I had a really hard time getting into it and DNF'd at 20%. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters.

Reading this book was quite thrilling! I enjoyed every second of it and was sucked in and couldn't put it down now I am eager to see where it goes.

2.5 ⭐
The premise was so promising and I was looking forward to seeing where the story went.

The story jumps straight in and there is very little set up. It took me a bit to wrap my head around the world and what was meant by things. If there was a bit more set up I think I would have felt more connected to the characters as I felt at times like I just wanted to know the outcome as nothing came as a surprise or a shock. The plot twist was more of a small revel which is a shame as I was hoping for something to really shock me and make me think like wow I didn't see that coming. But like I said the premise was there, the writing ok. I was just hoping for more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A Promising Premise with Room to Grow

As a new reader of Erin Archer’s work, The Queen’s Card caught my eye with its intriguing title and hints of courtly drama and hidden magic. The world-building is rich and full of potential, with a unique setting that blends fantasy and political intrigue in a refreshing way. I appreciated the glimpses of deeper lore and the clever use of tarot elements throughout the plot.

That said, I found the pacing a bit uneven—some sections dragged while others felt rushed. The main character had compelling moments, but I struggled to fully connect with her journey at times. I also hoped for a bit more depth in the supporting cast, as a few characters felt underdeveloped or overly convenient to the plot.

Still, there’s a charm to Archer’s writing style, and I think fans of light fantasy with royal drama will find this an enjoyable read. I’m curious to see how the series progresses, and I think there's real potential if future books build on the strong foundation set here.

Loved the fairytale feel of the story. The magic system was pretty cool. I adored the fmc Mira. I want more of the story between her and Bael.

This is definitely an easy, fun read! I didn't know it was YA, which is my own fault, but I did have different expectations because of it. It also suffered a bit in comparison, as I had just finished another loose Sleeping Beauty retelling recently that really hit for me. But I don't think this is a failed attempt, just not what I had in mind. I think it could do great with the right audience- a little younger for sure. Good characters and fast-paced!

An fun and easy read that I finished in one sitting. Definetly given Sleeping Beauty vibes but I was glad to see that in this retelling, our FMC is actually a badass woman who gives people a run for their money.

With an evil queen who works with goblins (yuck, i cannot stand goblins) and a delicious raven shifter who will make your heart race, Erin creates in this novel a unique story. Magic system based on tarot reading and the most delicious slow burn awaits you, so don't miss out!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC copy!

Tropes:
Royal guard
Enemies to lovers
Captured by the enemy
Hate to love
Espionage

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. DNF 71%
The book had potential, but got hard to read, and it was like I lost the plot. Romance started off well, but it got cringey.

3.5 stars. 3 on RCRS (kisses)

Occasionally you pick up a story that is enjoyable because of how it is pretty straightforward; you know who to root for, you know who the enemy is & you know you’re safe in the fact that you’re going to get an HEA at the end. This is one of those book. While classified as upper YA, I think it’s pretty solidly general YA in its storytelling, themes and steam level. Our FMC and MMC come from different sides, but both want the same thing: fairness and equality and the end of war. And they compliment each other well.

I’m not very well versed on the Sleeping Beauty fairly tale, but I did get quite a lot of Snow White from this retelling (which I enjoyed). I thought the world building was well done, the magic system easy to navigate (although I could have done with a bit more lore), and the plot well paced. I would be keen to see where the story goes in book 2.

Thank you to Erin Archer & NetGalley for the opportunity to read & honestly review The Queen’s Card.

The book centers around Mira, who right from the introduction is faced with a looming threat. The entire kingdom is under siege, but what sets Mira apart is her desire to become a Keeper of the Wards, like her sister. She's frustrated that she hasn’t yet been granted the magic needed to help protect the realm.

When Mira encounters an intruder named Raven breaching the kingdom’s borders, she’s captured and taken to another realm. There, she’s forced to confront her own anxieties and self-doubt, while beginning to question the stories and beliefs she’s held her whole life. Mira will have to question whether having magic is worth it.

This is a great book to pick up if you’re looking for something quick and fast-paced, with lots of action and chaos. I especially loved the concept of Ravens and the treehouse honestly, who wouldn't want to live in a treehouse?

I might bump my rating up to four stars. I just need a little time to sit with it and see how it settles.

This was such a fun Sleeping Beauty retelling. I was pleasantly surprised by how much was packed in a story with less than 300 pages. The concept of magic with tarot cards was something that was fun to explore but wished we got to see more of it. We would get glimpses of them and learn their meaning, but didn't get to see much of it in action. I'm hoping to see more of it in the next story.

Mira was a strong FMC who just wanted to prove to others that she is ready to become a Keeper, but everyone keeps pushing the idea away. To prove herself, she decides to go after the Raven, but in the process gets herself kidnapped. She learns Bael, a.k.a. the Raven, is more than he seems. I love me a snarky, morally gray MMC who will do anything for those he loves. And smells like coffee? Yes please.

The final confrontation felt somewhat rushed. I would have liked to have seen more action and longer scenes but the consequences that comes after what happens did get me excited to read the next book.

I have one big weakness: fairytale retellings! And, I have a book series I absolutely loved: Once Upon a Broken Heart. When I saw this book on Netgalley and saw that it combined both, I had to request a copy. I was very happy that the author granted me a digital one!

What I absolutely loved about this book, is the original way to retell the famous story of Sleeping Beauty. All the well known elements are there: The Evil Witch, the Ravens, the Sleeping Princess, the lack of invitations and of course magic. However, we're not experiencing all this through the eyes of the princess or the witch, but through a guard and a raven! It made the story fresh, interesting and new.

That's also because of the magic and world building. I have to admit that it sometimes felt like this could have been explained a little better. It was hard to grasp the magic, the rules and what was going on with the cards. However, I liked how the magic was different, how this was really about politics and the bigger picture and I'm curious about what's waiting for us in the sequel.

I also liked the character growth throughout this story. Our heroine starts with a certain view on the world, her magic and what she should be and throughout the story she learned more and more about what's truly going on and was able to change her view on things. And that all felt natural and realistic. She's not turning all of a sudden. She's just gradually understanding the world better.

I really enjoyed this book, the magical system stood out as one of the most unique aspects, it felt fresh and different from most fantasy or fairytale inspired reads I’ve come across. Erin Archer has crafted a world that feels both whimsical and mysterious, which kept me intrigued throughout. The characters were likable and engaging, and I found myself wanting to learn more about them. A bit more depth or description would have made them even stronger, but I’m hopeful we’ll get that the future book. This is a great pick for readers who enjoy fairytale retellings with a magical twist. I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the series!

The first thing that drew me to The Queen's Card by @authorerinarcher was its stunning cover and as a lover of fairy tale retellings, I knew I had to read it. The story didn’t disappoint!

Told from Mira’s perspective, the plot revolves around her desire to protect the kingdom like the Keepers, but she can’t claim that role until she unlocks her magic. Alongside her is Bael, her raven-shifter love interest whose protective instincts and deep connection with Mira added so much depth to the story. I really loved their chemistry, Bael’s care for her was swoon-worthy.

The plot had plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. The Queen of Azrea’s character was another highlight, strong, commanding, and well-written. The world-building was immersive and action-packed, with enough intrigue to keep you flipping the pages.

Every character had their own role and shined in it, and the pacing made it a binge-worthy read. Erin Archer’s writing shows great promise, and the book ends with a solid cliffhanger that leaves you eager for the next part.

Can’t wait for Book 2!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and honest.

This was great! In fact I have been going back and forth on if it should be four or five stars, and I ultimately settled on four. The truth is that this was a very enjoyable read that unfortunately lost me a bit toward the end. I think the problem was that the book was too short, and the author didn’t quite expand on some things the way I wanted. I’m still not quite sure about some things because the answers were kind of glossed over. Overall, this was a very interesting read that only took me a few hours. I’d recommend it since it’s so short and has such potential to expand on the story for upcoming sequels. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Night Waltz Press for this ARC. Full review on my website!

Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Raven shifter
Unique magic system
Fated mates… kind of
No spice

The Queen's Card is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that surprised me. Hoping to find perhaps a Maleficent-style story, it was quite the opposite, a novel that takes on a well-known classic from a totally different perspective.

I'd venture to say that the classic's protagonists became irrelevant in two-thirds of the episodes, and the story shifted to the Queen, Mira, and Bael.

I must admit that I was left wanting more with the romance, but I have faith that the rest of the saga will continue to develop it, as will the universe and the magic system, as I felt it was a bit lacking in terms of how it worked. However, it's still a quick read, so I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Erin Archer for the copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Erin for allowing me to read it in exchange for a review!

The story follows Mira, a keeper in the making, swearing to protect the kings daughter. After a terrible run in with the Queen, Mira is suspicious on how she got through the wards. With her sister and the rest of the keeper blowing off her worry, she is determined to find out the truth. That is until she realizes she bit off a lot more than she could chew as she runs into the Raven. Notorious as the Queen’s second, Mira is unsure if she could trust him. As the hunt for the Queens downfall, her tarot card, there is so much more than meets the eye. Now only if Mira can figure it out before it’s too late.

This was an interesting read. I loved the magic system with Tarot cards. It gave me a similar feeling, but a little more traditional fantasy, as One Dark Window. I thought having older FMC and MMC is a nice change of pace as well. It was cool to see how Erin wove in the magic system with the plot well. I also thought the pacing was continuous and matched the page count. I didn’t feel like it needed to be shorter or longer which was nice. What I did wish for was maybe making it into too books. I had so many questions about the plot, magic, etc. I know she is setting up for book two, but I still feel like the plot and relationships were very surface level. I would have preferred it gone a little deeper to get more of a backstory. Additionally, I didn’t get the point of the ravens or how it is similar to Sleeping Beauty or Once Upon a Broken Heart. If that is what you came to read, I think I would
Move on something else!

Overall, a steady read with a cool magic system! Interested in seeing where it goes.

Overall this book was fine. Although, I really struggled to like the FMC throughout a good portion of this book (she just really frustrated me), and her love interest felt kind of rushed and forced. The whole plot was kind of a jumble of ideas that had potential, but were not put together as well as they could have been. I think if it was longer and had more time for more in depth world building it could have rounded things out better. I'll probably check out the second book at some point since the cliffhanger was pretty good.

Many fairy tales combine in this excellent story of action, fantasy, and sudden romance. I am looking forward to more of Archer.

Unfortunately, The Queen’s Card just didn’t do it for me. I really wanted to like this one and kept pushing myself to keep going, but I struggled to stay engaged. Nothing really pulled me in until around page 110, and with the book being just over 200 pages, that felt too late.

One of the main issues I had was with the main character. The constant internal reassurance she had to give herself wore on me after a while—I tend to enjoy a more confident MMC, and this wasn’t it. It made it hard to connect with her or get invested in the stakes.

While I appreciate the premise and the effort behind the story, it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this e-ARC