This was everything that I've wanted in a fae romance lately. The FMC has some flaws, and I loved that. She doesn't do things perfect on the first try and she isn't an amazing weapons/fighting expert. That was sooo refreshing for me. I've gotten a bit tired of the fae romances where the FMC is amazing at everything and she loses herself and what she wants for herself when she starts to fall for the MMC. This book was such a refreshing change from that, I loved that so much. The characters are very well developed as is the world. The plot really kept me guessing, whenever I thought I had it figured out, things took an unexpected turn and put me back at square one. And the last three or four chapters changed EVERYTHING. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are looking for something that is different from other popular fae romances. I can't wait to read the next one!

⭐️⭐️

This turned out to be your typical- Human arranged to marry a Fae King fantasy. It took a while for me to get into the story… There wasn’t too much world building, I feel like I didn’t really connect w/ any of the characters except for maybe- 2? & the plot was kinda 📉 w/ a slight 📈 towards the end, but not enough for me to want to continue the series.

The Mortal Queen written by Ashley Metzler and narrated by Samantha Norbury was a true slow burn. I will call it an enemies to less than enemies tale. I would have been so angry if there had not been ONE KISS in this book. I dual read and listened to The Mortal Queen. Samantha Norbury brought Aisling to life with the terminology and languages. I have immediately downloaded book 2 where I hope the less than enemies get a little spicy.

Humans and mortals have been at war for as long as Aisling can remember. In order to keep her people safe, Aisling - a mortal princess - is forced into an arranged marriage with a savage fae king, Lir, to form an alliance between the two kinds. Once she proves that she is worthy for the match, she's forced to leave her family and kingdom behind, and heads into the fae realms as The Mortal Queen. As enchanting and magical as these new lands seem, they are also dangerous, filled with other creatures and dark magic. Soon... Aisling will be forced to fight something even the fae are afraid of. Being in this new land, alone and with no one to trust, Aisling will have to rely on Lir, but is unsure if she can trust the emotions and feelings she has whenever he is around. And when magic starts to ignite within Aisling.... she will have to learn to control it to keep her people safe, or watch as the mortal and fae worlds are torn apart.

This book was originally indie published as Breath of the New Creature by A.E. Jürgens.

I adored this book. It was really well written and had good, steady pacing. You're in for the SLOW BURN AND TENSION with Aisling and Lir. The world building was brilliant, the fae realms are magical and enchanting, with all the other creatures you encounter, but as Aisling has never set foot into the fae lands before her marriage to Lir, we're learning everything alongside her. The book gets very tense at the end, and I'm excited to continue with the series.

The Mortal Queen:
- Slow-burn tension
- Enemies to lovers
- Angst, but no spice
- Beautiful world building
- Prophecies and magic
- Fae, dragons, dryads, and more
- Celtic lore
- Betrayal, lies and deceit

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narrator did a fantastic job with the audiobook. I loved that she used different voices and accents for each of the characters, and played around with tone as the conversation needed it. It was easy to listen to and follow. Would definitely listen to another book narrated by her.

The world building in this book was great. There was so much expansion about the politics in this book and how the world ended up the way that it was, which I appreciated. However, there were times when the description of everything was just so unnecessary, and it kept clogging up the story and dragging it out, which caused me to zone out during the narration.

I didn't really like Aisling at all. She annoyed me, from the very beginning, but did start to grow on me towards the end. She's just like every other fantasy FMC: so shy, originally kept out of everything, and her only job in life is to marry who she needs to, she can't fight, but she can ride horses. Fantastic... And she really plays into that a lot in the first half of the book. However, I at least knew a lot about her, as opposed to Lir. Honestly, half the time, I wasn't really able to connect with his character, or even care about him. I hope that his character gets better in the next book.

Don't go into this book expecting romance, even though this book is labeled as one. Yes, the two main characters start out as enemies, but the romance aspect is basically non-existent. Just a bunch of tension building to what I'm assuming will be romance in the second or third book of this series. I would better describe this as enemies to friends.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio/Second Sky, Ashley Metzler, and NetGalley for the Audio ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

I can't provide full feedback as NetGalley took it off the shelf as I was listening to it. It was archived.

However, the 25% that I was able to listen to was intriguing and I was enjoying it. I'll pick this up and read it again at a later time!

Wow this book has it all. I absolutely loved it. I listened to this on audio and couldn’t stop listening to it. The character development of the fmc was fantastic. You really got to see her grow especially with all that she had to face. There were twists and turns in the book that I didn’t always see coming especially the ending. Honestly I can’t wait for book two to be released

The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler is an enthralling fantasy that masterfully weaves political intrigue, self-discovery, and the complexities of truth and deception. Aisling, a mortal princess wed to a fae king, soon realizes that the world she thought she understood is far more layered than she ever imagined. I loved how she adapted to the shifting truths, growing increasingly skeptical of both sides while struggling with her own evolving identity. Her journey of self-discovery—both embracing and resisting what she uncovers—was compelling and emotionally engaging.

The audiobook narration was excellent, bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and a well-paced delivery that made it easy to stay immersed in the story. The narrator’s consistency and ability to differentiate each character’s dialogue added depth to the listening experience.

I received this audiobook through NetGalley ahead of its release, and I highly recommend it—both the story and the narration. Fans of immersive fantasy with strong character development will love The Mortal Queen!

I would like to thank the publish for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Aisling has been given to the king of the fae as a bride in exchange for peace, however everyone knows this will mean her death. But when she passes a test given to her at the wedding ceremony, and she survives, she's more terrified than ever. Because everyone knows the fae are cruel monsters. As she continues to survive and learn about her new world, and her husband who may not be as much of a monster as she thought, she learns that there are worse things out there -- an ancient evil that are the monsters of the fae. The longer Aisling stays, the more she realizes her views on the fae may not be based on truth, and when something new begins to stir within her, she has to learn to control it, or doom both her worlds.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I loved the whole "Lir isn't as bad as he seems" but then he's also vicious in a "touch her and die" kind of way. And I was totally here for it. But if Aisling was referred to as "the mortal queen" one more damn time I was going to lose it. There were a lot of moments where the conversations began to feel very unnatural with the way it was written, and to be honest, there wasn't really anything new added to the romantasy genre -- enemies to lovers, she's been kept from the truth, "oh no maybe we're the actual villains," MY FAMILY IS INNOCENT until THEY WOULD NEVER DO XYZ, chosen one, touch-her-and-die... it didn't feel unique to me. What I did love: the world building, the different races of creatures, the magic system, the ending.

But overall, this was a slow-burn romance with some cool fantasy. I would say if you want your typical romantasy/palate cleanser, this might be your cup of tea as the prose is absolutely beautiful.

Actual rating: 3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this book on exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I struggled with the MC but really did enjoy her growth. Each time I thought I knew where the story was going I was surprised with a different turn and layer. I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where the author takes the story next!

The story follows Aisling, a mortal princess forced into an arranged marriage with Lir, the terrifying king of the fae, to secure peace between their warring realms. Expecting cruelty, she instead finds herself drawn into a dangerous but alluring world of magic, deception, and prophecy. As she struggles to navigate court politics and her growing connection with Lir, Aisling must uncover hidden truths about herself and the kingdom she now belongs to. The tension between the mortal and fae worlds adds stakes and depth to the story, making every political maneuver and alliance feel crucial.

Aisling’s growth from sheltered princess to queen is engaging. Lir is a mysterious hard to read king. Their relationship is a slow burn, built on tension, trust, and mutual respect rather than love at first sight.

The narrator refers to Aisling as “The Mortal Queen” repeatedly and it became redundant and unnecessary. Their romance is sweet as their relationship blossoms from strangers to one of deep connection with mutual respect.

The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler is a magical fantasy that follows Aisling, a mortal princess from the north, and Lir, her new husband and king of the Fae. We are thrust into a captivating world as Aisling learns to navigate the grueling and deadly ways of the Fae. With magic, marriage alliances, harrowing trials and magical beasts this story is an intriguing adult fantasy book. While this story had may great features, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The narrator did a wonderful job with the audio for this book. I found it easy to differentiate between the characters and found intonation, pronunciation consistent across the entire listening experience.

I did enjoy the world building and found the magic system interesting and unique. I loved the concept of magic being breath in a literal sense. I was eager to learn more about the magic and the lore of the Fae. I like that Aisling pushes to learn more about herself, works to strengthen her mind and her body and tries to empower herself by the end of the novel rather than relying on others. There are many magical beasts and creatures that are very creepy and terrifying which I thought was very well done! My favorite character was her chambermaid. She was funny, witty and they genuinely had a bond by the end.

Based off of the blurb, I expected a slow burn romantasy where Asiling and Lir try to fight their growing feelings for one another as they navigate their new found marriage. However, I was left disappointed as much of the story takes place with Lir and Aisling either apart (sometimes for weeks at a time) or hardly interacting with one another. I also found the repetitive phrases such as the "the mortal queen" and the advice from her father replayed in Aisling's head tiresome.

Overall, this book wasn't for me, but could be for those who enjoy an extremely slow burn and no spice fantasy. In the end, I was left with more questions then answers and will not be continuing with the series.

Special thanks to netgalley and secondsky for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

📼 The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler
(The Aisling Trilogy, book 1)

Book review: 3.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: YA romantasy
Themes: enemies uniting, contract marriage, super slow burn, brainwashing
📖 Read if you like: The Hurricane Wars, Kingdom of the Wicked, Emily Wilde

Happy Valentine’s Day and Pub-Day for this re-release ❤️

This was a play on Pocahontas with the “civilized” person entering a society they had lots of preconceived notions about, but in truth knew very little. The “savages” in this case took the form of woodland fae. Creatures connected to nature and magic, the immortals that took the form of animals, dryads or courtly fae. While the mortals have been vilifying the fae as savages that steal humans and rely on trickery and deception, the fae have likewise told their own stories of the cruel kings of men. The truth will slowly unfold through the eyes of Aisling, the mortal princess hand fast to the fae king Lir.

Enemies since conception, the mortals and fae have waged a bloody war. When peace is proposed through a marriage of alliance, both sides feel as though they are making a great sacrifice for their people. The concept of this book was very interesting and there was a good amount of adventure to keep me interested in who Aisling was and this dreaded prophecy. That being said, Aisling is a very youthful voice prone to repetition. She is constantly battling the brainwashing of her father and her people with the very visible truth she is witnessing firsthand. Brainwashing and loyalty may run deep, but truth and humanity always find a way forward. I personally found her obvious denial of reality tedious at times, but also honest given her circumstances and history.

Lir is a dark and magnetic enigma. We know very little about him though he is fiercely protective of his people and carries the weight of his memories in a stoic strength. I really hope that he will be given a POV or greater focus in future books as he has the potential to be a very interesting character. While I did wish Aisling focused less on her sacrifice, and more on confronting the possibility that her people are the villains in this story this was a very richly constructed world.

It will prove an interesting place to continue this story, even if I didn’t really understand Aisling’s allegiances and choices at the end of the novel given all that she had discovered. Still it provides fuel for what is to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookourture Audio for this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler.

Princess Ashling has spent her life feeling weak and overlooked by her family.
As the only daughter of the king she is forced into a marriage with a fae king, Lir.
She is a pawn in a contract to aid the end of a war that has ravaged the land for centuries.

The world-building is vivid and immersive, filled with fae lore, magic and mythical beasts that adds depth to the story.

Aisling is a compelling; her defiance of her mortal upbringing in her journey of self-discovery contrasts with Lir's brooding and, at times, impersonal character.

It is more 'no burn' than 'slow burn'. There is some tension between FMC and MMC but be realistic in your expectations.

The narration was great. With so many Celtic names I was concerned over pronunciation and, although I'm no expert, I found no fault.

I would recommend to fans of Holly Black.

This was a great book. I loved the descriptions, pacing, characters and storyline. The author did a great job with the pacing and the narrator was superb. As much as I disliked Lir's advisor (as we probably should at least a little), I honestly think he was my favorite "voice" from the narrator. She nailed it.

I absolutely can't wait to dive in and finish the rest of the series, as I'm sure the author's following books will be just as good if not better. Well done!

Genre: Fantasy, romance as a subplot
POV: 3rd person
Series: Book 1 of 3
Relationship: M/F
Cliffhanger: Yes
TW/CW: Yes
ARC Platform: NetGalley
Format: Audiobook

Darkness Rating: 2/5 🖤
It’s a story between Fae & Humans. They’ve been at war since the beginning and have been creative in ways to torture and torment each other. Resulting in an explicit battle and torture scenes.

Spice Rating: 0/5 🫑
There’s a SINGLE kiss. At the very, veryyyy end.

Narration Rating: 5/5 🎵
Samantha Norbury did an amazing job narrating this book. She is so talented, bringing the story to life.

Overall Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
This book was a snail’s pace. Not in a good way. The male main character, Lir, was gone most of the book. Leaving the female main character, Aisling, was mostly alone in a dangerous new world, and when main characters were together, their chemistry was non-existent. Even the little tension felt forced and awkward.

And it was so weird when there was this supposed “moment” that supposedly drove Lir crazy, but his reaction to seeing her again was nothing? Their romance just didn’t make any sense.

The plot was just as boring. It was repetitive and didn’t flow well. And the time gaps and overdescriptions made it hard to follow the story.

And lastly, Aisling, had zero character growth. I was hoping she’d grow up and become a strong, fierce character once she learned the truth but she just stayed the same unlikable “mortal queen.”

I will not reading the second book since the author added love triangle as a trope. No thanks.


*disclaimer: my darkness and spice rating might not be the same for you. Please do your own research before reading*

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I LOVED the narration by Samantha Norbury her voice and tone were perfect for the project and I think she captured Aisling. At times though I wish I had had a digital or hard copy to refer to because so many of the names of people and groups were so similar that listening it could get confusing. I think reading it might have been a little easier to differentiate.
Aspects I really liked: I think Aisling had good character development. The slow burn romance was unique for fae and well written. The ending wither her brothers was a nice twist.
On the flip side there was a point that Aisling said something like there's so much I don't know, and I thought same girl same. I felt confused or in the dark a good bit. That was probably because it's the first in a triology and all written from a single persepective and the heroine has so much to figure out. I personally would have prefered a split perspective in this case or third person narrative world building where I know more than Aisling, but that is just personal preferance.
Overall the book was well written and I would read book two to see how it progresses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, and it gave me strong *A Court of Thorns and Roses* (*ACOTAR*) vibes right from the start, which made it an incredibly engaging read. From the very first moments of the audiobook, the story jumps straight into the action, offering no lull in pacing. This immediate immersion into the world is something I appreciated, especially since it felt like I was dropped right into a pivotal moment of the plot. It allowed for a more organic connection with the main character, as the story unfolds in parallel with the reader’s and the FMC’s discovery of key details about the world they inhabit.

One of the most intriguing aspects is the way it unfolds its mysteries. As you follow the FMC on her journey, you too are learning about the world, its magic, and the complex relationships that define it. There is an element of both personal growth and world-building that is gradually developed throughout the story, creating a sense of discovery that is central to the novel’s appeal.

Despite the depth of the world introduced, there’s a lot more left to explore, and I’m excited to see where the series will go in future installments. The author has set up a strong foundation, leaving plenty of room for deeper world-building, character development, and the unfolding of new plotlines. The potential for growth within this series is significant, and it’s clear that there’s much more to come.

For fans of slow-burn romances and intricate world-building, this book is a great fit. The romance is subtle and builds over time, with no explicit spice or steamy moments in this first book. It’s definitely a slow-burn, but for readers who appreciate the gradual buildup of relationships and characters, this will likely feel rewarding in future books as the emotional stakes continue to rise.

Overall, this is an exciting start to a promising series, with intriguing characters and a well-crafted world that offers great potential. If you’re looking for a fantasy read with a compelling, slow-building plot, this is one to add to your list!

This story was really interesting, however I found the romance was lacking, as I was under the impression it was a romantasy. I enjoyed the world building and lore, however I was waiting for something to happen between the two main characters the whole time so I was distracted

This audiobook is an incredibly enjoyable experience. It captivated my attention throughout, leaving me eager for more. The slow-burn fantasy was well-paced and featured a cast of fascinating characters. The world-building was beautiful, and the plot was rich with political intrigue. I consumed it in a single sitting! This story contained more depth than I anticipated. I also appreciated the development of the side characters and am excited to see how the story unfolds.

Thank you so much for a chance to read this!