Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman is the first book in a new adult romantasy series and follows a young orphaned queen who has been doing what she believes is necessary to protect her people. But, the man she has been arranged to marry has arrived, along with surprising secrets about her own kingdom. Tropes include a badass FMC, a grumpy MMC, arranged marriage, secret identities, touch her and die, and a shadow mommy. This is a darker romantasy with spice (and sarcasm) so please check content warnings.

The Lovely: I loved the characters, including the animal “sidekicks.” And Marv - everyone needs a Marv. I loved watching Layla grow over the course of the story from doing what she *thought* her people needed to doing what they really needed. And she’s quite stabby - as in, stab first, ask questions later. MMC Rune is complicated and a mess of red flags. Put those together and boom! It’s a great time.

The Lovely: I liked the plot and tensioning, even if a little predicatable. It kept me so invested I read the book in one evening (let’s not discuss how late I stayed up). The ending is a bit cliffy so I’m already ready for the next book.

The Mundane: There wasn’t much world building, especially as it related to the magic system. I still don’t understand how the magic talents work. I did like the bonded animals - they were a unique feature and tied in with the magic system.

Rating: 4/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy for free from Net Galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Per the author, she’s presently thinking three books totally and book two hasn’t been scheduled yet for release. If you like a badass FMC, a complicated and stabby relationship in a fantasy world, I think you would like this book.

Good Reads Review ✨
I received this ARC by Victory Editing NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 🖤
I was drawn by the trifecta of: great title, gorgeous cover and plot summary! So I was very excited when I got the ARC! Getting to read an author’s work before it’s published is one the more gratifying and exciting aspects or being a reader and I’m always so grateful for the opportunity!
I have a bit of a mixed feelings situation going with this one. The characters are great, Layla is a strong, fearless queen ready to take on the world but sensitive enough to not loose sight of what’s most important to her. This is one her greatest qualities, one that keeps her going through hardships and betrayals.
Rune, I mean what’s not to like about him? Starting with his sexy name, demeanor and all around strong, loyal, morally gray and protective personality. He’s a match for Layla is every way that counts
The plots baseline is strong and I enjoyed getting through it for the most part. I had a bit of a hard time with the flow at times, feeling like the moods swung a bit too much and I couldn’t really keep up from one decision to the next. The modern undertone that follows the whole story is something that I wished was not present, made some situations stand out in the way that they didn’t feel like they belonged in the time the story was set. This does not necessarily harm the plot or writing, it’s just a personal preference I suppose, or maybe it was just the amount of fantasy and contemporary books I’ve read recently that have tainted my read 🥹
I see all the ways that this books turns into a thrilling series that takes us into new yet familiar adventures we love as romantasy readers and I’m looking forward to getting back to it and seeing what comes next!

3 stars for 'Blood Queen' – it's a bit of a mixed experience. I dove into this book expecting a thrilling blend of dark fantasy and romance, and while there were glimpses of brilliance, it didn't fully hit the mark for me.

First up, Lyla, the Blood Queen, is a character with potential. She's got this tough exterior but also moments of vulnerability. However, her character felt a bit inconsistent, swinging from ruthless to compassionate without much transition. I mean, she's meant to be 28, but sometimes she came across more like a young adult in her early 20s or younger.

Rune's character, on the other hand, was less compelling. He seemed to lack depth and flip-flopped in personality, which made it hard to get a read on him. The dynamic between Lyla and Rune had its moments, but it lacked that spark I was hoping for.

There were some strong elements, like the touch of mystery and the 'touch her and die' trope, which I usually enjoy. The book also touches on some darker themes, but the treatment of topics like sex work was a bit off-putting for me. It felt like the book was trying to make a point but ended up misrepresenting the complexities of the subject.

Plot-wise, there were some predictable twists, and the world-building could've been fleshed out more. The ending? Total cliffhanger.

Overall, 'Blood Queen' had its moments and some interesting ideas, but it felt like it needed more polish and consistency in both character development and world-building. I'm curious about where the story might go, but I'm not totally sold yet. It might be worth a read if you're into dark fantasy with a bit of spice and don't mind a few rough edges.

Layla is a queen entering into an arranged marriage with a foreign prince. Her parents were murdered. She’s an assassin secretly for her royal advisor. Her citizens call her the blood queen. That’s realistically all I could gather from this book.

It had so much potential. The ideas were all there (although probably too many, and a lot of it seemed SJM “inspired”), but the execution was so poor. This isn’t really enemies to lovers either since they worked though zero of their problems and just clearly were hate fucking the whole book. The world building was extremely lacking, and the magic system, politics, everything was underexplained. I could see just about every plot twist coming except for the monsters because where did that even come from?? Why was there suddenly a gang? This feels almost like performative feminism or pick me girl language. In the authors note it was mentioned that were beta readers, were ALL their ideas taken into consideration? I think this book suffered a lot from the booktok “fast fashion” we’ve seen lately and could’ve benefited from more thorough review.

I started out reading Blood Queen with not alot of prior background on the topic of the book. I was interested in the concept and I love fantasy so I gave it a chance. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. The world building was pretty minimal, and the writing felt quite rushed. I appreciate the concept of the book, but I didn't really enjoy the writing.

Layla was a strong female lead, but the world-building and love story really made it hard to believe.

The formatting of the book made it difficult to read.

Blood Queen is a fast paced fantasy read which will leave you wanting the next part because it does end on quite the cliffhanger! It’s enjoyable and an easy read for getting into. The main character is quite different and there’s a lot of emphasis on grief and dealing with the loss of her parents, the responsibility that is forced upon her. It’s a very interesting take, taking on a vigilante role in addition to being Queen and the betrayals and situations that arise as a result.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, there is some spice as well and just be aware of any trigger warnings going into it for your own sake

#bloodqueenbook #NetGalley

Thank you NegGalley so allowing me to read Blood Queen!!

3.5/5
I picked this up at noon and was done with it before dinner! The book moved fairly quickly and it was an interesting read. The story was something to easily invest it and the side characters made the book fun and unique.

I loved the plot of a FMC being able to do whatever she wanted to secure her kingdom. The MMC seemed a little one sided to me and the relationship seemed forced. One minute she hates him but because he does the bare minimum she is in love again. I think this could be cleared up with other books if it becomes a series.

The ending is what got me. I didn’t see the last twist coming but is there going to be a second book?? If not, the ending is not it.

This is a book for new/learning fantasy readers. The world building is minimal and easy to grasp and the characters don’t have too much depth to them. Worth the read but only if there’s a second book!

CAWPILE score 8.29

You'll find royals, magical powers and magical pets with assassinations and some political intrigue, as well as some spice.

I really liked the idea of this book, the magic system and the soul shards. However, the writing could be better and more consistent.

It ends with a cliffhanger and now I really want to see what's gonna happens and I really hope the second book won't be rushed and it will be a bit more polished because the idea has a lot of potential

Received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I had a hard time getting into this book. It was very slow and I honestly almost DNF it. I also didn’t like the sl*t and s*x worker shamming and felt a little forced. In the words of Randy Jackson, “It was a no for me dawg.” I will say, I did enjoy the smut in the book between Layla and Rune was good!

Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
World Building: 3/5
Characters: 5/5

Blood Queen is about a queen with a bad reputation who is trying to find a way to save her kingdom. I loved the characters. Layla is a strong character with sass. But I think Keir was my favorite. He is the fun sidekick that isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. The romance was good and I did enjoy the love interest. I just wish there was a little more world building and it explained the magic system a little better. I can’t wait for the second book to come out, and with how this one ended, the sooner the better.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.

Blood Queen Layla, the sole heir to the throne after her parents' death, fights against a rising rebellion and her own murderous reputation. As lies unfold, Layla realizes nothing is what it seems. Will she become a queen her parents would be proud of, or will all the lies catch up to her?

While the book promised a captivating blend of fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, and easy world-building, the two main characters weren't very likeable and a lot of the book felt rushed (yet slow at the same time). Layla, the Blood Queen, seemed incredibly immature at 28, while Rune's strength was so over emphasized. Both lacked likability, and certain aspects felt too YA. The predictability of her parents' murderer especially frustrated me - like girl, open your eyes! Despite the cliffhanger, I won't be picking up the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Caitlin Denman for allowing me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

Yeah this was not for me. The biggest thing that took me out was the comments on sex work in the beginning, basically that only those truly in need and on the streets would do it. This industry is a respectable one, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing it. I'm unsure if this was the author's own opinions coming out in the book on this or just the FMC being ignorant, but either way it left a very bad taste in my mouth. The slut shaming in this book immediately made it tank in my head. Along with this, the fact that the FMC is supposed to be 28, but had the maturity of someone over a decade younger continued to ruin it for me. I could not stand the FMC, and the hatred between her and the MMC made zero sense to me. I liked that he was open and honest with her, but man the FMC was incredibly annoying. Miss girl, how in the world are you supposed to be a queen if you can't even think for yourself and let other people run your country to the point where all your people hate you??? The brain cells were just dying off on this one.

The only thing I enjoyed in this book was the smut. The plot was interesting at first, but there was minimal world building to the point where some random monster, that was never mentioned in the book, just got randomly thrown in at the end. I am confusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! This book was an easy read and definitely kept me on my toes. Layla was a frustrating FMC to say the least though. She was a bit naive to everything going on around her and she ran away from every issue she had. I did like the romance between her and Rune. My favorite characters were Marv and Kier! Kier had my heart from the beginning and I enjoyed his sass. I do look forward to reading the next book just to see what happens as this one ended on a cliffhanger.

Review has been posted to Goodreads!

A little different than I was expecting, but an interesting read. Finding her parents murdered as a child, Layla grows up driven by revenge. She is the queen to her people, but is feared. Though, some believe it is better to be feared than loved. She receives her assignments from her advisor, who has been with her for years, and served her parents. However, things change when Layla has to meet her betrothed, a prince from other country that her parents selected for her. Layla has no interest in marrying Rune, but to avoid a war welcomes him into her kingdom. There is much tension between them, but Rune's influence makes Layla start questioning the things happening in her kingdom, leading her to look into things on her own to discover the truth. The story ends on a cliffhanger. I received this novel from net galley and the publisher, Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this arc for an honed review.

This book is not for me and i wouldnt recommend my friends read it either. Too much problematic language towards sex workers and around sex in general. It made it really hard to get through. There wasn't enough workd building to keep me interested and the characters were bland.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.
I think what let this down is the maturity level of a 28yr old who if felt more like young teenager.
Baring in mind the age her parents died she would of been groomed to be a queen from a young age. Could not connect with her unfortunately.

The plot is good and could be an amazing book.

Spoiler Free Review - 4/5. Spice - check. Drama - check. World Building that isn't to overwhelming, easy to follow yet let's you get immerse yours in the world - check. This book has it all. I tend to rate books based off three different criteria 1. How much of a "need" do I have to read it when I'm not reading it? 2. How much do I think about if after I've finished it? 3. How big is the book hangover after? I couldn't put this down. It was fast past and only had a few spots that felt relative. After completing it, I cannot stop thinking about the ending and cannot wait for the next one, and lastly the book hangover is real. The only reason it's not a 5/5 is I found it a tad predictable in parts, yet in others it shocked me.

I was so surprised by this book. I expected to enjoy it but not how much I would. I love these characters. The banter is top-tier. I especially love how our Blood Queen, Layla, is strong and independent and doesn't fall to the trope of still backing up for a man to save her or be the hero. She is Rune's hero. I cannot wait for the next book because holy cliffhanger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you NetGalley for this arc and new must-read author.

I just reviewed Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman. #bloodqueenbook #NetGalley

Blood Queen

Thank you to Caitlin Denman and NetGalley for giving me an arc e-copy of this book.

Overall I really like this book. The world building wasn’t overly complicated which I can appreciate. I really liked the magic and animal elements. A back and forth romance is always fun, and I enjoyed the mmc. The fmc is portrayed as strong, independent.. but also a little immature at times. I thought this made her more relatable/“real”.

It seems some aspects of the story were missing, but perhaps they will be filled in with the subsequent book(s). Some of the twists were predictable but these didn’t stop me from understanding and enjoying the book.

I love me a good cliffhanger and am looking forward to the next one!