Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

I did enjoy that this was a short romantasy book. Often times, Romatasy books are 700+ pages long with a bunch of information plopped in there that really nobody needed. So while I enjoyed that it was short and to the point, I actually needed some information expanded just a little bit. I wanted to know more about the Soul Shards. I wanted to know more about Rune’s backstory as well as Layla’s backstory. I felt like we were plopped into the middle of a romantasy novel at the start of this book. I felt that the plot twists were extremely predictable and I didn’t particularly enjoy the hot/cold/hot/cold of the main characters relationship. I also felt like they both have a major rage problem they should probably look into therapy for. Good cliffhanger at the end though!

This book was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed Layla’s growth—she starts off uncertain but becomes a queen who refuses to be controlled, which was satisfying to see. Rune, on the other hand, felt all over the place—sometimes strong and supportive, other times frustratingly reactive. The twists were a little predictable, but they were still fun to read, and the villain was genuinely unsettling. The pacing kept me engaged, but there were some inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. Overall, it was an entertaining romantasy with some good moments, but I wanted more depth. Solid 3.5 stars.

I’ve had this on my TBR pile for a while and I wish I had read it sooner, I really enjoyed this story, found it easy to follow and I quite liked the FMC and MMC – they weren’t my favourite FMC and MMC I’ve read but they kept me entertained.
Looking forward to the next one!

The beginning had promise, but I was pretty confused with the 1000000 different directions the story went. I liked it well enough to finish the book but not really invested enough to chase down the sequel.

Morally. Grey. Romantasy.
👏 👏 👏

Plus there's spirit animals (think golden compass- my childhood love!). I love Layla, I love the twists, I love the deciept, I definitely will be reading the next one!

I devoured this book so fast! It had light world-building and not so many unfamiliar terms that it took me out of the story. I guessed early on the first twist and later on, I guessed the second to last one. There were others I didn't guess at all, though. A perfect mix. I love the soul shard aspect and the magic. It's diverse and unique, keeping the reader pulled in for the next and the next. I loved Rune and definitely want to see more of him. I've already added the next book to my TBR!

Really enjoyed the slow burn of this o e and there is some spicy in this one 😊 Layla was a strong personality to follow, Did enjoy m,the book took me awhile to read honestly

Oh, the cover of Blood Queen is absolutely stunning, and the plot and characters are just as captivating! I devoured this book in just a few days, completely drawn in by its gripping narrative. From the first page, I found myself eagerly turning pages until I reached the final chapter.

Denman’s writing is well-crafted, with a smooth pace that keeps the story flowing naturally. Nothing feels forced or like filler; instead, each moment is purposeful. The characters play a vital role, bringing their unique personalities and growth to life, making them relatable and enjoyable to follow. This book is a fantastic read that left me wanting more!

We follow Queen Layla as her parents were murdered and she desperately tries to find the murderers. She is feared among her people as she is the Blood Queen (she murdered a man who tried to murder his daughter) and people witnessed it.
She is to marry the Prince of Garo. As she completes killing missions and meets Prince Rune, she notices that something is terribly wrong in her country.

SPOILER AHEAD.

This was entertaining but also dissapointing. It had everything to be a great story but the MMC (Prince with a bad rep and strength as his magic) was lacking backbone. He was strong but badly trained and also leader of a feared Clan? How does that work. Also clumsy?
The FMC is supposed to be a badass but she is annoyingly naive (and has major pickme vibes). 25% in and I basically predicted the whole plot. It was not surprising and predictable. Unfortunately the writing was very repetitive.

I really tried to like this. 2.5/5

Had trouble with this and almost did not finish. The FMC was very immature for her supposed age and her mood swings gave me whiplash. I also was disappointed in the world building- things kind of just popped out of no where without any background information. The romance was also lacking and had no character development/relationship development. Also the authors had horrid opinions on sex work and fatphobia that turned me off.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman

This book was a struggle for me, I enjoyed the thought behind the book but I struggled with the writing. It has the potential to be an excellent book, however I felt like it needed thorough edit.

I LOVED this book! There were so many surprises, and I loved the characters. Layla was going through a lot of grief and it was laced very obviously throughout the story. I loved the backstories on the kingdoms, they gave enough but weren’t too in depth or overwhelming.

Layla and Rune cracked me up. I lived for the back and forth of their relationship and chemistry.

The only issue I had with this book was there were a few repeated, heavily reused words and phrases, but it wasn’t enough to effect my reading experience.

DNF @12%

I can't really rate this since I barely read it. It's just.. there are too many errors, it's right aligned, it's all in fucking italics, and it's not interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I loved that the FMC had shadow powers when it feels like it's always the MMC. The ending had me SHOOK and I will be keeping my eye out for the next one!

Just another amazing book that I put off reading for fare too long! It had a slow start so I didn't think this book was for me but soon enough I was hooked!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman

Blood Queen has a lot of potential, but I really did not get along well with the main characters. They read very teenage to me, when I was expecting a more adult approach.

The end of the book and the cliffhanger was done really well, and I feel like there can be some development and growth in book 2 that would live up to the potential I feel this series has.

I really wanted to love this book but I struggled a lot with the writing and plot and character development.
I dont like the FMC in 80% of the books I read, and this was just one more making me roll my eyes.

Maybe I had my expectations too high for it. Or maybe I was not in the right mood...

Blood Queen has the potential to be an excellent book, however could do with a thorough edit. I really enjoyed the story in principle and the world created within it. However, the characters often contradicted themselves and some of the writing was cliched and predictable. Additionally there was a lot of unnecessary context given and often times I found myself wishing the author would do more showing not telling.

However, the relationship between Layla and Rune was interesting, if not a little chaotic and forced at times. My favorite part was the banter between Layla and her soul shard and their bond. I also enjoyed the level of spice and the intimate scenes were well written but confusingly paced within the wider story.

Noooooo no no no no it can't end like that!!! I need Book 2 right now!

This book was so good!! I am fully invested in this story. Layla was such an amazing FMC. She was strong, a bit dark, and didn't take sh** from anyone.

Blood Queen was the story of a girl who doesn't need any man to save her, but will allow him to tag along as eye candy anyway. I loved this, so, so much. I knew someone was betraying Layla from early on, and I was very suspicious of Rune, especially with his change of character from their first night to the next morning. But holy crap, I did NOT expect the reveal at the end, and that cliffhanger, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

I really loved the writing and enjoyed reading this.

This book as amazing. Such a cliffhanger that left me wanting soooo much more. I can’t wait for the next book. It has went to my top 5 and I need more people to hear about this!