The synopsis of this book and comparisons to other authors I love like Maas drew me in and convinced me I had to read this ALC. Thank you netgalley for the copy in return for an honest review! Release 14th Feb 25.

We follow Aisling who is a princess that thought her life was set to go one way but instead she is used by her kingdom to bridge the gap between them and the fae. She is married off to the Fae King, Lir but goes in with a ton of prejudice against fae kind.

I did struggle with the POVs as the narrator often interrupts our FMC alot. The world building was really good, there are so many types of fae/beasts and they are described so vividly. I loved the magic system too.

I would say expectations are everything with this book as its not slow burn or a romantasy in my opinion. There is no burn, no tension and you just don't feel it will lead there. The MMC and FMC avoid eachother for almost the entire book. Now this is a series so it could have more romance later but this approach was not for me. I loved Spark Of The Everflame for reference which is a super slow burn but gives you all the tension, angst and feels.

This is a fantasy book following Aislings journey, growth and discoveries in a magical and interesting world. If you love a fantasy book with fae, magic and little to no romance I think you would really enjoy this book.

Fae
Forced Proximity
Arranged Marriage
Magic
Mythical Creatures
Secrets
Self Discovery
No Spice

I started the audio book at 1x speed. I found it to be slow and dramatic. I increased it to 1.25x speed and found the pace better. Overall, I found the story boring. It is a slow burn book, and it's exactly that slow. There are phrases from the beginning of the story that get repeated throughout the story. They were repeated enough that I found it old and annoying. Clean story, no explicit sex or mature language.

I received the audiobook for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had me captivated from start to finish. I enjoyed learning so much about the Ao Si and their culture and powers. Lir is the ruler of his people and now has ties with humans since he married their daughter Aisling. This sparks rage with the Unseelie who had a pact with the Ao Si. The Unseelie are drawn to Aisling due to her human and blood and quite literally want to devour her. However, she appears to channel magic. It is unheard of for a human to channel magic since long ago. Aisling has to learn to control her magic as she uncovers truths from lies.

The world building and descriptions in this book were phenomenal. I could vividly imagine the different creatures and even the foods that were being ate by the Ao Si. I could picture the nature with lush flowers, plants, and animals.

This book honestly had me supporting one side the entire time and then the ending absolutely destroyed me. I can't wait to read the sequel! Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Ashley Metzler for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

I originally read this back when it was Breath of the New Creature and I loved it so much! Soooo, of course I had to check out the audio. I am not disappointed! This book, this series!!!

It was okay, nothing revolutionary or new but still enjoyable over all. but interesting for the fae court, customs and politics.

The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler
Narrated by Samantha Norbury
⭐️⭐️/5

A mortal woman, Aisling, and the king of the fae, Lir, enter a political marriage to unite their people in peace - or so the plan claims. Peace is hard to come by, especially when Aisling learns that everything she's been told about the fae has been twisted.

Aisling's journey to uncover the truth doesn't stop with the fae she must learn to live with, but also with a newfound magic within herself.

I want to first applaud Samantha Norbury on a very well done narration. The inflection of her performance was engaging and her range of character voices was delightful.

Unfortunately, the story itself fell flat for me. Part of my rating is due to a personal preference against third person narratives, but in this story I felt like it kept me at an arms length from really getting to know the characters. The pacing was very slow, and I had a very hard time getting interested.
I never felt very connected to Aisling, nor do I feel like she grew or developed as a character other than going from a run-of-the-mill mortal to having some magical abilities.
The romance was also nowhere to be found, so while the series may end up focusing more on the relationship with Aisling and Lir, the first book shows none of it, with the exception of a single kiss at the end. I didn't feel their relationship grow at all, and I just wasn't invested.

Keep in mind, this is my own opinion and the book was very well received by other readers!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, Second Sky Books, and Ashley Metzler for the ALC.
All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

This audiobook has an excellent narrator. The story is interesting for sure but the slow burn is so slow I'm not sure the FMC and MMC have any chemistry at all. Also, idiosyncratically, there is an overuse of several phrases throughout the book, including 'the mortal queen.' The characters could use a little more development - I'd love to love them! Overall, the book was entertaining.

Wow! I was so hooked on this one. I love the narration too!
I was just feeling this lovely, creepy, and interesting book. I haven't read anything else like it yet.

This was everything that I've wanted in a fae romance lately. The FMC has some flaws, and I loved that. She doesn't do things perfect on the first try and she isn't an amazing weapons/fighting expert. That was sooo refreshing for me. I've gotten a bit tired of the fae romances where the FMC is amazing at everything and she loses herself and what she wants for herself when she starts to fall for the MMC. This book was such a refreshing change from that, I loved that so much. The characters are very well developed as is the world. The plot really kept me guessing, whenever I thought I had it figured out, things took an unexpected turn and put me back at square one. And the last three or four chapters changed EVERYTHING. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are looking for something that is different from other popular fae romances. I can't wait to read the next one!

⭐️⭐️

This turned out to be your typical- Human arranged to marry a Fae King fantasy. It took a while for me to get into the story… There wasn’t too much world building, I feel like I didn’t really connect w/ any of the characters except for maybe- 2? & the plot was kinda 📉 w/ a slight 📈 towards the end, but not enough for me to want to continue the series.

The Mortal Queen written by Ashley Metzler and narrated by Samantha Norbury was a true slow burn. I will call it an enemies to less than enemies tale. I would have been so angry if there had not been ONE KISS in this book. I dual read and listened to The Mortal Queen. Samantha Norbury brought Aisling to life with the terminology and languages. I have immediately downloaded book 2 where I hope the less than enemies get a little spicy.

Humans and mortals have been at war for as long as Aisling can remember. In order to keep her people safe, Aisling - a mortal princess - is forced into an arranged marriage with a savage fae king, Lir, to form an alliance between the two kinds. Once she proves that she is worthy for the match, she's forced to leave her family and kingdom behind, and heads into the fae realms as The Mortal Queen. As enchanting and magical as these new lands seem, they are also dangerous, filled with other creatures and dark magic. Soon... Aisling will be forced to fight something even the fae are afraid of. Being in this new land, alone and with no one to trust, Aisling will have to rely on Lir, but is unsure if she can trust the emotions and feelings she has whenever he is around. And when magic starts to ignite within Aisling.... she will have to learn to control it to keep her people safe, or watch as the mortal and fae worlds are torn apart.

This book was originally indie published as Breath of the New Creature by A.E. Jürgens.

I adored this book. It was really well written and had good, steady pacing. You're in for the SLOW BURN AND TENSION with Aisling and Lir. The world building was brilliant, the fae realms are magical and enchanting, with all the other creatures you encounter, but as Aisling has never set foot into the fae lands before her marriage to Lir, we're learning everything alongside her. The book gets very tense at the end, and I'm excited to continue with the series.

The Mortal Queen:
- Slow-burn tension
- Enemies to lovers
- Angst, but no spice
- Beautiful world building
- Prophecies and magic
- Fae, dragons, dryads, and more
- Celtic lore
- Betrayal, lies and deceit

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narrator did a fantastic job with the audiobook. I loved that she used different voices and accents for each of the characters, and played around with tone as the conversation needed it. It was easy to listen to and follow. Would definitely listen to another book narrated by her.

The world building in this book was great. There was so much expansion about the politics in this book and how the world ended up the way that it was, which I appreciated. However, there were times when the description of everything was just so unnecessary, and it kept clogging up the story and dragging it out, which caused me to zone out during the narration.

I didn't really like Aisling at all. She annoyed me, from the very beginning, but did start to grow on me towards the end. She's just like every other fantasy FMC: so shy, originally kept out of everything, and her only job in life is to marry who she needs to, she can't fight, but she can ride horses. Fantastic... And she really plays into that a lot in the first half of the book. However, I at least knew a lot about her, as opposed to Lir. Honestly, half the time, I wasn't really able to connect with his character, or even care about him. I hope that his character gets better in the next book.

Don't go into this book expecting romance, even though this book is labeled as one. Yes, the two main characters start out as enemies, but the romance aspect is basically non-existent. Just a bunch of tension building to what I'm assuming will be romance in the second or third book of this series. I would better describe this as enemies to friends.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio/Second Sky, Ashley Metzler, and NetGalley for the Audio ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

I can't provide full feedback as NetGalley took it off the shelf as I was listening to it. It was archived.

However, the 25% that I was able to listen to was intriguing and I was enjoying it. I'll pick this up and read it again at a later time!

Wow this book has it all. I absolutely loved it. I listened to this on audio and couldn’t stop listening to it. The character development of the fmc was fantastic. You really got to see her grow especially with all that she had to face. There were twists and turns in the book that I didn’t always see coming especially the ending. Honestly I can’t wait for book two to be released

The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler is an enthralling fantasy that masterfully weaves political intrigue, self-discovery, and the complexities of truth and deception. Aisling, a mortal princess wed to a fae king, soon realizes that the world she thought she understood is far more layered than she ever imagined. I loved how she adapted to the shifting truths, growing increasingly skeptical of both sides while struggling with her own evolving identity. Her journey of self-discovery—both embracing and resisting what she uncovers—was compelling and emotionally engaging.

The audiobook narration was excellent, bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and a well-paced delivery that made it easy to stay immersed in the story. The narrator’s consistency and ability to differentiate each character’s dialogue added depth to the listening experience.

I received this audiobook through NetGalley ahead of its release, and I highly recommend it—both the story and the narration. Fans of immersive fantasy with strong character development will love The Mortal Queen!

I would like to thank the publish for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Aisling has been given to the king of the fae as a bride in exchange for peace, however everyone knows this will mean her death. But when she passes a test given to her at the wedding ceremony, and she survives, she's more terrified than ever. Because everyone knows the fae are cruel monsters. As she continues to survive and learn about her new world, and her husband who may not be as much of a monster as she thought, she learns that there are worse things out there -- an ancient evil that are the monsters of the fae. The longer Aisling stays, the more she realizes her views on the fae may not be based on truth, and when something new begins to stir within her, she has to learn to control it, or doom both her worlds.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I loved the whole "Lir isn't as bad as he seems" but then he's also vicious in a "touch her and die" kind of way. And I was totally here for it. But if Aisling was referred to as "the mortal queen" one more damn time I was going to lose it. There were a lot of moments where the conversations began to feel very unnatural with the way it was written, and to be honest, there wasn't really anything new added to the romantasy genre -- enemies to lovers, she's been kept from the truth, "oh no maybe we're the actual villains," MY FAMILY IS INNOCENT until THEY WOULD NEVER DO XYZ, chosen one, touch-her-and-die... it didn't feel unique to me. What I did love: the world building, the different races of creatures, the magic system, the ending.

But overall, this was a slow-burn romance with some cool fantasy. I would say if you want your typical romantasy/palate cleanser, this might be your cup of tea as the prose is absolutely beautiful.

Actual rating: 3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this book on exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I struggled with the MC but really did enjoy her growth. Each time I thought I knew where the story was going I was surprised with a different turn and layer. I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where the author takes the story next!

The story follows Aisling, a mortal princess forced into an arranged marriage with Lir, the terrifying king of the fae, to secure peace between their warring realms. Expecting cruelty, she instead finds herself drawn into a dangerous but alluring world of magic, deception, and prophecy. As she struggles to navigate court politics and her growing connection with Lir, Aisling must uncover hidden truths about herself and the kingdom she now belongs to. The tension between the mortal and fae worlds adds stakes and depth to the story, making every political maneuver and alliance feel crucial.

Aisling’s growth from sheltered princess to queen is engaging. Lir is a mysterious hard to read king. Their relationship is a slow burn, built on tension, trust, and mutual respect rather than love at first sight.

The narrator refers to Aisling as “The Mortal Queen” repeatedly and it became redundant and unnecessary. Their romance is sweet as their relationship blossoms from strangers to one of deep connection with mutual respect.

The Mortal Queen by Ashley Metzler is a magical fantasy that follows Aisling, a mortal princess from the north, and Lir, her new husband and king of the Fae. We are thrust into a captivating world as Aisling learns to navigate the grueling and deadly ways of the Fae. With magic, marriage alliances, harrowing trials and magical beasts this story is an intriguing adult fantasy book. While this story had may great features, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The narrator did a wonderful job with the audio for this book. I found it easy to differentiate between the characters and found intonation, pronunciation consistent across the entire listening experience.

I did enjoy the world building and found the magic system interesting and unique. I loved the concept of magic being breath in a literal sense. I was eager to learn more about the magic and the lore of the Fae. I like that Aisling pushes to learn more about herself, works to strengthen her mind and her body and tries to empower herself by the end of the novel rather than relying on others. There are many magical beasts and creatures that are very creepy and terrifying which I thought was very well done! My favorite character was her chambermaid. She was funny, witty and they genuinely had a bond by the end.

Based off of the blurb, I expected a slow burn romantasy where Asiling and Lir try to fight their growing feelings for one another as they navigate their new found marriage. However, I was left disappointed as much of the story takes place with Lir and Aisling either apart (sometimes for weeks at a time) or hardly interacting with one another. I also found the repetitive phrases such as the "the mortal queen" and the advice from her father replayed in Aisling's head tiresome.

Overall, this book wasn't for me, but could be for those who enjoy an extremely slow burn and no spice fantasy. In the end, I was left with more questions then answers and will not be continuing with the series.

Special thanks to netgalley and secondsky for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.