The Queens Crown (Court of Midnight and Deception #3) by K.M. Shea

The Queens Crown (Court of Midnight and Deception #3) Reviews

• 
  Lemon

  After screaming, sobbing, laughing, and yelling murder at the author, I have collected myself a bit to leave a more coherent review than Book 2's.
  
  You know that feeling when you've finished a book or series and you just KNOW, even if you haven't dissected it, that it's going to remain a lifelong favorite read? Well I'm going to try and start the dissection here but that's basically my feelings for the Court of Midnight and Deception Trilogy.
  
  It builds...it builds incredibly on its familial, friendship, and romantic tropes and makes them emotionally impactful in times where it matters. It develops the romance and makes us feel happy at all those moments (yes, even for unromantic me). It also worldbuilds, progresses the main plot, and almost kills us with its storytelling elements, and also has great balance of description. And best of all, the hero and heroine both develop in a way that doesn't make them lose themselves and feels satisfying to watch...(screaming at a fictional character is satisfying, right?) And it uses these relationships and people to reflect the brokenness of the problem around them...it just BUILDS upon itself, all of these elements.
  
  I know some people felt the pacing was off in book 1 (namely a bit slow) and maybe it was...but it didn't WASTE anything it introduced. And also, just...personally, I loved it. A light but emotionally rocking read that made me laugh and smile and gasp in outrage and choke on my spit. It was just a satisfying read (and I'm probably not reaching too much when I say that the themes of forgiveness and friendship and honesty and deception were really thematic and kind of reflective of the real world in kind of surprising ways if you think about it. But I know Kitty wants to make us laugh and just LIVE through these characters...and she definitely accomplished that!)
  
  This BOOK...I don't know....but this book ended in a perfect way and also really just goes to show how WELL Kitty can pull off complicated plot twists and shocking, maybe preditable reveals in a way that still impacts... Is she Fae herself?? The plot twists and misdirection and such amazing portrayal of fae wordsmithing....
  
  Content: uh...a bit more on the romance and a bit of violence but that's it
• 
  Anna

  Oh my gosh what a perfect ending to this series! So excited for the Pack of Dawn and Destiny series! I love all the Magiford characters and hope we have more of them to come!
• 
  Al *the semi serial series skipper*

  Nothing out of the ordinary happens. Like Hazel and Killian's book the real villain isn't shown, we have been strung along two series now where we are told that someone is pulling the strings of everything but yet there is no clue as to who it is, just a plot of a villainous villain who is too shy to show his/her self.
  
  The pseudo-villain in this book was immediately obvious to me a few pages after they appeared on screen, I couldn't understand why it took three books for them to see who the person was. That turned out to not even be satisfactory.
  
  I'll recommend this if you are looking for something with recycled lines to while away time.
• 
  Vibliophile

  (4.5 stars) Answers - and wings 😉 - at last
  
  The beginning of book 3 was a little puzzling to me because Leila was back to hating on Linus, when she seemed like she was beginning to warm up to him in book 2, & she's upset with Rigel because he won't say where he's been, but they know it's standard for him to "work" under a geas, so I'd have thought that would have been their first guess.
  
  The book eventually smoothes those things out, though, and begins to untangle the mystery of who's trying to kill Leila. More importantly, Leila & Rigel stop dancing around it and admit their love for each other, lol
  
  A *thoroughly* satisfying ending to another great Magiford series! Happy sighs. And I'm hoping that Jade - and perhaps Rime - is a hint at more installments ahead 🙏
• 
  Dallass

  A great way to wrap up Leila’s story.
  
  What can I say? I’m a sucker for these characters. I enjoyed Hazel and Killian’s story so much that I wasn’t expecting to love this even more.
  
  Leila is a great character that embodies a hopefulness you don’t often see in the modern UF heroine. She allows herself to be vulnerable and it allowed me to emotionally connect with her. I loved the Night Mares and all the other Fae creatures of the various Courts - oh, and Bagel too - as well as the tricky court politics that Leila had to navigate (Fell really is an a$$hat, isn’t he?). This added a lot of needed tension to the story.
  
  I’m hoping that there will be a companion trilogy as there were a few threads left dangling, and let’s be honest, I just want to read more about Leila, Rigel, and their court.
  
  In all, a great trilogy, but would highly recommend reading this after Hazel and Killian’s trilogy so you can get the most out of it.
  
  4 stars ⭐️
• 
  Kathy

  I think this may be my favorite of the series, maybe because the romance was more front-and-center. I really enjoyed the whole series though, especially binge reading them altogether, it felt like one big book by time I finished. Great characters, fun setting and world-building, just an overall fun urban fantasy...romance! I again, liked the romance aspect in this last installment, it made all the waiting worth it! I'm looking to going back and reading the Magic Forged series now (which this series is a spin-off from).
  
  Content
  Romance: YES! KISSING! Still very clean!
  Language: None
  Violence: Mild, magical battles, nothing graphic
• 
  Carina Shephard

  5 stars // reread October 2022
  
  A very satisfying conclusion to one of my all-time favorite series. *nudges you to go read it*
• 
  Winter

  hahaha..stayed up till 4 A.M. to finish this.
  Was it worth it?
  
  - Absotootley!!!
  Words fail me..but I don't think there was anything in this book that I didn't love!
  -and SO many little easter eggs of information, where do I start!?????
  Solis?Those sketchy fae?The Fae Court?Fell??The Paragon???The ELVES!????
  *audibly squeaks* Oh, I can't wait for the next series!!!!!!
• 
  Katyana

  Oh man, I just utterly loved the heck out of this ... and stayed up way too late last night finishing it.
  
  I'll definitely re-read this again and again.
• 
  Tricia Mingerink

  There are not enough stars for this book and for this whole series! K.M. Shea has been my favorite author for a long time, but this series still managed to blow me away! I ADORE Leila and Rigel and the whole urban fantasy world set up in these books! Seriously, Leila and Rigel are ADORABLE! So many FEELZ in this book!
  
  This book is a stunning finale where some mysteries are finally revealed. There are still a few reveals and mysteries left, and I love how K.M. Shea is weaving all these little hints of a bigger picture in each of these connected series, yet leaving each series enough of a standalone series.
• 
  PumpkinPi

  Oh my goodness, SUCH a finale to Leila's trilogy! We get to see so many seeds planted in the first two books come to fruition (and as a bonus, a couple of hilarious Killian and Hazel moments that arc back to their trilogy! Poor Elite Bellus; the Regional Council is going to be so much more interesting now 😁) I stayed up way too late reading The Queen's Crown, and cannot bring myself to regret it. So many emotional moments, from heartwrenching to hilarious to adorable. I will be rereading this one again and again.
  
  Leila is truly one of my favorite of K.M. Shea's heroines: driven to help her people and the other courts even when they hated her, she's become a beacon of hope and inspired a level of cooperation that none of them could have imagined. And while she really struggled under the burden of Rigel and Lord Linus's perceived betrayals, the heart that caused her to feel betrayal so acutely ultimately helped her to respond with empathy instead of bitterness: with each betrayal, and especially by the time she was confronted by the one who had been orchestrating the mounting attacks on her, Leila was able to step outside of her own feelings to look deeper for the intentions and motivations of those who may have unknowingly or unwillingly hurt her.
  
  And Rigel... Oh, he was written *so* well. His sincere inability to understand why Leila was upset was so much more believable, given what we learn of his background, than if he'd been apologetic at their first encounter. Their miscommunications made me so frustrated on their behalf, but made his gradual realizations and the growth of their relationship so beautiful.
  
  The ensemble cast and their support of Leila was incredible, especially as her court united behind her! She's truly going to continue to be a powerful, positive force in the Magiford region moving forward, because she honestly cares about them all and they've learned to respect and love her for it.
  
  I can't wait to catch glimpses of Leila, Rigel, and maybe some of the others (Chase and Chrys, pretty please?) whenever Kitty begins her next UF trilogy!
• 
  Verdelite

  So wholesome! ❤️
  
  Here's a gif that appropriately captures the happy vibes this series gave me while simultaneously portraying the main couple accurately
  
  
  This series gave me so many happy feelz and fun. I hope K. M. Shea isn't done with this world yet and we'll see more of these two in future spin-offs!
  
  
• 
  Lauren

  Night queen
  
  Ugh... I wish it didn't have to end! I loved these characters and I'm so sad to see that it's all over, but what a ride ppl!! Idk if it was just me in the feels but this book ripped my heart out with everything that happened. I had a feeling that's who the bad guy was, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did without totally changing the integrity of one of my favorite characters! This read was done nicely! And I'm truly sad it's over
• 
  Kate

  Overall review for the trilogy
  
  
  Crown of Shadows - 5 ☆
  
  Crown of Moonlight - 3.5 ☆
  
  The Queen's Crown - 4 ☆
  
  Court of Midnight and Deception's motto: It's fine!
  
  
  Half fae/human Leila is proud of her human heritage, her fae heritage not so much. There is just one slight problem with this, she is the new Fae Queen of the Night Court. The night mares have choosen her not only the two required but six there is no way she can get out of it.
  
  
  Throughout the three books Leila has a lot to deal with. A court that is about to collapse. Having to pick a husband as the rules dictate it. Dealing with a court who hates her for her being only half Fae. Surviving several attempts on her life even one from her darling husband. Great meet cute if I do say so myself. Leila pulls off the impossible. She unites the Fae.
  
  This series is bliming hilarious. I had a lot of fun. The author has created a unique story that intrigued me from the beginning. I cannot give it a full five stars as I guessed who was working against her.
  
  I hope you as much fun as I did!
• 
  Katlover

  Wow! What else can I say? I have been reading Kitty's book for years and her books are always improving. This series, and especially this book, have shown how much Kitty has grown as an author. All of the mysterious happenstances were answered, which is quite rare. I usually am left feeling like there is something missing or something not answered in a series but this book answered all of my questions and more! There are some plot holes but those started with the Hall of Blood and Mercy story arc and will probably be filled in with the next planned series. It is interesting what we find out in this story arc though. I can't wait for the next books to find out more!
  
  I love how this series doesn't focus on only the romance. It also focuses on other relationships to the MC. Leila grows exponentially with her own role, her magic, her relationship with her court, and her friends (even some enemies). She has more hilarious antics for her court and her friends to react to. Those definitely made me laugh! And there were times I teared up. (Can't talk about it without spoilers. Hehe.) I could go on and on but suffice to say that you cannot go wrong in reading this book or series.
  
  Random thought...King Fell and Rupert seem to have similar (not exact) personalities to me. I wonder what would happen if the wizards adopted King Fell? Hmmm. The possibilities!
  
  Fyi, this is the 3rd book in the Court of Midnight and Deception series and there is another series before this one called the Hall of Blood and Mercy. The Hall of Blood and Mercy books do not have to be read before this series but there is a lot of worldbuilding that explains more than this current one. This series is more focused on fae magic while the first series is more descriptive of all types of magic.
• 
  Deborah

  3.5⭐️
  
  This series was a fun escape. I truly enjoy this author and this world is so inviting and imaginative. My biggest hang up with this author is she gets too wordy. I find myself skimming a lot and realizes I’m not missing much when I do. Also the romance for me was good but not great. It felt so one sided for so long. Can I also say that I wish I had Leila’s ability to forgive so easily?! What an amazing characteristic.
  
  Over all a fun series.
• 
  Andrea

  3.5
• 
  Dominique

  4.5 stars
• 
  Dew

  No resolution
  
  There are fully 6 books that reference the crimes committed by a shadow organization that has unlimited access to elven artifacts/weapons and money. A group that has sought to destabilize most of the supernatural communities. This group facilitated the murder of Hazel Medeis’s parents and the coup on House Medeis. The same group provided assistance for attacks on the Drake Family, including the murder of Drake vampires, staff, and blood donors, and repeated assassination attempts of Killian Drake. The same shadow group then blackmail fae royalty, attempt to murder Leila and topple the Night Court. Who are they? The author doesn’t get around to it.
  
  In fact, Haze, Killian, and Leila are more than happy to let the whole thing go. Hazel was able to defeat Mason and is completely uninterested in finding out who killed her parents. Maybe it was Mason. Maybe not. Oh, well. Similarly, Killian is fine brushing off the deaths of his vampires and attacks on himself and Hazel once he defeats Queen Nyte. They don’t care at all that someone else was involved behind the scenes. Leila and Rigel defeat two low-level offenders and equally decide that they really don’t care who was behind the attacks or why the Night Court was being targeted.
• 
  Bookssica

  5/5 stars. This series will forever be in my heart. It is one of the best series I’ve ever read. RIGEL IS MY MAN.
• 
  Amy

  Leila is still being attacked, Rigel left her and came back and won't answer what he was doing, and her realm is losing land. Nothing is looking up until she's able to help a few monarchs, make her court happy, and make everything fine.
  
  This series, while a spin off, was good, but it has its flaws.
  
  Here's what I didn't like: Rigel was forgettable in scenes, perhaps because maybe the author forgot he was around. He wasn't really fleshed out and the romance was forced. I have question why only the night court monarch is required to marry before crowning. Leila is a copy of Hazel. Everything was pointed out, like the story grabbed me by the nostrils and led me around by the nose as if I wasn't trusted to figure any of this out, even if it was pretty obvious from book 1 who might've hired Rigel. Wrong used words or really odd word choices. IG: I loped out of there fast *probably* should've been noped. I only ever think of animals loping. The editing felt rushed once again. While this story is finished, it still feels like there is a shadowy antagonist out there, and i'm a wee bit annoyed that I don't fully know why the Night Court was put through the wringer like this. It couldn't just be because of an open-ended bargain that has now been broken.
  
  Here's what I liked: I like the story and the premise, and even though Leila has the same voice and personality and growth that Hazel has, it was still entertaining albeit predictable. The Night Court's new motto. Seeing Rigel's wings for the first time.
  
  Overall, I skimmed a bit because I read back-to-back and a lot of the recap was unnecessary, but that doesn't mean all of it was extra fluff. Is this series skippable? Maybe, but if you liked the characters, then it's a good one to read. Do I regret reading it? Nah, I read it on KU, so there was no risk.
• 
  Rose (Adventurous Bookworm)

  Just finished this book ten minutes ago. Is it too early for a reread?
• 
  Melissa

  This was a fun series. I know I only gave it 3 stars because this was just not my favorite reading. It was much more young adult and silly. Every page had references to silly stuff that this book was full of. I was actually super relived when she cried! It finally made her a believable character for me. Shea has done a better job in developing characters in the other series, they kind of got lost to all the tea jokes, love of coffee and animals in these books. 10 and 12 year olds will LOVE these books. I know I am passing these onto my daughters because they will love all the silliness and the light romance is more their style.
• 
  Ana

  It was a nice way to finish the trilogy, the only thing that truly bother me was the repetitive dialogues, ever few pages Leila would say how weak she is and how she sucks at magic and then immediately other characters would rush to praise her skills, how great she is, how she changed everything in only a few months, how no one could’ve done it etc, it got very annoying very quickly, it felt like the author was just trying to fill as much as she could with pointless dialogues so the book wouldn’t be too short.
  But I still enjoyed the book, especially the development of Leila and Rigel’s relationship.
• 
  Laur Laur

  A good ending, but the first book is still my favourite, and I still like the blood and mercy series best.
• 
  Che is Currently not Reading

  4.5 Stars
• 
  Tiffany

  A nice conclusion
  
  This book is very easy to read. It is, like the other two books in this series, filled with a funny and interesting plot that flows nicely.
  It has good conclusion to the trilogies story arc.
• 
  Adah B.

  4.7 stars. This series is a lot of fun. Multiple times I was laughing out loud over Rigel’s and Leila’s verbal sparring, and in my opinion if a book keeps making me laugh, it’s worth my time.