The Mortal Queen
by Ashley Metzler

Rating 4 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Mortal Queen follows the story of Aisling , who is forced by her family and clan to marry the Aos si (Fae) king of the forest in order to secure a peace treaty between their peoples. All her life Aisling has been sheltered and indoctrinated with the atrocities of the Fae and a skewed version of her world's history. But when she gets to the Fae kingdom of Annwyn she soon realizes that the version of events fed to her by her people is highly exaggerated in their favor and if she hopes to withstand the hate and derision of her new Fae subjects then she should consider their and their King's perspective.

This was a really interesting read for me, the world building was crafted nicely with rich descriptions and political intrigue. The main character Aisling was also compelling, she had a love and duty for her people despite their regard towards her and I appreciated the fact that she seemed to question and think through her decisions. The side characters and their individual stories also enriched the story and gave the reader an idea of how the war affected each side.

The only thing that I felt lacked was the romance. The book is heavily plot driven with more monologue than dialogue and the romance was extremely scarce, I also didn't connect much with the main male character maybe because the book was told from Aisling's Pov or that he had limited page time but I wanted to know what he was thinking during certain scenes just so that his character would develop more besides just being a 'powerful Fae king'. But overall this was an intriguing fantasy book and I look forward to the rest of the series.



*** Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review based on a personal reading experience."

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. This book is beautifully written with a slow burn romance to die for. Aisling character development was amazing. I will say the quick shifts from her name, she as the pronoun, to the mortal queen all the in the same paragraph where no perspective has change threw me off for a long time. It eventually eased as more dialogue came. Overall I really thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m thrilled that I also received the savage queen to read. The poetic nature of the writing was so beautiful while also being easy to follow! I really enjoyed this book!

The Mortal Queen is a phenomenal read that captivated me from start to finish with its perfect balance of high-stakes drama, intense romance, and masterful world-building. The slow, smoldering burn between the characters is exquisite, drawing you deeper into their intricate relationships—whether they are enemies, soulmates, lovers, or bound by an arranged marriage. The action sequences are breathtaking, and each twist and turn keeps you on the edge of your seat. The author's world-building in The Mortal Queen is marvelous—it's richly imaginative yet never feels overwhelming. The simmering hatred and fierce rivalry serve as the perfect backdrop for the characters' development, while the meticulous uncovering of secrets keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an advanced reader copy of this book and exchange for an honest book review. I can already tell that I’m going to love this series based off of how much I loved this first book! I love books surrounded around a Fae, arranged marriage with a human, but throw in a plot to where said human ends up having abilities – I am automatically hooked. The world building and the backstory of both main characters and their respective bloodlines is beautifully done. There is misunderstanding, fantasy, secrets, and attraction that are blended very well. I cannot wait for book two!

The Trees! 🫶🌲♥️ This is a total slllooowww burn, but Lir and Ash are just getting started I hope. I loved the fae characters, the forest connection and the fae city. It did take me a minute to get with this writing style, but worth it! Unique and creative fae world and lore, with lots of politics. Gives some Throne of Glass, Blood and Ash, the Black Witch and Avatar vibes. Looking forward to the next one!

Thank you Netgalley, Second Sky, Ashley Metzler for sending me this review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The worldbuilding in this book is so rich, and the descriptions are stunningly beautiful. While there is a ton of action, the romance is a super slow burn.

Watching Aisling grow from lost naive young girl, to strong angry Queen was intense. There are times she gets annoying, especially in the beginning. I suppose I would probably feel the same if I was in her shoes too. I can't imagine I would be happy stuck in an arranged marriage with a stranger, and tossed head first into a completely unfamiliar realm where you don't know the language. Pretty much everyone has treated her like crap her whole life. The excessive inner monologue gets to be a bit much, but everything else makes up for it.

Unfortunately Lir remains a mystery for me. Since the story is only from Aisling's view, we don't get that deep inner connection I would have liked with him. He is mostly broody and quiet.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic YA novel, and I can see teens enjoying it.

This would be a great book without the romance, but as a romance reader, the romance was *chef's kiss*. The world-building, the characters, the chemistry, and the writing were excellent! All excellent! If you're getting into the romantasy genre, this is a fantastic book to pick up! It's hard to write without giving away the plot, but seriously, read this book. You won't regret it!

Firstly thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC. This story is wonderful! I really enjoyed all aspects of the book. The pacing was great and enjoy the characters. Looking forward to reading more from this author ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Wow I am in love with this book!! I haven't been this into a story for a long time but this had everything I want and need in a 5 star plus read.

Political arranged marriage between a human and a fae is such a good trope and the author did an amazing job with it.

I adored the writing style, such a beautiful and descriptive way to tell a story. The world building was perfect in my opinion, the author gave us details in everything that it created such a rich world and magic system.

This book is definitely a slow burn which is not usually my favourite but it worked so well for Aisling and Lir. There was so much tension I was desperate to keep reading. Lir is 100% a new book boyfriend and this is definitely a new favours read for me.

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram already, will be posted to Amazon on release day.

I actually really enjoyed this one!! Def reminded me of ACOTAR but I still really enjoyed it!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Ashley Metzler & Second Sky for allowing me to read & review this!!

Oh wow, this book takes on an adventure to the beautiful faelands and has an amazing enemies-to-lovers trope😍
First I found it hard to get in to the book, but after the first two or so chapters, this book really hooks you in. The plot was really intriguing and the I really couldn’t see all the twists and turns that this adventure takes, this was truly a thrilling read. Also this book was written so beautifully, almost like reading poetry with all the descriptions. The magic practically flowed from the pages.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you like
❤️‍🔥enemies to lovers
✨ unique magic system
🎯political suspense
💕fated mates
I highly recommed this book!

An interesting start to a series. The world building is fascinating, very in-depth. lir and Aisling are both strong characters but their character have a very very slow burn relationship. I'm afraid it was a bit too slow for me. Hopefully it will get going a bit more in the next book now that the scene is already set

I really enjoyed this book. It did take me a few chapters to adjust to the world building but once I got going I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to see where this ultimate slow burn leads us..

Really enjoyed this fantasy romance! The writing is full and the world building is great. I’m giving it four stars only because the first part of the book took awhile to get through. Excited for her series!

This was a strong start to the Aisling Trilogy series, I thought the fae romance worked well overall and that it had that fantastically element that I was looking for. The characters had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed going on this adventure with them. It left me wanting to read the next books to see where it's going and from Ashley Metzler.

Can you ever forgive him? Aisling a mortal has been handafsted to the sidhe king Lir. And this union was meant to bring peace to all but nothing is that simple. Ash knows that something has changed since she has been with Lir & his people. She fears what is inside her but she welcomes it as well. But can get & Lir find a way forward? A great read excellent storyline. Good characters.
Will Ash ever be able to forgive Lir for his betrayal? I really hope so as their story isn’t finished yet. Can’t wait for the next part of the series.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

This is one of the best slow burns I've come across in my reading journey. The tension and buildup are delicious, and the spice isn't missed because the banter and world-building keep your attention occupied. Also, kudos on the narrative style, it kept me invested in the characters from the beginning, I could see the landscape change around them, and the different types of creatures they encountered came to life vividly in my head.
And that ending? What a perfect cliffhanger! I definitely need to keep reading.

What an amazing read - This is my first 5 star read of the year!

I went into this not knowing anything about this book and I am extremely surprised. The plot was fantastic and kept me hooked! I couldn’t put it down. I was shocked by the ending and didn’t see it coming, I can’t wait to read the next one and will definitely be looking into more books by this Author .

Thank you so much Netgalley, Second Sky & the author for the eARC.

While I love a forced marriage and especially fae x mortal, this one just wasn’t doing it for me. There’s something about the writing that felt very off. Also, I wasn’t really connecting with the characters enough to continue. unfortunately this one will be a dnf for me @ 15%.

3/5 stars

If you like slow burns, The Mortal Queen might just be your next favorite read! For me, though, it was a bit too slow—like, “waiting for water to boil but you’re pretty sure the stove is on” slow.

That said, there’s plenty to enjoy here. The fae king, Lir, is basically the definition of “dangerously perfect.” (Seriously, where do I sign up for an alluring-but-loyal magical husband? Asking for a friend.) And Aisling’s journey from terrified mortal to fierce, magic-wielding warrior was chef’s kiss.

The worldbuilding is rich, the mythical beasts are top-tier, and the banter between Lir and Aisling? Sassy perfection. I just wish the pacing had been a little quicker to match the high-stakes vibe.

If slow burns are your jam and you’re here for a fae-meets-mortal marriage of convenience with a dash of deadly enchantments, this book is for you. If not, well… maybe just admire Lir from afar.