I really wanted to like this book, as it fit all the wish list criteria my students have asked me to seek out for them.

The premise sounded fascinating and the worldbuilding was incredible, but I could barely get through three chapters before I had to give up and call this one a DNF. It had a LOT of potential--it just could have used some more work. A great story and intriguing characters brought down by overwriting. I might return to it in the future if I get bored of my TBR pile, because it really was an interesting story, but it would depend on how much I can force myself to overlook the poor execution of a brilliant story.

***'Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

This book had me intrigued within the first chapter and before I knew it five hours later I’d devoured and finished the book. Well done! I love that there’s not only two main love stories happening but multiple plots unfolding in this book without being confusing. I love a good ole royal/pauper switch and adding it for spy use in a land of magic is just several cherries on top of the cake. It is so incredibly refreshing to see a strong main female character with an invisible illness. Dagmara was written well balanced in strength and resilience, but knowing her limits in terms of health and that is so incredibly important to see. I hated Claude, and the writing did that. Now I am completely in love with him and devastated for him…and the use of brilliant writing did that. I am so hopefully for him and Dagmara. I also am so incredibly intrigued by what’s going on with Magdalena and her magic and what this means for her future. Absolutely brilliant!

"The Mad King and the False Queen" had me hooked from start to finish. The well-crafted story kept me eagerly turning pages, always wanting to read just one more.

The narrative is rich with intrigue—politics, scheming, and betrayal abound, keeping my mind actively engaged in following who is doing what and anticipating the consequences. The magic system, explained thoughtfully, added depth and clarity to the story, enhancing my understanding of its intricacies.

Overall, I found the characters compelling, the plot captivating, and the execution of the story masterful. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This one I really struggled to stay engaged with. I can't quite pinpoint why, by the description and genre this should have been an easy win for me but it wasn't. What a bummer.

“ For the betterment of our kingdoms.” “ And the safety of our people.”

★ 3.5 stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Abrom sisters for sending me this ARC. I am so surprised how much I loved and had so much fun reading this!

This book had me hooked and sat from the very beginning! I’m a huge fan of tension, a good slow burn and enemies to lovers and this book had all 3 and more.

Even though this book was much more YA, I appreciated the amount of romance and the tension definitely made up for it! I really appreciated how fast paced it was and found the elemental magic so interesting! I really enjoyed that this book was dual POV’s, however I will say I was much more invested in Dagmara’s journey than Magda’s.

The love triangle between Dagmara, Claude and Sabine had me blushing and giggling the entire book! The banter and tension between the three of them had me SAT and breezing through to find out how it all played out.

✨Dagmara & Sabine

I thought it was so fun how they met and their flirting/banter was so good! I love a strong fmc and really enjoyed how she was never afraid to speak her mind around him. And Sabine! He had me giggling from the start! Their flirting was so fun and I really liked his involvement in the plot.

“ Is that a problem, Dagger?”

“I have a perfect memory of the moment I had you trapped against the bar. Unless….you’d like to remind me of that too?”

“There are many things I would do to get a reaction out of you, but none require a single word”


✨Dagmara & Claude

Their whole relationship was not what I had expected when Claude was introduced. But when I tell you I was invested, I was invested!!! THIS MAN! I love a morally grey mmc, especially when they are made out to be the villains when in reality they may not be, and Claude was this and more! He was so sweet to Dagmara (when he wanted to be) and he had me blushing and giggling every time they were together. I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, slow burn and forced proximity, especially when banter and tension are in the mix! And don't even get me started on that love confession!!!!


“Shall we pretend we are in love for one evening? Then we can return to disliking one another.”

“ I knew from the moment you laid eyes on me that you loathe me. It’s mutual if that makes you feel better.”

“If I wasn't mad before, you will drive me insane.”


✨Magda and Ravi

It took me a bit to start getting into Magda’s journey because the pacing was a bit slow, but once she met Ravi and her quest with the guardians started becoming more complex, I was much more invested. Ravi is honestly such a sweet character and I loved his interactions with Magda! They were so cute together and I can't wait to see what’s in store for them!

“ You’ve lit a fire in me. I can't explain it, but it’s like I wasn't living until I met you.”

“ Then I want to be the person you return to when your battles are over.”


And that ending!!! I truly did not see that plot twist coming until I neared the end of the book, but it was definitely still shocking! I can't wait to find out how everything plays out and need the second book ASAP!

This book caught my attention with beautiful cover, intriguing title and very high rating on Goodreads. Pity, but the writing style was not for me, too much telling instead of showing and other issues, common in YA fantasies. I didn't like the way the characters and their relationships were conveyed, for example, the friendship between Dagmara and Magdalena, its background was almost non-existent. Characters were shallow, underdeveloped, and portrayed as helpless, blundering fools who did not know what they were doing, especially the girls. And don't start me on the most incompetent, the weakest royal assassin I have ever seen, you'd think she would be smart and cunning to make up for the lack of physical strength, alas. The only saving grace here was fast pace and action. 2.5/5

The Mad King and the False Queen offers an intriguing blend of fantasy, romance, and political intrigue, set in a world where magic and kingdoms collide. The story revolves around Princess Magdalena, who, on the cusp of her coronation, discovers a dangerous new power, and Dagmara, a royal assassin, whose loyalty and skills are put to the ultimate test. As they switch places to uncover the truth behind the assassination of Magdalena’s father, they navigate a web of deceit, espionage, and budding romances.

While Dagmara’s storyline is compelling, filled with suspense and strategic maneuvering, Magdalena’s arc feels less developed. The pacing is generally good, but the lack of detailed moments, such as her mourning and her interactions while traveling, makes it challenging to connect with her. Her quest to understand her powers and her somewhat naïve decisions diminish the impact of her character’s journey. In contrast, Dagmara shines as she grapples with the complexities of court life in an enemy kingdom, facing danger and forming alliances. Her dynamic with the Mad King’s captain, Sabien, is intriguing, though their interactions sometimes feel forced.

Overall, The Mad King and the False Queen sets the stage for an exciting series. Despite the mixed feelings about Magdalena’s character and her somewhat predictable romance, Dagmara’s engaging plotline and the book’s rich world-building kept me invested. The mild cliffhanger at the end leaves a promising setup for the next installment, especially to follow Dagmara’s fate.

https://leylaslibrary.wordpress.com/2024/05/17/the-mad-king-and-the-false-queen/

I tried to love this book but it was a DNF.

The concept for the book was incredible but after 6 chapters I wasn’t hooked.

It was well written, I just couldn’t connect with the duel narration.

I enjoyed this YA fantasy. The story was fast-paced and engaging, albeit a bit predictable until a surprise at the end. I enjoyed reading both characters POV, and was definitely interested in the outcome for both protagonists. The romance was at an appropriate level for a younger YA book. Although the dialogue could be a little more developed, I still found the book overall enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!!! Super fun that two sisters wrote this, I'm assuming each took one of the main ladies POV to write, it worked so well! Both women felt so distinct and I loved the bonds between them even as they are pulled in different reactions! We have Dagmara, an assassin for the royal family of Azurem, and Magdalena, princess of said royal family! They are very close friends but is that level of one's a princess and one serves. The royal families in this world all have magic in their bloodlines and on the day Magdalena is to get hers some tragedy befalls and she has to leave to find answers. She receives a marriage proposal from the "Mad King" of another kingdom and this is her way out! She has Dagmara take her place in his court so she can go off to another court to find some answers. Magdalena meets Ravi, a sweet and handsome street performer with secrets of his own, they are the perfect team and I loved their connection! Dagmara goes off the Mad King's court where nothing is as it seems, including the King himself. There's also a handsome, roguish captain of the guard thrown in the mix and the tension is soooo good. I don't wanna spoil the relationships at all between the three of them cause it's so intense and I was on the edge of my seat! The ending has me begging for more!!! I need a release date for book 2 ASAP!

Easily a 4.5/5 stars book for me.

I like many things about this book and while it's not totally focused on "The Mad King and the False Queen" part of the story, the other story was just as captivating, and I didn't mind when it switched to the other POV.

There are many themes in this book that I liked, from the elemental magic, the marriage of convenience to the furry best friend and many others, but I don't want to spoil anything.

This book has two main characters: a princess that had to find her place in the world and her confidence and an assassin that won't let her chronic illness (yey for representation, I haven't read a book where the main character wasn't 1000% strong in quite some time) from offering her brother a better life (and he's also disabled btw). Both heroines face many difficulties and while they are polar opposites, they inspire each other to get over everything. I want to talk about how the illness was treated: while our assassin is not always powerful in a physical way, she finds smart tricks to help her do her job and do it well. There is not a part in this book where this aspect is forgotten and she has to take many breaks, avoid sun or too much effort and needs to recover after pushing herself too much. But not even one time did this make her less badass.

The love stories within this book are well written and at least for now, one of them is suuuper sweet and I just want more.

The plot itself was quite interesting and oh my, what a twist at the end, and I'm not even gonna talk about the cliffhanger! I want more now.

In conclusion, this book surpassed my expectation and days after I finished it, I'm still thinking about everything that happened in this book.

No they didn't!!! Oh my gosh!! I need book 2 like ASAP!! I am in love with this story. The POV, the twist which I totally missed, the tragic love story, and more! I didn't think a book can give me all of that and more! I won't say more because I think it's best that you read and figure it out yourself, but you guys need to read this book! I really need book two, now!

This book was lots of fun. I enjoyed so many things about it. What stuck with me the most is the chronic illness our main character suffers from. I felt so seen. I related so much to the situations and sensations she experienced.

The plot progressed lightning-fast, with twists every few pages. I did expect some of them, but I believe that adds to the enjoyment of the book. The characters' motivations and feelings were thoroughly explored and explained. It made relating to them and understanding them a breeze. The book featured complex characters with all sorts of emotions. There was also a fair bit of politics, and I enjoyed that.

This is the kind of popular book people can recommend as "If you liked ..........., then you will like this one." I tend to like fantasy books that are a lot more unique. This book is similar to another ARC I read recently. I enjoyed this one.

Looking back on the book, I believe this book focused on Dagmara's plot line more than Magdalena's. That's especially clear when I understood the title. I am looking forward to focusing on Magdalena's storyline in the next book.

The writing did trip me up a bit though. There were odd expressions, especially at the beginning of the book. It feels like it needs another round of edits. I can't wait for the sequel.

The only reason I don't recommend this book is that it has a bunch of explicit scenes.

I received this ARC book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Abrom Sisters.

OMG This has to be one of the best YA Romantasy books I have read in a while! Can’t wait for the second book, I need it right now!!

This exceeded all of my expectations! I was SO into the story right off the bat. I loved the main characters and I was really invested in the story. It has Dual POV and great pace. Really easy to get into. Kinda liked Dagmara story more, but I was also invested in Magdalena.

Also can we talk about opening line “Dragmara felt safer when her gloves were laced with poison” omg

🌹 𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐯/𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬
🌹 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧, 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜
🌹 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲, 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥
🌹 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩
🌹 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐞
🌹 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝
🌹 𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, and Hope and Amanda Abrom for letting me read this book. The story was very well written, especially Dagmara's part. The magic was interesting and original. I would recommend for any fantasy lovers.

Dual POV, 3rd person; TW below

"If I wasn't mad before, you will drive me insane."

Princess Magda is going to visit the Mad King. Well...that's what everyone believes as she risks her life to visit a friend in another kingdom under a false name.
Meanwhile, her bestie Dagmara bleaches her hair, convinces the King that Magda has gained weight, and pretends to be the perfect Princess.
– Through dual POV, we get to follow the Princess and the assassin on their separate adventures.

👑 switching identities
👑 assassin with chronic illness (fatigue)
👑 4 magical families (Spirit, Mind, Soul, Life), elemental magic
👑 marriage of convenience
👑 plague, war
👑 learning her culture to impress her. 🥺 The dancing scene was the cutest

I enjoyed Dagmara's story, and I honestly think that the whole book could've been just about her and Claude. The first introduction of Dagmara as the assassin was amazing (I have a soft spot for poisons and daggers), and I wish we could see more ✨murder✨.

The world-building is well done. We are introduced to many types of magic and kingdoms, but otherwise, it isn't complex, which is not necessarily a bad thing; however, I feel like it wasn't balanced.
I'm not used to seeing political rebellions where the leaders are the "good ones," (maybe?) and it was an interesting change.

As I've mentioned, I don't think Magda was necessary for the book because she did *nothing*. I skimmed some of her chapters because it was repetitive. She is NOT a terrible character, but she is overshadowed by Dagmara a lot.

Trigger warnings:
Death of loved ones, chronic illness, poison, murder, animal abuse (dogs), comments on gaining weight, closed-door spice

More detailed review on Goodreads (Katerinovaaa)

This book was such a fun read. I found myself equally excited for both Dagmara’s and Magdalena’s chapters (alright… maybe a little more excited for Dagmara’s!). It is filled with adventure, battles of the wits, unanticipated twists, and romance.

The last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat and the ending was an absolute cliff hanger. I mean mouth hanging open, heart pounding, could not believe it was over. I am waiting, oh so eagerly, for the next book!

Magda and Dagmara are best friends, and grew up together due to Dagmara’s mother working for the king, Magda’s father. Dagmara succeeds her mother as the king’s assassin.

Each kingdom has a guardian who harnesses that kingdom’s unique magic. Their kingdom is plagued with disease killing the young, the only medicine grown in the mad king, Claude’s kingdom. On the day of Magda’s coronation, the day she will come into her full power, there is an unexpected hitch. The aftermath causes these inseparable best friends to part ways on adventures of their own. Each explores unknown territory, stumbles into unexpected romances, and deceives those they become closest with, only to be deceived in return. We follow as whey battle with their duty to their kingdom and their personal desires and emotions.

Holy s*it did this exceed all of my expectations! I was SO into the story right off the bat. Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen, but guess what, ya girl was SO wrong! So many twists, turns, and swoon-worthy moments kept me so invested in the storyline that I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. Dagmara and Magdelena were fantastic main characters, I love a strong female lead obvs, but the side characters also brought so much to the table. Highly recommend this book, be prepared for it to consume you. Truly can’t wait for the next one! 🙂

This book had me invested from the first moment, and the action did not stop. A wonderful upper YA Romantasy that had me wanting more!

I do feel as though one character's storyline was better than the other - however, I did still enjoy them both. I really enjoyed the dual POV in this book along with the unique elemental magic system, The ending!!! I need book two immediately because there is faw too much going on to end like that.

I had a lot of fun with this book and would highly recommend it!

Thank you so much Hope and Amanda, & NetGalley for providing me an ARC of your book. It was fantastic.

3.5 stars rounded up

There was lots to like about this book, like the different strands of magic, the worldbuilding around the First Prince story, the main characters, and the slow burn romance elements.

However, there were things I found frustrating, as well. The big plot reveal at the end was fairly predictable, although I did appreciate some of the explanations about the magic.

I didn't like the cliffhangers at the end, either. There was no resolution at all.

However, I did enjoy the book, and I will be anticipating the next one!