The description of this book capture my attention right away and I decided I would give it a try. About a third of the way through, I almost gave up. It wasn't capturing my attention like I hoped - I felt it needed more world building, a more steady pace, and by 30% of the way through, I had caught some significant wording errors that threw me off. I didn't write down the 1st time, but the 2nd time I did because it was such a weird mistake: "a calculated expression seduced Elerek's face". I have never seen seduced used like this in all of the books I've read, so I looked up the word seduced to see if there was some meaning I was missing, but I just couldn't make it work. So this led to my next thought - the author meant to use the word "suffused". I could be wrong, but that word makes more sense there.

Anyway, I pushed through. At times the pacing picked up, and it felt like it was easier to read. The book ends at a cliffhanger, so reader beware of that.

I was going to rate this 2 stars, but the ending has me curious what happens next - so if it has me interested, it deserves 3 stars, I guess. I don't know if I will read it when the 2nd one comes out. We'll see.

Thank you #Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A kingdom on the precipice of invasion. A king cursed long ago. A queen determined to save her people. Lystra and Elerek have one summer to prepare but invasion isn’t the only danger they face. Lystra has waited and trained for the moment where she would become Queen of Instanolde. What she didn't expect was to become queen to a king she barely knows. Still grieving the loss of the man she loved so fiercely, Lystra does what she must to protect her people and her kingdom. Elerek is cursed and never imagined that he would become King of Instanolde. After the death of his brother he is now faced with a life he never considered and a queen he never planned on having. Together they must find a way to do the unthinkable.

When I first started this book it was so different from the novella that I wasn't sure if I was liking the way the story was going. I was wrong. I got so hooked into this story. This story is filled with so many twists and turns. The author did a great job creating such a rich and beautiful world with characters that are diverse and just as rich. I definitely recommend reading the novella "Daughter of the Desert" first as it is a great introduction to the world and some of the characters. I am so sad that I have to wait for book 2 because I need to know what happens next.

Queen of Shifting Sands begins with the death of the king of Instanolde, Cormek, leaving his elder brother Elerek as the new king. However, Elerek is in a wheelchair and suffers from a horrible curse that turns people to water after being touched. Meanwhile, Lystra, Cormek's betrothed, mourns the death of her love. Her family is an ambitious one with a manipulative grandmother insistent on making sure that Lystra becomes queen--and that she takes any means necessary to restore the Afghan family to the throne. The politics in this world are complex. Cormek is killed by the Jarkins, a group of marauders who threaten the very existence of Instanolde and who inevitably will appear at Instanolde's gates to topple the kingdom. The solution to this problem is to wed Elerek with Cormek's fiance, who has already won the hearts of the people. She especially enjoys training cardants--desert lizards that the people of Instanolde ride in order to cross the desert surrounding Instanolde. But the threat looms large; Elerek and Lystra must work together to build alliances and come up with a strategy before it's too late. However, Elerek's curse gets in the way. He is slowly dying and Lystra, who begins to fall in love with him, doesn't know how to break the curse. This is the first book of a series and ends on a cliffhanger. In this book, a lot of time is spent establishing the different smaller family and kingdom alliances that Elerek and Lystra make and on building these different cultures. Elerek's curse is unique and interesting, seemingly impossible to solve. And there are plenty of secrets to keep a reader interested. Lystra's attempt to understand the scheming nature of Elerek's household as well as the scheming nature of her own grandmother forms part of a fully-developed plot. Although romance is a part of the book, I wouldn't classify this as a "Romantasy" like Crown of Thorns and Roses. It's a bit more cerebral and focused on the politics of the fantasy world. However, that doesn't mean that it is lacking in character development. Love triangles abound and characters have complexity and depth. The powers and magical elements in this book are interesting and incomparable to other books, making it quite original. I would have preferred it to end with more closure, though, since reading through the length of it takes time and deserves a bit of satisfaction in the ending. But it's clear that a 2nd book likely will answer a lot of the questions from the first. Feels a bit like it was meant to be a multiple-book series, broken down from one massive manuscript.

"They'd taken vows of paper and destined to burn for the sake of their kingdom"

I loved this. The writing was beautiful, as were the characters. It was not what I expected from the story but the grief of the characters combined with the guilt of the curse gave it a sad undertone to the beautiful story. The pacing of the storyline was slow but it was done in a way that wasn't boring, the growth of their relationship was captivating as was the world building. There were so many beautiful quotes that I absolutely loved and this was an amazing story, highly recommend.

My emotions were toyed with. Watching Lystra and Elerek so slowly fall in love with one another while in the midst of dealing with their grief felt so realistic. They also had to deal with the grief of duties that were suddenly thrust upon them in the aftermath of Cormack's sudden death. Amazing world building. I felt like I could close my eyes and imagine everything that Kaitlyn described. The pacing was a little slow but the cliffhanger at the end made up for it I think. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment in the series!

What, it can’t just end like that! I need to know what happens to Elerek, and my girl Lystra 😩

This was such a beautifully written story about grief and loss, duty, and choosing to see people for who they really are. Lystra is betrothed to Cormek, the king, who is brutally killed in an attack, and instead she finds herself marrying Cormek’s brother, the prince-heir Elerek, to form a unified alliance for the kingdom as the new king and queen. Elerek however is cursed, and no one can touch him without becoming cursed themselves.

I loved reading about the kingdom of Instanolde, the world building was gorgeous, and I loved the characters. Lystra isn’t a warrior but she is strong in other ways that matter, she is the perfect FMC and I really felt for her throughout. Elerek is haunted by the curse, but is so determined and sweet - though I did not appreciate what he did towards the end..! I can understand it but I didn’t like it! I did appreciate the disability representation; Elerek is disabled and uses a wheelchair but I didn’t feel like he was defined by it.

The water curse was so original and I haven’t read anything like it before, and I loved the concept of the cardants (large lizards) too, though I can’t help but picture them as very large, bearded dragons.

I’m rating this a 4.5 because I wasn’t totally surprised by the reveals towards the end but I loved the plot, the characters and the tension between the MCs ♥️ The slow burn romance is very slow burn, which it has to be because you know, they can’t touch..! I hope Elerek and Lystra solve these problems and many others in the next book which I am impatiently waiting for!!

I feel like I should have loved this, but it felt incredibly slow. There just wasn’t anything that gripped me or made me feel any connection to the story. However, I love that we are seeing more representation in story telling and I’d like to commend the author on the diversity of her characters. Though I may not have connected to the story, having a diverse cast is important to me and many others. I also loved the creativity in replacing horses with a reptilian creature of her own creation. The author is incredibly descriptive in her world building, but unfortunately I just found myself not enjoying the story.

I DNF’d about 28% of the way in- but I want to be clear that I don’t think this is a bad book, it just wasn’t for me personally.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this. I will still be showing it on socials as I think the representation it provides is incredible. Hopefully it will get this fantasy novel into the hands of people who will love it.

I was drawn in by the cover of this book the second I saw it and was continued to be blown away by the story, the world building, and the inclusivity of having a disabled character. The pacing of the story unfolded very organically and I was left wanting more to read! Cant wait to see where this series goes.

This book follows Lystra and Elerek as they navigate a world threatened by an enemy army, resorting to a marriage of convenience to save their kingdom while grappling with a looming curse.
Overall, I found the book enjoyable, delving deep into character development and the intricate fantasy world. The curse added an intriguing layer to the plot, and the side characters served their purposes well. The setting was beautifully described, though I wished for a map. However, the pacing was slow, with much of the book feeling like filler. I struggled with the unfamiliar terminology, which disrupted my reading flow. Additionally, I didn't feel the romance between the main characters, and the ending left much to be desired. Despite these flaws, I believe it has potential as a fantasy series with further development.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.

Very complex characters and the setting was wonderful. Thank you

I enjoyed my journey of this storyline it was entertaining and well worth reading. The characters are engaging and kept me turning the pages.

DNF @ 28% / page 100.

Lystra was due to wed the king of Istanolde, Cormek until he dies in a war and his older brother Elerek is next in line. Elerek then sets to wed Lystra to unite the clans of the kingdom to help fight the ongoing war. Unbeknown to Lystra, Elerek also has a curse in which if anyone was to touch him they die by combusting into water.

On paper I should have loved this but there were a few things that I didn't like and so ultimately decided to DNF.

Before reading the story I noticed there was a novella prequel that I read and rated 4 stars. The novella was fun and fast paced and introduced King Cormek and one of Lystra's cardants Ghira (which is like a reptile horse) and I fell in love with both characters and couldn't wait to see more of them. At the start of this story Cormek and Ghira die off page within the first couple of pages.... We also get to briefly meet Elerek, who I immediately disliked and we get his POV in this story.

I found the story slow paced compared to the novella and the writing very descriptive. I found myself having to look up the meanings of words often, that I never normally have to do, and felt like the author had a thesaurus and purposely picked the most obtuse word. At 100 pages in the only thing that had really happened was the war off page and Elerek agreeing to Lystra's Grandmothers marriage proposal.

I found myself only liking Lystra's' grandmother and I think she is a character who we are supposed to dislike!

It is a shame I couldn't get on with the writing as the world and plot seemed so interesting and I would have liked to find out how the story enfolds.

The title, cover, and description of this book drew me in from the start, but didn’t quite live up to my expectations of what I was looking for in a book at the time. The tone of the story was more somber than I anticipated, the pacing was a bit slow, and I didn’t find myself connecting well with the main characters. That being said, I do think there are other readers out there who will enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me, unfortunately.

This book follows lystra and elerek in a world where they are under threat from an enemy army. A marriage of convienience in a hopes to save their kindom. A curse that might ruin them all.

Overall, i found the book enjoyable. I felt that you got to know the characters very well, and eventually the fantasy world it is set in. The curse was a really interesting element in the book and it just got more complex which was very well written. The side characters for the most part had a purpose and i constantly found myself trying to work out wether i was going to like them or if they we’re going to become a villian. The setting of the book was beautiful and i would have really liked to have seen a map but i could not see it on my copy. The cover is also stunning which was the main reason i clicked to look at the synopsis.

However, i found that not much happens for the bulk of the book. The first 70% could have been significantly shorter and did not serve much purpose to the plot. It was very slow paced. I had to do a significant amount of googling due to the terminology, which is not necessarily negative as it based on a culture i am not familiar with which is one of the great things about this book but i feel there could have been a way to explain this terminology as stopping quite a lot to google disrupted my experience. I also did not feel the romance in the book. I felt no connection between the two characters at all and the unrequited love just did not translate. There was no real ending to the book, the tension was building and then it just stopped completely which was disappointing and frustrating.

Overall though it was an enjoyable read and i can see this becoming an excellent fantasy series if it developed into the next book.

I was really interested in this book, it promised political intrigue, curses and a fantasy world. While we do get that there is a bit of telling and not showing with some pop points and some of the characters decisions don't make sense. Overall I think the author has potential and I'm curious to see how they will grow as a writer.

Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantasy story about an arranged political marriage, a curse, and a country on the brink of war. It is fairly politically focused, which isn't usually my preferred kind of book, and so I did struggle to get into it but the last 20% or so was really good.
Widowed by the death of the last king, Lystra enters an arranged marriage with Elerek, the firstborn of the royal family who was cursed as a child. The kingdom is unsettled by the death of their prior king and the assassins threaten to attack at the end of the summer, leaving Lystra and Elerek to gain as much support as possible before then. Like I said, I found the political plots to be a bit boring (but that's just my preference). However, Elerek's curse really intrigued me. Everyone he touches is doomed to "drown" in the desert and their bodies slowly turn to water over time. I haven't seen a curse like this before and I really enjoyed seeing the way the various characters interacted with it. The ending was also very intriguing and I'm excited for book 2 already. I did sort of call the plot twist, but not entirely.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but the main four were Lystra, Elerek, Razhar, and Myra. Myra grew on me as the book continued, and I didn't mind Razhar. I thought Lystra was a great example of a well-written and strong female protagonist, and I liked her a lot. I also liked Elerek and his inner turmoil. The rest of the cast was okay, but I don't remember them well.
Queen of Shifting Sands is a solid political fantasy story with hints of romance and magic, and I really want to read book 2 ASAP.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.5/5

This was a really amazing debut ya fantasy novel and I cannot wait for the second one! I loved the world building and characters that this author created. I was hooked from the start and finished this in two days. With a slow burn romance we get to see more of El as he battles his curse and Lystra as she comes to terms with grief and new beginnings.

I wished we had gotten a chance to see some of the characters at the beginning who died as well as how Lystra had made an impact on her kingdom and people before jumping into the story, but perhaps we will see more of that in the next book. Which I will definitely read. 3.75 stars

Enthralling debut fantasy novel packed with political intrigue, curses and a fantasy world.
The book has no spice at all so is suitable for young adult. I would actually call it a super slow burn romance and to be honest there wasn't really any romance in the book! Not to my standard but hey, I stil enjoyed reading the book.
Interesting world building and characters but I wasn't really surprised at some of the events that took place.
The book does end in a cliff hanger which I'm not a fan of but it has grabbed my attention and so I will look out for the next installment.

DNF @87pages

Desert royals, deaths & deals.

This just wasn’t for me which is why I chose to DNF rather than keep reading and rating lower.. I felt like I was dropped into the story abruptly- the pre established relationships felt empty as I didn’t know the characters that were quickly killed which resulted in a lack of connection and emotion.
We are also repeatedly told the FMC is beloved and would make a great Queen - but where was it shown?
I am also not a fan of dating brothers and this didn’t book change my mind.
It was also quite slow paced and I did not like the FMC choosing to go flirt and dance with men the day after her beloved burned - it lessened the strength of their relationship to me.
The MMC also allowing a woman to love him and be cursed when he had no intention to marry her also made less likeable.
There were a few things regarding characters, plot, exposition and pacing that weren’t working for me personally.
But I can see that it would still be quite popular with the masses.

3,75 stars
The books was interesting and I did like the writing of it, however it would have been rated higher had it been shown more in the beginning the love the people had for Lystra instead of only being told that they did.