2.5 stars
I was drawn by the cover of this book. I mean, it is stunning... Sadly I didn't enjoyed this book. The main character was annoying and boring. I did like the world building albeit it was confusing at times.
I think this would have been more interesting and engaging if it had more than one pov. It would have been a lot more entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one.
It's gripping, fast paced and entertaining.
Excellent world building and character development, a tightly knitted plot.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was my bad, I requested this arc not realizing it was book two! I will update this review once I have read the first book!

I read this directly after the first book in the series, The Kingdom Of Liars, and The Two-Faced Queen continues on from that book seamlessly. It was very easy to get into but I found it then bogged itself down a bit by introducing two new story arcs at almost the same time. Although it wasn't confusing in any way, I had to push myself to keep reading through this rather busy/too much happening at once section but then one of the two story arcs was resolved and I started enjoying it again. I have to say that once that happened the story got more and more engrossing and I couldn't put it down.
I've really enjoyed both these books and will definitely be on the lookout for book 3.

Every now and then I stumble across a book like Nick Martell’s The Kingdom of Liars and am just amazed by how damn good I found the book to be. So I was both nervous and excited to receive a copy of its sequel to read and review for the Arched Doorway. Excited because it’s always fun to receive books from a new author or series that you enjoy, but nervous because all too often I find that the second book in a series just doesn’t compare to the first. Happily, I can honestly say that isn’t the case with this book at all. The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I honestly didn’t know where to start with this review when I finally got the time to sit down and write it because Nick Martell is a great author and I really can’t pinpoint what I enjoyed most about The Two-Faced Queen. The plot, characters, and worldbuilding are just all so good that I can’t tell you exactly which one I like the most. All I can really say is that if you enjoyed The Kingdom of Liars then you will absolutely love The Two-Faced Queen! I will say that while I obviously loved this book, I do think the first quarter of it was a bit slow and tough to get through, but by the end, I was unable to put it down.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone looking for something new to read, though I would highly recommend that anyone interested in reading it reads The Kingdom of Liars first otherwise they will probably be completely confused. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series and I can’t wait to see where Nick Martell takes the story next. Until then I’ve decided to buy the audiobook to experience the story again in a new medium.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in this series I gave 3.5 stars rounded up to 4, albeit reluctantly. The Two-faced Queen is a much more solid read, and I am glad that I gave it the opportunity.

My biggest complaint was the main character, Michael, but I feel that he definitely has matured in this book somewhat and did not annoy me nearly as much. I did still find it hard to keep up with some of the other characters as they aren't as well developed,

The plot moves along at a pretty quick pace. There are some interesting twists and turns throughout and I'm now looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us.

Last year, I chose Nick Martell’s The Kingdom of Liars as one of my Dark Horse selections. In fact, it was one of two picks on my list. In my review, I lauded the book’s lightning-quick pace and worldbuilding, hoping it would herald a new fantasy saga to watch. The Two-Faced Queen, Martell’s second installment, dashed those hopes.



The Two-Faced Queen picks up immediately after The Kingdom of Liars. Michael’s myriad quests begin anew, and plenty of novel challenges are thrown his way. Michael Kingman has been accused of murdering the king of The Hollows, much like his father was accused of killing the nation’s prince years ago. The accusation, though false, turns much of the country against Michael and leaves him with few allies. His saving grace is the Orbis Mercenary Company. Dark, a member of said company, saved Michael from execution by committing him to a blood oath that bound him to the group. Under the mercenaries’ protection, Michael seeks to restore his family’s legacy, prove he didn’t kill the king, and regain the memories he lost to Fabrications, the series’ magic system. But when a serial killer returns to The Hollows, Michael has to hunt the murderer down, too.

I’ve managed a rudimentary plot summary here. But I have to confess: I had a really hard time figuring out exactly what was going on in The Two-Faced Queen. Imagine a rock skipping across a still lake. It touches the water ever-so-briefly, each jump shorter than the last. And though the rock sends ripples across the lake, it only becomes a part of the larger world across which it travels when it sinks to the bottom. The Two-Faced Queen is all skip, no sink. There’s no moment to breathe. Michael jumps from one plot thread to the next with reckless abandon. Storylines from The Kingdom of Liars return, then new ones take the stage with tenuous (at best) connections to the overall narrative. The stone that serves as this book’s story simply skips along in perpetuity. We see the ripples, the surface-level impact of Michael’s actions, but we never understand what it all means. The history of The Hollows and its surrounding nations is so thin that there’s nothing to latch onto. I gave The Kingdom of Liars a pass for this very issue in the hopes that it would resolve itself in book two. But here, it’s worse.

There’s a vibrant, glorious fantasy world hidden beneath the layers of Martell’s world. Unfortunately, it’s a world that seems better fleshed out in the author’s mind than it is on the page. So many factions and groups inhabit The Hollows, it’s hard to keep track. Beyond their distinctive names–Scales, Ravens, Skeletons, and more–it’s near-impossible to tell them apart.

The same goes for the characters. Michael interacts with royals, Ravens, frenemies, tentative allies, mercenaries, and many others. On the page, the only thing that distinguishes one character from another is a name and possibly an ability to use magic. Most of the characters within seem to exist for the sole purpose of witty banter with Michael. They enter stage left, have a conversation with Michael (or a brief fight), then exit stage right. Rinse and repeat. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if the dialogue didn’t feel so forced and unnatural. There’s no difference in tone from one character to the next, and the conversational tapestry of The Two-Faced Queen is threaded with clichés.

Fabrications and Weaving, two of the book’s magic systems, suffer from similar technical drawbacks. Weaving is only hinted at in this book, and will likely appear in the next. Fabrications remain an enigma, though the price of using them (losing memories) is still a cool-as-hell idea. The problem? I have no idea how they actually work. Some people are Fabricators while others are not, and it’s unclear how Fabricators get their powers. Again, hinted at in this book, but not enough to lure me to the next. When Michael uses his Fabrications, which can simply nullify other Fabrications, he mentions a “warmth” in his chest. He redirects it toward his target. The descriptions of the magic system in action leave a lot to be desired, and based on the limited lore the book doles out, I’m not exactly clamoring to learn more.

All-in-all, The Two-Faced Queen squanders many of the promises made in The Kingdom of Liars. And it’s important to note that some readers will likely enjoy the quickfire fun that this novel offers. But it lacked the depth I felt I needed after the first installment, and surface-level fun won’t cut it for another ~600-page book.

Rarely is the second book in a series better than the first but that was the case here. I am going to be recommending this to all my fantasy reading patrons.

Michael Kingman deserves a bloody break. Actually, I’d be swearing right now when I’m writing this review as I am so emotional writing this. A masterpiece. A true masterpiece! The Two Faced Queen is a fantastic book, it improves upon the sequel in so many ways. It made me go emotional I had my fists bawling in certain high moments. High tension action, gripping drama, and so many secrets. This book is a temple of secrets. That I can say without a shadow of a doubt. This is a story that had me broken down to tears. A story, that had I looked at it again, would still cry over. I am so amazed, and yet so sad and so happy at the same time. This is a story of triumph over evil. I don’t care how grim-dark it is, there is an element of heroic scope in this story. An understanding. A very mature understanding of the grim realities of what is a hero, and what is a villain. I can see my own bias towards Michael in this story. And to be honest, I don’t mind at all. I have not seen such a character like him, and neither would I ever want to again, because a character like Michael achieves so much in this novel, that he may be the very best definition of what defines an actual anti-hero. He is like Jorg Ancrath from Mark’s Lawrence’s The Broken Empire trilogy, similar but not too familiar. Jorg is more of a coward, whereas Michael is more of a villain trying to be a hero. If these two were to ever meet, I am sure they’d have a lot to talk about. A lot.

I just want to get this out of my system. The people treating Michael as a person who’s a liar, a man that lies to protect his family, are so rude and bad to him I was wondering for a second. Michael may not be the best hero, nor the best villain. But he is Niccolò Machiavelli reborn. He is a clever man. The result of his upbringing of being branded a traitor for something his father was accused of, does not mean that all the people in this world have to be rude to him. I’d argue that most of the characters were far more selfish and evil. Michael is an innocent human being that was beset by powerful figures such as the cunning Angelo, his foster father, and Domet. A man whose’s motives are still shrouded even to this day. And the entire conflict between the Hollow and the Kingman family. Jeez the Hollow’s need to give it a break. They really need to.

Do you know who I’m most angry at? Serena. She is no doubt grieving over the loss of her father. But I ask. What did Serena’s family do to help King Issac’s mental health? Easy, let’s put the blame on Michael because he is there! Although Serena does improve at the end. And Naomi, who is a great character, I just have to say stop flirting with Michael when you have feelings for another person. This, this right here. You see my emotions coming alive as I write this review? This is the hallmark of a great writer. This is the stuff of legends. This is what stories are made of. This is how you tell a story. Kingman may never seek to be a hero, he may never seek to be a good man. But he has a curse. A curse to help people and get insulted by those that were his friends and are still his friends. Trey and Rock? Best characters. I don’t want Trey and Kingman to confront…but there is a chance.

Was I a character in this story, I’d be a High Archmage that could be a Spellborn mage that can manipulate memories for good. Not bad. And I’d say to most of Michael’s friends and enemies. That man has sacrificed himself for you. He’s done a lot more in this book, been on the receiving curse of endless insults, of endless banter. Perhaps you lot could be a little more grateful. If Michael were gone, I’d bet you would miss him. Because I have never seen such a character like Michael, and nor should I ever hope to. I do not think I would want to see a character like that, who has achieved so much throughout all the ups and downs he’s gone through. In the end, Michael has one of the best redemption arcs in this entire novel. And Nick, you’ve done it. I don’t know what structure you used. I know when I read your tweets about writing this novel and how you were struggling through it. Guess what? This was worth every minute. Every minute of blood, sweat, and tear that went into the making of the Two-Faced Queen’s manuscript has worked. I have discovered so many secrets, that I wonder what I would do with all that knowledge. I pity Michael, for he has a far greater destiny ahead of him. A far greater one.

Remembered memories are bitter and sweet, are they not? This novel will take you all over the place. You will discover heart-breaking secrets, engage in vicious brutal combat, and witness some of the most horrifying scenes you’ll see. The quality and level of writing are akin to that of the writers who write the scripts for Elder Scrolls Online, Dragon Age Inquisition, and God of War. Some criticism I’ve had is I’ve noticed there are a lot of noble families. I would have wanted more simplification of them. Another thing is I need a map. There are so many new empires, kingdoms that I want to explore, plus pirates and ships! This world is much bigger. I say dear reader when you read the first book, the Kingdom of Liars, this book expands. And it expands wonderfully. Dark is one of the deepest, best characters I’ve read. He still holds more secrets than I know.

And Angelo is a horrendous being. As was Dark’s Grandfather. As is nearly everyone except Gwen, Dawn, Trey, Rock, Michael, Juliet, Domet, the King of Stories, and the true villains of this story. And a request. I want more of the King of Stories. There is a certain place called the Gold Coast…and I say to Nick, give me pirates, give me oceans, give me glorious naval battles, give me sun-baked deserts, and give me Arabian-style fantasy, please. Let me meet with the Sultans of the Gold Coast, or something like that. Oh and just have Serena and Michael marry each other and break the stupid rigid traditions that their family imposes on them please? It’s clearly evident, the two are in love with each other. I don’t need to be Odin in American Gods to figure that one out from the first book! I’m shipping them now.

You, sir, have done a tremendous book. This is one of those books where my criticism, is naught but few! This is one of those books you need to have on your bookshelf. But it is imperative that you buy both: The Kingdom of Liars Book 1, and the Two-Faced Queen Book 2. Without these two in order, you will not understand the chain of events that link this book together. It is fantastic, and I thoroughly recommend this novel! Thoroughly!

This is the second installment of the Mercenary Kings series, I would encourage reading the first even though Martell does give a synopsis at the books beginning. Again we find Michael Kingman rushing headfirst into trouble and trouble always finding him. This time he has regained most of his memories so we now know what he remembers about himself and the people in his life. He is now the heir of the renowned and cursed Kingman family and a mercenary in service to the Orbis Company. Both of these entanglements pull Michael into continual murder, mystery and magic. Sometimes jaw dropping and over the top but always interesting. Looking forward to see where this series leads. Michael Kingman has developed into a character that is worth following. Thank you Net Galley and Saga for the advanced read.

Possible Triggers:
Death | Trauma | Mutilation/Torture | Suicide

Summary:
This is the second book in the ‘Legacy of the Mercenary Kings’ series. The second book follows immediately after where the first book left off.

Characters:
The story follows one point of view (Michael Kingman) throughout its entirety.

Michael Kingman: The main character of the book. You become intimately familiar with the way he operates and his thoughts on everything he has to do as a Kingman. I am a little conflicted on the character. On the one hand, he seems very self-aware and is constantly telling the people he loves (and strangers - really he talks to everyone) his shortcomings and how he intends to amend his mistakes. On the other hand, even while he's beating himself up internally for not being enough, he's always giving himself more and more impossible odds to overcome - and weirdly accomplishing the tasks (sort of). It’s almost like a false modesty? I don’t know how to describe it any other way exactly. I do really appreciate a character that can admit their faults AND apologize though. Kudo’s on not making him a complete and utterly insufferable buttweasel. Personally, I think Michael Kingman is trying to compete against Fitz Farseer for “main characters that take the most kick’s while down”.

Dark: Well, well, well my … not good sir. The revealed backstory of Dark is so interesting. How you learn about his past history, even more interesting. Can’t quite decide if he's supposed to be like a morally grey mentor or if at any moment, all possible redeeming-anythings for him will simply poof away. I think he may be my favorite character in the book.

Positives:
+ Let's talk about how horrific the magical ailments are in this book. Not only does magic use have lasting cost and consequence, but there are magical illnesses/diseases that are intense. It almost seems like having magic could very well be a NOT good thing to have. Why would anyone want it at that steep of a cost? I really appreciate this aspect of the magic; use at your own peril. Let's also talk about how varied the magics were and all the hints at the various types of costs associated with each. While most of them were not explained in detail, the breadcrumbs that were scattered around were delicious. I can not wait to get into the next book where i am *fingers crossed* hoping that more of the other magics will be discussed.
+ I cried. I cried so much. I cried for characters I didn't even particularly like. Thank you Nick Martell for making me a snot nosed mess as I stayed up till 4 am in the morning trying to finish the book. I love a book that makes your emotions demand to be felt.
+ Symon’s intro. Symon in general? Such an unlikable character.

Negatives:
- Some minor misses through the story where it concerns small details (for example being locked into a room but leaving it a few moments later). This happened a few times in the beginning chapters and might have been caught before publishing. They did make me do a double take and reread back through the last few paragraphs JUST to make sure i wasn’t imagining stuff.
- The pacing was a little weird. The first 50% of the book was a pretty slow build up and the once you passed that half way mark it was like you were being bludgeoned by the book in the chest as event after event tried to make your poor little heart strings snap.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this second book in the series. The enjoyment level of the read was off the charts by the time I got to the end. I want to shake the hardcover and demand it drops another little hard cover so I know what happens next. The book only takes place in one city, but talks about various other cultures and locations in the world that sound amazing (that maybe we’ll even get to visit in later books?!). There is political intrigue, blood feuds, fantastical creatures, assassins, mercenaries, and SO MUCH brutal magic. Want to get punched in the feels? This series is for you. I am very interested in finding out what will be happening next.

The Two-Faced Queen is the follow up to The Kingdom of Liars. We are following Michael Kingman as he deals with the effects from the first book. The king is dead, and Serena, the Princess, believes Michael is responsible. Luckily for him, he’s under the protection of the mercenary company he works for.

There is a lot going on in this book. Not only do we have the after effects of the first book, we also have a serial killer, and several other plot lines to follow. The first half of this book was a struggle for me, but I ultimately ended up enjoying it as the book progressed. Although this book was not as enjoyable as the first, I am still looking forward to reading the third book in this series.

For the most part, I try not to review books in a series unless I have read the previous books first. Imagine how dismayed I was when I finally had time to read The Two-Faced Queen, by Nick Martell, only to realize that this was book two in a series! I guess I was too enamoured by the beautiful cover when I requested it from NetGalley.

"Okay," I thought, "no problem. I can knock out the first book, then move on to the next one."

So, I downloaded the The Kingdom of Liars (book one) from the library and learned that it was nearly 600 pages! I then checked on how long The Two-Faced Queen was, also around 600 pages. Oh boy! Well, after a marathon of reading over the last week and a half, I have finally read both novels. My head is spinning from the rich world-building, the huge cast of characters, and layered storytelling. It was totally worth it.

What I Liked:

World-Building:

This fantasy book has a complex world of magic, and societies, with checks and balances built into both systems. Only some could use magic, but it's use came at a price. The most common type of magic was called Fabrications. People lose memories each time they use this type of magic. The stronger the magic, the more memories a person loses. If someone uses a small amount of magic they may forgets the name of an object. If they use a large amount of magic they forget entire days, or who their loved ones are. Eventually. if one uses too much magic, they become a Forgotten, who loses all their memories. I loved this check on power.

The society that the novel is set in is really complicated. The kingdom is called Hallow, and there is a rigid class system in place. Besides royalty, there are high and low Nobles, several organized religions, military divisions like the Ravens and Scales, Mercenaries, and then there is the Kingman family. This family is not royalty, but is directly bound to the royal family. They are just as influential as the royals, and are the only people who can speak freely to (and be a check on) the royals they are bound to.

Language:

While I am not a person who normally likes lots of cursing in books, I found the language used in this novel to be quite refreshing. Yes, this is a fantasy world that seems to be set in medieval times (aren't they all). But there are an abundance of F bombs and other, more modern, speech. Yes, the author could have made up curse words. But, I've always felt that device was a bit trite. If you have a bunch of twenty-something people together, no matter the time, there ought to be a fair amount of cursing, carousing, and bad behavior. This made the characters much more relatable for me.

Characters:

The focus of the story is on Michael Kingman, who feels the full weight of his family's legacy. He and his siblings, Gwen and Lyon, have been told over and over that they are to live a life of service to Hallow. They really reminded me of the Kennedy clan in America. There are people in this family who have done amazing things, and others who never live up to their potential. Since their father has been found guilty of killing one of the royal princes ten years earlier, the Kingman family have been in disgrace. But Michael never believed his father was guilty. Now Michael has been accused of killing another royal, and he must convince Serena, the princess he is bound to, that he didn't do it.

There are many other characters who feel the weight of family history on their lives. Besides Michael and Serena, there is Dark, a Mercenary who is hell-bent on destroying his father. Chloe, a Raven who must try to live up to her mother's high standards as the group's leader. Trey, Michael's best friend, grew up in an abusive situation and is determined to lift up his section of the kingdom out of poverty. Everyone is driven to prove themselves. There are a lot of backstories to keep track of. However, the author weaves a tale where this all makes sense. Thankfully, if the reader does become confused, there is a handy list at the front of the book to show who belongs to which family, and what part of society.

Story:

There are plots, and sub-plots, enough to make your head spin. There is the constant threat that a royal or a nobel will kill Michael to avenge the death of Serena's father. There is the thread about Michael's mother trying to rebuild the family's place in society. There is a plot about immortals who may secretly be controlling everything. There are several love stories happening as well. All of this is happening while a rebellion is expected occur in the near future.

At times, it was difficult to understand just where the story was headed. Is it a story about the Princess's ascension to the throne? Is this a story about a serial killer who is targeting pretty much everyone? Or is this a story of revenge on the Kingman family by those who have been wronged by them in the past? If you answered yes to ALL of these questions, you would be correct! This is why the book is nearly 600 pages.

The story really goes in a million directions and it takes a while for everything to come together. But, the result is a richly layered story in a vibrant world. I really felt I could follow it for several hundred more pages, and I would still be enthralled.



Recommendation: Filled with a rich world and exciting characters, this is a wonderful fantasy

The Hollows is gripped in unrest and on the brink of civil war as an insurgency of anarchists rise, and brother and sister vie for the throne in the second novel in the critically hailed Legacy of the Mercenary King series which Brandon Sanderson called “excellent.”

I had no idea this was the second book lol

But I liked it! I was confused by very little so I did not feel like I missed much. Liked it.

The Two-Faced Queen is the second book in Nick Martell’s The Mercenary Kings series, which started with The Kingdom of Liars. It’s epic fantasy set in a world where using magic results in a memory loss and a broken moon drops pieces down to the earth.

I had a lot of issues with the first book—the plot was all over the place and there were too many unnecessary characters, among other things—but I decided to give the sequel a try. Unfortunately, the issues continued.

There were, if possible, even more going on than in the first book. The rebels, the king’s death and Michael trying to prove his innocence, the princess and the succession to throne, Michael trying to restore the Kingman legacy, avenging his father and taking revenge on his step-father where joined with refugees from a far-away country, Michael training to be a mercenary, a serial killer, and an assassin, to name only a few. And all of it was Michael’s responsibility.

Needless to say, with everything going on, the focus wasn’t properly at anything. Like in the first book, Michael was running all over town, doing this and that, and mostly failing. None of the plotlines flowed organically, let alone so that the reader could follow or anticipate what would happen. There were no logical plot points or climaxes. Continuity and logic issues that I hope only occur in the advance copy I read—characters showing up in scenes they’re not supposed to be or knowing things they’re not supposed to know—didn’t help matters either. There were no moments of peace to give Michael—and the reader—time to reflect what was going on and why. Mostly, I suspect, because the author had no idea either.

The entire first half felt like a collection of filler scenes to make the book long enough for some imaginary epic fantasy word count. For example, Michael made a lot of noise about the necessity of helping the refugees as part of his Kingman legacy, but a chapter later they were completely forgotten and never brought up again except as props.

There were too many characters too like in the first book—mostly the same characters, with nothing to do. Problem for this reader was that they weren’t really re-introduced or connected to the events of the previous book. The author assumed that the reader would remember them all, but personally I had no clue. I spent the first half of the book wondering who all these people were and why they mattered.

It didn’t make things easier that some of them were seen in new light. Michael got his memory back at the end of the previous book and the nameless people of the first book were now his old friends. Unfortunately they weren’t connected with the memories the reader had of them. Who was Joey and why he needed heart surgery? Who was Dawn in the previous book?

It didn’t help that the author can’t really create distinct secondary characters. I could’ve sworn that Michael’s sister Gwen was a soldier or in law enforcement in some capacity, yet she turned out to be a blacksmith who liked to dress as a boy. I had no recollection of that.

The only positive change was Michael himself. Now that he could remember who he was, he was less obnoxious and obsessed with revenge. Like he said himself, the curse had prevented him from growing up. Not that there was much character growth here, but at least he tried to be a better person.

The second half of the book was better and more coherent, with a few truly emotional scenes at the end. All the unnecessary distractions were eliminated and the plot concentrated on finding the serial killer. Their identity was a twist that would’ve been more impactful with better foreshadowing from book one. Now it was merely one of the WTF moments the book was full of.

In my review of the first book I noted that it could’ve used a stern editor that would’ve cut the unnecessary plotlines. The second book would’ve benefited from multiple point of view characters. They could’ve been given some of the plots that poor Michael tried to handle by himself to add some depth and coherence to them. The author clearly has a lot he wants to tell, but the chosen method doesn’t do it justice. The one additional POV there was didn’t move the plot forward at all and so was fairly useless.

I think the books’ problems stem from worldbuilding. Martell has clearly spent years creating a complex and intriguing world containing everything possible, and wants to cram it all in, whether it serves the overall plot or not (like what’s with the moon). Many scenes existed solely to introduce the world, making the plot incoherent. The plotline about the immortals will—likely—be the guiding line from here on. In hindsight, it probably was that in the previous book too. It merely got swamped under all the unnecessary distractions.

The book ended at a new place for Michael. The issues with his step-father aren’t solved and new issues have emerged. There’s so much to come that this likely won’t be a classical trilogy but a longer series. I’m not entirely sure, however, that I’ll continue farther than this with Michael.

Another surprisingly good installment. Somehow, every time I thought I might be getting to a boring spot it would get super engaging again and I wouldn’t put it down. That was a little problem that could mostly be ignored, it just meant it took me a little while longer to finish the book! 

Michael Kingman may have escaped the axe, but he’s still shunned by the majority of the nobility and both the Prince and Princess have it out for him. The only thing protecting him is his new status as a mercenary-in-training and if he fails to be inducted he’ll no longer have that. Michael spends the vast majority of this book running around like a crazy person from one task to another, angering people, and being generally rude. I’ll be honest, I don’t actually like him that much but he is pretty interesting to read about. Gwen Kingman has also become even more interesting, sneaking around for her secret employer that we know nothing about. I had my suspicions about who it could be, but MAN was I wrong! Mama Kingman has returned to the world of the aware now that the spell on her mind has been removed. She spent much of the book restoring Kingman Keep, so not much exciting going on there. 

The big overarching plot in this installment is Michael and Dark of Orbis Company searching for the Heartbreak Serial Killer. This killer had struck once before many years prior and they murdered people and cut out their hearts, but there was also a sick game element to it where he would kidnap people and their loved one would try to save them. This either directly or tangentially affected many of the characters and now that the killer is back, it seems like they are coming to finish the job they started so many years before - killing those that survived the first time. I do love a mystery element to my fantasy books and this was well wefted into the other plot lines. 

While this book did feel like it had a smidge of that sophomore slump, it was still very well crafted. Nick Martell is a master of wrapping up plot threads while starting brand new ones that make you ravenous for the next installment. I mean, seriously - those final scenes with Gwen?? I think the next installment is really going to pick up the pace in an already crazy, epic tale of politics, revenge, magic, and madness. These books are unpredictable and I love it!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Two-Faced Queen was another “cover request,” and it’s the latest in the list of acquisitions that served as a reminder to check the description and Google the book prior to impulse-requesting, due to it being second in a series I haven’t read, and unfortunately, one case where I could not easily acquire book one (the library didn’t have it and I wasn’t sure if I had time for another chunker of a book if I did buy it). Thankfully, I was tipped off about the recap at the beginning, allowing me to get the gist of what happened in the previous book to the point where I didn’t feel lost starting on book two. And the fact that it’s woven in so it’s part of the narrative, and not some disjointed narrator telling you what happened ensures that it’s possible returning readers might enjoy it too, especially if they also need a refresher after a long time between books.

There’s a lot going on, with a lot of political intrigue, mystery, and other conflicts, and the twists and turns keep coming at a breakneck pace. I was glad that I could still get elements of the world building, a part that didn’t come through in the intro, in bits and pieces throughout, and it provided a real sense of uncertainty.

The cast of characters is large, and I was glad to have a guide to keep track of them. Some stood out more than others, but I was intrigued by all the rivalries and alliances between the various characters, with family being a major theme. Michael, as the primary POV character, is fairly interesting, even if he does have his flaws and make some dumb choices. I’m not sure how I feel about the other characters as yet, and perhaps I’ll have a fuller picture once I go back to read the first book (whenever I have time to do that!), and definitely want to read future books in this world, regardless.

Reading the second book first was a gamble, even with the aids the author provided and the assurance from another reviewer who also unintentionally skipped the first book, and I’m glad that it more or less paid off in a pinch, although I will endeavor to avoid such a situation in the future. And while I do think you will get a fuller picture than I did if you do read the first book, it is good to know that you can start here if you are absolutely unable to get your hands on the first book for any reason. Either way, it’s a compelling and intriguing fantasy, combining both familiar and unique elements in the genre that I think all epic fantasy fans will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley & Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I feel bad I was unable to finish it, though... DNF'ed at 10%. I will concede that I haven't read the first one, but my main issues were with the writing style, not so much the story.

I *really* could not get past the writing style. So much dialogue, normally I don't mind that but the dialogue was stilted/robotic half the time.

Michael was also a frustrating protagonist to read. The worldbuilding is solid overall, but it's hard to get absorbed into it when there's a protagonist as dull as rocks exploring it.

Does anyone else enjoy historical fiction set in medieval times in a country that isn't specifically any country but it could always be mistaken for England? The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell is set in The Hollows, which could be England or King's Landing.
Everyone believes that Michael Kingman is a traitor or at least the murderer of the former king. Unfortunately, his former kindred spirit, Serena, is the daughter of the king. They used to be so close and now she is trying to find ways to kill him and still be the queen. For the moment, he is under the protection of the Orbis Mercenary Company.
Kingman has magical powers like many of the people in the kingdom. By using the powers, memories disappear. Imagine how aggravating that would be? How would you know if you had solved a mystery? It's sort of like that movie where the guy has to tattoo the clues on his body so he remembers.
Kingman is trying to clear his name, get his friendship with Serena back and find a serial killer. There might be more than one killer. He might even know them personally. They could be shape-shifting from a magical creature to a human. Of course, his memory is tricky. It's not like he's under any pressure or anything.
If you enjoy fantasy novels with mystery, romance and murder, then The Two-Faced Queen could be your next TBR novel.
If you don't appreciate books with magic and imagination, then you are missing out on this book.
I received this ebook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
Amazon affiliate link included in this post.

I would like to start with saying thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for providing me with an early Arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Two-Faced Queen is the sequel to the Kingdom of Liars and while its a direct follow up, I can't deny that it does do a good job standing on its own. The author included a "Story so far" page and that alone did a great job giving a quick run down of what happened in the first book. Everything else about The Two-Faced Queen minus the characters, location and few mentions of events in book one, make this sequel feel like a standalone.

Now don't go thinking that's a bad thing, the stories do still connect, but there were plot points that felt extremely important in the first book that where only mentioned with a passing glance in book two. For example, I did not get more information on Celona the Moon, which I will be honest made me super disappointed. Hopefully that will be tackled in the third book, or I am sorely invested in the wrong story element.

The first half I struggled with, which was the same issue I had with the first book, but only this time, the story felt all over the place, and almost directionless. I just didn't understand where the plot was going which fed into the feeling that it was its own standalone story, I was struggling to connect the main plot of this story to the plot in the first book, and it doesn't really, aside from it being a plot to delve more into the magic system and who Dark is. And don't even get me started on that guy, I am so unbelievably confused over my feelings towards him now. The entire story just turned into an entire mystery story, from learning about the past, to Dark and the magic, every thing was a mystery.

Speaking of the magic system we did learn more about it, we also learned that apparently no one in this book likes to answers questions, which I will be honest became an annoyance through out the story. Every time Michael asked questions he got half answers or was told he would learn soon enough. You can only feed me so many breadcrumbs before I get annoyed and stop caring. I wanted to learn the same things Michael was wanting to learn but so much was just left unanswered for the longest time, this including how the magic of the world works and there are still parts I don't have answers too. While it took majority of the book to get some of these answers the journey to get them was frustrating.

The parts of the magic system that was finally revealed took me by surprise and left me shocked. I wasn't expecting the reveals we got, I'm not going to delve into what exactly happens as that would ruin the fun for someone else, but it seems the running idea of sacrifice for magic use works no matter what part of the world you live in, what is sacrificed is what is different and two in particular left me uncomfortable but I have to give credit they are an uncommon use that I have come across in books so I can appreciate the creativeness behind them, they are just uncomfortable.. So I'm interested to see where things go in the next book, since not all the places and how they use their magic was revealed in this installment.

The second half of the book was where things finally started to make sense and come together and the pace really picked up and just grabbed my attention and kept me hooked. Reveals of who or what someone was was finally coming to light. Plans where starting to roll into motion and lives where being lost. And what ultimately brings my rating from a 3 to a 4 was the end made me cry, it brought tears over characters who I didn't think I would be upset over, but it freaking did. The same exact thing happened in book 1, the end got me and made me feel so many emotions and the questions, not all of them, but some none the less were finally answered. Of course there are now more questions that need to be answered and I want to know them, so Of course I'm going to be reading the 3rd book in this series.

Maybe this review comes off negative, I hope it doesn't, I really did enjoy it, the first half was just a struggle and it was difficult to follow along at times due to every characters inability to answer a question straight forward, but the later half is totally worth it, and just action packed and captivating.

Oh I will say, I noticed a lot of people where happy with Michael in this book not being as "Dumb" and "stupid" as he was in the first book, I would like to kindly say I am in the minority here and I missed that aspect of him so much. His bad choices and dumb decisions where what made me fall in love his character and I just at times felt like I wasn't reading the same Michael in this book, please make him do dumb stuff again haha.