Coin, a Nameless, which is a group of poor people who aren't named, is given the tattoo of the heir to the throne. She is the new queen.

I thought the world of this book was set up well and enjoyed the characters. It was nice to see Coin grow as a character. Wish there could have been more at the end of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for my honest review.

I have to admit I didn’t know what this book was about when I requested it. I solely wanted to read the book based on its cover and title alone. Yeah yeah I know don’t judge a book by its cover. But in my case the cover made me eager to discover what was inside and I was so excited that the publishers granted my wish.

Now on to the book. The Nameless Queen follows Coin a low life thief trying to survived an unfair system. In a twist of fate she’s thrusted into the role of Queen in a court full of royals waiting to thwart her every move.

I liked Coin from the beginning she was smart and witty. She even at times resembled Arya or Dani from Game of Thrones. I was rooting for her to succeed and wanted to see where her story went. I also throughly enjoyed her Guard. He was carrying and loyal even when he hardly knew her. He reminded me of John Snow or Jorah at times.

My pros with the book I loved that we had a strong heroine. I loved it even more that we didn’t have her struggling with a romance that was unnecessary. The story was about Coin discovering who she is and what she could be. Now on to the Cons and why I gave it three stars instead of four or five. I felt like this book could’ve been made into trilogy. There were elements of the story that felt rushed and I wanted to learn and see more.

In the end, would I recommend this book? Yes, Yes I would it was a fun action stand alone book to fill anyone’s need for a quick adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher to the chance to review this book ahead of its release date.

The Nameless Queen starts as your typical YA fantasy. A low caste girl suddenly finding herself in power...or lat least the semblance of power. Although this world stuck out as something close to unique, as the story progressed I could not see myself caring for what happens next. Coin was a Mary Sue, and nowadays I thought that was done away with, but alas. A lot of what happened to her elicited no real reaction which made the plot feel flat, as though I were on the slowest rollercoaster ever. I saw the potential in the story, but it did not hold up to my expectations.

Nameless Queen is a phenomenal standalone fantasy set in a creative, atmospheric world from debut author Rebecca McLaughlin. The plot is filled with political intrigue, plenty of action, and characters you'll have a hard time letting go when you turn the last page. McLaughlin's writing is strong. The story is fast-paced and has excellent twists. Highly recommended to readers looking for their next favorite YA fantasy. Be sure to check out Nameless Queen today!

I loved, loved, love this book. I love that it's a standalone (although I would happily read a sequel!). I feel like it's appropriate for a variety of ages within YA. Coin is a feisty street rat who unexpectedly inherits the throne. She shouldn't be able to, since she is Nameless, and to become the Heir, the King/Queen must speak your name. Coin embarks on a journey to stay alive and possibly use the throne to help the Nameless.

The throne is passed on through magic - whoever the last name the King or Queen utters is emblazoned with a tattoo, marking them as the next sovereign. Coin is a nameless, a class of citizen with no name, status, or ability to move up in life. When Coin is emblazoned with the tattoo, everything changes.

This was a well written and engaging story. The social hierarchy was a bit simplistic, but it worked well. The characters themselves were dynamic and life-like. I look forward to reading more from this author and set in this world.

interesting plot and semi-good characters and dialogue. could have used some more character development and flaws to overcome. beautiful cover.

thanks to the publisher for an ARC, this is my honest review.

“You have to let things make you strong instead of damaged. You have to choose how the world shapes you.”

What a fantastic book full of great descriptions and wonderful characters. This takes place in a world where they’re three groups of people: Royals, Legals, and Nameless. The main character in this, Coin, is nameless, which is the lowest group. They are all homeless and steal to stay alive, they don’t even have names. Right from the start this book is full of action, and spectacular characters. I loved the unique name choices, like Coin herself and her nameless friends; Hat and Devil. In the city of Seridan, the current Sovereign dies and whoever he whispers on his last dying breath now becomes the sovereign. To find out who becomes the next ruler a tattoo shows up on that person’s arm. Coin gets that tattoo, but she is also nameless, so how did he know her name to begin with?

“And some of the best things are nameless.”

I can’t get over how great this book was, I loved the world building and how the author McLaughlin shows us a tough world, one where being in a certain “class” makes or breaks you. It was crazy seeing how divided the city was. I loved the magic aspect as well, and thought it was captivating what Coin could do once she had the tattoo on her arm. The friendships are what really made this such a wonderful read. I loved Coin’s nameless friends who she would protect no matter what, and the friends she made becoming the queen. Seeing them all grow and have such incredible character development was amazing.

I can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel, it’s just simply amazing. It deals with such real issues and was put together so well. I was shocked with some of the outcomes and plot twists. I highly recommend putting this on your “want to read” shelf for 2020.

From the books description, I was hesitant but excited that perhaps this would be a well done throwback to the Divergent knock offs of days past. I was extremely pleased to find that not only was this, indeed, a well written throwback but it's also so much so it's own thing. My only grudge against this was I wish I had been aware that there was no romance in this (not because it needed it but because it didn't and I was so nervous the whole time that one would crop up).

**Review will be posted on my blog on January 5, 2020, closer to publication date**

**3.5 STARS**

Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The city of Seriden is ruled by whoever sits on the throne, and its society is divided into three classes: Royals, Legals, and Nameless. Coin, is Nameless, and like other Nameless, they have no names but give themselves their own names. But if she is truly Nameless, how did the crown tattoo, signifying the heir of the throne get passed down to her? How can a King name her if she has no name? Is she a real queen or an imposter and what does this mean for the Nameless in Seriden.

What I Liked:

*I liked Coin a lot. She is a thief and a grifter, using her stealth to steal and survive but that’s not only why I like her. She’s snarky and never lets things really get to her. Even being thrown in a dungeon or finding out the truth about her name never truly dampened her spirits. She knows how to hide her fears, treating this “gift” of the tattoo as a con and noting all the players in the game. I always had this feeling while reading the story that Coin would be able to get out of any jam or situation that she encounters. She tackles the problem head on.

*Coin and her relationship with Esther, the heir apparent, was something I liked because Coin doesn’t have friends except Hat. So seeing Coin have another young woman helping her and eventually in her corner was nice to see. This story has a mostly female cast which was nice.
*
Interesting world building about the classes of people and how the Nameless are denied rights. I kept reading to try and figure out how Coin fit into the story and how she was going to be able to help the Nameless. It was interesting enough to hold my attention and want to learn more. Obviously the Royals and Legals make out better than the Nameless but I was left with some questions.
*
There wasn’t a romance in this story and it didn’t need one. Coin seemed engaged enough in making connections with other people that it was okay not to have a romance. Not going to lie, was I looking for one? Always. 😅 But this story was good without one.

*The story explores themes in this book about family, who you are if you don’t have a family or a name given to you-the importance of a name and belonging.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:
*Needs more world building because there is mention of neighboring kingdoms and treaties. I kept kind of waiting for some ambassador form the neighboring kingdom to show up or something, isn’t there always some ambassador at court? But relations between Seriden and the other kingdoms aren’t strong…but why?

*Esther explains the history of magic in one chapter and I get magic was bound to the one who will rule Seriden but I think I wanted to know what kind of magic did people have. It sounded like a magical world until the kingdoms bound the magic into ink. Do the other kingdoms find their heirs the same way? With magic tattoos? So in Seriden only the crown tattoo bearer can use magic. Also, the Nameless aren’t affected by magic…so Coin is raised Nameless but clearly is not, since she’s Queen now, so she did have a name – it’s a little bit confusing because apparently she’s not affected by magic. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And speaking of magic, I want to see this Seriden with magic unleashed!

*The ending leaves it open to a sequel so we shall see what happens there.

Final Thoughts:

If there is a sequel I hope it explains and expand on some things in the book that left me with questions. I really enjoyed Coin and her perseverance. She took what life handed her and rolled with it. Also it’s rare to find a young adult fantasy without a romance, and here we have one that is a pretty good story without one. Overall this is a promising debut!

I've been dying to read this book since I saw it, and I was over the moon when I was approved for this title. If you like scrappy, feisty heroines, books about royalty, court intrigue, unique magic and strong female friendships, then this is a book you want to read.
Coin is a Nameless, a pickpocket on the streets of Seriden, a city with a rigidly enforced class system. There are the elite Royals, the legal, and the Nameless at the bottom. As a Nameless, Coin has absolutely no rights and is unrecognized by the law. Nameless are degraded and persecuted. According to their own government, they are not people and don't exist. That is why it is a shock when the King names Coin as his heir before his death. What ensues next challenges the social structure of Seriden, as well as everything Coin has ever known or thought about herself. As she navigates through a royal court filled with people who wish to claim her power for their own, Coin steps into her power, and Seriden will never be the same.
I thought the world building here was masterclass. The tensions between the social classes paint a real picture of the elitism and classism that rules Seriden, and enables McLaughlin to paint a powerful story that deals with privilege and identity. And the magic system here, while I wished there was a little more to it, was very unique. I really enjoyed watching Coin develop throughout the book. She takes no nonsense from anyone and consistently defeats the odds while staying true to herself. I also loved her relationships with other women, especially Esther and Hat. It is always glorious to see women supporting women, an idea that transcends the bonds society places on them. I also loved that there was no romance in this book at all.. It is refreshing to see a character driven plot that doesn't revolve around a relationship with a man, and that shows women doing great things without needing a love interest. Overall, I liked Nameless Queen a lot. It's a strong debut about identity, privilege, and lost family. It's definitely worth the read.

Coin is one of the nameless. People in Sheriden who dont have a name, and thus dont have any rights as a member of the society of the city. Nameless cant have jobs or even wear clothes that are not designated for them. Coin, lives in an alley and is an excellent pick pocket and theif. So what happens when she wakes up one morning with a tattoo that designates her as the next queen? How can this be possible when she doesnt have a name to begin with?

Nameless queen is a pretty good book for a stand alone novel. I do feel like this book could have been more than a standalone and I even feel that the world would benefit from some further exploration into the system here. That said it was a fun book if a bit of a cliche.

What I didnt like about this book:

As mentioned above the first thing that caught my attention is that this is really a bit of a cliche as far as the plot goes. (IE girl founds out that she is somehow the chosen one and then must figure out how she is going to deal with that in her present form, wherein she always has to change to meet both her needs and those of the people) the one difference in these books is that Coin does have the opportunity after a few weeks to actually give up the ability to be the queen and pass it on to someone else.

Given that it is a YA book this book does read a bit like a YA book for sure. The world building could really use a bit more exploration. I thought the idea of the magic was interesting but it wasnt fleshed out enough, for instance what is causing the magic to happen at all.

What I did like about this book:

I really enjoyed the fact that for possibly the first time ever there wasnt really any storyline that is romance. I get that this is needed and seems to be particularly important in YA books but it was refreshing to see that this was more about friends and siblings than any sort of romance at all. There wasnt a prince to betray Coin and there wasnt a love triangle or anything else that could have made it even more cliche.

The final fight with the general was actually a pretty well thought out fight as well. I enjoyed how the action sequences in general played out as well

Overall a decent book if a bit familiar overall. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I'll be honest, I am not really sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy it, but it didn't really feel original to me. I suppose that is the way to describe it.

In Nameless Queen there is an entire class of people, the nameless, who do not have rights or privileges as citizens because they have no name. The law does not apply to them, nor does it help them, or protect them. As you can imagine from the title the new Queen is chosen from among this group. It takes until almost the end of the book to figure out how a Nameless became Queen, when they dying ruler has to speak the name of the person he/she wishes to succeed them.

Anyway, no one is happy about her becoming Queen and she has to deal with the politics around her, Except all she really ends up dealing with is the new magic she possesses as the Queen.

My biggest question in this book deals with the Assassins festival., where she can either willingly or unwillingly pass on her title and the power. They keep wanting to train her in etiquette and all that so she can deal with life at court, but if they expect her to give up the power (which they do) why bother training her in Anything?! It may be a small point in anyone else's eyes but it bothered me the whole time.

Anyway, the characters are pretty good, particularly Esther, but I just feel like they really lacked anything that made them stand out as original or memorable. I liked the book but I didn't love it.

I didn't really enjoy this book. The concept seemed like it could have been interesting. However I found the plot and world building lacking. We weren't given enough information and often the information we had just didn't totally make sense. For example, a nameless girl whose name was spoken by the king to make her the next ruler. How does that work? What name did he say? If I'm completely invested in the characters or plot or I'm having a great time with the narrative, it's east to overlook holes or mistakes. But when I'm bored and not connecting with anything they just stand out more. This book just wasn't for me.

This was a really fun story about a strong willed, right minded and sassy girl who finds her life flipped upside down. Coin (as she is called because really she is nameless) lives on the streets and must resort to grifting to survive. One morning her life changes when she finds out that the King (how has recently died) has named HER as his successor. Needless to say no one is happy about this, not the upper class (there is a very distinctive cast system in place) or Coin herself.

I won’t give away the plot but I will list why I enjoyed this story.
1) The strong main character. Coin is very strong willed, she is loyal, determined and doesn’t bend to others demands. I loved that she was stoic and brave but also knew when to take advice from others. She stood her ground and was the best Queen these people had ever had.
2) Her personally bodyguard/friend. Just an awesome character and I would have loved more from.
3) The cast system and how one nameless girl stood up for human rights.
4) The action and “mystery” that came with the story. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen, how she gets named as successor; who was she in a previous live…
5) The friendships that were built and stood the test of the story. I would have liked a bit of romance, but it was a wonderful story without it!

I every much enjoyed this story; it flows well and keeps the reader engaged. It did read a bit younger than I expected, but I think it would be perfect for its intended audience; middle grade and up. I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review. I will be adding this to my holiday buy list for my niece.

I have another new author to keep my eye on. Although there’s no magic formula to determine what makes a good novel (not to mention I can’t always explain why certain books simply work well for me while others do not), there are still a few key elements I generally look for, including believable and compelling characters, realistic atmospheric and world-building, and writing that is smooth and easy to get into. The Tethered Mage managed to check all these boxes and also succeeded in delivering an absorbing plot with an altogether rewarding blend of intrigue and fantasy. If this is what Mclaughlin has to offer for her effort, then she will go very far indeed.

From beginning to end, Nameless Queen was a joy to read. Though not the most original story ever, the familiar elements still resonated strongly with me because of how well everything was put together. Characterization was excellent, which for a book like this is essential, since relationships make up the bulk of the narrative. And of course, at the heart of this weave of bonds and attachments, our protagonist acts as the thread that binds everyone together.

I haven’t even really talked about the plot yet, but I think it is enough to say I was kept entertained through the entire novel, even when we got the slower chapters which were dominated politics. There’s a good amount of tension as well as deftly crafted intrigue in this story, which also throws us plenty of action and danger to keep us on our toes.

This was an okay read. It did not make a lasting impression. Will not be continuing. Just nothing memorable about it.

#NamelessQueen #NetGalley

Nameless, like Coin, give themselves a name. It is usually personal and sometimes painful thing and you should never ask how they got their name. When the king dies, Coin ends up with the magical tattoo naming her the next heir. Coin gets new abilities and quickly learns, and practices how to benefit from these abilities. Being on the street her whole life has given her a lot of skills to keep herself alive, and she has an amazing read on people, situations, and a great sense of humor.

While this book was kind of a learning as you go book, I felt that you got to wade through learning with Coin. A lot of the details are given to you throughout the book instead of shoved down your throat in the beginning. This gradual education on the rules, class structures and people themselves is so methodical that it is easy to remember. Sometimes when reading the book they give you so much information at the beginning you either have to have a great/ awesome memory, put a bookmark in it so you can refer back to it, or try to muddle your way through until you make since of it all.

All in all I loved the book, and while it ended there were a few things that were up in the air so I am not sure if it is a stand alone novel or not, but it was amazing. I also really loved the acknowledgements I have never read an acknowledgement at the end of a book that made me laugh so hard!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What could be more dehumanizing than having a whole class of people in your society be so below contempt that they do not even have names? Seeing these wretched circumstances allowed in any society makes me feel as though the entire caste system is set up as predator ans prey. The Nameless are subhumans that anyone "above" them are given license to treat as they please. As is the case in Nameless Queen where many nameless are disappearing and no on in power cares at all.

It seems absurd for the line of succession in any kingdom to be held at the mercy of the whim of fate, how would the powerful stay in power? By cheating? Oh yes, and murder? Yes that too. That's why the stakes are so unbelievably high for Coin to A: survive the machinations of court, B: be able to foment any sort of support to form a government who would support her, and C: have the people of the Kingdom follow someone the majority of society sees as beneath them.

It's an uphill battle, and one that while the twists are not terribly surprising, the villain in quite villainous!! A worthy read.

First a few tidbits of information about this story:

- In Seriden there are 3 classes: Royals (upper class), Legals (middle class) and Nameless (poor/homeless).
- Magic is controlled by the King or Queen who bears the crown tattoo. This crown is passed on the deathbed of the ruler by speaking the name of the individual the dying ruler deems fit.
- Coin is one of the many Nameless children on the streets who steal to get by and wakes up after the death of the King with the crown tattoo on her arm. But how (she has no birth name; Nameless) and why?

Though the novel centers around this impossible heir and her acclamation into the Royal world their are many underlying themes at play. As characters are introduced we see the different classes and the conflicts of station among the people. Seeing past an individual's upbringing and giving them the ability to become more than what their position allows, or simply giving the sense of 'home' to the forlorn. Coming together no matter your upbringing during a time of tragedy and uniting and volunteering aide. For a young adult novel this took a well laid out look at the separation of class and the hindrance it has on a society. Deep, I know.

Coin comes from the streets where everyday is a new con to survive. Everything Coin has been through and will go through molds her into who she is supposed to be. The author does a great job of the characters learning to 'own their truth' and never being ashamed of that truth. Embracing what they have been through in Life to come out the other side victorious. In a way it has elements of a coming of age novel. My favorite message from this book and one that I personally hold dear centers around family. Family is not what you are born into but what you create and surround yourself with. I applaud the author for this straightforward theme.

I had a great time reading this novel, however there are some areas that needed a little more. Seriden is a city that reminds me of the 1850s on the edge of a seaport but there isn't enough world building to truly get an imaginative idea of this place. We learn there is a treaty but lack information about those other thrones and why exactly Seriden is at odds with them. Magic is contained by the tattoos but exactly how and why magic is even contained at all is a glossed over mystery. Lastly, this is a quick read but I feel it was almost too quick. Coin gains a certain mastery that other's have taken their entire lives to perfect. I understand for a story like this that the unfathomable occurs but I do believe her learning curve should have dragged slightly to be more believable for the readers.

I received this ARC from the author, Random House Childrens and NetGalley for an honest review. I would recommend this book to other's especially if they have vivid enough imaginations. This book has many great themes and it's all done without swoony romance.