This was my first book by this author and im happy to report it will not be my last! I loved the characters and the world building. I really enjoyed the vibes and the atmosphere that everything was set up. Im excited to read more from Ms Kaitlyn!

I was incredibly invested through the first 2/3 of this book. The characters are engaging, the worldbuilding was fabulous. Unfortunately, the last third was a bit clunky. So much happened so quickly and none of the arcs were completed. I understand the need for cliffhangers in stories but you need to have some resolution. The pacing also changed a lot in the last third, going significantly faster. Which is neither bad nor good by itself, but in this, it felt like some of the reveals weren't fully explained. Overall, it was a fun read if you like desert fantasy, but not my favorite.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital copy of in exchange for an honest review!

There's something about middle-eastern fantasy books set in vast desert feels magical to me, and this book just completed the list. It has complex plot heavy with magical element, political intrigue, and emotional aspects such as grief, revenge, and betrayal that succeeded in tearing my heart apart throughout the book. Even so, there's way too much misunderstanding between the characters and sometimes i find they behaved kinda ridiculous. Maybe it's part of the character development (i hope so) but still it's too much to my liking.

With a flowery writing, it's a suitable magical romantasy you would want to add to your next read. I'm excited for the sequel!

This books was so good. It was such a unique concept. The characters are larger than life. I can't wait to read more from this author

This book is fantastical and delivers incredible worldbuilding. Aside from that, this book has some strong characters that have a strong desire to safe their kingdom. There was some great disability rep. The love was a bit too instant-y, especially as it is stated that the FMC really loved her deceased husband but overall, solid book.

So sorry for the late review! Apparently my original feedback never was sent in!
I really enjoyed this book full of magic, action, political intrigue and romance! The characters were well written and likeable. I love dessert/ Middle Eastern inspired fantasies and this one was great! I can't wait to continue the series when the next book comes out!

Book review 📚
Queen of Shifting Sands by Kaitlyn Carter Brown
⭐⭐⭐


Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I gave it a good go and got to 60% hoping if I gave it a chance then the book would come to life. It was just too slow for me to get into and had some strong predictability to it. Had I of been left wondering I would have been able to finish.

This one was not my cup of tea. Too much fantasy for me to really enjoy. Great for anyone who likes historical fantasy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. When I found out that it was only the first book and I would have to find the next book to see what happens, I was a little disappointed.

The story begins as if the reader is already acclimatized to the world we are about to enter. The scene is set with war in the offing. There are a lot of politics in play and the biggest one comes with the death of the King. The title was given to a man set to unite the different houses under a benevolent rule. With him dead, the hidden brother takes centre stage.

The sands and the kingdom itself are heavily described. This feels like a positive thing, given the magic that is present within. There’s a curse that flows behind the story, one that moves by touch. There are secrets that seem a little more obvious to us as readers than the people in the story, but some of them are revealed during the course of this book.

The ending is a sort of cliff hanger, so I would actually recommend picking this up only if the next is nearby or if you don’t mind a wait.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

The desert area was such a refreshing world to be a part of! It was quite slow in places but the banter and slow burn romance got me hooked by the end

THIS BOOK had me on a chokehold and I need book 2 like now. With an interesting curse I had never seen before, to the slow burn of slow burns with Lystra and Elerek and by the end, I was in absolute shambles, but I respect the fact that this book almost gave us not a happy ending

Prince of Persia meets Beauty and the Beast in this vivid fantasy.
Lystra is looking forward to marrying the king who is the love of his life but when he is killed in an ambush she is left grieving his loss. Her family schemes to marry her off to her betrothed’s brother Elerek who is a mysterious character. Elerek has always been content to hide in the shadows of his brother until his death where he is forced to take the crown. But Elerek has secrets and a curse that has kept him isolated. Can Elerek and Lystra work together to protect their kingdom or will the curse doom them all.
Absolutely breathtaking world building in this book creates a vivid and beautiful scene for the story to unfold. The curse is very unique and the plot twists and turns. The romance did not resonate with me as it seemed to come out of nowhere and be tainted by grief.
Love the character of Elerek, so strong and courageous despite his physical disability and the curse.
I will definitely read the next book when it comes out.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and the first 50% or so was about a four star read for me. The world building is really great, and the curse was a new and interesting plot point that I haven’t seen before. There were some small inconsistencies in plot and timeline that I could forgive, because I was really enjoying it overall. Then… the book seemed to lose steam, or maybe lose an editor. The second half was very hard to follow, and I kept flipping back and forth because it felt like there were missing chapters, and I was never sure how much time had passed between passages. The love story is a slowwww burn (which I didn’t mind at all, as both of the main characters were dealing with grief) but then all of a sudden they were in love? With very little build up between reluctant allies and that stage? And there were so many somewhat disparate conflicts towards the end, I wish the book had been a bit more streamlined. Such a shame, as like I said, I really really loved the first half. I think I would carry on with the series to see what happens next, but this book left off in such a strange and confusing place, that I’m not as excited for book 2 as I thought I would be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Whimsical Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

King, Queens, Curses and Danger, Oh my!

This book definitely had an interesting plot, I thought the curse was cool and something I haven’t seen before, I also love the kindness and empathy a lot of the characters showed people around them!

With that being said, I had a hard time finishing this, I found myself having to take a lot of breaks, it just seems like a lot was happening but also nothing was happening at the same time. I tried to connect with the characters but something about the way the relationships played out kept bringing me out of the story.

I wish I liked this more, it was a decent book and maybe someone may like it more, but I don’t think I’d even read the sequel. 3.5⭐️ (4 bc I didn’t want to give a 3)

Thank you to Kaitlyn Carter Brown for sharing their art.

Huge thank you to, Whimsical Publishing and NetGalley for my feee ebook copy of “Queen of Shifting Sands”

I received this advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I truly loved the book; it captivated me from the first moment. I didn't feel bored, as I usually do when reading the first book in a fantasy series, and that was impressive to me.

The ending left many unanswered questions and left me eagerly anticipating the second book.

Thank you very much for providing me with a copy of this book. This was a really enjoyable story with lots of interesting twists and turns. I didn’t know much of what the story was about going in but it didn’t disappoint. The world the author was able to create was really interesting, especially the mystery of the curse and its impact/cost. I really enjoyed the political aspects to this book and both the internal and external battles that the characters are facing. The characters were each really unique and I enjoyed finding out about each of them, especially that we got both Lystra and Elerek’s POVs. I would definitely love to find out what happens next in a sequel to this book and would recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy.

While browsing NetGalley, I came across this book cover and immediately recognized the artist as they are one of my favorites. I felt that the premise was promising and was very happy to received the eARC.

Honestly, the first half of the book felt slow and took some effort to get into. However, a little after halfway through, the plot picked up and I found it more engaging. The ending left me yelling, "Seriously? Is that where it ends?"

I felt the romance developed a bit too quickly for my taste. While I understand characters can bond over shared grief, it felt rushed. Maybe if it had happened in the second book, I would have found it more believable.

Most of the characters were enjoyable, especially Lystra, who didn't conform to the usual fate of many female main characters. She had her moments of doubt but always found ways to build up her confidence.

Elerek stood out as my favorite character. The portrayal of him as a disabled main character was respectfully done, a rarity in fantasy. Only other time I saw something like that was in ToD. This goes to show that disabled main characters can easily be done in fantasy.

But seriously, Rahzar? What's the deal with him? I'm curious about his true nature and whether he truly betrayed Elerek and Lystra.

I’m hopeful that book two will continue the pace of the last half of the book. As I can see myself enjoying it even more than book 1.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. *

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Queen of Shifting Sands immediately lured me in with its innovative curse system and compelling story premise, the first few chapters setting the tone of what was to come in a way that had me hooked from the get-go. I was pleasantly surprised at the direction in which things went throughout the entire story and delighted by how some of the plot points turned and shifted themselves while reading.

The story is by all means a slow burn, whether regarding the plot, the characters, or even the evolution of the dynamics between the characters. I can understand how it would, for some, turn them off, but to me, it gave life to the plot, the story, and the characters we followed along their journey and the events happening in the book.

Each of the characters battles with their inner demons throughout the book, more or less outwardly depending on their personality but we get a chance to understand two sides of the same coin through the dual narration of our two main characters. Dual POV truly helps us understand the characters more deeply here and I am glad it was included, as I know I wouldn't have appreciated the inner conflict the characters experienced as much.

I would recommend giving this story a chance for anyone who's thinking about picking it up, the storyline and the characters we meet truly make this a series I have every intention of picking up and continuing. Especially after that ending!

Very good story. The characters were interesting. I still felt like it was missing something but can’t seem to put my finger on what it is. I hope it adds more to it in the next book

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of Queen of Shifting Sands by Kaitlyn Carter Brown. Absolutely phenomenal. Wow. 5/5

I have recommended Queen of Shifting Sands to all of my book friends. I loved-loved-loved this book!
Kaitlyn Carter Brown is a new author for me, and I am already enthralled.
Yes - I have found a signed copy of this book and immediately bought it! The cover art is beautiful, and I enjoyed the formatting of the book as well.

The storyline is full of fantastical and heart wrenching prose. I could feel the sorrow, grief and love these characters expressed - I could relate to the toxicity of family dynamics, the pressures of society. The author writes in such a way that you connect with the characters.

Our FMC Lystra is strong headed, stubborn in her own right, but empathetic. She is burdened by her grandmother's influence, and destined to be Queen.

Our MMC Elerek is burdened by a curse, longing for connection to others and belonging to a kingdom he feels does not like him. He is also in a wheelchair due to a childhood illness that weakened his body during infancy, and I loved the representation this added.

The future of Instanolde lies in their alliance. There is a daunting threat across the desert, that I hope we get more background of in the next book!

They connect through grief, and love begins to bloom throughout the novel. The ending completely enthralled me and left my heart screaming!!! I cannot wait for the second book!!!!

I am just floored by how much I loved the writing, world building, and characters. It was refreshing, original and interesting.