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The Emerald Queen Series #1

The Emerald Queen Rises

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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.

435 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2022

25 people are currently reading
146 people want to read

About the author

Maegwen Salley-Massie

9 books11 followers

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5 stars
25 (54%)
4 stars
10 (21%)
3 stars
6 (13%)
2 stars
3 (6%)
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2 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Keri M.
438 reviews40 followers
October 23, 2024
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!!
December 7, 2023
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 ❤️
Profile Image for Escaping in Pages.
186 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2025
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! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*
Profile Image for Kayla.
10 reviews
April 22, 2024
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!!
Profile Image for Amanda.
335 reviews15 followers
April 16, 2024
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.
Profile Image for Nicole Wright.
110 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2025
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.

I listened at 1.2x speed.
Profile Image for Abby.
215 reviews6 followers
January 23, 2025
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.
7 reviews
January 18, 2024
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.
Profile Image for Tyler Edwards.
Author 17 books110 followers
May 16, 2025
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!
Profile Image for Jen.
130 reviews
August 16, 2023
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.
Profile Image for K.E. Blair.
Author 1 book15 followers
February 13, 2024
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!
Profile Image for C.A. Meadows.
Author 6 books28 followers
July 16, 2023
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!
2 reviews
August 22, 2023
Great read!

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!
Profile Image for Toni Cabell.
Author 23 books140 followers
May 15, 2024
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!
Profile Image for April Novak.
27 reviews
May 21, 2024
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.

On to book two!
Profile Image for Amanda | Techabooks.
127 reviews
May 22, 2024
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.
Profile Image for Arynne Priest.
3 reviews
March 23, 2024
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.
Profile Image for Courtney Denelsbeck.
Author 7 books41 followers
May 1, 2024
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!
Profile Image for ForestCabinReads .
26 reviews3 followers
April 6, 2024
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚍 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚁𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜
𝙱𝚢 Maegwen Salley-Massie

𝟻 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 - 🌶

*𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙵𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜
*𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚆𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
*𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚢
*𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚜 & 𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌
*𝙽𝚘 𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 (𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝)
*𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜
*𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊
*𝙳𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚢
*𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢

𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺

𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 & 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢; 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔!

This book should be a disney movie!!

✨️𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎.
𝙴𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛, 𝚖𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚏𝚞𝚗!! 𝙸 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔!! 𝙰 𝚙𝚕𝚞𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔!
👍🏼𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝! 𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜!
🥰𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚊 𝚖𝚒𝚡 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍; 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚋𝚞𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎-𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚝! 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔!

#theemeraldqueenrises
Profile Image for Jess.
Author 7 books28 followers
September 1, 2024
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.
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