Norah wakes up without memories..
She doesn't know where she is..
Or where she's supposed to go ..
She'll find some people forcing her to keep running in order to save her life until she meet a face she still doesnt remember but maybe will be her only choice to saving her ..
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Incredible. Fascinating. Gripping.
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Love the characters and the world building.. the story is fast paced also with a lot of twists and turns ..
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Read if you like
🦊 fantasy
🦊 enemies to lovers
🦊 marriage of convenience
🦊 one horse
🦊 slow burn
🦊 childhood friends
🦊 action packed
🦊 Visions..
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Swipe ➡️ to see more .
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Special thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. The opinions are my own.

I liked this book but also hated it a little bit, and was left with more questions that answers. It felt like most of the mysteries were forgotten (like why she lost her memories - seems like she was never that concerned on how to get them back? the seer thought Norah was the one who put the block in her mind?) Really wanted Alexander's POV to see what was happening in Mercia with Catherine while Norah was away. So far I'm seeing nothing redeemable about Soren or Mikael - why does she even have feelings for him? They barely have any meaningful conversations. What about Salara-mae? she just disappears and we never figure out about this mysterious dead princess?

I requested this book based on the cover and I was feeling in a fantasy mood. While the cover is gorgeous, I was let down with the book. It was too long, paced oddly and felt like I have read it before. There was pining, falling for the wrong guy, action but it all was driven by this amnesia. It ended on a cliffhanger and I don’t think I will read the the next one.

I have been in a reading slump and this book finally got me out of it!

I could not put this book down once I started it. Ms. Tyche draws you into the amazing world she has created. There was so many different twist and turns that it keeps you hanging on, along with the character building is happening just at the right pace where you are discovering everything you need at that moment. The different lands and tribes really help to bring this story to life. I honestly can not wait for the rest of the series coming out next month, they will be must reads on day one.

North Queen was sooooo good. I stayed up way too late reading this just so I could finish it in one sitting. I cannot wait for the next book. This has everything romantasy lovers want: enemies to lovers, romantic tension, a badass FMC, and a unique world that I cannot wait to see more of in the next book. Cannot recommend this enough.

Our heroine starts off with no memories, running for her life in the deadly woodland called the Wild. A knight in shining armor rescues her and brings her home. Our amnesiac is Princess Norah, the "North Queen" over Mercia, a kingdom that has been at war against the Shadow King and his army for the past ten years. Queen regent Catherine, Norah's grandmother, tells Norah that she must be crowned queen and then marry ally King Philip of Aleon. Norah feels overwhelmed and suffocated. Her rescuer, the lord's justice Alexander, is the only one who brings her comfort and safety. Will Norah choose duty in an arranged marriage or love with Alexander?

The above summary of the plot barely scrapes the surface of the the North Queen ends up telling. I read the first third of the book rather unexcited and unimpressed with the lackluster worldbuilding, heavyhanded tropiness, and shallow characters that rely on archetypes. However, author Nicola Tyche takes Norah on a detour. En route to Aleon for her royal wedding, Norah finds herself the captive of the Shadow King. From then on, the North Queen was a wild, fun ride.

Throughout the entire book, Norah is introduced to new places and people. Norah is basically the reader's insert or access point to the world. Because Norah has limited information, the reader has little insight into what will happen. We are introduced to many characters. Some only briefly appear to serve the plot; some present very interesting possibilities. Prose is simple. The plot moves along at a decently quick pace. The worldbuilding is very light. Reasons the book could be critiqued are reasons why the book's plot advances at a compelling pace.

Although this book falls in the romantasy (fantasy romance) genre, this book 1 gives us very light romance. Romance equals some longing, one bedroom scene, and the development of the main M/F relationship. I was completely satisfied with the arc of this book, but North Queen is clearly a set-up book before the romance can actually flourish.

North Queen is solid romantasy. I recommend to readers looking for an easy, digestible, and snappy action/adventure with good romance potential for future books.

I saw this book and immediately requested it. Not only is the cover pretty, the summary grabbed my attention too. It's the first book I've read by Nicola Tyche but it won't be the last. I immediately added the next book to my TBR as I couldn't help being pulled into the story and wanting to know what happens next.

This book kicks off with the fmc, Norah, waking up in a forest and not knowing anything...literally. She doesn't know where she is, who she is, and why a fox might be trying to get her to follow him. When she crosses path with a man (who she finds out has been looking for her for years), She's immediately identified as the Princess of Mercia and thrown into this situation where she is expected to fake it until you make it. Having been missing for years and not really knowing a thing about anything, she has to rely on and trust her grandmother as well as the man who found her.

One of the mmc's is Alexander Rhemus, the commander of the Mercian army. He's protected the realm against the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Having grown up with Norah, he has always loved her but due to circumstances, things didn't necessarily end in the right way before she disappeared and now that she has no memory of their past, he tries to do the right thing and let her go so she can do what is right for the kingdom. But that's easier said than done.

On the way to the kingdom and prince she will marry to provide additional support and protection to Mercia, Norah and her guards are attacked and she finds herself prisoner to the Shadow King and the one group she never wanted to come face to face with. Doing what she can to create peace, Norah makes a deal and finds out just what it means to be a princess of Mercia.

I really enjoyed this book. There was angst, action, romance, and a great story that kept me turning the pages. If you haven't added this one to your TBR, definitely do. I can't wait to grab the next book in the series to see what happens next with these characters.

This book was freaking insane!!

I read this in 2-3 sittings because I could not stop reading it for the life of me. It had everything I needed in a fantasy down to falling for the villain of the storyline. Sure there was a perfectly fine marshmallow-y type “hero” who would do anything for the princess/queen but it was sooo annoying! I honestly just wanted him to just stop and go away and leave the female lead to the obviously misunderstood “villain”.

That cliffhanger just about killed me and I cannot WAIT to see what lies in store for us in the second book that I’m already dying to get my hands on.

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Columbia River Publishing, and Nicola Tyche for an ARC of her debut novel!

This book is the beginning of a story in which Norah, the Princess of Mercia, awakens to find her memories missing and is thrust into a world at war where she must become queen and save her people. While the world and her responsibilities threaten to overwhelm her, she fights to make the decisions that will bring peace, regardless of what happens to her, and finds herself torn between her kingdom and love.

This is the first time I’ve read a book with the amnesia trope and I ended up loving it! It was a great comment on the discussion of nature vs nurture as Norah finds herself pushing against who she used to be now that she has no memories of her past. I loved how strong and determined Norah is, albeit some naïveté, and how she would do anything to protect her kingdom and all innocent lives she comes across. She champions for every people, not just her own, and I found that to be so inspiring. Norah, as well as the other characters, feel so real and complex as they are good and bad and caring and deadly and gentle and destructive and it makes the story so much more deep.

The romance in this book was unexpected but wonderful. It’s not a perfect love, but one filled with mistakes and missteps between very human people trying to find a common ground with one another. There’s enough of a love triangle (potentially a love square) that is vague enough that I can’t guess where it’s going, which is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.

I’m so glad I don’t have to wait long for the next book as book 2 and 3 releases in August! The ending has me itching to get my hands on them! Book 1: North Queen, is already out and available to buy on Amazon or read on Kindle Unlimited!

Add this to your reading list if you like:
⚔️Main Character Amnesia
⚔️Marriage of Convenience
⚔️Enemies to Lovers
⚔️Touch Her and Die
⚔️He Falls First

it was okay, nothing particularly stuck out to me and the memory loss wasn't used to its full advantage and felt inconsequential in the long run.

Wow! Great fantasy romance! Norah, a lost princess, awakes with no memories of her past. Little does she know how much she plays a part in political maneuvering and impending war. Has fate been decided or can it still be changed? I really don’t want to give too much away but will say that this story had me hooked from the beginning! The characters are perfectly imperfect and written in a way that has you understand and sympathize with them. Even smaller side characters, like Tahla, are so endearing. Fates and destinies are intertwined and I’m so intrigued to see how it all plays out. There is a love triangle (maybe even love square??) but it’s so well done. I have my favorite and only hope I’m right! I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Norah. August 1 can’t come fast enough! If you enjoy fantasy romance, I highly recommend this. Thank you NetGalley and Nicola Tyche for the arc.

This is such an addictive and beautifully written book! It tells the story of Princess Norah Andell, who wakes up without any memories and is suddenly thrown into a world she doesn't recognize, with the task of saving a kingdom she can't even remember. Norah's character development throughout the book is remarkable - she goes from being confused to becoming a confident queen. The relationships she forms with other characters add so much depth to the story, and the author does a fantastic job of making you feel all the emotions alongside Norah. The book is packed with court drama, world-building, and engaging dialogue that keeps you hooked. While I would have loved a bit more action and a deeper exploration of some plot points, this is a captivating start to a thrilling trilogy that will have you eagerly anticipating the next book.

The pacing of this book was a little all over the place, which overall made it hard for me to enjoy. I had to put it down multiple times and come back to it later because I was struggling to get into the story. The very beginning started off super interesting (love the amnesia) trope, but the first 40% of the book dragged on and on, and I was just waiting for something to happen. It picked up a little bit in the middle, but by that point I just wasn’t interested. In the end I was intrigued by the direction of the story, and it seems promising, but I just wish the beginning was a little more engaging.

This started with a really interesting premise that gripped me from the get-go, but a shift about halfway through made it feel like I was suddenly reading an entirely different book, and I’m ultimately not sure how I feel.

Our main character, a princess lost from her kingdom for 3 years, wakes up in an enchanted forest with no memory of who she is or what her former life was. The mystery of what happened to her and how she managed to survive in a magical forest lethal to all its other visitors, the suspense of whether she will succeed in hiding her condition from her royal court and convince them of her competence, and the tension around whether she will ever remember the man who was obviously her past lover dominated the first half of the book and succeeding in capturing my attention. However, this mystery basically gets abandoned after a shift around the halfway point in the book that derails this plotline and introduces a new love interest, and is ultimately left unresolved in the end, which I found a little frustrating.

Aside from this jarring transition in the plot, a major issue I had with this book was the repeated grandstanding of the fair-skinned heroine against the “barbaric” practices of the obviously POC-coded culture she marries into. While there *are* certainly plenty of problematic things about her love interest, the way it’s handled just felt a bit xenophobic and white savior-y in a way that made me uncomfy on more than one occasion. And while some of it is framed in a way that makes it more about the heroine overcoming her prejudices, not all of it is, and it just makes me question what the author’s intent was with including these characterizations.

The story kept me invested enough to finish, but it’s one of those where I look back and am not sure it was worth it in the end. But then again, the way it ended makes me think book two could be better. I’m conflicted on this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Columbia River Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the worldbuilding. A lot of stories dump it on you, but Nicola had a good balance. I didn't feel overwhelmed learning of the lands and the history associated with them. I also loved the characters, although I have to say I'm not a fan of Alexander.

I'm rooting for Mikael and Norah, I won't lie. I hope they become end game.

When we meet Norah at the start we learn that she has no memories and only a few return to her, mostly at the beginning of the book. We don't find out what happened in book one (clever play there, Nicole) which makes me want to continue reading the series. I need answers. Where was she? What happened to her father? Why did she lose her memories?

I'll definitely be picking up Shadow Queen and War Queen.

I really enjoyed this book see link to bookstagram for a review!
Characters were well developed and the story was intriguing ! That cliffhanger was intense and I desperately need the next book!
I would have like a bit more spice after the wedding but for not giving much spice it was still a good book!

This book really kept me guessing. It started off with a nice, intriguing hook. Pages 50-100 were a bit more boring. All plot/character building but it was maybe a bit over detailed for me but once you get past that part of the story, it really picked up. I found myself going through all the feels (heartbreak, anger, anticipation). Not sure how I feel about the FMC. There were times when I was cheering for her but then there were moments that made me want to scream and rip my hair out because she was either being naive or uncompromising. Overall I would say a solid four stars. I feel like I still don't fully know what is going on so I think the series has the potential to be 5 stars overall if they keep the buildup and pace appropriate.

If I could rate this book one billion stars, I would. This is a debut romantasy from Nicola and it’s book 1 of a trilogy. The cover is stunning and so is the story. I got 50% of the way through my e-arc and immediately pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew this was a book I would want to come back to again and again.

Norah wakes in a forest with no idea where she is and no memory at all, including who she is. She's found by a man named Alexander who claims to be one of her oldest friends and Lord Justice to the kingdom she's from, Mercia. He takes her home and she quickly learns she has been missing for 3 years and her people have been waiting for her to come back to take the throne. Within days she's crowned North Queen and betrothed to be married, for alliances. What happens next is a series of twists, turns and adventure. She must make hard decisions for both herself, and her kingdom.

You guys. This book hooked me from chapter 1. It was genuinely unputdownable. It’s very fast paced but gives you enough details that it doesn’t feel lacking. The way it was written was utterly captivating. At the end, it was actually hard to believe that the beginning of the book and the end are the same story because SO much happens!

The love triangle is wild. I’ve never felt myself pining so hard for two men in ALL MY LIFE. I was practically panting from all the tension. There is so much depth and dimension to every character in this book. The twists and turns had me spinning but the end had me REELING.

If you’re wondering what I’ll be doing on August 1, I’m booked. I’ll be devouring book 2 of this series, Shadow Queen.

Thank you to Netgalley, Columbia River Publishing and Nicola Tyche for my ARC!!

The North Queen was a little slow to start. Once I made it past the first 25% or so I flew through the rest. I didn’t want to put it down. To start with Norah, the North Queen, has been in hiding for a few years caused by a vision of her capture. She is found by her close friend Alexander but has no memories. The amnesia didn’t feel like it played a really significant part in the last 75% of the story. It was brought up a few times mainly to explain the radical differences between what Norah wants vs what the council and her grandmother want. I am sure that more will be realized as the series goes on.
I really enjoyed watching the relationship with Mikael develop. There are still times where it doesn’t feel completely natural. The constant conflict there makes it a little tedious at times. As well as the constant conflict between Norah and the other members of that court. It feels like the stories are all building to something but ultimately how many conflicts can one story support.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I have already pre-ordered the sequel and can’t wait to see what happens.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book blind, and I'm so glad I did!

Based on the beautiful cover and interesting premise, I delved into this book on the promise of enemies to lovers, amnesia, and a whole lot of wonderful fantasy, and it did not disappoint.

Norah's character and her unique situation drew me in from the start, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It had me screaming, laughing, crying and everything in between, and I couldn't put it down.

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it, but there were so many wonderful twists and turns that I never knew what to expect, in the best possible way. There was one twist in particular that felt like a punch to the gut, but it was present before and even more so after (trying so hard not to spoil) and the complex politics of Norah's world and heart has me aching for more.