For thousands of years, the seven kingdoms continued to be cursed, but the uninfected blood of Sealyn gives Elysium its final hope. Jace, the outcast of the royal family of Stoltland, finds himself painfully in love with the queen of Elysium, Stoltland’s enemy. Can his love for the queen be true, or will his loyalty to his family ultimately lead him to betrayal? Stoltland’s queen has given herself to the curse, resurrecting the dark powers of old. Sealyn and Jace will have to face this darkness and hope that Sealyn’s choices will awaken the ancient magic to save her people.
Fantasy done so so right!!! This book was amazing! I was hooked from page 1! The story was fantastic and was paced perfectly!! You fall in love and in hate with characters and they are developed so perfectly!! I can’t wait to continue this series!!
I just met this author and she is such a delight! She is hilarious and kind and such a creative mind. She gave a multitude of writing tips on how to be published and how to write and just such amazing tips that I know will come in handy. I am SO SO SO looking forward to read this book ❤️
Rating - 4.5 rounded up to 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Date Read - September 18, 2025 Publication Date - Already Published!
*I received a gifted copy from the author* - Thank you so much friend @maegwenauthor!
I was hooked from the first page of The Emerald Queen Rises, I was thrown into the story and my heart rate was up right away! I would have been lost without the character name pronunciation list provided at the start of the book, it’s such an important addition that I love to see in fantasy books! This book feels like a mix of medieval, renaissance and mythical fantasy with so much creativity and all the descriptions that transport you into the world Maegwen has built. The animals and foods are unique and add to the world, I would love to meet Nichts and feast on all the yummy sounding pastries! I also loved all the letters written in scrolls throughout the book, having graphics and illustrations adds so much to the reading experience! There are many good life lessons about envy, greed and jealousy that you should look out for. I had a lot of fun seeing how each side gained information and made plans and it was interesting to see how the other side responded from their POVs. You get a bit of everything in this book with action, mystery, suspense and a little romance. This has the potential for a 5 star series and book 4 just released this week!
If you like bingeable fantasy books with politics, action, mystery and non-spicy romance, you should try The Emerald Queen Rises!
Get excited to read The Emerald Queen Rises, available now! 🎉
The Emerald Queen Rises by Maegwen Salley-Massie is the first book of a high fantasy series jam packed with thrilling adventure, magic, and friendship!
You are immersed in the story of the fiery Queen Sealyn who is as loyal to her kingdom as she is to her friends. As she inherits the throne, she is determined to restore peace to the beautiful world of Elysium, but the problem is each of the 7 kingdoms suffer from ancient curses. Sealyn also meets Jace, the mysterious son of her rival kingdoms royalty, and will need to decide if her feelings for him are true or if he is destined for betrayal. All hope is riding on Sealyn and her friends to break the curses and awaken the long lost magic.
Maegwen is a wizard of words when it comes to DETAILS! Every character, place, and even some magical treats can be fully imagined as you read. The romance is very clean and sweet. The action is brilliant and the ending leaves you wondering what will happen next!
For me, it has Raya and The Last Dragon mixed with Keeper of The Lost Cities vibes.
I rate it 4.5 stars. Excited to continue the adventure in book 2!!
Oh my goodness. I love love love this book. It did take me a little longer to read as when I do read physical book, my toddler always has to steal it. But it made this book that much better every time I got to go back to it. Maegwen's world is amazing. And every time some sort of food was brought up I was like I want to try it or even see it. I love Sealyn, her character growth is amazing. I love how you just watch her grow more and more into the queen role. I also love the little dairy quotes on the new chapters. It helped see more of what is going on. And then you have Jace. The outcast, and the only one who actually saw him for what he is was the queen. I love how it was more of a fantasy fiction with romance in it. It grew as the characters grew, making it feel very authentic and not forced. I cannot wait to start the next book! If you enjoy fantasy of all sorts, you should give this book a try.
Sealyn is Queen in Elysium, one of the seven kingdoms.
Jace is an outcast, a Bastard child from Stoltland.
As the story unfolds we learn that each of the seven kingdoms carry a curse.
This story was enjoyable, there was quite a bit of worldbuilding and a wide cast to meet, which at times slowed the flow of the story. But I believe was needed information to build the world. I love a good fantasy book with epic world building. There were a few moments that there was a bit much when it came to description but story was still pretty enjoyable.
I wasn’t familiar with the narrator Tadd Morgan and while he did a decent job, his narration wasn’t my favorite. It could have just been because this was my first male narrator and I’m accustomed to women narrators doing the male voices but not the other way around, so I may just need to get used to male narrators more. I did still enjoy the narration, just some of the voices were off for me.
This epically clean fantasy did NOT disappoint! The authors attention to detail and her imagination knows no bounds. I was taken on a thrilling journey full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. The characters and the plot were so well written that they could never be forgotten. Especially Lady Corentine, that woman will remain on my hit list for all of eternity. This book also had me craving sweets and coffee. I wish that I could visit the Elysium bakery so that I could try their delicious Puffin Pies, then walk over to Nijeels Choice for a cup of coffee. The pacing of this novel was perfectly balanced and held my attention until the very end. Words cannot capture the true essence of this wonderful story. I absolutely loved reading The Emerald Queen Rises and I just know that the sequel will be magnificent as well.
I adored the vivacious and genuine camaraderie among the female characters. Their interactions are lively and wholesome, painting a picture of strong feminine bonds. The Fantasy genre is often dominated by male heroes, this novel refreshingly showcases the strength and depth of its female characters, especially Sealyn.
“Jace knew he had found the only queen he ever wanted to serve.” Okay, swoon. The romance between Jace and Sealyn is the beating heart of the story. It's not just cute; it's thought-provoking. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their conversations reach far beyond the realm of surface-level flirting. They dig deep into their emotional journeys, and it's in these moments of vulnerability that their love truly shines.
Machinations, magic, mystical creatures, and monarchs all weave together in this fantasy tale. Be warned for 2 things: First this book introduces many characters and it takes a minute to get them all down. Second, there is a lot of unique and tasty food and banquets so if you are hungry, it may make your stomach growl.
The most important part of any fantasy world is a intriguing idea or captivating setting to get lost in. EQR delivers that in one of the few fantasy stories I've read in awhile where I think I would likely survive in the world (which is a nice treat, I do like surviving). There's lots of imagination and concepts to ponder on and consider. Lot of potential for what comes next. Definitely worth checking out!
I bought this book while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. I always like to check out book stores and local authors of the places I'm visiting, and this book intrigued me, and she is an author in MB. It is a good book with a good story. However, I have some pet peeves in it with how the nichts "talk" and how detailed the unimportant details of some scenes are in regards to food in particular. I think the book could have dropped 50 pages alone if there were fewer details about unimportant details about food. I get the author was setting the scene. But meh 😕😆🤦♀️. I'll probably read book 2 but will only read it if it is on KU.
The Emerald Queen rises is an epic romantic fantasy that follows the rise of Queen Sealyn in the kingdom of Elysium.
Sealyn is crowned Queen of one of seven kingdoms, each which carry a curse. In this first story we’re focused on Elysium and Stoltland, where Jace is a bastard child from.
It features a large ensemble cast - with cousins, parents, friends, family and of course, the love interest from a rival kingdom.
The large scale setting of the story reminded me of Game of Thrones, without the murder, infest and general ick feeling.
Sealyn as is strong and confident, always with a plot in place - she reminded me of an SJM heroine. Jace is sweet and a little naive, and Sealyn pursues him, maneuvering him into a position where they can have a real courtship.
The world building is immersive - with descriptions of animals, cuisines, dresses, magic and even games native to the Seven Kingdoms. The plot of the novel concludes nicely, with a magical reveal leaving you excited for the adventures of book 2!
This book was captivating! I was routing for each of the characters - except Corentine. This book has a well balanced mix of adventure, love, battle and all things mythical. Maegwen paints an exceptional picture of Elysium and you can't help but be drawn into their customs and love all the people that inhabit it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and am impatiently awaiting the next one!
This book set in my TBR pile for way too long! It took me a little bit to get into but once I did, I could not put it down!! One of my favorite things about this book is the amount of detail that Maegwen gives. You really feel like you are there and are experiencing everything the characters are. The ending of the book gets so intense and has so many twists and turns that you will be on the edge of your seat. Definitely worth reading!!! Can’t wait for book 2!
I really enjoyed the high fantasy world and slow-burn romance in The Emerald Queen Rises--and I'm amazed this is Maegwen's debut novel! The world building is top notch, and the love story between Sealyn, queen of Elysium, and Jace, the illegitimate son of her sworn enemy, was sweet and swoony.
If you enjoy high-stakes fantasy with warring kingdoms, good vs. evil, great characters, and a clean yet passionate romance, don't miss this one! And the best part... there's a sequel!
I am happy I chose this series to get me back into the reading spirit! It was a lovely read. Had me smiling and almost to the point of tears. I'm excited to see how the rest of the seven books pan out! My only criticism is that for a couple character dialogs, it seeemd that the jumped from one topic to another verily quickly. Or that what they were thinking was not what they spoke. Only happened a couple of times, so no big deal. Just made my head do a tiny spin lol.
The Emerald Queen Rises by Maegwen Salley-Massie was such a fun fantasy read. Its gives 🏰Medieval Harry Potter⚡️vibes from beginning to end. You’ll enjoy pipscot competitions 🎇 and sample the local confections 🥟 all while bowing to the newly crowned 👑Queen Sealyn. She’s a queen that intends to dance to the beat of her own drum in both 💕love and 🪖war. I highly recommend this one to those who are fans of Harry Potter and Medieval fantasies.
Dynamic characters, shocking twists, vivid descriptions, and immersive worldbuilding. Reading this book felt like I was really in a fantasy kingdom, and I would definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers! I also appreciate the pronunciation guide in the beginning.
What a fun, imaginative world! I loved the descriptions of food, creatures, and characters in this epic fantasy. If you love fantasy with lots of beautiful world building, action, humor, and romance, I highly recommend this one for you!
Okay. I have been dabbling my feet in the fantasy world and I'm going to say that this book is very easy to follow. It's very easy to understand. It follows Sealyn the daughter of the king and queen of Elysium. She is the hope to bring change to the world and bring together communities and kingdoms that once and still are not on the same page. And that is exactly what she does. She works hard to bring the kingdoms together all while having two deal with a potential traitor. Then the real test comes. War on Elysium. And as all of this comes together, she rises up to be the queen that they needed. She will rise like the Phoenix. Highly recommend.