Review: The Queen’s Card
Author: Erin Archer
Series: Fairytale Tarot #1
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First Thoughts
This was great! In fact I have been going back and forth on if it should be four or five stars, and I ultimately settled on four. The truth is that this was a very enjoyable read that unfortunately lost me a bit toward the end. I think the problem was that the book was too short, and the author didn’t quite expand on some things the way I wanted. I’m still not quite sure about some things because the answers were kind of glossed over. Overall, this was a very interesting read that only took me a few hours. I’d recommend it since it’s so short and has such potential to expand on the story for upcoming sequels. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Night Waltz Press for this ARC.
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn
- Raven shifter
- Unique magic system
- Fated mates… kind of
- No spice
Minor Spoilers
I will be referencing some of the plot points in this review but I will do my best to not give anything away that will interfere with a reader’s experience. That being said, if you want to go into this more blind, stop here and get reading!
First Person POV
Our main female character is Mira, a royal guard training to be a Keeper of the Wards. However, she has to earn her spot, and the magic that comes with it, before she can fully be a Keeper. This wait proves to be too much for her as she is anxious to help the kingdom fight back against another kingdom’s evil queen. The weight of her failure to reach her goal faster is made even heavier when the life of the princess, her best friend, is threatened. Anxious to find some way to help, she follows a sketchy guy she believes is working for the evil queen. It comes as no surprise this leads to her being kidnapped by a raven shifter who is, in fact, working for the queen. Everything is not as it seems, though, and there might be more to this man than she thought.
The Bargain
She strikes a bargain with her kidnapper. The bargain is sealed with a strange mark we find out more about later on. Action ensues, and we slowly get answers (mostly) to the mysteries surrounding the evil queen and our MMC. The issue I have is that the author doesn’t take enough time to give us good detailed explanations, and instead we have to come to our own conclusions at times from flashbacks or comments here and there. The worldbuilding could have been expanded upon if the book was a bit longer as well, so we as readers don’t feel quite so lost as we get farther into the book.
The Romance
This is a slow burn. Don’t expect a whole lot of romance right away. I anticipate much more as the series continues, but for this one, it’s mainly just tension and banter. I wasn’t mad about it, though. It was sweet. He helps her with her magic, and protects her from harm. And of course, we get some adorable romantic moments after the first half.
“I don’t know,” he says quietly. “But I’ve got you now. We need to watch out for each other.”
HEA?
Cliffhanger, guys. I’ll be looking forward to book two! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Night Waltz Press for this ARC.
