Title: North Queen
Author: Nicola Tyche
Series: Crowns #1
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Publication Date: 4th July 2023
Publisher: Columbia River Publishing
How did I get this book: Netgalley/Publishers 

Synopsis

Gripping and action-packed, Crowns is perfect for fans of thick plots with aching romance. This is a compelling first volume to a deliciously twisting trilogy that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
The Return of a Lost Heir…
The kingdom of Mercia has been at war with the Shadow King and his dark army for ten years. To escape the seer’s vision of her capture, Mercia’s heir to the throne, Princess Norah Andell, is secreted away by her father to keep her safe. But when he dies in battle, so too dies the knowledge of where she’s hidden. She’s lost to the world—until three years later, when she’s found with no memory of who she is or the kingdom that now rests on her shoulders.
A Conflicted Duty…
Loyal and fearless commander of the Mercian army, Alexander Rhemus, has protected the realm against the threat of the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Not only does she hold the fate of the kingdom, but also his heart. However, when she’s found, he discovers she has no memory of him, or what was once between them. With war still looming, Norah is expected to wed and secure an alliance—one Mercia desperately needs to stand against the Shadow King. Now, with Mercia’s future at stake, Alexander finds himself torn between his duty and his heart.
A Twisted Fate…
Norah is thrust into a world she doesn’t know, in a role she’s unprepared for, to save a kingdom she doesn’t remember. Under the hardship of winter and a dark enemy against them, Mercia is on the verge of breaking. As things start to unravel, the Shadow King draws Norah down a path of twisted fate—and it could cost her everything.
Review

What a book! The first book in a trilogy and it had me turning each page wanting to learn more about the world, Norah herself and what happens next. The world is beautiful, interesting and the storyline is gripping. The love interests for Norah who is crowned Queen to Mercia moments after she's found after being lost for three years with no recollection of where she was all this time and how her "lover" managed to find her in the "wild" where no man has ever made it out.

The Shadow King, oh hello?! I have a lot to say about him - bad, horrible and somehow has a soft side? Is it something I was expecting? No, I was expecting him to be brutal and yet somehow he was soft to Norah and what happened in their story. I feel there is more to Norah when it comes to the animals from the "wild" which i'm sure this will be seen in the next instalment in the series. There wasn't much "spice" as I hoped. There was a slow-burn love triangle between The King & Alexander "her love before she lost her memories".

I'd definitely want to read the next book since it ended on a really good cliffhanger, we do love Norah!

Thank you @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Our Rating
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