brilliant, show stopping, incredible, amazing. I could rave on and on about this book that took me into an amazing world and had me gripped immediately.

The Celtic elements that were in this fantasy-ish world were absolutely fantastic. I was gripped by the characters and their growth. The PLOT TWISTS. HOLY PEARLS THE PLOT TWISTS

I was taken aback, shocked, stuttering and clutching my pearls whenever they were built up, did a 180, and took me on a wild ride. You think you might know what would happen- but no- no you don’t (and I adored it!!!!)

This world is one that I will constantly be revisiting and loving more and more and more. Easily a re read and a favorite book of the year!

I just finished reading this last night. Great story. I really enjoyed it.


I received a eArc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars

This book was a quick, easy and captivating read. The characters were well fleshed-out and well-written. The two POVs were distinguishable to each other and there was never a problem knowing which MC the chapter was about. As for the world building I believe it could have been done better. There should have been given more information about the magic system as it could sometimes be hard to understand, especially for someone new to Celtic mythology. In my opinion the characters were the best part of the book and drove the story along. You want to keep reading to understand what their secrets are and to know where their stories end. I had high expectations when heading into this book and sadly it fell a little flat for me. That being said, I still think Queen Among the Dead is a good book with high stakes and interesting characters and it was worth the read. I will definitely be checking out more by this author.

I don't know much about celtic mythology and was interested in reading more about it, This book has got great world building. I didn't like the main character Neve. Ronan was more likable, but I didn't feel connected to either of them. The plot felt slow, especially at the start of the book. This book was okay, but I was not grabbed by the story.

Not really one for me this one, it felt a bit too Disney Celtic rather than the genuine thing to me, but if you like that it’s definitely a book for you just not me

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion

Why is there not more YA Celtic-inspired fantasy? I absolutely loved the worldbuilding and I found the characters likable, too. The writing flowed well. The slow burn was both amazing and agonizing. I also love an included glossary! I think this will be a win for any YA fan and I’m a bit shocked by the low rating.

The moment that I saw this book was based on Celtic lore, I was excited to jump right in. The depth of the world building was evident from the very beginning, as the reader is thrown right into the action. I was drawn in and couldn't stop turning the pages for the first quarter of the book. From the magic system to the unexpected relationships, the beginning of the book left me with so many questions that I couldn’t wait to have answered.

Unfortunately, after that first quarter, the book began to stall for me. While I appreciated the depth of the world building, it quickly became too much for just one book. There were so many characters and connections that I struggled to keep track of it all. Letting the characters flesh out and breathe a bit would have helped this book along, possibly even separating it into two novels.

Other than the pacing issues, I enjoyed the story itself and would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a story with strong world building.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Pretty mediocre fantasy. Maybe it just wasn't for me. The writing style felt off in places and the characters were hard to distinguish at times.

Solid YA Fantasy - Not only was the world building strong, there was also good character development and an intriguing plot. Oh...and monsters...there were monsters.

Neve and Ronan meet as children when they fight for their lives against a demon. Then when they run into each other again, years later, their actual identities are surprising. But so begins their fated destiny as their lives continue to collide.

With a basis in Celtic mythology, this book kept me interested from the beginning. Even though there may have been a few slow spots, it would quickly pick up again. The storyline was one that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. Neve and Ronan had "battles" to fight in more ways than one and a simmering chemistry that was undeniable. It was a well-balanced read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own,

I feel like I'm missing the point of the book a lot. Nothing really happens. It's also really hard to follow all the characters.

Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me. The story was confusing and vague from the beginning, so I never really got into it and to be honest I still don't really understand the world building!!

I loved Lesley Livingston when I was younger, but I think this could have used more editing.

It took me so long to get into this book but once I did I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the writing but felt like I had to put it down a lot. That's not to say it was not enjoyable as a whole. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

The Celtic mythology is what drew me to this title. After reading it, I'm on the fence about how much I like it. 3 stars, average read.

The novel is well-written, but the plot itself follows a pretty familiar trope: Neve, the daughter of a King, is slightly rebellious and yearning for more freedom. She meets a boy, can't decide if she likes him or hates him, they go back and forth in confusing indecisiveness. Neve has to break gender stereotypes to save her country, even though a woman can't be King.

The pacing is a little weird, and the mythological elements might be confusing for someone not familiar with the names of creatures or clans. Overall, it would be an enjoyable read, but nothing really stood out as absolutely amazing!

I wanted to love this book so so much but I just liked it. I was super interested in this based on the blurb but it took me a while to get into the story. I think this may have been a DNF for me but then it picked up. I think this was a good YA book but I don't think I am the target audience at the moment. I would recommend this to a teen who loves historical Celtic ideas and fantasy.

An imaginative exploration of Celtic myth and history, wrapped in an engaging and propulsive YA adventure. I loved following headstrong Neve's twisty turny journey to the throne-- she's a classic YA protagonist with some unique dimensions, and she moves through a world marked by fascinating worldbuilding and mysterious magical forces. Eire was a pleasure to spend time in!

dnf at approximately 15%

I tried, but I could not finish reading this one. Queen Among the Dead is so weirdly paced, I actually thought a chunk of my ARC was missing. Turns out Ronan and Neve, the protagonists who are first introduced on the day of their fateful meeting as children, face each other again during a chance encounter in scene number two, without so much as a transition in between. I'm pretty sure that scene should have had a beginning somehow?

Similarly to the chaotic change of scenarios, the author clearly harbours a great love for Celtic folklore and wished to do her passion justice by employing as much of her knowledge in the worldbuilding as possible, but nearly crushes her readers under all those dropped facts. The narratot certainly feels a little too excited. I could barely catch my breath in between - and reading Celtic names is already hard enough for me as it is. Girl, help.

Queen among the dead

Based on the legends surrounding Irelands first Queen, Queen Among the Dead takes us into the ancient Celtic kingdom of Eire. It is a story of druids, magic, kings and queens, court intrigue, thieves, succession and power.

The world building is stunning. There is SO MUCH going on but it’s crafted so carefully that it all just works. I will say, in the front flap there is a glossary of terms, specifically related to the different people groups, and it’s definitely helpful. I read this as an e arc and found myself wishing for the paper copy (I heard someone refer hard copy as a tree copy the other day and may forever use that) so I could refer to it a few times for clarification.

I loved the characters too, especially Neve, the King’s youngest daughter, and Rowan, an ex Druid turned thief. Neve is strong, courageous and feisty; she deserves her place in this story.

I’m not sure if there will be a second installment but I sure do hope so.

Thank you @netgalley and @zando for this e arc in exchange for my honest review.

The synopsis says it is based on “The first true Queen of Ireland”, but it gave me major Merida (Brave) vibes mixed with Galadriel from The Rings of Power.

In the beginning of the book, it gives a list of tribes of Eire. The names are so close to each other that it’s really hard to keep them separate (FIR BOLG, FIR DOMNANN, FOMORI, FAOLADH, FÉ FÍADA, etc). Although it’s confusing and I couldn’t pronounce them if my life depended on it, I was able to recognize who each were when they were mentioned. So don’t get stuck on the names.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story. But after I understood the world building and history, it was a quick read and a great story.

Filled with Magic, druids/priests, shifters, royalty, lost family, claiming the throne, battles, stone circles, Magic-sniffing hounds, murder, betrayal, intertwined fates

I DNF'd this book around a third of the way in. It was supposed to be a Celtic/Irish fantasy which I found interesting, until I started reading it and found that it was a fantasy of reverse colonialism, where Ireland was colonized by Egypt.

The book is in third person, alternating between Neve and Ronan's perspectives. Neve is one of the princesses and one of her ancestors "conquered" Eire, which is the name of the current kingdom. You can read conquered as colonized because it talks about how the old customs and gods of the land from before they came were pretty much eradicated, like Ronan who was a Druid apprentice was kicked out for being too curious of the old gods. And there was even an indigenous maidservant that Neve was planning to free, which you can probably make some connections about why she needed to be free.

Towards the beginning, there was a mention of one of the new gods brought over through colonialism and it struck me as odd because it sounded like it was supposed to resemble an ancient Egyptian name (keep in mind that I'm Egyptian). A little while later though, Neve tells Ronan the story of her birth and how one of the gods had saved her as a baby. The god in question was Khenti-Amentiu who is an Ancient Egyptian god, not to mention that right after, Ronan says something about how Neve's people's gods have animal heads. Maybe there's other mythologies like that out there, but Egyptian mythology is the only mythology I know where the gods have animal heads. Lastly was when it said that Neve's ancestor came from Kemet which is another name for Ancient Egypt.

As an Egyptian, the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it made me and I just had to stop reading it for my sanity.

I love the world building in this and the authors writing style! I would absolutely suggest this to SJM or Holly black fans. So good.