This was such a good first book for what seems like a very promising trilogy!! I was such a huge fan of the main character, Norah. I love strong female leads and Norah was exactly that, which made rooting for her throughout her journey all the while easier. I absolutely loved her character development throughout the book, as she returns to Mercia without any memories from her past, but by the end of the book she's developed into such a strong, young woman. That was definitely one of the main highlights in this book!!

Another highlight for me was the romance!! The love triangles are so good and added so much more into this action-packed story. I thought I knew for sure whose side I was on, but then halfway throughout the book my opinion shifted entirely!! I loved how Nicola Tyche added in these romantic elements because they had me hooked and hanging off the edge of my seat throughout the whole book.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to all of my fantasy lovers out there!! I really enjoyed this one and I cannot wait to read the next book! Thank you NetGalley and Columbia River Publishing for this free arc in exchange for my honest review!

The amnesia trope I thought was one of the main points but besides the beginning and a mention at the end there’s no real other mention of it. Not that I mind but I thought it was supposed to be a big part. The romance was interesting with the love triangle and a fourth person pining on someone in the triangle. Overall the story was interesting. Predictable but I enjoyed learning about the characters and I would like to read the next book.

Gripping and action-packed, "North Queen" (Crowns Book 1) by Nicola Tyche is a compelling first volume to a deliciously twisting trilogy that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Perfect for fans of thick plots with aching romance, this book offers a captivating story that hooks you from the first chapter.

The story follows Princess Norah Andell, the lost heir to the kingdom of Mercia, who is hidden away for her own safety. When she is found three years later with no memory of her past or the responsibilities resting on her shoulders, Norah is thrust into a world she doesn't know, tasked with saving a kingdom she doesn't remember.

One of the highlights of the book is Norah's character development. From her initial confusion and uncertainty to her gradual growth into a confident queen, it's a delight to witness her transformation. The relationships she forms with other characters constantly evolve, adding layers of complexity to the story. Nicola Tyche skillfully weaves together emotions, making readers empathize with Norah's struggles and decisions.

"North Queen" is filled with court drama, intricate world-building, and engaging dialogue and banter. The author's writing style is beautiful and creative, and the story is perfectly paced, immersing readers in a world of action, complicated romance, intrigue, and morally gray characters. The book incorporates elements such as amnesia, prophetic visions, political intrigue, and a marriage of convenience, all of which add depth and excitement to the narrative.

If you enjoy tension, the exploration of character relationships, and the constant back and forth of will they won't they, "North Queen" is highly recommended. While it could benefit from more action and a deeper exploration of certain plot points, it is undeniably a captivating start to a twisting trilogy. Be prepared to be drawn into this world and eagerly anticipate the next installment.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Norah wakes up with no memory of her life to find out she is a queen. So many things get thrust her way and she seems to roll with them. Her relationships with the other character are constantly changing while she tries to figure out who she is and the type of queen she wants to be.
She finds herself in many difficult situations and forced to make hard decisions. I went through so many emotions reading this book. I felt bad for Norah, I was angry with her and at times felt defeated. At the end of the book I was rooting for the decision she makes and was sad the book ended. I will definitely be reading book 2 Shadow Queen to see what Norah does next.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive an arc.

4.5/5 stars

Things I liked:
Addicted from the first page
Wild adventure
Easy read

Things I didn’t liked:
Nothing I loved it

I was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The north queen 👸 starts off slow but gets more intriguing in the middle and end of the book.
Norah is the princess of the north. She awakens after being missing for 3 years with no memories of her past.
She soon becomes queen and becomes a pawn of political games and arranged marriages. On her way to marry king Philip for an alliance she is abducted by the shadow king 🤴 her old love Alexander let’s her go to be married off but heads off to save her soon after her abduction by Mikael the shadow king.
This is book one of a trilogy. Like I said the pacing starts off very slow and the internal dialogue is drawn out. The external dialogue between characters is basic and lacks emotion or depth. We dont really feel what the author is trying to convey the characters are feeling. There is a great world built in this book but I had trouble seeing it while reading. I could not imagine it in my head or see it in my minds eye while reading like I do some books. That’s a number one requirement for me in fantasy romance books is great world building. Norah is kind of annoying and bossy. She acts timid and weak yet can fight like a badass b? Then she just keeps bossing the king around and gets upset when there are repercussions to her words and actions. I hope to see her grow in the next two books into a BA QUEEN that she is. And I had wanted more information on the memory loss and more snippets of her memories coming back!! Otherwise solid plot and I enjoyed the spicy scene it was well written. Characters need be way more developed and the world building expanded upon.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Love triangle:✅ (team mikael)
Anti hero: ✅
Alpha males: ✅
Enemies to lovers:✅
Royalty: ✅

Loved it! This is a great start to a new series by Nicola! If you love suspense this is the book for you!

All opinions expressed are my own, I was gifted this book through NetGallery.

I found North Queen by Nicola Tyche a diverting adventure into a medieval fantasy adventure.

Following an amnesiac princess that is mysteriously found in the Wild Woods after years of absence, our heroine, Norah, is plunged into a country on the brink of war and famine, forced to pretend that she is who she once was as the stakes for her kingdom have only grown higher and more deadly. But can she keep up the act, and is she getting the whole truth from family and counselors who swear they have her best interest at heart?
Trying to save the people she was raised to govern, Norah is pushed to question loyalties, truths, and just how far she will go to keep her people from war.
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Opening straight off with intrigue and mystery, I found myself second guessing every character right alongside the protagonist, trying to find out if they were who they said they were, and if they did, in fact, have her best interest at heart.
At times I found the protagonist a little naive and hopeless, but, then again, that's the lynch-pin that the story pivots on, so I suppose I can hardly fault it. I found myself wishing I could shake her to see the impact of her actions in the second half of the book, but alas, our young hero is learning the hard way, and I'm sure the next books will bring her face-to-face with the repercussions of her clueless actions.
I didn't appreciate the intimate scene, and think that the whole thing would have been better off implied, or at least the coverage cut short. Also, Soren's choice of beverage is revolting, and I strongly, strongly suggest the exclusion of such satanic elements. That's not something to write about, and I'll readily confess it's put me off reading the next installments, should they continue to include it.
But the worldbulding was well crafted--I loved the Uru--and I'm also a huge fan of the trouble with interpreting visions, and cheered when I saw how it would unfold.
Thanks for the opportunity to read, and wish you wiser luck in the next one.

George R. R. Martin meets Sarah J Maas in an incredible adventure of self discovery, romance, and political intrigue. This is a true page turner... just ask my husband and son who wanted by attention the entire time I read this book, but didn't get it because I literally could not put it down (sorry guys lol). Often times I find that there is an incredible story but poor writing, or vise versa with incredible writing but a terrible plot. North Queen has both great writing and an absolutely amazing plot.
My only complaint (and it's a minor one) is that the first 25% is a bit monotonous. The story does progress, and it was still a page turner trying to figure out what was going on and if Norah, the FMC, would get her memories back, but it seemed to drag just a bit.

SPOILER ALERT
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I knew that Norah's grandmother was sus from the start... I don't trust that woman lol.

I absolutely loved this book. It was captivating from start to finish. Amnesia tropes are very rarely done well and this one was perfect.
Watching Norah grow throughout the story was one of my favorite parts. Going from terrified and unsure of herself to a queen was chefs kiss.
Court drama, world building, the dialouge and banter, everything was fantastic. The thing I'm most upset about is having to wait months for book two.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the dynamic between Norah and Alexander and Norah and Mikael. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

The writing pulled me in and I was totally invested in allllll the characters…..even Soren.

I could not get enough and was sad to see the book end

*Thank you Netgalley and Nicola Tyche for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Posted to: NetGalley and Goodreads
Posted on: 19 June 2024

3 out of 5 stars.

It was hard for me to review this book because there were a lot of stuff I loved and a lot I disliked. That’s why I settled on a 3 star neutral rating for it since I genuinely couldn’t decide how else to rate this.

The plot is interesting. The writing is actually pretty good- better than I was expecting with only a few awkward moments or dialogue that doesn’t really fit well with the time period I’m assuming it to be in. The scene setting was pretty good and I actually loved some of the characters a lot. I can definitely agree with a few other reviewers about Alexander’s need for further character development or that dislike for Mikael and his this-way-no-that-way sway of actions. I didn’t entirely hate Mikael either, but I do have a bone to pick about his character type.

There’s a very careful line to tread when incorporating poc especially as a (correct me if I’m wrong!) white author. Kharav is painted as beautiful once Norah gets a hang of the people she *should* stick with and trust, but there are still very stereotypical characteristics given to these ‘darker skinned’ people. They are obviously the ‘bad’ kingdom, so you have to show readers *why* they’re bad. It’s just how some of the portrayals went that made me, as a poc, feel icky. It also doesn’t help that Mercia is also more white coded. Not many skin tones are given (I think like one or two ‘fair’ or ‘light’) but they *are* described with blonde hair and blue eyes- which I’m sorry, but personally I always think ‘white’ with these features so that may also just be a misunderstanding on my end.

I’m not saying that this book was inherently racist though. There were just a few points where… there could’ve been better or *different* ways to display how characters are bad and why. Don’t even get me started with the slave mentions though- that part, again at least to me, was borderline white savior moment. I was just really uncomfortable with *how* it was portrayed.
These are very nit-picky things I noticed. I would *love* to see how other poc view these points as well- I do NOT mean to speak for everybody in the community when I bring up these points! I just saw things and marked them as I read through so I could go back to see how it played out further in the book. It does get better, does push away from ‘Kharav is all bad, Mercia is the only good’ vibes, but it’s still enough to just like- I literally had to put the book down a few times to just digest how my brain was processing it and how it was, perhaps, *meant* to be taken.

All in all, it was an okay read! The amnesia plays a brief roll in the beginning and then is hardly mentioned save for bits down the line. The introduction also was slower paced, but I feel like it was a way to see how Mercia works internally (for Norah anyways) compared to how things are done in Kharav. I wish The Wild would’ve been talked about a little more, but I know this is a three book series so it’s only assumed that those notes will come to play in other books.

Would I continue the series? Gods, honestly it’s a so-so. I want to give Nicola Tyche the benefit of the doubt on these character portrayals and I can’t lie and say the story *didn’t* have me hooked- because it did! You have a stubborn and fierce female lead who knows a thing or two on how to get what she wants with a politically charged love square all at the midst of everything else she has to grapple with. It was just kind of hard to get through those slow points and those bits I mentioned earlier that had me second-guessing whether I wanted to continue the book or not. I think I’d keep an eye out for the others, as again, there *were* redeeming qualities for *some* of the points I brought up. I just don’t know how much of it is enough to get me looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley, Columbia River Publishing, and Nicola Tyche for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And an honest review you will get. I have too many words and yet, not enough to do justice. I went into this completely blind. I saw the cover and thought it was so beautiful, so I clicked “request” without reading the synopsis. And I was blown away. I believe it’s the author’s debut novel and what a way to come out swinging. I was hooked by chapter two and completely devoured the rest of the novel.

Even once I got a sense of the story and the main character, I still didn’t know what to expect from scene to scene. Things happened that I wasn’t quite expecting and I have no idea, not even guesses as to what’s going to be happening in the next two books.

I also love the author’s writing style. It’s beautiful and creative, and I found the story to be perfectly paced. It’s thick with action, complicated romance, intrigue, and morally gray characters.

So if you’re into enemies-to-lovers romance, mystery, warring kingdoms, and characters on a quest to change their fate, read this book.

Norah is the North Queen, well at least she's told she is. After waking up a strange forest without any memories about who she is or how she got there, Norah is found by someone who claims to know her. Someone who takes her to a kingdom where she is about to be crowned Queen and marry the king of a neighboring kingdom. But this but just be the fresh start Norah needs, the start the whole country needs. The threat of a Great War looms and Norah has to make a choice, follow her duty and council, follow her heart or follow her instincts. Whatever choice she makes will steer the course of history, but fate cannot be changed easily.

I LOVED this book! It was filled with everything I love!
✨ Amnesia trope
✨ Prophetic visions and the desperate struggle to change fate
✨ Political intrigue and court drama
✨ Marriage of convenience
✨ Morally grey characters
✨ Countries at war with a queen determined to bring peace
✨ That same queen who is torn between two men who are devoted to her

This was just such an interesting read! It was not perfect, in fact there were a few things that let the book down around the plot and romance, but I was just immersed into the story and was intrigued by all the characters and could not help but love the book! There were a few things that were touched on at the start of the story, but barely delved into later on? I have a feeling it will be revealed in the next book but it was a bit of a let down. The magical aspect of the Wild and Norah's connection to it and her amnesia was only really explored in the first quarter of the book.

From then on it actually took a turn I wasn't expecting but really loved! It was amazing to explore the word and I loved the inclusion of the little visit to the Tribelands I just wished there was a bit more going on. The plot was a little disjointed and it almost felt like time had stopped, we were just exploring the characters relationships and it was being fleshed out for a good portion of the second half. I don't usually like love triangles and I wasn't really a fan of the two love interests, I liked them as characters because they were written so well and with a great complexity but they didn't seem right for Norah.

Anyway this book has so much potential and despite these little things I have pointed out I was still sucked into this world and didn't want to leave it! I am still eagerly anticipating the next book and thought the world and characters were written so well, they are all struggling in their own way and striving for what they think is best blinded by love, duty or blood lust. It made for an amazing book! I loved how Norah was hesitant at first but then took the role to heart and became Queen, making her own decisions. I loved how the prophetic visions were tied into the story and how torn each character was. They all have to make their own decisions and I am dying to see what each of them choose!

If there was a little more action, less romance and a deeper exploration of those minor plot points it would've been a five star! But if you love tension, the constant back and forth of will they won't they and need that deep exploration of character relationships before the action I highly recommended this book!

The North Queen really took me by surprise, in the best possible way! I started this book a day after finishing a different one that left me with a book hangover of epic proportions- I honestly wasn't sure anything would pull me out of. However, as Norah's story unfolded, through the Wild, into the Mercia court, war and the Shadowlands, I was not only invested in her story, but the secondary characters and kingdoms as well. This book answers some questions, but also creates more that keep you craving the answers and impatient for the second book to be released!

I loved every second of reading North Queens. It had mysterious and magical forests, fantasy realms with warring nations, a ruthless shadow king, and a long-lost Queen returning home but missing all her memories of her previous life. The writing was fantastic – Nicola Tyche has a wonderful way of being detailed, as you’d expect from high fantasy, but without slowing down the story. I can’t believe this is a debut novel! The romance aspects of this book were well done, and not too spicy but also not closed door. Beware a love triangle, though. So if that’s a big nope, this one won’t be for you.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Nicola Tyche for giving me the opportunity to fall in love with these characters and this world. I can’t wait for Shadow Queen and I’m so grateful the next two books are set to release later this summer because I don’t want to wait any longer than that. 😅

Norah wakes in a forest, with no memories of who or where she is. She soon discovers that she is a princess, who has been missing for 3 years and now needs to be crowned Queen and married to a neighbouring king in order to save her people ...

This book had a good plot and good world building, but the pacing was very frustrating. The beginning dragged, then there was a lot of repetition around the middle, and then the end started to drag again. I'm glad I read it, and am keen to know what happens next - and answer some lingering questions - but this book could definitely be improved by cutting about 100 pages!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This book is a page turner! It’s filled with court dynamics, forbidden love, betrayal, secrets, and a sprinkle of magic. It starts out with a Princess Norah lost in the woods only to be found 3 years later with all her memories wiped before she went missing. Shortly after, we find out that she is to become Queen of the North to a kingdom she can’t remember anything about.

There is some romance that she can’t quite remember with a life-long friend, Alexander. And, the romance is completely forbidden since she’s betrothed to marry a neighboring king. But, this love triangle won’t end the way you think.

I flew through the pages loving every moment with Norah figuring out how to live in a world she can’t remember. This is the first book in a series and the author built out the world perfectly without it being too overwhelming.

In the end, some questions were left unanswered like will she get her full memories back? Will we ever learn what happened when she was lost? What’s her connection with the wild?

I’m hoping the second book will clear this up! I’m already pre-ordering it!!

Thank you to netgalley, Columbia River publishing, and the author Nicola Tyche for giving me the opportunity to jump in the world of Queen Norah with an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review! ✨

To say that I liked this book would be an understatement; Nicola Tyche’s debut novel in the Crowns Trilogy was brilliantly written and executed. It was everything I didn’t know I wanted but most definitely needed in this fantasy romance.

The novel follows Nora as she awakens in snowy woods, with absolutely no recollection of how she got there. After having a run-in with some less than savory fellows (who just happen to meet their demise via the magical woods, aka the Wild), she happens across the young gentleman, Alexander, who claims that she’s the Northern Princess and who seems familiar to her. She reluctantly goes with him back to her kingdom, after having learned from Alexander that she’s been gone/missing for three years.

Upon her arrival back to court, Nora is reintroduced to her grandmother, Queen Regent. Her reintroduction into court life is hastily thrown upon her, as Grandma Catherine schemes to get Nora crowned before the privy council finds out about her memory loss. Amongst trying to keep her amnesia under wraps, Nora is thrust into a world of court politics, where second cousins are vying for her throne, a decades-long war continues to rage, kingdom provisions are diving precariously low, and an arranged marriage to save them all is on the horizon. Catherine attempts to convince Nora that a marriage to their ally, King Phillip, would stave off hunger in the kingdom and bring a valuable army to their side to defeat the otherworldly Shadow King - the assumed villain in the raging war between kingdoms.

En route to King Phillip for her arranged marriage (of which she wants no part of, other than to save her countrymen), Nora and her company of soldiers are attacked by the Shadow King and his forces. Nora is kidnapped by the Shadow King, Mikael, as her armed forces captain barely makes it away with his life.

As the enemy forces make their way across the kingdom, Nora sees first-hand the devastations of the decades-long war, the alliances that have been forged between the Shadow King and other kingdom leaders, and begins to see Mikael for who he truly is (and it’s not the heartless king Nora’s been lead to believe he was!)

In an effort to stave off the coming war, Nora and Mikael propose a marriage that would unite their two kingdoms and harbor in an era of peace. Although not totally keen to the idea of an arranged marriage for political purposes, Nora slowly warms to the idea and the fact that she has a choice in the matter (unlike her former proposal to King Phillip).

In Mikael’s kingdom of Kharav, Nora struggles with finding her place as the newly minted salara, or Shadow Queen. Nora finds herself falling in love with her new husband, despite his violent tendencies, which she aims to pacify. But peace doesn’t last long when Mikael and Nora learn the North council is scheming, with raging Alexander in tow.

The end of the book left me in suspense and I’m excited to see what happens in Book 2. Will Nora get her memory back? Will destiny be fulfilled? Will Nora and Mikael get peace and their HEA? Will Alexander ruin it all? I want to see more of Nora and Mikael’s relationship and if Alexander manages to wedge himself between them (Team Mikael all the way!)

Bravo, Ms. Tyche for writing a book I couldn’t put down and that has me in anticipation of the sequel come August!

[Thank you to NetGalley, Nicola Tyche, Columbia River Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of “North Queen”; I am providing a voluntary and honest review.]

Thank you Netgalley and Columbia River Publishing for the ARC!
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👑Okay, this book is a MUST read for lovers of adult fantasy!!! I could NOT put this book down until I had devoured every single page and I still am hungering for more.👑
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❄️This book follows Norah, a lost princess who has lost her memories. Throughout the story she grapples woth her identity and what she must do for a kingdom she has forgotten. Through her battles, she shows readers how courageous, brave, and selfless she is and stands before conflict bravely. The romance was also a PLEASANT surprise and will seriously leave you all guessing…this is spoiler free sooo…read it to find out more in terms of that aspect! Some of the dialogue is a bit juvenile and not well thought out towards the beginning, but as the book moves forth, Tyche really seems to have gotten a great hold on the character’s and their own voices.❄️
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🖤Nicola Tyche really wrote a stand out novel and I am so eager for the next twonto be released!🖤