When Commander Alexander finds Princess Norah in the winter woods she has no memory of who she is or how she got there. Returning to the kingdom after three years away, Norah is thrust into a role she is ill prepared for and soon finds herself making decisions for a people she does not remember. Finding herself in an arranged marriage to save her kingdom from the army of the Shadow King, her party is attacked on her journey to her wedding and she is captured by the very enemy she was trying to avoid. But the Shadow King is not how she imagined, and soon she finds herself torn between two men and the duty to protect everyone around her. Can she change fate and keep her kingdom safe? Or will she align herself with the wrong side?

I had a hard time getting into this one. Norah is not a character I enjoy, and the writing did not flow as well as I would like for a story of this nature. It seemed a little stilted and felt like it was all tell and no show. There was also a lot of info dumping that I didn't like, especially as I really don't like the use of amnesia and needing to tell the MC about herself as a device to tell the reader everything that is happening in the story.

Overall, 3.5 stars as the last half of the story really started to come together and create more tension. The cliffhanger ending left me feeling a little unfulfilled as far as reaching a conclusion for the story arc, but any readers who have invested in the tale this far should be watching for the next installment to sate their curiosity.

Dark fantasy filled with courtly intrigue and angsty romance. The mystery of Norah’s past kept me hooked and the darkly atmospheric world building was alluring. Can’t wait to read the sequel!

The book had already been released, and I was too late to read it. So, I will make sure to receive a copy and still write my review on it on my website. My standard rating is 3, and I will edit it as soon as I read it.

It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me. The first 100 pages or so were insufferable. It just seemed like a cluster of useless filler information that could’ve been condensed significantly and it wouldn’t have negatively impacted the story at all. The last 20-30% is what saved this book for me. Hopeful to see good progression in book 2

Thank you to NetGalley, Columbia River Publishing and Nicola Tyche for this arc.

First of all, I loved the start of this book. The confusion that Norah had upon waking was palpable. And the vibe of the forest was great! I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more. Then we meet Alexander, who was also intriguing!

That being said, I did not finish this book. It ended up just not being my style, and I felt some of the conversations were very repetitive about Norah's memory loss, and not much happened after she got back home.

I would give the author another chance down the road with perhaps another series of hers!

I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Did not love this book, but it was a quick and easy read. The writing style was more like a YA fantasy than an adult book; even the characters sounded very young and immature? Did not care for that. As far as dialog, what drove me crazy was the amount of “Wait. What?”s and the maddening multitude of microscopic variations of the phrase “his lips parted, but no words came.” I get it. Every author has their signature line. But this was insane.

So, what DID I like about this book? I suppose the plot kept my attention well enough, but I felt that there could have been some gaps filled in with more information/explanation. I enjoyed the romance and the fact that things were not too sexualized for this stage in the characters’ relationships. I love an enemies to lovers trope!

Based on reviews, it seems like the next two books in the series have higher ratings, but I do not feel especially compelled to read them in order to find out what happens next.

3 stars.

There was just too much for me to get over that at my age I just don't waste my time. This book is long and when I'm not a fan from the first 25% then I'm out. Sorry and I hope others like it but it just isn't for me.

4.5 stars

I was very surprised by how much I loved North Queen. Not only am I very used to this particular fantasy narrative, but it has a striking resemblance to several I’ve read in the last few months alone (from the Plated Prisoner series to the Flesh & Fire series, with even a few shades of Fourth Wing).

I will admit that Norah seems to spend a lot of time swanning around doing nothing, only to become mortally aggrieved over something and demand retribution or for someone to fix it immediately. And that someone is always Mikael, and it’s always at a not-great time. To be fair, whatever she’s upset about is probably within reason - there’s usually murder or a severe restriction of rights involved - but she never attempts to reciprocate and ensure that this relationship being forged isn’t entirely one-sided. And it would be more believable if Norah worked a little harder since we’re supposed to believe that Mikael is obsessed with her after she didn’t abandon him to a slow death by poison that one time.

But Norah is a surprisingly refreshing female protagonist, despite the above rant. Her many attempts to escape are valiant - I like that she didn’t just give up immediately, and a few kind words or looks didn’t immediately convince her that everyone was good and friendly. She asks questions and demands answers without giving away too many of her own. She develops from someone who can’t lie to someone who knows what secrets to keep and when very quickly. I like her loyalty and her passion, and I like that she’s allowed to be more than one thing. Norah is allowed to have complicated feelings and change her mind and change it back, and she doesn’t come off as flighty or superficial. She totally won me over, and it’s really her character that makes me want to pick up the next book in this series immediately - a feeling I haven’t had for quite some time (is the slump over? Will I jinx it if I ask that?!). Even the amnesia trope didn’t bother me too much - probably because it wasn’t just a quick thing to force an event or plot point. I didn’t expect it to last the whole book, and I’m curious to see how Norah gets her memories back and what she does with them once she does.

Unfortunately, the male characters tend to be a little monotone and underdeveloped. I don’t know if it’s just the limited perspective chapters or because they’re the stock standard fantasy ‘men’:

-hometown love interest who will become the bad guy on his journey to ‘save’ helpless female that (surprise) doesn’t need saving
-enemies to lovers to enemies to friends to enemies to lovers dark king who warns you he’s the bad guy while actually being the good guy
-dark king’s best friend who either betrays him in an attempt to ‘save him’ from the wily temptress or proves his loyalty and probably joins threesome because he’s (surprise again) also in love with best friend

North Queen has managed to buck a few other stereotypes I was expecting so far, so I’m hoping to see these characters develop in surprising ways moving forward in this series.

The worldbuilding is by far my favourite part of North Queen. I love the settings that Tyche describes, and I can’t wait to learn more about the Wild. I hope we get to spend more time with the Horsemen and Tahla. The little sprinkling of background politics and mysteries seems promising, and I can’t wait to find out what they turn into.

I’m so glad I received this eARC and am only sad I put off reading it for so long. Very much looking forward to the rest of the series, which surprisingly is already available!

I loved this book! In “North Queen”, Norah is fervently trying to make the best of a bad situation. However, bad situations seem endless. Adversity abounds to thwart her from all angles; family, friends, and foes alike.

But all underestimate her spirit and determination. She will not be so easily defeated.

Nicola Tyche worked wonders with the magic she placed in these pages. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

I#ARCReview of North Queen (Crowns Book 1) by Nicola Tyche. #northqueen #NetGalley

Can't believe I've never heard of this author before. This is so up my alley it got me right out of a reading slump! I was so well written and I've already marked my calendar for the second book.

While the plot is relatively stock standard from the description it becomes more unpredictable as you read!

DNF @ 30%.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure what others find appealing about this book. The writing comes across as contrived and lacks vividness. The dialogues fall flat and feel entirely disconnected from reality. There's a noticeable absence of tension in the story, and it's not that the characters are irritating; they simply don't evoke any emotions in me. Furthermore, I failed to detect any chemistry between the love interests from my perspective.

𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮, 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙨

I did enjoy this read and I do plan on continuing the series. I like the world Tyche is building and my hope for the remaining books is that there is additional world building. I enjoyed the political dynamics between the countries, the character development, and world visuals. I just want more details and explanation overall.

**spoilers below**

The ending did leave you on a cliff hanger with her going to see the Seer to figure out her memory loss, but I don't completely like the memory loss aspect. The story started out strong with her memory loss and getting brought back to her kingdom and trying to figure out who she is. However, the second half of the book was mostly focused around her relationship with Mikael and her feelings. Overall, the memory loss felt like an after thought throughout the first book so I hope it gets explained further.

Well, finally finished this book last night and I loved it, like stayed up until 4am and kept reading. May be due to a late afternoon coffee, but it fueled me on. So many unanswered questions as I wrapped up book one and am really excited to see all of the books in the trilogy are out in the world!
Norah is the lost princess of a kingdom at war. She awakens in a forest with no memory of where she's been the last three years nor who she is. There's found love, arranged marriages, unexpected alliances and love (of course!) war, fighting for what's right, a love of the library (another must!) all the things you want in a fantasy novel.

This book was entertaining to an extent, but I felt like the plot was lacking. The overall story was slow moving and I found myself getting frustrated with the lack of world building. The main character loses her memory and for some reason no one really tries to get it back or figure out why she lost her memory. She is literally found in the woods after being gone for years and instead of spending time investigating the characters spend a whole lot of time doing nothing. The story was really intriguing to me at first, but the execution could have been better.

This was SUCH a good read! From the very beginning, it is just breathtaking. With an arranged marriage, forced proximities, and enemies to lovers - this is the book with all the good tropes! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Beware: there IS a cliffhanger at the end.

While I mostly enjoyed the story I think the main issue for me is the fact that everything happens very quickly, and it makes it unrealistic. She goes from being found in the woods with no memory to being crowned, to being married off to a foreign kingdom, to being kidnapped, and then everything that happens since that moment happens very quickly and she just seems completely OK with everything. This is part of what makes it hard for me to be more invested in the story. The rapid pace of events and her unrealistic reactions seem unbelievable to me.

This was such an amazing read! I flew through this book in one afternoon because I could not stop! The characters were so unique and gripping that I really adored them. The author did a great job with keeping the plot moving and avoiding any stale moments. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

North Queen came highly recommended from a friend of mine and I'm so glad she told me about it right before the last book in the series came out or it would have been torture!! I immediately picked up the second one, Shadow Queen, after I finished this!

North Queen begins with the main character, Norah Andell, waking up in the middle of a snowy forest with no recollection of how she came to be there. She realizes soon after that she has no memory at all, even her own name. Some creepy, magical things happen before a man on horseback shows up and recognizes her. He's been looking for her for three years and he tells her that she is a princess, soon to be queen, of Mercia and he's there to rescue her! They ride back and Norah tries desperately to remember her past and also figure out what is going on in the present. Not only is her nation at war with the dreaded Shadow King but Norah is the key to their victory through her arranged marriage with the king of Aleon, a potential ally. Things take a drastic turn when on her way to Aleon her entourage is ambushed and she is taken captive by the Shadow King himself. While with him, Norah starts to see a different view of events from what she was told and believes she has a new option to find peace for Mercia.

I give North Queen 5 stars. Right from the beginning, Tyche portrays Norah's desperation to remember in a very tangible sense. You really get the overwhelming sense that comes over her while she struggles to get everything right, even without her memories. Tyche writes so well and I felt myself wrapped into the plot immediately! I'm halfway through the second book and reading at a furious pace to see what happens to Norah!

Thank you NetGalley and Columbia River Publishing for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions and thoughts are my own.

"North Queen" by Nicola Tyche is a thrilling and intricate fantasy novel that masterfully weaves together elements of action, romance, and destiny. Set in the kingdom of Mercia, the story follows Princess Norah Andell, who, after being hidden away for her safety, is found with no memory of her past or her pivotal role in the kingdom's fate. As war looms and alliances are crucial, Norah's return becomes a beacon of hope, but her lack of memory and the complexities of duty and love create a tumultuous journey. Tyche skillfully crafts a tale of intrigue and passion against a backdrop of looming darkness, inviting readers into a world of secrets, sacrifices, and the unpredictable twists of fate. "North Queen" is an engaging and suspenseful start to a trilogy that promises captivating characters and a richly developed plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Columbia River Publishing for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is now available.

I honestly liked the book but it was another fae romantasy where nothing really stuck out. It was a struggle to finish it. I had to put it down multiple times. I will not be continuing to read the series but I do wish the author the best.