Scan barcode
abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC to review. Yeesh! Ok so this really lights up the last 50ish pages and my god is it a page turner!! Lystra is the heir of a house who's husband, the king, was recently killed in an attack in front of her. Elerek is the king's older brother who has been cursed since birth and is arranged to marry his brother's wife. This book has interesting world building and a creative plot but unfortunately %75 of this book is dull exposition. The fourth that isn't is amazing! Action packed and romantic. I just wish that it was a faster and more evenly paced read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Child death, Ableism, Death, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Violence, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Classism, Animal death, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic friendship, War, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
laneelizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
WOW!
What did I just read? In the best possible way. The tragedy, the angst, the plot twists. It was all incredible. A little slow-paced, which is why it's 4 and not 5 stars (and also because it ended on a cliffhanger) but the amount that happened in the last 50 pages was insane. I am also not the biggest fan of the third person because we don't know what is happening in the characters' heads, but this author combined them perfectly. I knew exactly what each character was thinking at most times (dual POV). Ms. Kaitlyn Carter Brown, you definitely know how to hold a reader's attention!
Tropes: We have arranged marriage turned lovers (although they don't know of each other's love until the end of the book); we have disability - the main character is wheelchair bound (and cursed!); "my Queen"!!!!!; ex-fiance's brother; protective of each other (and their kingdom)
What did I just read? In the best possible way. The tragedy, the angst, the plot twists. It was all incredible. A little slow-paced, which is why it's 4 and not 5 stars (and also because it ended on a cliffhanger) but the amount that happened in the last 50 pages was insane. I am also not the biggest fan of the third person because we don't know what is happening in the characters' heads, but this author combined them perfectly. I knew exactly what each character was thinking at most times (dual POV). Ms. Kaitlyn Carter Brown, you definitely know how to hold a reader's attention!
Tropes: We have arranged marriage turned lovers (although they don't know of each other's love until the end of the book); we have disability - the main character is wheelchair bound (and cursed!); "my Queen"!!!!!; ex-fiance's brother; protective of each other (and their kingdom)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Death of parent, Gore, War, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Grief
guadacardetti00's review
4.0
4.5/5 stars
First of all, can we talk about this cover? Absolutely gorgeous!
This was such an amazing book, the story of two people who suffered so much, and yet found companionship, understanding and love in each other.
I can’t wait to read how this story continues and to learn more about the world in this book. The cliffhanger destroyed me! I need the next book right now!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
First of all, can we talk about this cover? Absolutely gorgeous!
This was such an amazing book, the story of two people who suffered so much, and yet found companionship, understanding and love in each other.
I can’t wait to read how this story continues and to learn more about the world in this book. The cliffhanger destroyed me! I need the next book right now!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
erinnicolecreads's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The blurb of this book sounded captivating and the cover was beautiful, so this book immediately caught my interest. While this book definitely had a ton of potential, I felt as though it fell flat for a variety of reasons. This book was very slow in pace. I also found that the conflict/purpose of this story was not very clearly defined and didn’t seem very urgent, so it was hard to capture my interest. The characters also fell a bit flat for me and weren’t very multi-dimensional, with the exception of one or two characters. What I did like about the story, though was the disability representation and the quality of the writing! The writing was well done & the scenery was beautifully described, making it easy to imagine the setting. The male main character is also a wheelchair user, and never once was it treated as a hindrance or was he discriminated against for it. I love how that showed that people with disabilities have a place in both fantasy and romance novels.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
rhiaintheclouds's review
3.0
this was the author's debut book i believe but it definitely had a lot of potential (unique concepts) & ouu was she so good at the banter between the two main leads but i think we focused too much on the politics too early in the book that there was a disconnect with the characters & honestly the stakes i just couldn't care about bc i didn't rlly care about the characters that early on. i'm ngl the pacing was kind of off in this book? bc sometimes it'd be really captivating and then suddenly it would slow allllllllllll the way down....
curious to see what the second book will be like but i was excited for this since the cover caught my attention & of course the synopsis bc it's my favourite type of story ><
#netgalley #netgalley-arcs
curious to see what the second book will be like but i was excited for this since the cover caught my attention & of course the synopsis bc it's my favourite type of story ><
#netgalley #netgalley-arcs
cassandra226's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
When I started the book I was very excited for the concept. I remember reading Girl Serpent Thorn when it came out and loved the idea of a cursed royal hidden away. So I was excited to see the same theme in this story. However I did not like the way it was done. It is supposed to be this deadly secret meant to be kept from everyone, but about half way through the book its seemed like the secrecy was discarded. And I am not talking about the big reveal in the last battle.
Speaking of the last battle, another theme of this boom is “one summer to live” and they spend so much time just discussing the possibility of the attack after wasting a bunch of time mourning and the waiting to get married. I understand that Elerek lost his brother and Lystra her beloved, but they repeat so many times they need to live and defend their kingdom. Then spend two weeks training their army. Mind you the training does not start until halfway through the book. The start of this book is very slow and then seems very rushed at the end. Based on the ending there is going to be a second book and I am guessing that the two books could have been combined into one.
At the start if the book I enjoyed Elerek and Lystra, but by the end I did not like them. Lystra talks about being a strong queen, and I think she really could be if she was part of the training of cardants and apart of that force when it came to the battle. However, she really just places herself into the box of figure head and then complains about being places into that box. Elerek l, I think, was very unfair and callous toward Myra for a majority of the book as he is pinning after Lystra. Then at the end he is distraught about losing Myra.
Like I said I was very excited of the concept of this book and thought the themes could be done very well. However the book moves so slowly and I think the characters contradict themselves many times throughout when it comes to their values.
Speaking of the last battle, another theme of this boom is “one summer to live” and they spend so much time just discussing the possibility of the attack after wasting a bunch of time mourning and the waiting to get married. I understand that Elerek lost his brother and Lystra her beloved, but they repeat so many times they need to live and defend their kingdom. Then spend two weeks training their army. Mind you the training does not start until halfway through the book. The start of this book is very slow and then seems very rushed at the end. Based on the ending there is going to be a second book and I am guessing that the two books could have been combined into one.
At the start if the book I enjoyed Elerek and Lystra, but by the end I did not like them. Lystra talks about being a strong queen, and I think she really could be if she was part of the training of cardants and apart of that force when it came to the battle. However, she really just places herself into the box of figure head and then complains about being places into that box. Elerek l, I think, was very unfair and callous toward Myra for a majority of the book as he is pinning after Lystra. Then at the end he is distraught about losing Myra.
Like I said I was very excited of the concept of this book and thought the themes could be done very well. However the book moves so slowly and I think the characters contradict themselves many times throughout when it comes to their values.
valeriagl's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. ✨
This book was a pleasant discovery, I really enjoyed reading about the interesting world and amazing characters this book has.
This book was a pleasant discovery, I really enjoyed reading about the interesting world and amazing characters this book has.
adoseofsmut's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
This book swept me away on an enchanting adventure through a world brimming with intrigue, romance, and magic. From the very first page, I was captivated by the unique premise and expertly crafted storytelling.
The novel introduces us to Lystra and Elerek, two characters whose destinies become intertwined amidst a kingdom teetering on the edge of collapse. Their journey is filled with heart-stopping moments and tender exchanges that kept me utterly engrossed from start to finish.
What truly sets Queen of Shifting Sands apart is its masterful blend of romance and fantasy. The chemistry between Lystra and Elerek is palpable, drawing me deeper into their world with each passing chapter. And the vividly imagined setting, with its intricate details and rich history, added another layer of depth to an already captivating story.
#QueenofShiftingSands #NetGalley
The novel introduces us to Lystra and Elerek, two characters whose destinies become intertwined amidst a kingdom teetering on the edge of collapse. Their journey is filled with heart-stopping moments and tender exchanges that kept me utterly engrossed from start to finish.
What truly sets Queen of Shifting Sands apart is its masterful blend of romance and fantasy. The chemistry between Lystra and Elerek is palpable, drawing me deeper into their world with each passing chapter. And the vividly imagined setting, with its intricate details and rich history, added another layer of depth to an already captivating story.
#QueenofShiftingSands #NetGalley
leopardsummer8's review
4.0
This has to be one of the coolest fantasy curses I have ever seen.
Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantasy story about an arranged political marriage, a curse, and a country on the brink of war. It is fairly politically focused, which isn't usually my preferred kind of book, and so I did struggle to get into it but the last 20% or so was really good.
Widowed by the death of the last king, Lystra enters an arranged marriage with Elerek, the firstborn of the royal family who was cursed as a child. The kingdom is unsettled by the death of their prior king and the assassins threaten to attack at the end of the summer, leaving Lystra and Elerek to gain as much support as possible before then. Like I said, I found the political plots to be a bit boring (but that's just my preference). However, Elerek's curse really intrigued me. Everyone he touches is doomed to "drown" in the desert and their bodies slowly turn to water over time. I haven't seen a curse like this before and I really enjoyed seeing the way the various characters interacted with it. The ending was also very intriguing and I'm excited for book 2 already. I did sort of call the plot twist, but not entirely.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but the main four were Lystra, Elerek, Razhar, and Myra. Myra grew on me as the book continued, and I didn't mind Razhar. I thought Lystra was a great example of a well-written and strong female protagonist, and I liked her a lot. I also liked Elerek and his inner turmoil. The rest of the cast was okay, but I don't remember them well.
Queen of Shifting Sands is a solid political fantasy story with hints of romance and magic, and I really want to read book 2 ASAP.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantasy story about an arranged political marriage, a curse, and a country on the brink of war. It is fairly politically focused, which isn't usually my preferred kind of book, and so I did struggle to get into it but the last 20% or so was really good.
Widowed by the death of the last king, Lystra enters an arranged marriage with Elerek, the firstborn of the royal family who was cursed as a child. The kingdom is unsettled by the death of their prior king and the assassins threaten to attack at the end of the summer, leaving Lystra and Elerek to gain as much support as possible before then. Like I said, I found the political plots to be a bit boring (but that's just my preference). However, Elerek's curse really intrigued me. Everyone he touches is doomed to "drown" in the desert and their bodies slowly turn to water over time. I haven't seen a curse like this before and I really enjoyed seeing the way the various characters interacted with it. The ending was also very intriguing and I'm excited for book 2 already. I did sort of call the plot twist, but not entirely.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but the main four were Lystra, Elerek, Razhar, and Myra. Myra grew on me as the book continued, and I didn't mind Razhar. I thought Lystra was a great example of a well-written and strong female protagonist, and I liked her a lot. I also liked Elerek and his inner turmoil. The rest of the cast was okay, but I don't remember them well.
Queen of Shifting Sands is a solid political fantasy story with hints of romance and magic, and I really want to read book 2 ASAP.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5