite parts of the book.
The ending is open so there may be more from this universe, but I hope if not, then I will read more from this author.

This book was a lot of fun. Nothing *new* but I enjoyed the plot and all the different creatures featured .I love celtic mythology and wished there was even more woven throughout. The romance felt a bit forced, I would have been happy with just the adventure part of it. I just wish I felt more of a connection to the characters.

Queen Among the Dead is marketed as a Celtic fantasy and adventure that takes place in an ancient Kingdom called Eire. Additionally, it is inspired by the legend of the first true Queen of Ireland. When we first are transported into Eire, we see that magic is outlawed by its King and on top of it, the King's Druid priests are jealous. We end up meeting the King's youngest daughter: Neve and an Druid apprentice that has turned thief: Ronan. Neve and Ronan have something in common: they both hate the Druids. On top of all of this, they have been marked by a dark magic to where they need each other.

I am all about fantasy and when books have kingdoms and royalty in them, then I just have to read them since I am a sucker for these type of books. Plus, I am really enjoying all the mythology/cultural inspirations that a lot of authors are weaving into their stories.

Lesley Livingston does a great job with interweaving this story with the Celtic mythology and the world building of this story/kingdom.

However, I was constantly struggling with this book and wanting to be done with it. I felt like there was a ton of telling instead of showing as well as huge info dumps. Then, on top of that I really found Neve and Ronan to be unlikeable.

I do wish this book would have worked out for me, but I feel like others will enjoy this book.

Wow! There is so much going on in this story.

The story is based in Celtic mythology, and there is magic, gods, curses, druids and so much more.

The characters were great, well written and able to create connections with the reader. I loved Neve and Una especially.

The prose was so so, as I found myself continually picking this up and then putting it back down. Some parts I’d get a bit confused about or feel like I missed something and have to reread.

Definitely a decent story, especially if you like mythology, strong female characters, and fantasy adventures!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Zando Projects for a copy!

Queen Among the Dead was a tough read for me and one I wasn’t able to finish past the 40% mark. I really wanted to enjoy it, but I picked it up and put it down over a dozen times from January through April, and found myself struggling to remain engaged in the story.
I very much enjoyed the first 20% of the story and found it interesting, riveting and exciting, but it then became a bit slower paced and I felt could have been edited down a bit. It likely was from the passing of time as well, but I found the various names and mythology I needed to know, difficult to remember which left me feeling I engaged.
Still it’s well written and I think many people will enjoy this one. Thank you NetGalley, Lesley Livingston and Zando Young Readers for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An Irish tale of a girl grouping up as the ruler's second daughter with her mom gone. She learns to find herself and be a strong and fearless warrior just in time to save Erie from those who wish its demise. She looses her sister and father but finds her mother and her own strength and strong masculine ally along the way to taking her place in her kingdom. A strong and fierce female lead rich in setting and strong in conflict.

It's hard for me to write a review sometimes when I wanted to like a book but just didn't quite get to the excitement I was hoping to feel for it.

The story is a little slow, not enough action, and not enough romance. Could still be enjoyed by the right audience though.

I thought this book was entertaining and i definitely found myself invested in some parts. How ever The fantasy is just not my favourite- and this book solidified that. I thought i'd give it a try since i dont read much fantasy. But, this genre does not do it for me, personally. It was a good read, great even. But i did not find myself in love with any of the characters. Or caring to understand what was happening. It was a strong book, just not made for my liking.

Beautiful descriptions of world building in what is I have to guess is the first in a series. I will say that it felt like perhaps we were building to something as the story unfolded but it doesn't quite feel like we got there as the story wrapped up so quickly. I am wondering this primarily as so often the first book in a YA series is ultimately forced to do so much set up that it's own plot can be somewhat underwhelming. All of that to say, I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy series with the expectation that you may not feel totally resolved as you reach the end of the story.