Wow! This audiobook packs a wallop! I started listening thinking I could pick it up without having read the first book but soon found I was hopelessly lost. I went back and listened to the first book and was so glad I did. This is definitely one of those series you need to read in order. The premise is a sweeping fantasy with fierce battles, an all consuming fiery romance, and a woman destined to be queen and unite her kingdom.

This book picks up right where the first book left off so if you haven’t read it, stop reading this review and pick it up. You’ve been warned.

At the end of The Queen With No Name, Princess was kidnapped/rescued by her long lost father. At the beginning of this book, she’s taken to a magical underground world where she learns her history and destiny. Not knowing whom to believe and trust, she yearns for the opportunity to confront her husband. When she learns he’s in pursuit of her and in danger, she sets off with new found friends and family to warn him. As she discovers who she and her husband are meant to be, she must battle old enemies & fight to bring peace and unite her kingdom.

This book was so hard to put down. It gave me Remnant Chronicles and The Books of Pellinor vibes. There were so many emotions I experienced while reading with some definite surprises, suspicions, misunderstandings, betrayals, and reconciliations. I enjoyed Princess’ strong spirit and spunk. She’s been through a lot and though she’s generally a kind, loving person, she doesn’t let others walk all over her. She finally chooses her name and I have to say it was perfect.

I liked Rowan much better in this book. He’s had time to really examine his feelings and grow as a person. Though he’s suspicious of Princess at first, mainly because of a snake in his kingdom who likes to feed him lies, he soon figures out whom he can trust. He has a fierce almost obsessive love for Princess and that strong bond between them continues in this story.

The audiobook version is fantastic! I loved the narrators who really brought this story to life. I could hardly put the AirPods down because I had to know what happened next.

The story definitely drew me in & I loved the premise. While this book provides a satisfying ending, I’d love to see the story continue. Recommend to fantasy and fairytale fans, but please read the content warnings below. It’s not appropriate for teens, especially young teens or those who only enjoy clean reads.

Content warning: This book came highly recommended, but it’s definitely a PG-13 read. There’s some mild swearing, mostly biblical swears. There’s also moderate violence, and death. There’s a lot of sexual innuendo, descriptions of intimate touching, and fade to black scenes all between a married couple. I’d describe it as semi open door though not graphic.

This is the first title I was approved for on NetGalley when I created my account and I was so so excited, however when I requested it I didn't realize that it was a sequel and I didn't want to listen to it before reading the first one so by the time I was ready the audio was archived on here. That being said, this review is a bit late but I was able to read the first book and get the audio for this one elsewhere so that I could properly review it.

I really enjoyed this one and I think the narrators did a fantastic job. They were a great fit for the two main characters and their voices just flowed really well and kept me engaged in the audio. I'm really glad I read the first book because this one picks up right where that one left off and I definitely would have been confused or at least wished I knew more about what led up to this point. I like the main characters, Princess and Rowan, despite at first thinking the whole no name thing was weird but obviously it's an important aspect of the story so don't let it frustrate you! There are a lot of fun scenes and heartwarming scenes, but also moments of anxiety so be warned. The surprises along the way and the ending were great and I'm glad I read/listened to this duology. I will say there's a lot of miscommunication though and while it works for the story, I know some people really don't enjoy that trope so just a heads up. It's a little slower than the first one in my opinion, but it's worth sticking it out.

I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley in September. The book and audio for both books 1 & 2 are out if you're interested. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have not read the 1st book and did not realize this was a sequel. When the book first started I did not feel lost in anyway which was nice but as the story went on I realized reading book one would have helped. I enjoyed this story very much. I did think at times Rowan was a little too possessive. So I knocked a star off for that. This was a well thought out fantasy world that was beautifully written.

You HAVE to read The Queen With No Name before reading this one. That being said, this one picks up right after the previous book ends. For awhile I was afraid Rowan would buy into lies that were being fed to him and I'd be back to hating him, but when the shock of what happened wore off, he used his brain and realized Princess couldn't have done what she was being accused of doing. Princess has a lot to process as she is learning her true heritage. Her reunion with Rowan goes about as well as you'd expect but once these two work things out and are on the same side...just wait!

I loved getting the backstory about Princess and her mother. Princess/now Queen finally gets to tell Rowan and everyone her name! If you tend to be cry when reading you might want to have some tissues nearby for a few scenes. There are also a couple of surprises I didn't see coming but the ending is wonderful and all we could hope for.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators (one for Rowan, one for Princess) are fantastic; they're the same ones from book one. I love the continuity of having the same narrators.

I received a copy of the audiobook from the producer, Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Omg this thrilling conclusion to the duo was FANTASTIC! Seriously some of my favorite fantasies I’ve read lately! Very unique and I loved Willow and Roan!

Thanks so much to @netgalley for the chance to review Naming of the Queen, Book 2 of the Return of the Ancestors Series, by JJ Makenzie. I couldn't wait to start this book after I devoured Book 1. The princess has to share her name, but she is on the run after being falsely accused of killing her husband's family. I loved the interplay between the pirncess and Rowan, even from a distance. There is a bit of steam, and the princess' name was just lovely. Worth the wait!

I didn’t find “Naming of the Queen” to be particularly compelling. This second and final installment in the Return of the Ancestors series begins where book one left us with Princess and Rowan separated and each suffering from betrayal. Princess believes that Rowan has the layer for a fool and used her for her womb, and Rowan believes that Princess is a seductive spy from an enemy kingdom. With the help of their rapidly shrinking number of friends, it’s up to each of them to find out who is a friend and who is a foe while trying to avoid senseless war.

This book includes:
- completed duology
- enemies to lovers
- damsel in distress
- the miscommunication trope
- betrayal
- some very complex family trees
- animal sidekicks
- enemies to friends
- fade to black love scenes
- the power of family
- dual POV

While this story includes tons of elements that I typically love, I feel that “Naming of the Queen” pieced all these tropes together rather clumsily. The romance feels inauthentic and clunky, the pacing is so slow that the storyline is difficult to follow in its clunkiness, and I didn’t feel invested into any of the characters - they all felt one dimensional. I also felt like the switches between first person and third person POV was odd.

Moreover, I felt that the world building was lacking, especially concerning the magic system and ancestors’ role in day to day life. While the message of universal peace and love was compelling, the related elements of religious zealotry were off putting to me.

I could see fans of “the Fourth Wing” who love a damsel in distress and high school level readers enjoying this novel, but it wasn’t my personal cup of tea.

I revived this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers.

*update for audiobook*
I loved the two narrators for this audiobook! They are fantastic! The narrator for Rowan has a fantastic voice that fits perfectly what I imagined Rowan's character to be like! I loved being immersed in this world again! And the sweet voice of the narrator for Princess just as wonderfully portrayed her character for this second book as she did for the first book! Even with having read the book previously and knowing what was coming, I was completely hooked! I highly recommend this audiobook! And I'll be listening to it again and again! My thoughts below for the book completely apply for the audiobook!

I received a copy of the audiobook from the producer, Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Listening!!!
*************

I don't quite know what I want to say in this review. I know. Shocker right?! Julie doesn't know what to say! Hahaha! Ok, I have words. I'm just not quite sure how I want to write them in this review. So many thoughts and feelings running through my brain right now. It's just expressing them and not giving spoilers as I'm thinking back about this book and all the things!

I started reading an early copy but then had so much happening in life and I ended up really sick that I just couldn't focus on reading. And let me tell you, it was tough not being able to focus on reading this one. I had to just set it aside and wait until I could focus on all the things in the book, cause this one needed my undivided attention. And when I finally could focus, I devoured it!

If you've read the first book, which you absolutely MUST read before reading this one, then you know it left off on a big cliffhanger! Wowsers! And boy, oh boy have I been waiting for the author to finish this one so I could figure out what happened next. Phew! It was great! I was very satisfied with what came next.

I was so happy to have more backstory and understanding to fill in the gaps from book one. Of course it couldn't be revealed in book one, we had to wait. I'm happy to report that I survived being patient in my waiting. ;-)

There are lots of emotional moments in this one. Tissues might be good to have handy. Or know you might need to pause in reading to go grab some.

This book is full of family, friends, enemies, treason, war, healing, creating trust, gaining trust, letting go, saying goodbye, discoveries, beauty, death, life, and love. Lots of love!

And Princess's name...beautiful! I love it so much and how it all connects together. And how the covers are connected with her name.

And I'm really hoping that there will be another book set in this world that features Marek and Sasha! (please, pretty, pretty please!!!!!!!)

Content: This book is not for my squeaky clean reader friends. It is similar to my content warning in my review for the first book. Go read that if you're wondering. This one does have marital relations between the main couple. There are innuendos and the relations between the main couple fades to black. The kisses are more intense and in depth. There are battles and fights, with swords and other weapons. There is death and blood and such. Not written too graphicly but it is there as this deals with war between kingdoms.

I received a copy from the author but have also purchased my own copy. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This was my first one under the JJ Makenzie pen name. It was so different than I expected, but it was still captivating and fun to listen to. It took me to a totally different time and place, which was really fun. I couldn't stop listening until I was done (and the male reader voice was absolutely phenomenal). It was a little more intense than I expected, but I still very much liked it and loved the characters and the idea of The Ancestors. A good vs. evil book.

Sadly this one wasn't as interesting as the first one seemed to me. I think there were a few things that could've been trimmed and parts were just drawn out. Is this the last book?

I loved Shakira Shute; Will Watt's narration.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Quick Summary: A sci-fi fantasy, action adventure romance

My Review: Naming of the Queen by JJ Mackenzie is book 2 in the Return of the Ancestors series.

About the Book: Secrets, intrigue, emotional tension, and an epic love for the ages are all a part of this incredible story. It was thrilling! The characters, the setting, and the climactic points were top notch. There was never a dull moment. The ending provided just right closure.

The audiobook experience was unreal. It made the story come alive. Everything about it was brilliant. The narration was excellent.

My Final Say: Although , I picked up in the middle of this story, I was not lost. I did, however, immediately reserve a copy of book one. I will happily go back and work my way though book one and book two.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Series: Yes
Audiobook: Yes
Narration: +

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to this work for review purposes. The words I have shared are my own.

Perfection!! The audiobook was just phenomenal. The people were done so well!! The story was magnificent. This is the second in the series. It picks up right where the first left off and seamlessly moves into the continuation. We learn the name (which I cannot and will not divulge!) The love story sizzles. And the fantasy is just to my liking. I struggle with fantasy books. The whole “learning a new world” thing. But JJ Makenzie makes it so smooth and effortless to get lost in this new world. It isn’t confusing and I got wrapped up in these characters so easy!

I would HIGHLY recommend this book, especially in audiobook form!

Naming of the Queen
JJ Makenzie
I was disappointed in this book. I rarely leave a book unfinished; I made it about 1/3 of the way through and gave up. I tried restarting it twice but still I couldn’t get into it.