DNF. I’m really sick of storytellers using terms like ‘fae’ when they ought to be inventing new words of their own. What Johnson calls fae are more like zombies with magic; they don’t speak, they’re neither eerie-beautiful nor mythologically monstrous, and they can control you if they learn your true name. (I actually though that was an extremely cool detail, I just wish it had been used as the core of creating a new monster, rather than co-opting fae.)

The worldbuilding doesn’t hang together (I don’t care if he was under some supernatural influence, you cannot convince me that REAGAN decided we had to give half the planet back to nature, and that all other world leaders thought that was a great idea, and that even if they did, they could convince their populaces that it was a great idea. Nope, not a chance, the monsters make more sense) the prose is even drier and blunter than Johnson’s debut was (at least that had some wonderful imagery), and the characters were paper-thin, no life to them at all.

Having been let down by his debut and now dnfing Bloodless Queen, I’m satisfied that Johnson isn’t the author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bloodless Queen is an elegant slow-burn—a cerebral and richly textured fantasy that unfolds like political poetry. Joshua Phillip Johnson weaves questions of power, rule, and agency into every conversation, every whisper in the court.

This isn’t a book of flashy spells or high-octane battles. It’s a meditation on what it means to reign without compassion and the cost of choosing restraint in a world that celebrates violence. Quietly fierce, unflinchingly intelligent, and completely original.

Still sitting with this one a few days later, having finished it. There's a lot of worldbuilding info that has to be conveyed, as you've got a world that's chronologically in the present, but diverged sharply in the 80s (and when I say diverged, I mean "Ronald Reagan set up massive nature preserves" level of divergence from our world) into an alternate history where every year at the equinox Fae come out and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world, and there are Fencers who are given magical powers by prime numbers whose job it is to try and fight them. It almost feels like this book was hoping for more runway than it got, because while it does its best to balance world building and character development and the plot, there are plot elements that leave the ending feel a little rushed in how it all comes together. Worth your time this summer.

Generally I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The shift in style and tone when a big event happened was something I understand, but done in a way that I personally found a bit offputting. Also, some of the foreshadowing in the first 2/3 of the book was clumsy and heavy handed. I think it was meant to be that way, but again, not to my personal taste. I would recommend the book to most folks.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the eARC copy of this book!

This book follows Cal and Evangeline in a near future version of Earth where sections of land called Harbors have been set aside and are now occupied by the Fae and connect to the Faerie lands. Each autumnal equinox, any people who die on the autumnal equinox are turned to fae and make their way to one of these harbors. Cal and Evangeline are “fencers”, people with special powers granted from prime numbers that are tattooed on their bodies from an unknown power. Their job is to help protect people on the equinox and ensure the fae get to the Harbors. This was giving a mix of The Purge and Annihilation.

This book had such an interesting concept, but the author had to spend a lot of time explaining the magic system of the prime numbers as well as the Harbors. This created a lag in the pacing, and made it so that I didn’t really know what the goal of the story was. The first half of this story felt more like a domestic fiction than a fantasy story, following Cal, Evangeline, and their 7 year old daughter in their day to day lives. We see them have a pizza night with their boss, and then a character says that they will reflect on the perfectness of this night after the nightmare that comes. It felt like the only reason for this long chapter was for foreshadowing that was really heavy handed. The characters were a little flat, and my favorites were Oddry and Incident.

Additionally, the exposition had a lot of info-dumping, almost beating the reader over the head with it. At one point, we see Cal and Evangeline testing a special Walkie- talkie in the harbor, and it is stated multiple times that technology doesn’t work close to the harbors. Rather than showing us with a scene of a phone crackling or being blank, this is just told, over and over that this tech won’t work.

The political intrigue between the mathematicians and the fencers and the Sylvan church was interesting, but did feel like a slog to get through to the equinox. I was reading to figure out everyone’s abilities from their primes, as well as to see what an Equinox looked like. Once we got there, it was so cool to see and think about the uses for these powers. Additionally, seeing inside the harbors and the wild scientific effects was one of my favorite parts.

Since there was so much of this intrigue between the groups in the beginning, I was expecting to see more of this, maybe with our characters actually getting interrogated. Once the Equinox started and the action picked up, it felt like we never took our foot off the gas, almost rushing to the finish line.

The ending did have me tearing up, but I did find myself questioning some of the logic of the characters at the end. As there is not a lot of knowledge of the Fae Queen, it felt like a jump for our characters to try to bargain with her since they weren’t even sure if she existed for 75% of the book. As the initial pacing was so slow, this felt rushed and almost forced.

Overall, I liked the magic and the setting of this story once we got to see them.

This is such a cool concept for a book!
In the near future, many parts of the world have sectioned off part of their land and put fences around it to allow the fae to roam. On the equinox, if you die you might turn into one. The people still inhabiting the world are divided into those who believe things a gift, those who think the land should be taken back, and those who protect the fences keeping the fae and humans separate.
Cal and Evangeline are fencers, those who protect the fences in the Midwest. After doing their duty on the equinox, they come home to their daughter Winnie having died and turned fae.
I will say, this story was a little slower than I normally read, and slower than what I expected it to be. The pay off is worth it, but you do have to wade through some slower parts of the book.

Joshua Phillip Johnson has created a story that feels completely unique, as beautiful as is it unsettling. In the 1980’s a previously unknown, extremely rare book began circulating between world leaders triggering a monumental move for environmental conservation and biodiversity. 50% of the world’s land mass would be fenced off, allowing nature to reclaim it, but something went wrong. Nature didn’t step in to recover her land, something else did. The Bloodless Queen.

On the autumnal equinox of 1987 the world celebrated as half the land was fenced off for the Harbours (nature reserves). People die every day, 132,329 people died that day, but none of them stayed dead. Instead they transformed into Fae: mischievous, malevolent and dangerous. Both fascinating and grotesque. All inextricably called to the harbours leaving chaos and ruin in their wake. Every year on the equinox this cycle repeats, anyone who dies returns as Fae. Those murdered by the fae on this night do not return.

As the world adapts to their new circumstances a rapid human evolution occurs. 545 people wake up and find themselves covered in numerical tattoos, they later discover each of these individuals have developed supernatural abilities, that aid them in defending the world against the fae. All tattoos combine to make a prime number, the lower the prime number the more potent the power, called Primacies. The primes offer a level of protection from the affects of the harbours. Primes can enter the harbours where other humans would die.

These changed humans become Fencers. Government Assets used to protect the borders, assist with research and shepherd the new fae into the harbours on the equinox. As the world learns more about the Fae and the harbours, they adapt. Fencers lose their identity. The government enforces memory manipulation to erase the names from the minds of people who know and love them. Names hold terrible power.

Society is divided, the horrors of the early years are fading as the fencers become more effective. Protests break out over government control and the polarised views of the Fae. Some think the fae are monstrous aberrations, something to be locked away and feared. Other believe the faerie queen is their god, offering salvation once a year allowing a life after death, a blessing. New religions bloom from the need to navigate a changed world and infiltrate every level of society.

This book starts with a haunting scene and keeps pulling you in. Leaning into more traditional interpretations of Fae and also taking inspiration from Jeff Vandermeer’s writing. The forces that encompass the Harbours leach out and change the outside world. The land inside the harbours in unrecognisable. Things that were familiar become alien, the natural world is distorted and changed. Wonder and dread bleed together. Further information is shared with official reports interspersed between allowing for a micro and macro building of this world.

We follow Evangaline and Calidore, Fencers and prized government assets as they prepare for the equinox in a world of shifting public opinion and the threat of the Fae and their queen constantly looming. We also enter their home, peering into their family life and meeting their beloved daughter Winnie. The family unit is a real labour of love, an anchor to ground Cal and Evangeline amidst the horror, chaos and trauma they find themselves surrounded by.

The Harbours morph the familiar into the unknown. Nothing is incorruptible. When a person dies on the equinox, they are charged. The Fencers are indoctrinated to believe nothing human remains. The religious Sylvans believe the opposite.
Something unimaginable happens and Cal and Evangeline are forced to reconsider everything they know.

A story of human adaption, betrayal, corruption, sacrifice and hope when the odds are stacked against you.

The story and world is both devastating and beautiful. The fencers have some incredibly original powers and the characters are at the heart of this story.
What holds us together? What makes us who we are? What are you willing to sacrifice to hold on to the one thing that matters most?

The Bloodless Queens is lyrically haunting and gripping.
There’s no safety in this world, characters lives hang on a knife’s edge and the threat doesn’t always come from where you think it will. The environment, politics, religion, loyalty, love, hope - all examined in the microcosm of this universe. Fantastic!

"Part ecological Orpheus and Eurydice myth and part Gothic thriller, discover this atmospheric near-future sci-fi novel about fae mysteries deep within strange nature preserves.

On the autumnal equinox of 1987, after fencing off half of the Earth's land for huge nature reserves called Harbors, the leaders of the world called on their peoples to celebrate. Then began the horror and the magic.

Everyone who died that day - all 132,329 of them - instead of going cold and still, turned odd and fae. They became mischievous and murderous, before disappearing into their nearest Harbor, never seen again. And each year after that on the autumnal equinox, the same terrible transformations would occur: the wretched dead not dying, but instead riddling and whispering of a faerie queen - bloodless and powerful - while fleeing into the wild confines of the Harbors.

In the present day, Evangeline and Calidore are working as fencers, government-employed protectors whose magical powers come from mysterious tattoos of prime numbers. When they aren't fixing the fences of the Midwest Harbor that separates the human world from Faerie or patrolling on the equinox, they are parents of an almost-seven-year-old daughter named Winnie.

But as the new year's autumnal equinox approaches, Evangeline and Calidore find themselves thrust into a vast conspiracy that stretches across governments, religions, and fencers worldwide. As they race to untangle this web of power and intrigue, they will need to confront the questions that have haunted the world since the fences were built:

What lies at the heart of the Harbors? Who waits there?"

I adore this cohesion of science and fantasy.

this was a journey! a bit of a slow one but very soon moved into a very moving story about loss and grief and conspiracies. it's beautiful and moving, think of mira grant but more political thriller.

3.5/5

The Bloodless Queen is a strikingly unique entry into the fantasy genre—one that blends the arcane with the uncanny in a way that feels fresh and deeply imaginative. Joshua Philip Johnson has crafted a world where magic is not just a tool, but a deeply integrated part of life, and the system he’s built around it is both creative and coherent. There are unmistakably Lovecraftian elements threaded throughout the narrative—strange forces, unknowable powers, and a persistent sense of dread—that add an extra layer of tension and mystery to an already compelling story.

The characters are a major highlight. Cal and Evangeline’s little family is written with warmth and authenticity, grounding the story even as it veers into eldritch terror and fantastical chaos. Winnie, in particular, is a delightful presence—one of those characters who lights up the page and brings a smile every time she appears. It’s rare to find a fantasy novel where even the smallest character moments resonate as deeply as the world-shattering conflicts.

One of the most impressive aspects of the novel is the fencers and their abilities. Their powers are some of the most inventive I’ve ever encountered in fantasy, striking a perfect balance between awe and narrative cohesion. Johnson manages to create magic that is unpredictable yet logical, and wholly consistent within the strange, shadowy framework of his world.

That said, I did struggle with the pacing. The slow burn of the first two-thirds (or even three-quarters) of the book worked well for me, building atmosphere, tension, and deep emotional stakes. But when the climactic moments arrived, they felt like they came and went too quickly. The intent—to convey chaos and uncontrollability—makes sense, but it ultimately left the ending feeling rushed and less impactful than it could have been.

Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. This book offers something truly different in the fantasy space, and I think most readers will find something to admire in its originality, its characters, or its eerie, compelling world.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the chance to review this eARC.

An atmospheric gothic thriller and part ecological myth about fae mysteries deep within these strange nature preserves. The leaders of the world called on their people for a celebration that descended into madness, horror and magic. Everyone who died that day turned odd and fae.

With the dead not dying, and strange riddles and whispering of a faerie queen, vast conspiracies and secrets stretch across governments and religions worldwide. A deeply haunting, gothic story that delves into ecological terrorism with a very creepy magic system.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐀𝐖 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

3.5 stars rounded up

This was such an interesting concept. I love when authors explore the vicious parts of nature and the Fae. Cal and Evangeline‘s relationship felt so real, and had such depth not usually found in horror. The writing was stunning, and I like the way that the climate change and government overreach all tied back into the story. It’s very dense, even while being fast paced so be prepared to read and reread to understand what’s going on. This was deliciously unsettling, and I would absolutely reread

This book has been an interesting experience. The summary on NetGalley had me itching to get my hands on the ARC. Near future, post apocalypse, super powers, wild and strange fae and greek myth inspired? That's a hell of hook.

The reality however, was not nearly as exciting as the promise. This is a very slow paced novel. The first 50% meanders along, building the world, building the characters and spending time with the family. Two parents with very grounded normal parental concerns about their young daughter. Which is fantastic for the realism and relatability if that works for you, but I tend to find perfect precocious children in novels just irritating. If I hadn't received this as an ARC and didn't feel a responsibility to finish and provide a considered review, I would have DNFed at 30%.

All that said, once we get to the climax we've been building, the day when shit finally hits the fan, the pay off is very good. Johnson writes his fight scenes well. Intense, bloody and easy to follow. The magic of the primes are fascinating and visceral once we're finally allowed to see them in action and the horror manages to be both eerie and gory. I also loved the lyricism of the writing whenever the author is describing things odd and Fae.

I am ultimately glad that I finished, the ending was worth the trudge through the beginning, but the pacing does need some work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for fair review.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and DAW for this ARC. The concept of this book is so intriguing.

In the near future, many parts of the world have sectioned off part of their land and put fences around it to allow the fae to roam. On the equinox, if you die you might turn into one. The people still inhabiting the world are divided into those who believe things a gift, those who think the land should be taken back, and those who protect the fences keeping the fae and humans separate.
Cal and Evangeline are fencers, those who protect the fences in the Midwest. After doing their duty on the equinox, they come home to their daughter Winnie having died and turned fae.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I struggled through about 30% of it and just couldn’t get into it. It is slow moving and skips around so much without tying things together that I had no idea what was going on and it lost me. Things I did like were the way the fantasy was tied to real world things, but that’s as much as I could appreciate.

wild, chaotic, beautiful. the traditional fae depictions, from the cute and innocent, to the mischievous and unsettling, to the attractive romantasy ones, don't apply here. they feel less like an entity or a thing and more like a place, kinda SCPish. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

If you’re drawn to speculative fiction that bends the lines between folklore, ecology, and human grief, The Bloodless Queen by Joshua Phillip Johnson could feel like it was written with you in mind. What stood out most to me was the novel’s central conceit: a world where the dead transform into fae-like beings, vanishing into haunted wildernesses called Harbors. That eerie, poetic imagery lingers long after reading—and sets a deeply emotional tone for the story.

Evangeline and Calidore, the protagonists, aren’t your typical fantasy heroes. They’re grieving parents and flawed humans, trying to balance their duty as “fencers” (magical border keepers) with the heartbreak of losing their daughter. Their desperation to reclaim her pulls you into the Harbors—a setting both lush and terrifying, where nature isn’t just alive, but angry, enchanted, and unpredictable.

Johnson’s writing reminded me of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation or early Le Guin, particularly in how he blends wonder and dread in equal measure. If you’re a reader who appreciates morally complex worlds and subtle, slow-burn storytelling over fast-paced plot twists, you’ll likely find this book a rewarding read. It’s also a rare fantasy novel that treats ecological themes not as background but as central, almost spiritual forces.

In short, if you want a story that asks what it means to grieve, to hope, and to fight for love in a world reshaped by loss and magic, The Bloodless Queen delivers.

The bloodless queen was a good story but I wasn’t feeling it about half way. The start was incredible and gave a lot of information and insight on the building and character set up. There were a lot of gaps in the book that had me questioning if this book was going to get better or worse. It’s alright.

Didn’t really understand the queen/fae concept. Had me wanting more but realizing nothing was going to happen.

The author tried a new and thrilling concept and I hope she keeps it up! But definitely this book needed its tweaks and fixes. Make the characters more emotional from start to finish.

I enjoyed this book. There is a lot of great setup for the story line. The author does a great job at describing not only the setting but also how all the inner workings of the Fencing Bureau as well as the conflict with the church. I also adored that a dog was an agent as well. Love the Midwest representation!

The Bloodless Queen by Joshua Phillip Johnson

What is a Fae? As the Wikipedia page for Mythos and Legends states, a Fae, often mistakenly known as a fairy (a species apart from the Fae), is an entity that belongs to the realm of mythical beings in European folklore. Joshua Phillip Johnson provides a haunting take on the darker side of what a Fae can be. Dripping with horrific goodness, the world has entered a new era.

The Equinox provides a vessel upon which a vortex of humanity and death combine. On this singular day, those who perish are fortunate enough to be chosen by the queen and rise again as a Fae, to the glory of a rising religious movement followed by the Sylvans. Merciless in their destruction, the queen’s disciples ravage innocent civilians with no apparent weakness.

This issue does have a solution, though it is more of a band-aid solution. A group of individuals awakens to new abilities. Inscribed upon the lucky recipient's skin are mysterious prime numbers, providing the source of strength. Our story looks in depth at Calidore and Evangeline, two such Fencers, as they are known, whose special abilities make them more immune to the dangerous creatures. Their lifelong job, if it can be called that, is to protect the boundaries around the evil spirits they are herding. However, as the story unfolds, tiny cracks within the government agencies start to show, revealing treacherous acts in play.

Blanketed by a small flurry of ash, I trudged on. Moving ever so slowly, methodically, I trudged to catch a glimpse of the dark, heinous beings. Obscured by their shield, a fence, I felt empathy and sadness. These weren’t monsters; well, of course, they were, but these people whose untimely deaths fell on the wrong day. Slowly, backing away in contemplation, a wry smile appeared. Joshua Phillip Johnson sparks emotional outbursts within my beating heart. Each pumping of the iron-red liquid sped up into anticipation. This novel conjures a devilishly clever use of horror elements against a backdrop of family drama. Superheroes, ghoulies, and government corruption are nothing new. How do we meld these together and make it work? Interestingly, I felt Johnson was successful. The pacing was taut, and the tender moments helped give the reader multiple perspectives, resulting in a deeper connection to the main characters. Mysterious, clever, and atmospheric could be wonderful descriptions of this book.

Let us discuss the conclusion and my one point of contention. Not what I had anticipated. Perhaps I got overzealous in my preparation to be dazzled, and my own buildup had reached its inner crescendo. I was in the tree of darkness, and yet…. The conclusion certainly had a legitimate reason as to the how and why, and yet maybe I wanted something darker, ala Stephen King. I must repeat this was my only setback in this book, and future devourers of the book might 100% enjoy the ending, but as for myself, I was entertained, but nothing hit the wow factor.

As the leaves fell, dark and crinkled, I walked back to my car along a desolate path. Relaxed, I felt a calm sense that things were under control. Our fencers had my back, and for that I am grateful. As usual, thoughts turned to the corrupt religious factions and agencies whose singular mission is to control the meek, ever-consuming. These systemic themes run rampant through fictional stories in modern times and fill me with sadness. Yet here we are. Choking back on emotional sentiment, I digress. It’s dark, it’s dreary… and worthy of your time. I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended.

Many thanks to DAW for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

I struggled a bit to connect with this story but may need to return to it another time! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.