I really wanted to enjoy The Promised Queen, but sadly, I ended up DNF-ing it around the 100-page mark. The book just felt incredibly slow, and I found myself struggling to get into the story at all.

From the start, the pacing dragged. Not much seemed to happen, and I kept waiting for the plot to pick up or for the characters to truly draw me in - but it never really did. I also found the chapters to be very long, which made it feel even harder to stay engaged. I usually don’t mind long chapters, but in this case, it made the reading experience feel more like a chore than an escape.

The dynamic between Ember and Rhaell is meant to be a slow burn, but I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry. Their interactions leaned heavily into physical attraction without much emotional depth early on, which made it hard to connect with their relationship. That said, I did appreciate that Ember isn’t written as the stereotypical tiny FMC we so often see in fantasy - she felt more real in that way.

The world had potential, and I liked the inclusion of magical creatures, but it didn’t come through strongly enough in what I read. Plus, the modern-world references scattered throughout pulled me out of the story more than once. A few can be fun, but it started to feel a bit too on-the-nose.

This one just wasn’t for me - but I can see how others might enjoy it, especially if they’re more patient with slow-building fantasy.

I was really intrigued by the premise of The Promised Queen: a master thief thrown into a dying kingdom, forced into a dangerous prophecy, and caught between a beastly prince and a brooding captain of the guard? Sign me up. The setup had all the ingredients I love: political intrigue, reluctant alliances, a touch of magic, and slow-burn romance.
Unfortunately, while the concept hooked me, the execution didn’t fully deliver. Ember is a fun and snarky protagonist, and I appreciated her defiance and self-reliance, but I found myself wanting more depth from the supporting cast, especially Rhaell, who felt like he had potential that never quite got explored. The worldbuilding was interesting but a bit thin in places, and the pacing sometimes made it hard to stay invested.
That said, Kate Johnson’s voice is witty and bold, and there are definitely moments of tension and chemistry that worked. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it either—it was a decent read that just didn’t quite live up to the promise of its premise for me.

Ember Hart is a thief. But one bad job finds her falling from the sky and almost bleeding out in the arms of a terrifying soldier. When Ember broke into the manor of one of her town's lords she didn’t expect to find herself tied to an altar and used as a sacrifice in a creepy ritual.

Waking up in a world which is most definitely not her own she’s faced with a vicious king who only sees her as a broodmare to provide him with prophecised heirs that will restore his kingdom’s magic and secure his family’s bloodline. Ember does her best to escape but Rhaell, the captain of the guard, is assigned to watch over Ember until her wedding to the terrifying Prince Bronadyr is complete.

The King’s grandson is considered a monster by the people of Yskara but as the only blood heir the King has he is the reluctant heir to the throne. When Ember is told of the Prince’s brutality she forms a plan to escape and return home to her family. But she cannot do it alone and tries to persuade Rhaell to help her. Rhaell finds his loyalties tested as he sees Ember as more than just the Prince’s bride-to-be.

This was a twisty romantasy which kept me guessing up until the last few chapters. The slow burn between Ember and Rhaell was perfect!

It’s always refreshing to read strong female characters and I liked that Ember knew she had flaws but embraced them and carried on regardless. The King really is vile and I couldn’t help but cringe every time he made an appearance.

I enjoyed the world-building and like the idea that there are different realms/kingdoms where people no longer mix but still have knowledge of each other. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and I am dying to know what happens next!

The Promised Queen is coming June 5th and available to preorder in paperback and ebook!

The Promised Queen was such a fun ride! Ember’s a badass thief who accidentally ends up tied to a beastly prince thanks to a prophecy—and of course, there’s a broody captain of the guard with major slow-burn vibes 👀.

It’s got magic (and the lack of it), clever banter, a bit of spice, and a heroine who’s not here to be anyone’s pawn. Totally one for the romantasy girlies!

This book was fine - it didn't blow me away, but I didn't hate it. The writing style felt too modern for the setting, but the plot itself was ok. The romance was pretty convincing, but the world building just wasn't there which made it difficult to connect to in places. I don't think I'd tell people to rush to read it, but I'd mostly suggest it's worth giving a chance.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This was not the book for me.

By 20% I couldn't stand the FMC. Maybe I just didn't understand enough of her background, but her dialogue was a complete turn off for me.

It rolled over into the romantic elements. So much 'ugly, huge tits, size of a forearm, boneing' kind of descriptors just took away any chance of a meaningful romance for me. It all seemed superficial at best.

Like I said, just not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

The magic system and idea of a promised one foretold to save the magic was pretty interesting, the worldbuilding did get a bit confusing and complicate at times but I still loved reading about it.

I wasn’t expecting this to be a monster romance from the cover, title or blurb and I know part of it is to keep the shock factor. But I would have liked a trigger warning page or a note somewhere of some of the themes because there were some pretty dark and intense scenes that may be very triggering for some readers.

The pacing was not consistent at did have various speeds, which I didn’t mind too much, but when it came to the relationship between Ember and the mmc it was hard to figure out how much time had actually passed since they first met.

Whilst the book main,y focuses on the pov of the fmc and mmc there is also a chapter where it is from the kings pov (which felt a bit like a filler chapter) and there was also a pov for two characters that weren’t really explained until near the end.

I have never read a book that had the word t*ts in almost every chapter and sometimes right after each other in a different sentence, some of the spicy scenes was a bit cringe with the dialogue.

The language that Ember uses did feel very out of place (I know she is from a more modern world), there were times when she would speak normally per say and then the next dialogue she has she’s speaking like a roadman that’s lurking in an alley.

Ember didn’t really have any character development and with the funny pacing we didn’t really see her connect with many of the side characters (like Phoebe and Caelia) and considering some of them do have impact on the plot it would of been good to see her interact with them.

The ending was very good and did leave an interesting ending that has me curious but I don’t think I will buy either book. It would be a fun read for someone who wants a blend between fantasy and a spicy romantasy.

Thank you Kate Johnson, HarperCollins UK One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC!!!

Ember Hart falls into a new world with a blade in her chest and is told she’s “The Promised One.”Ember has to navigate a new world full of customs, people, and magic she doesn’t understand. She’s told she has to marry “The Beast” and is NOT excited about that idea. She’s goes on many quests and adventures in this story which were enjoyable to read about.

I really like Ember. She is hilarious, confident in who she is, witty, honest & refreshing as a FMC. She definitely has a filthy mouth, a bit of a change compared to most romantasy!

This book had some twists and turns in the last 20%!!! Wow. Didn’t expect those!!! I struggled a bit through the middle of the book; a lot was happening but it didn’t pull me in enough for some reason.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would read a second book!

A thief with a sharp tongue. A kingdom losing its magic. A prophecy with teeth.

The Promised Queen sinks its claws in from the first page and doesn't let go. Ember Hart is not your average chosen-one heroine—she’s sarcastic, savvy, and refuses to be anyone’s pawn. When a petty theft lands her in a crumbling fae realm, she’s crowned the "Promised One" and shoved toward a political marriage with a beastly prince... But Ember has other plans.

Her uneasy alliance with Rhaell, the brooding and secretive Captain of the Guard, simmers into a slow-burn romance that’s as spicy as it is emotional. Their banter crackles, and the tension? Off the charts.

Johnson's world-building is darkly enchanting—dragons, eerie sacred trees, creepy mermaids, fae politics—it’s immersive and wildly entertaining. I especially loved the blend of quests, curses, and monster tropes.

Important to note: the book features sensitive themes around pregnancy, reproductive control, and state violence, which may not be for everyone. While it clearly criticises this system through its characters, readers should be aware of these darker threads.

Some may find Ember’s modern (and rather vulgar) language jarring in a fantasy world, which I wasn't a fan of. However, I did enjoy her no-nonsense attitude and Northern charm.

Overall, The Promised Queen is fast-paced, funny, feral, and fierce. I tore through it in days and desperately want a sequel. If you love rebellious heroines, brooding protectors, magical quests, and stories that balance spice with soul—this one’s for you.

I did enjoy this book. The cover is very beautiful. The main female character’s name is Ember, who is a regular girl with very grabby hands. She swipes the wrong item one day and suddenly she is in a different world. Forced marriage into the prince. This is an interesting world building. Has a strong premise with slow burn romance.

Obsessed. Actually obsessed. I need a sequel like, yesterday 😍

This book is funny, action-packed, intense, very spicy and the slow burn, yearning romance ❤️‍🔥 is to die for. I was not expecting any of the plot twists, so that was a nice surprise.

I was super invested in all aspects of the story and all the characters felt so well-developed. I particularly enjoyed our MFC’s personality, she was sassy and strong and took what she wanted.

This was exactly what I needed to read right now. So entertaining!

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF/2 stars

This story follows Ember our FMC who get thrown into a different world in which she is seen as the chosen one as she arrived at a certain time, and also in a little lesser sense our MMC Rhaell. Their relationship should be a slow burn according to what I read, but I didn’t really feel that. They both have very horny thoughts towards the other, and I miss some nuance next to that. I think it might be for that reason that I don’t really feel their chemistry unfortunately. What I did appreciate is that we Ember is a normal girl in sense of height, weight and boobs (even tough the first and last point are in human standards not Fae standards …), so that was a nice change of the more common short girls, however due to the fact that fae are often tall (also in this book) that does get cancelled out a bit….

A second thing that bothered me was that this book has very long chapters, I don’t usually mind long chapters but these in my opinion were just to much, I would have appreciated if they were split up more and I feel that it would have been easier to read then.

The books has no pregnancy trope as far as I know, but the story is very heavenly based on the powerful people of the story wanting the FMC to be pregnant, it even was a whole prophecy. I feel that this might be nice for some people but it really gave me the icks.

I do love the world that was created, it doesn’t come trough that often, but I love all the magical creatures that the writer focuses on. However, what bothered me was the large amount of references to things we have in our modern world. That took me a bit out of the story, I find a reference here or there funny but this was to much on the nose for me unfortunately.

Thank you onemorechapter for providing me with this arc trough netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Harpercollins UK and One More Chapter for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Promised Queen was alright, but it felt a bit repetitive, kind of like other popular romantasy books. The romance felt rushed, and some of the sexual dialogue came off as a little immature. The world-building was cool and the characters were interesting, but the pacing was all over the place and the story sometimes wandered, which made it hard to stay fully into it.
So for me, a solid 3⭐

Honestly I did not enjoy this. The dialogue did not fit with the setting of the book, it was supposed to be set in a castle with royalty etc but they did not speak in such a way. This also goes for the constant vulgar language, which don’t get me wrong I’m no prude, but it was not written well and so just came across as a bit gross and cringe.

The fmc was annoying, crass and unlikeable. I didn’t like the way she spoke, whether it was because she was supposed to be speaking like a modern day person (I think from what I could try to understand?) however her dialogue was unappealing and nonsensical.
The world building was poor and the plot was not exciting or engaging enough to keep me fully interested, there was no pull or ‘oh I wonder what’s going to happen’, it just fell flat.
I don’t really have much else to say about this book, I did think it sounded interesting before I read it and thought it might be a fun read but it has not lived up to expectations.

If I wasn’t reading the arc I would have dnf’d this a third of the way in.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 out of 5 stars

The Promised Queen by Kate Johnson offers an inventive concept—a prophecy, a crumbling kingdom without magic, and a thief fated to change everything—but the execution didn’t quite live up to the premise. Ember is a likable protagonist, and the setup of her being drawn into a royal and magical conflict is engaging, but the world-building and pacing felt rushed. The romantic subplot also lacked the chemistry and development I hoped for.

Still, Johnson’s writing style is witty and accessible, and there are glimmers of charm throughout. With tighter plotting and richer character development, this could have been a standout. A solid read for those seeking a light fantasy romance, but it may not fully satisfy fans of more immersive, layered fantasy.

🔥🔥🔥🔥 — plot driven, spicy, magical and set in parallel worlds. This is definitely a book in my taste. If you liked the Raven Rings by Siri Pettersen, this is a book for you!

The Promised Queen is about Ember Hart, a common and average girl with sticky fingers who speaks a lovely northern English accent and is herself in all situations, good or bad. She nicks the wrong thing and ends up in a different world, where she befriends a gorgeous man, is forcibly engaged to the beastly prince and goes on quests. I love quests! And princess! And forced marriages!

Johnson’s world-building is interesting, good characters, interesting politics and fascinating creatures. I would love to dig a bit deeper as some parts seem rushed over, but, hey, I’m a fantasy girl and the romance is nice to have, not need to have, so I like that kinda stuff. I’m in it for the dragons and the creepy mermaids, not the soppy love declarations (which it definitely has). But, I will also not say no to a well-written and angst slow-burn romance. This book has a bit of everything which speaks to it being well-received by most.

I can’t wait to see what Johnson has in store for Ember in the future!

I received this ARC through One More Chapter and NetGalley to read and review prior to publication. I did not receive compensation and the review is honest and freely given. Many thanks to the author for writing this enchanting story!

The Promised Queen beings with Ember Hart amidst a robbery, where she accidentally comes across a kidnapped girl prepared to be sacrificed. In freeing her, Ember is forced into her place. Ember literally falls from the sky in a realm where she is prophesized to be a "Chosen One," provide an heir to the kingdom, and return magic to the land.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this book about 20% in. I initially chose it because the cover was striking, and the description seemed right up my alley. I think this book is a very promising concept but I just couldn't get invested into the story. For starters, though very descriptive, the writing is also very wordy. I kept getting distracted by differing accents or dialects and by repetitive lines where a mood, feeling, or thought was expressed. I loved the concept of Ember's character: a woman who is underestimated but passionate and forward. However, her dialogue did not land for me. Her trying to seduce Rhaell immediately after waking up in a foreign place and trying to escape felt very very out of place. Additionally, the plot movement felt inconsistent. For example: In the beginning we jump into the plot with the sacrifice and arrival of The Chosen One, but she never slows down to actually express worry about her crippled father and little brothers (aside from a few fleeting thoughts). Then we are meandering the castle and meeting everyone (This felt very slow) where she seems to bounce between accepting that she is here enough to disrespect or "buck up" at certain royalty (I think we are trying a little too hard to achieve attitude here) or she is plotting to escape. There is also random added POVs - I'm not a fan of how Deer and Rainbow were introduced. It felt like it very much stood alone from the rest of the story's beginning and though I'm sure it leads somewhere conclusive in the end, the integration of their characters did not mesh with the story being told. Again, the premise was strong, but there were too many inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story as I was reading.

3.75 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins/One more chapter for this arc

Did I enjoy this book? Yes but maybe from 50% onwards. I felt like the pacing of the first half was slow and the relationships and descriptions were too. However once I got past the 50% mark I did really enjoy the story and would be interested to see where it goes in a second book.

Not gonna lie, I was drawn into this by a beautiful book cover and I thought how this was nothing like other romantasy novels out there, with the throwing knives/swords, flowers and intricate lines on the book covers, and it definitely will be better than any other fantasy romance out there. Was I wrong?

Mostly because of the pacing inconsistencies, modern language and soft magic system, I rounded up the overall reading experience to 3 stars. Perhaps, I would’ve liked it so much better if not for the Biblical references, American colloquialisms and the mentions of a very modern looking makeups, nicknames like “Buttercup” and “Sparks”. Speaking of languages, why did Rakaa have Scottish accents? I’m not against all of it per se, but I don’t think there’s a place for that in a high fantasy setting. It was not something I expected to see here, and I found it extremely distracting and out of place.

The book starts with the main character, Ember, trying to steal the High Lord’s Stone from Baron Varne’s mansion. Soon we learn that she has two young brothers and a sick father who requires a medical attention. She was in a wrong place at a wrong time and was transported to a different realm. By the limited description of it, her own world was an alternative version of the US, I’d say 19th century. But moving a character from one fantasy setting into another and making her talk like a 21st century’ woman, that didn’t work for me. Speaking of, Ember is not very pretty, and she’s not special, not a bit, she’s a very simple girl who just wants to go home and wear pants and not the beautiful dresses.

The magic system was undefined, e.g. if they wanted to have a light in their hand they could summon it, if they wanted to prevent their belongings from soaking they could simply put a charm in their bags, if they wanted to move around the humongous castle, they could use a magical portal; when Ember wished to become invisible she just did that. By the end of the book, I had a vague understanding of what those Stones (“horocracs”) could do.

Ember didn’t become a thief by choice, although it felt that way. Even so, the heroine is very true to herself. She knew what she wanted, and was honest about her desires. But the constant lusting over main LI, Rhaell, was very off-putting nevertheless.

Rhaell was a misunderstood Ice Planet Barbarian, who just wanted for someone to love him for his big, enormous, massive…heart. While reading his POV, we know he’s not indifferent to Ember, but he still rejected her, not just once, but multiple times. A “no” means “no”, right? It seems, the heroine had a different opinion on this matter - the scene where they were lying together under his jacket, felt off, she simply took advantage of him. Overall, their love story was a little rushed and I don’t believe one month is enough time to develop these deep feelings.

The King Onas’ POV was very random, but at the same time it was refreshing to read a villain’s perspective in a romantasy novel, and I wish his character was given more book time. I was also a little disappointed by how things played out with the “Deer and Rainbow’” storyline. It was an amazing idea, but it fell flat for me. In addition to that, I don’t think there was enough time to build a connection with some of the characters, and so I was rather indifferent to the tragic events involved Caeda and Phoebe, and the emotions, the author was tying to make us feel.

Every time I thought this can’t be more epic there’s no plot twist left, I was proved wrong. The second part of the book reminded me of “A Court of Mist and Fury”, and then I see the description of the book on Goodreads is changed to “Sarah j Maas with twist you won’t see coming”, which wasn’t there when I came across this book for the first time.

Not gonna lie, there were a couple of good jokes that made me laugh, but they were screaming the USA-21st-century-humour. Not to say I didn’t have fun, but it’s not the book to lose your sleep over, and I don’t think I’ll continue with the rest of the series either. It reads as a YA or NA romantasy novel, but with the excessive swearing, lusting and the description of some gory scenes.

To sum this up, it has a great potential, but at current state the books feels unpolished and requires more editing/writing. Possibly, to develop/strengthen the characters, make them more complex, especially Ember, I’m afraid she didn’t change much throughout the book, she neither evolved nor devolved. Besides, a lot of chapters/scenes seemed to appear out of the blue and were somewhat unrelated to the rest of the story. As I mentioned in the beginning of my review, the pacing had some issues. The second part of the book made me feel like I binged a miniseries.

There were certain things I wish I knew before coming into this. Like the heroine’s “condition”, which’s a sensitive and difficult topic for me. Anyhow, if the issues described in my reviews are “no brainier” for you, if you like a miscommunication trope, and your book couple to be on an adventure with lots of plot twists and surprises on their way, if you’re intrigued by the magical trees, and you like your romantasy “medium-spicy”, with a light world building, this one could be for you.

The Promised Queen surprised me—in the best kind of way. What starts out feeling like familiar fantasy fare (a scrappy thief, a mysterious realm, a beastly prince) quickly unspools into something sharper, bolder, and far more twisty than expected. I tore through this one in just a couple of days, and when I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about reading it. Always a good sign.

Ember is the kind of heroine I can’t help but root for: resourceful, rough around the edges, and just a bit of a smartass. She’s plucked from her hard-knock life and dropped into a world that wants to worship her and control her all at once—crowned the Promised One, expected to marry a monstrous prince, and bring magic back to a dying kingdom. But Ember? She has no intention of being anyone’s prophecy pawn.

Enter Rhaell, the brooding, scarred Captain of the Guard who’s keeping more than a few secrets under all that armor. Their alliance is wary at first—she doesn’t trust him, he knows more than he’s letting on—but the tension between them is delicious. And once the banter turns to something hotter (and a bit monster-ish), let’s just say I was all in.

The pacing had me doing that thing where I told myself “just one more chapter”... about six times in a row. The world-building is layered but accessible, the twists are well-timed and genuinely surprising, and the magic system (especially involving the sacred tree) is eerie and evocative. There’s also a deep emotional thread here, especially around Rhaell’s backstory, that made some late-in-the-book revelations hit hard.

Is it perfect? Not quite—the beginning takes a little warming up to, and the tone walks a tightrope between playful and coarse that won’t be for everyone. But once it clicks, it really clicks. If you love morally grey love interests, magical quests, secret prophecies, and heroines who don’t go quietly, this one’s a gem.

A dark and daring romantasy —and I desperately hope there’s more to come.