QUEEN OF COIN AND WHISPERS

From the moment I heard of this book, I was already drawn in by the premise: a young queen and ordinary young lady turned spymaster fall in love when brought together by a common enemy and shared thirst to prove themselves, but since I don't ordinarily read fantasy I didn't expect to fall so in love with it.

I was sucked in by the dark and atmospheric first page. The pacing is masterful, the suspense almost unbearable. I loved how loyalty, rank and desire were coded into clothing. I became obsessed with the class system, with the "steps" as a ranking, with the possibility of movement between the classes over generations, and the involvement and relationships between nobility and merchants.

However, the genius, the beauty, and the joy of Corcoran's world is through its freedom from patriarchial power structures and confines of gender and sexuality we do not enjoy in our more "modern" world. By this I don't mean just that a woman is allowed rule, or that that woman is in love with another woman (though this is brilliant to read in itself), it is that there are miraculous hints throughout the book of a world that is possible, where a prominent male figure's husband is mentioned briefly in passing, where white skin isn't an assumption for a ruler or noble, we hear of a female politician celebrating with her wife, and glimpse a female bishop, though religious orders don't have a grip on as much power as they used to. We are lucky now to have an explosion of 'Strong Female Characters' on our screens and books, but too often they have to act alone, struggling against patriarchal structures that will never fall, often the subjects of horrific abuse or sexual violence so that they can be interesting or worthy of a story. There is no pandering to increasingly outspoken minorities; instead we see through this expertly crafted novel what could be possible.

I can't wait for everyone to read this - there are many people who have been waiting for this story without realising it, and with any right this book will be an incredible success.

WOW. I absolutely loved Queen of Coin and Whispers. This story has 2 povs, Lia, the incoming Queen of Edar, and Xanthia, a regular girl looking to avenger her father. Through a mutual friend, Matthias, they “stumble” into each other and from there, they work together to make the kingdom better.

The characters in this book are so interesting because they’re very 3 dimensional. No character is just black and white. They feel like people who have actually existed or can exist in real life. My favorite character was Xanthia because we get to see so any different aspects of her personality. We get to see her being a tough badass, but also as a big softie with Lia and while she does have so many moving parts to her, the one thing that’s always consistent was her love. 

The ROMANCE AHH! LOL I loved it. I thought the buildup was perfect and the way Lia handled everything as a queen was PERFECT. Their dance around wanting the other person, but being unsure if the relationship would actually work really played with my emotions. Also, the way Lia flirted with books was honestly so relatable haha. But yes, the f/f romance was 11/10 *chef’s kiss*

I received an arc from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion. 

Queen of Coin and Whispers was a book recommended to me by multiple people, and I am so thrilled to have picked it up. In this novel, Helen Corcoran weaves a complex political web, told from the perspectives of Queen Aurelia (“Lia”) and her spymaster, Xania. 

This book kept me hooked from the very beginning. I could not anticipate the twists and turns that Corcoran wrote. One of my favorite things about this book was that the emotions and behaviors of the characters were so realistic; things were never simple, just like real life.

I can’t begin to say how happy it makes me to see demi rep in Xania. I really felt seen! Additionally, having a political fantasy with WLW rep was refreshing and just what I needed. If you are looking for a book that is complicated, realistic, and featuring wonderful relationships, check out Queen of Coin and Whispers!

This is a wonderful fantasy. You can tell Helen has really thought about how her world would work, with every detail making sense and building up into a perfect picture of a world. In particular, the names for her government ministers; Whispers as the head of Spies is the obvious one, but the others are brilliant as well.

I love Lia, a character who only wants to do her best by her people. I hope Helen writes more as I'd love to know what happens to Lia and Xania after everything in this novel.

Sometimes you need a big thick fantasy book that destroys your soul, and sometimes you just need something like “Queen of Coin and Whispers”: full of political intrigues (everything was super realistic!!! plus, I liked that there was a certain accent on the economical part of ruling a country, which doesn’t come out very often in royalty-related books), with a pretty good romance (I LOVED that at first it was built just on glances and little touches exchanged when no one was looking, it was so soft and cute and ugh, I’m a sucker for good love stories) and a lot of focus on the characters, more than on the story itself. This book may not be the most original or breathtaking of stories, but its complex characters (Lia, my beautiful idealistic queen, was probably my fav) have earned a place in my heart, and it was a delight to read it ♥

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book came for my heart, and I gladly gave my heart to it.

This was such a wonderful read by debut author Helen Corcoran! Queen of Coin and Whispers follows the story of a young, new Queen working with her newly appointed spymaster to create a vengeance plot against their equal enemy. Oh and, through it all, they fall in love. Siiiigh, I love a good political vengeance romance!

This book has such a fresh and unique voice when it comes to the writing style. I adored Corcoran's writing! She brings writing that's action-packed, has political twists and turns, and one of the best romances I've read in a long time.

The romance is so soft and gentle, and yet so incredibly strong and resilient. I was melting at all their interactions and inner thoughts for one another. More romances like Lia and Xania's, please! Also, the family dynamic is very strong, and I loved the relationship between Xania and her sister, Zola.

The cast of characters is so diverse, and let me say sooo so gay. Every time I read something like, this woman had a wife or this man had a husband, I just could not stop grinning. That aside, everyone felt genuine in the person they were written to be. And every character came into play. It would do you well to remember names in this book, because everyone has a part in this political chess game.

I can't say it enough, but I loved loved loved this book. Please put this on your tbr list, you won't regret it!

A magnificent and exciting YA fantasy, Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran has everything you need for an epic tale of love, revenge and intrigue.  
Lia has been waiting to inherit her Uncle's Kingdom , keen to bring in sweeping reforms that will make more even the balance of power between the nobility and the rest of the population and determined to root out the corruption that has plagued the court for decades. She is ready to rule, and when the time finally comes she is quick to seize the reins of power and begin her work.  Knowing that her reforms will be unpopular, she appoints another intelligent and determined young woman, Xania,  as her "Whisper" or master of spies, to keep an eye on the behind the scenes going on at court.  As a member of the lower Noble ranks Xania is used to being almost invisible to the higher court, and knows that she will never be suspected, The chance to avenge the murder of her beloved father is also a motivator, but soon she finds herself being drawn in by the allure of her new mistress. While this is a world where same sex relationships are commonplace, as Queen Lia is expected to marry in order to produce an heir. Despite her attraction to Xania , she feels the pressure to conform and so is forced to invite the princes of neighbouring kingdoms as potential suitors. However at least one of them has a scheme of his own that could destroy not just Lia but her kingdom too, unless Xania and a small trusted circle can thwart his plans. 
There is  so much to like about this book. Firstly the smart and feisty characters of Lia and Xania, strong determined young women who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in and fight for what they know is right. The slow burn of their romance is truly beautiful and wonderfully handled by the author. I also loved that she was not afraid to portray conflict between them , and did not rely on the built in power dynamic of queen and subject but rather allowed the personalities of the women to dictate their responses and actions. 
While it is not a main focal point of the book, I would also like to highlight the positive "Step" father daughter relationship between Xania and her sister  and their mother's second husband. In fact there are a lot of positive family dynamics in the book, both the main characters have very supportive and accepting mothers who encourage them in their respective roles. I also really enjoyed the political intrigue that was very skilfully woven into the book with assassination attempts, secret passages, coded diaries , lies, spies and betrayals to keep the reader engaged. 
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A slow burn romance full of LGBT representation, so well done and interesting, a lot of these seem rushed or not well developed but this was a fantastic read, the love between a queen and her spymaster was a unique take on this genre and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  I loved the action, both the characters are strong, fierce almost and completely independent. The world building is so creative and the relationships outside the main romance are well written, well developed and beautifully done.  A wonderful read, one I’m very glad I picked up

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

This has been one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and getting an advance copy was the highlight of the day.

Lia is the new queen of Edar and she has lofty dreams of change and doing better for her people than her uncle had. Early on she meets Xania, a Third-Step-born Fifth Step (courtiers are separated into steps one through seven, and the higher the step, the closer to royalty), through her best friend Matthias. He believes Xania would make the perfect Whispers, the Royal spymaster, due to her skill with code breaking and the fact her father taught Matthias all he knew about information gathering. Xania wants revenge against the man she believes murdered her father, and she sees being Whispers as a great opportunity to achieve that goal. What she didn’t plan for was falling in love with Lia.

I really enjoyed this book and it’s very easy to read quickly, every chapter ending in such a way that you’re desperate to know what happens next. There are great elements of political intrigue and behind-the-scenes machinations. What really stands out, though, is the romance between Lia and Xania. It is beautiful and wonderfully executed with a beautiful slow burn element to it that made me swoon.

This is an excellent debut and I’m looking forward to more from Helen Corcoran, especially if she writes romances. The ending was very neatly done and the tension is more quiet simmering rather than high stakes, but for a political fantasy it worked excellently.

I'm actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. 

I liked the LGBTQ+ rep and the romance, and the characters really grew on me over the course of the novel. I think my only complaint is that I would have liked more, whether that means the book is longer, or there is a sequel. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of other YA fantasies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is wonderful! and just what I needed!! Thank you to NetGalley for providing the review copy. I adored Lia and Xania  and felt completely swept up in this story and I could not put it down!

Title: Queen of Coin and Whispers
Author: Helen Corcoran
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT 
Rating: 4/5 

First and foremost I would like to thank NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Quotes are subject to change.

“Everything costs, Your Majesty. Even good deeds.”

Overall, this was a book in a style I am not usually a fan of that I ended up enjoying immensely.

Writing

I’m not normally a fan of first person perspective, especially when there are perspective switches in the narrative. However, Helen Corcoran managed, in my opinion, to make the two characters have clearly distinguishable tones. The pacing is pretty good, it kept my attention the whole time I was reading it.
Story

The story is centred around Queen Lia and her spymaster Xania as they navigate the politics of a country left in financial ruin by an irresponsible king. Queen Lia steps up to rule the country with the best intentions, aiming to help her people while also keeping the nobles satisfied. She soon discovers that this is harder than she was prepared for and needs to make tough decisions, working with her enemies and leaving both sides somewhat dissatisfied with the arrangements. All the while, Xania attempts to uncover the truth about her father’s death, wanting to avenge him. 
As Xania and Queen Lia work together they begin to develop feelings for each other. A fact that is not necessarily frowned upon in their society, but made more complicated by the fact that Queen Lia is expected to marry so she can produce an heir. Disaster strikes as they try to navigate their budding relationship and Queen Lia’s royal duties. 

Overall

As I mentioned, this is not the type of book I usually enjoy. I’m not normally a fan of court intrigue novels, but this book managed to capture my attention and hold it. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a story that centers so much on two women, and features many other powerful women, but that is a main thing that makes this book very attractive to me. 

I will admit that I shed a few tears over the final scene. It’s a pretty wild ride at the end, and I like how the ending left room for growth. It felt hopeful but not overly saccharine which felt suitable for the situation our two protagonists find themselves in.

 I can’t quite pinpoint why I enjoyed this book, but I would recommend people give it a shot!

“Now, I was Queen, A wolf in my own right. I held all the chess pieces.”

I absolutely loved this book! It reminded me a lot of the Legacy trilogy by Cayla Kluver and the Winner's Curse trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. QUEEN OF COIN AND WHISPERS is very politically-centered, set in a fantasy world much like our own in that there didn't seem to be any magic. While I normally like fantasy books with magic, I think the way the world was set up in this book was perfect considering the emphasis on politics rather than magic or quests. 
The romance was absolutely perfect: I love Lia and Xania together, and their relationship was set up perfectly, with just the right amount of slow-burn, 
Xania quickly became my favorite character: she is incredibly intelligent and headstrong, and also really cared about Lia, 
I didn't like Lia as much as Xania, probably because her chapters came across a little bit dry (because she wasn't involved in quite as much action as Xania.)
I did get a little bored about halfway through the book, mostly because of Lia's dry chapters, but I gained a lot more interest every time I read from Xania's perspective.
Also, the epilogue was absolutely perfect and made me cry. I think the author's representation of the effects of PTSD were very, very well done. 
I can't wait to read more by this author!

Three queer teenagers against the rest of the world. What more is there to want? And, oh, they don't have magic or anything, their superpowers are brains, logic and spy-craft in a medieval-level second world setting. Lia, Xania and Matthias are amazing lead characters for a novel and damn, I need more.
The world-building is strong with this one, and while I was worried that I went into Queen of Coin and Whispers with expectations too many expectations, they were entirely warranted. This is not to say that the book is without its flaws - in parts it feels like issues get resolved too quickly on a psychological level and in some instances trust, at least superficial trust, gets established very soon. I guess what I mean to say is that I wish that it was paced slower, allowing for even more focus on the wonderful, multi-dimensional characters. But then, I'm weird and I like slower books.
And oh, I'm here for all the wonderful sapphic books coming out in 2020. The nuanced portrayals of consent and developing relationships between ladies, in worlds where there is no inherent judgement about same-sex relationships (apart from the obvious issues about heirs, but that is a different matter altogether) is refreshing. I'm not sure if it has to do with the nature of FF relationships, or if writers of heterosexual romanced have simply not made it past toxic masculinity yet, but the depicted relationships are on much more even footing and serve as better role models for the teens the YA. People actually talk things out!
Back to the reasons why Queen of Coins and Whispers is great. There is a learning curve! Neither Lia nor Xania start out being great at their jobs or knowing everything - they have to figure out how the position works, how to navigate it and learn to get good at what they do. They make mistakes, they do better next time. And the writing is great. It does not let you escape the lavishly built world until the very end. In short, I need more. And you need this book in your life.

Full of political scheming and intrigue, and with a well-developed f/f romance at its heart, Queen of Coin and Whispers is an incredibly assured debut novel. The story is told in a dual narrative from the perspectives of both main characters and both voices feel well developed and realistic. The only criticism I would have is that the conclusion of the book feels slightly rushed, but overall I enjoyed it very much.

True excellency.

The book starts when Lia is made aware of how sick her uncle, the King, is. She rushes to the capital but is too late. The King is dead. Long live the Queen. You guessed it, that's Lia.
Xania has one thing in mind. To avenge her father. She believes he was killed by a high ranked politician and intends to prove it. She has trained for years to be able to find out the truth.
The two girls' destinies become entwined, but can they trust each other? And how can two young women manage a kingdom when everything is stacked against them?

I really loved this. The world was so intricate and interesting. The court's politics really captivating me and the relationship between the two main characters was everything.
I also loved reading about the friendships they maintained, the family bonds and everything else. The plot surprised me over and over again and I was on my toes the entire time.
I properly fell into it and I could picture everything. It made the world around me completely disappear. I also really loved the writing and both main characters' voices.
I cannot wait to hold my preorder in my hands.
Helen is definitely an author I'll keep an eye out for.

I was impressed by the complexity of the political webs (if a bit confused at times, though part of that may be due to the long breaks between reading lol) and machinations, so if you're looking for political fantasy, here you go! I appreciated the economic dimensions of the politics as well, since I don't think those are often addressed. However, they did seem to be... forgotten about at the end. I also appreciated how Lia wasn't automatically an amazing ruler and fell into others' political traps despite her determination not to, and took actions she hated but that would serve a necessary (or... she THINKS they're necessary) purpose.

While I was a little hesitant with Lia and Xania in a relationship at first, especially because of the power imbalance, these concerns were addressed enough in-text for me to forget about it. However, thinking back, I feel like they were just dropped and smudged around the edges enough for me to forget they were an issue. Xania's building and use of the spy network was glossed over a bit as well, and there were times I squinted suspiciously and was like 'really?' when she talked about various contacts.

I love Matthias as a character and his casual and close friendship with both Lia and Xania. Actually, I liked most of the side characters more than Lia and Xania, whoops.

One thing I did appreciate was how queerness was just accepted and literally the only reason Lia couldn't marry Xania was due to the need for an heir and the laws of the kingdom saying she needed a blood heir as opposed to an adopted one.

My biggest hangups with this book are how it dragged at times (though we're going to attribute part of my inattention to the state of my courseload and also the world and my consequential mental state) but how the ending seemed incredibly rushed, starting slightly before Lia's abdication and kidnapping. So many of the side threads got dropped, such as the economics portion, for example, and everything was wrapped up conveniently and quickly. It was a bit dissatisfying for me as the reader after I sat through the entirety of the rest of the s l o w and carefully built up plot just to have it END.

However, I (for the most part) enjoyed reading this book while I was reading it, despite my problems with it upon reflection, and it's a solid political fantasy with f/f queen-and-spymaster main relationship!

Plot:
This book follows a dual perspective of two characters. We have Lia, a young queen ascending a corrupt throne determined to be better than her predecessor and root out the corruption that has overtaken her court. We also have Xania, a baroness determined to avenge her father’s suspicious death. The two women are united by their mutual friend Matthias and by their plots to take down the same man, Vigrante. Xania becomes Lia’s spymaster, known as Whispers, and the two begin working together to better the court and country while also developing feelings for each other.

My thoughts:
The most difficult reviews to write are the ones for the books you love. It is easy to pick out flaws but much harder to find a dozen different ways of saying how much you love something so I apologise in advance for what may not be the most coherent review as I ADORED this book.

Okay, I have to be honest here, my favourite part of this book was by far the romance. I loved loved loved Lia and Xania together, their chemistry and their yearning. I adored the flirting through sapphic novels and now have unrealistic expectations for my future girlfriend. The slowburn aspect was really well executed and I loved that Xania was demi and we could see this through her POV. On a similar note, I really loved that there is absolutely no homophobia in this world, that different sexualities are completely normal and not even labelled. There were also so many queer characters in this book and I really adored how casually even minor characters' sexualities were mentioned (for example, 'his husband', 'her wife', etc.).

Although I was admittedly mainly reading the book for its romance, I also really enjoyed the main plot. The court and political intrigue was really interesting and twisty, I just loved the dynamics of the court and trying to figure out the truth and people’s loyalties. There was some great action as the characters tried to uncover the corruption and deal with the people involved. Xania’s position in the treasury was also really interesting and I loved how it played into her duties as Whispers.

However, where the book fell down for me was the world building. The reader isn’t told an awful lot about Lia’s country, Edar, and the political system that plays such an important role in the book. This made it sometimes a bit confusing to follow. The step system which is used to divide the nobility into classes of who’s the richest/most influential also isn’t explained. I did eventually work it out from context but I feel like it should have been explained, especially as this element of class plays a real role in many of the characters’ relations and Xania’s position in court.

But overall, I really did enjoy this book. I adored Lia and Xania’s relationship and the sapphic positivity really came through when I needed it. I mean, this line? “She loved me as I loved her, fierce as a bloodied blade.” Gorgeous. We love fierce sapphics who are only soft for each other.

*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley*

Wow, this was just GREAT. Perfect royal/spymaster romance with lots of political intrigue. Longer review to come.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was fascinated by this book because one of my favourite author, Samantha Shannon, talked about and I was so happy to read it thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Lia is a young woman who became queen when her uncle died, leaving her a bankrupt and vulnerable kingdom. Eager to be a better leader, a strong and just one, Lia collaborates with her new spymaster, Xania, who is determined to find her father's murderer and avenge her parent. Lia and Xania fall for each other, their love making their own goals and plans even more complicated, uncovering a treason that could ruin everything.

Queen of coin and whispers is a wonderful fantasy debut, full of plot twists, political intrigues, love, treason, secrets and interesting and skillfully written characters. I liked the writing style and the plot, very captivating and it was impossible to put down this book because I needed to know what would happen next. Lia and Xania are amazing, complex and really well written and rounded. I loved their relationship and how they are so determined.

"Queen of Coin and Whisper" is a refreshing new YA piece that puts queer characters at the center of court intrigues, power play and forbidden love.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. One of its strong point, I think, was the use of the dual POV which allows us to follow and understand Lia's struggles as a newly crowned queen as well as Xania's as low-ranking nobility and spymaster.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book is that it centers around the love story as much as on politics. That's something I appreciated as often times in similarly themed books, the love story can overpower the rest of the plot. Here we get the best of both worlds : the spying, the friendships, the murders, the falling in love, the fights, the failed alliances, the kisses, the beautiful gowns, the dances, the courting, the love-making. Not in that order obviously.

The reason I give this book 4/5 stars is that I felt the pace a little too slow somewhere around 2/3 of the book. That feeling lasted a few chapters before I felt completely engrossed again.

Other than that, Helen Corcoran's debut novel "Queen of Coin and Whisper" is so far one of my favorite F/F read of the year !

Royals.  Court.  Political intrigue.  Commonplace same-sex relationships and marriages.  Enough murder and assassination attempts to warrant a spy network for each ruler.

‘Queen of Coin and Whispers’ is well-written with complex, likable, and capable characters.  Even the secondary characters are full of life.  The kingdom’s class hierarchy and traditions are detailed and clear to follow.

Twists and turns keep us guessing at the identities of the Queen’s enemies and the intricate secrets and backstabbing in attempt to destroy her reign.

This is a fantastic fantasy debut by an author that shows a lot of promise.

The story revolves around a new queen and her newly appointed spymaster as they try to solve the mystery of the spymasters fathers death while finding out who's trying to assassinate the queen.... all while battling new emotions and feelings emoted by one another.

A great story, fabulous word building, realistic and convincing characters and, in general, a wonderfully written novel, a recommendation from me and this is an author to watch!

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After her uncle’s passing, Lia has become Queen. It is what she has been waiting her entire life for, to rule how she wishes to rule. To change things. Her country is bankrupt, and dangers are everywhere – in her court, in parliament, and from their neighbouring countries. If she wants to push through her reforms, she needs to beat the Court at it’s own games, and for that, she needs a spy-master. Xania has been on a quest for revenge ever since her father died. She believes it to be murder, and she knows exactly who did it. So when the opportunity comes along to become the Queen’s spy-master to take down the man responsible for her father’s death, she doesn’t hesitate.

rep: lesbian m/c’s, brown m/c, gay, lesbian, and bi side characters

content warnings: off-page suicide, emotional toture, imprisonment, murder, death, violence

Queen of Coin and Whispers is a brilliant fantasy novel full of secrets, sabotage, and political intrigue. Queen of Coin and Whispers follows both Lia, a newly crowned and idealistic queen, and Xania, her newly appointed spy-master out for vengeance. The relationship between the two becomes one of mutual trust and respect, and soon becomes an intense love story between the two women. Lia and Xania were just so fucking great, individually and as a couple. I’ve been reading so many great fantasies with sapphic romances recently and I’m so here for it.

I absolutely adored the political intrigue, a divided Parliament and Court all determined to see the new Queen fail? the discussions into power and how difficult it can be to push reforms through? the secrets, deceit, and betrayals? it was some good stuff. But what I loved most is the different ways that women navigated through the environment. The women in this novel are ambitious, unapologetic, ruthless, driven, intelligent, witty, kind, and soft. They are multi-faceted and so many hold power! I loved how it showed different ways in gaining power, some were brash, some were deceitful, some honest, some women were feared and some were underestimated, some handled power behind the scenes, while some were visible. Women being underestimated and using that to their advantage will always be my favourite thing.

Queen of Coin and Whispers was a long book, but honestly? Not long enough. I would LOVE it if Helen Corcoran revisited this world in future books, I’d love the read some novels set in the neighbouring countries.

I would recommend Queen of Coin and Whispers to anyone who liked The Priory of the Orange Tree but are looking for something with less pages!! Also, for obvious reasons, I would highly recommend if you enjoy sapphic romances and fantasies.

A stunning book full of political intrigue, deception and love.
This book was incredible!! I was so excited to read about a political sapphic romance and this book delivered on so many levels!!

Queen of Coin and Whispers is a rich, unapologetically queer fantasy that deals with power, politics, and gender relationships in a way I always wanted but have never seen before. 

When Lia's uncle dies suddenly, she must take over as queen, and she relies on her childhood friend Matthias to find her a good spy, none other than Xania. But Lia is the queen, and Xania is several social classes below her; not only is Xania's employment as Whispers unconventional, the blossoming relationship between them is frowned upon by all of the court. 

The story delves into political games throughout, which I did not expect when first looking at the title, but it takes a sharp political turn for the last third, leaving the romance a little under-mentioned. Xania is obviously driven by her love for Lia, but a lot of the emotional part of it gets left behind when characters turn to pressing political discussion instead. 

The ending was also unexpected, and felt a little rushed, but it served the story well and earned its place.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Queen of Coin and Whispers, and enjoyed the female-centric exploration of sexuality, power, and politics.

After her uncle’s death, Lia inherits the throne of a kingdom in desperate need of reform. To help her improve the lives of her people, and to protect her country from neighbouring kingdoms, Lia needs to recruit a new Spymaster. Intent on revenge after the death of her father, Xania is the perfect candidate. The Queen and her new Whispers must work together for the good of their country, but they did not count on falling for each other. With so many obstacles in their way, will their love, and country, survive?

This is a fascinating story of political manoeuvrings, betrayals, and love. The world-building is strong with a detailed social structure of queens and nobles, politicians and merchants. There is plenty of intrigue and drama and you never know which characters to trust. I did find that a couple of times I got a bit lost with the political schemes, but everything untangled in the end. 

The central love-story is this book is wonderful. The chapters alternate between the first-person narration of Lia and Xania which give an insight to the struggles in their careers as well as the struggles in their growing feelings for each other. The romance is slow-burn and heart-warming before becoming intense and high-stake. I liked both main characters and rooted for their success. The secondary characters are also interesting with different quirks and motivations. I particularly liked Matthias, friend to both Lia and Xania, and I enjoyed the witty exchanges between them. I also enjoyed the exploration of loyalties of different characters and the relationships between mothers and daughters. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detailed fantasy political systems and stories full of love, lies and sacrifice. 

Thank you to NetGalley and The O’Brien Press for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I love books with courtly intrigue and this one felt different. Queer and twisty and dark and fun, I can't wait for more by Helen Corcoran.

A stunning fantasy about female love and friendship. I loved how mores and social customs we are constantly bombarded with as normal, were completely removed here - there's no reason why women can't occupy roles of authority, why it can's be as likely that a relationship is same sex as opposite sex etc. This book neatly sidesteps the question of 'strong female characters' in favour of giving us actual characters where gender doesn't matter. The story is gripping and the romance is slow burn and sweet. Really enjoyed this.

This was everything I look for in fantasy. I loved the political intrigue, how the relationship between two main characters developed and how ruthless they were. It's refreshing to see protagonists not only being descrbed as fierce/ dangerous, buy actually being that,.

This arc was provided by The O'Brien Press, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

I am feeling a bit sad at the fact that this is going to be a standalone (despite what GR says).

Queen of Coin and Whispers is a fantasy novel about a newly crowned Queen, Lia, who wants to change her kingdom for the better. Xania, her a low-born noblewoman is appointed as her spymaster, the perfect position for her to avenge her father's death.

And this is where their story begins.

Despite how heavy this novel is with the political intrigue, I found it to be mostly character-driven. Their motivations are often hindered by their emotions and the choices they need to make. This also has one of the best romances, the yearning for each other, their love, their respect... I was swooning and rooting for them.

As I've mentioned, the story mainly focuses on navigating the political system of Lia's kingdom, the nobles, the merchants, the ones that want to usurp her reign. There's a lot of complexity with this story and small details to keep up with, but it really enriched the overall story.

However, I think the world wasn't as fleshed out as it out to be, the actions. Xania becomes the spymaster but sometimes, I didn't really believe she had the competence to do it. It was sort of told that she found spies, cracked codes, but it wasn't explained how it all happened. Additionally, the side characters could have had more depth to them, especially Mathias.

I also wished there had been more romance (Yes, MORE), more moments between Lia and Xania where we could see more to their personalities apart from the work they need to do.

One thing I can appreciate is how nothing came easily to our main characters. It's very common for YA fantasy books (e.g. Six of Crows) where everything goes according to plan. In Queen of Coin and Whispers, all the events feel real as nothing goes as planned, or your attempts at diplomacy are seen as such. It's a small thing to comment on, but I really appreciate this about the story.

Honestly, I'm sad it's over. I think this is a great fantasy novel if you want to read a good romance, with webs of intrigue to it. I'm excited to read future books by this author.

I fell in love with the cover and then head over heels for the premise of the story. It was beautiful and interesting and easy to read. I enjoyed falling into this world. I would recommend.

SO first, I'd like to thank the publisher for sending me this eARC as this book was VERY high on my TBR. Second, I loved it so so soooo much! I adore seeing f/f couples represented in fantasy and a queen and her spy? So swoonworthy! The political intrigue and ruthlessness in this book are just the cherry on top of a story that could have been written specifically for me. One interesting thing about the book is how the parents are still around, which never happens in fantasy! There is healthy parental representation and that warms my heart. I highly recommend Queen of Coins and Whispers to every book loving gay girl out there.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the pacing of the novel and the dual perspectives. Both of the main characters were well written. I would definitely read more from this author.

I ADORED Lia and Xania! Such a well written f/f romance, and I really admired how the author addressed and dealt with the power imbalance. 

The Court/Step system was very original and I want more and more from this world.


The ONLY reason this wasn't 5* is the pacing, until 3/4 way through this was set up to be a HUGE 5 STARS- but then the story moved soo quickly and it distracted me from the plot and amazing characters.

This was such a great read!! I love Lia and Xania! All the characters were so well written, and most of them had great arcs. I really appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation in this fantasy (sapphic) and how intricate it was. The political details were really cool but sometimes a bit overdone. I’m really excited that this was such a good standalone, because there aren’t that many in fantasy! Oh and the cover is stunning!

I truly enjoyed watching the partnership between a new queen and a Whispers (aka spy master) bloom. 

I loved Lia. I loved that she from Xania’s point of view appears confident, fierce and regal. From Lia’s own point of view we get a taste of her doubts and fears. I loved reading Lia’s slow building frustration with her realization she had feelings for Xania. Xania’s own feelings while more delayed bubble up quickly but her acknowledgment of the power dynamics and issues of consent was refreshing for her to struggle with. 

Although I throughly enjoyed Lia and Xania’s I could help but wish I got more Matthias. I could have seen him being a third POV. At the very least, more developed interaction with him would have been appreciated. 

I was pleased and surprised by a little plot twist half ways through that I didn’t expect. This changes the course of the political intrigue. I’ve read other books recently that loose themselves in the politics whine the world and end up falling a little flat. This was not the case for this book.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I love the spy master career and would have even loved if the book included more of the details of the job. The author presented a compelling romance and I would absolutely read other future work by her.

i liked lia and xania's relationship, overall I really enjoyed the story overall and enjoyed meeting the characters. I hope there is more in the series.

I really enjoyed this, It was a highly anticipated book of mine and it didn't disappoint one bit! 

There's a lot of political intrigue, drama, tension, spies, murder plots and a blossoming romance set against the backdrop of a Queen's court.
The world was fascinating and I loved learning more about it, the politics and behind the scenes tension between the countries and courtiers that fuelled the book were complicated but interesting.
I loved both of the main characters, they were so different but both were living in the shadow of their fathers and trying to be better than those around and before them. I was so invested in their romance, and their interactions. They had so much going against them, and so many obstacles to overcome.

This book honestly made me sob several times, there are some truly heartbreaking moments in here, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
I highly recommend this excellent book!

I love a great f/f fantasy book without magic! Honestly so refreshing and so fun. I decided to read this one on a whim and I wasn’t disappointed. It was compelling and intriguing and I loved every second

From the moment this book was announced, I knew I had to read it. It was a highly anticipated read for me, especially the fact that there was political intrigue a la The Winner's Curse trilogy. You definitely need to give this book a read if you like: dark fantasies, girls unafraid of a little revenge, found family and of course, sapphic romance!