Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Michael Kingman thought he was going to die by the executioner’s axe, forever labeled as a traitor. Still alive, and under the protection of the Orbis Mercenary company, Michael and his family and friends are deeply involved in the seemingly rival conspiracies that are tearing The Hollows apart. With the death of the King, both the Corrupt Prince and his sister Serena are vying for the throne, while the Rebel Emperor is spreading lies amongst the people, and all of them want Michael dead. This is a story of betrayal, murder, and rebellion, and in this direct sequel to the debut novel The Kingdom of Liars, also some hope for justice.

Review:

For the most part, I try not to review books in a series unless I have read the previous books first.  Imagine how dismayed I was when I finally had time to read The Two-Faced Queen, by Nick Martell, only to realize that this was book two in a series!  I guess I was too enamoured by the beautiful cover when I requested it from NetGalley.

"Okay," I thought, "no problem. I can knock out the first book, then move on to the next one."

So, I downloaded the The Kingdom of Liars (book one) from the library and learned that it was nearly 600 pages!  I then checked on how long The Two-Faced Queen was, also around 600 pages.  Oh boy!  Well, after a marathon of reading over the last week and a half, I have finally read both novels.  My head is spinning from the rich world-building, the huge cast of characters, and layered storytelling.  It was totally worth it.

What I Liked:

World-Building:

This fantasy book has a complex world of magic, and societies, with checks and balances built into both systems.  Only some could use magic, but it's use came at a price.  The most common type of magic was called Fabrications.  People lose memories each time they use this type of magic.  The stronger the magic, the more memories a person loses.  If someone uses a small amount of magic they may forgets the name of an object.  If they use a large amount of magic  they forget entire days, or who their loved ones are.  Eventually. if one uses too much magic, they become a Forgotten, who loses all their memories.  I loved this check on power.  

The society that the novel is set in is really complicated.  The kingdom is called Hallow, and there is a rigid class system in place.  Besides royalty, there are high and low Nobles, several organized religions, military divisions like the Ravens and Scales, Mercenaries, and then there is the Kingman family.  This family is not royalty, but is directly bound to the royal family.  They are just as influential as the royals, and are the only people who can speak freely to (and be a check on) the royals they are bound to.

Language:

While I am not a person who normally likes lots of cursing in books, I found the language used in this novel to be quite refreshing.  Yes, this is a fantasy world that seems to be set in medieval times (aren't they all).  But there are an abundance of F bombs and other, more modern, speech.  Yes, the author could have made up curse words.  But, I've always felt that device was a bit trite.  If you have a bunch of twenty-something people together, no matter the time, there ought to be a fair amount of cursing, carousing, and bad behavior.  This made the characters much more relatable for me.

Characters:

The focus of the story is on Michael Kingman, who feels the full weight of his family's legacy.  He and his siblings, Gwen and Lyon, have been told over and over that they are to live a life of service to Hallow.  They really reminded me of the Kennedy clan in America.  There are people in this family who have done amazing things, and others who never live up to their potential.  Since their father has been found guilty of killing one of the royal princes ten years earlier, the Kingman family have been in disgrace.  But Michael never believed his father was guilty.  Now Michael has been accused of killing another royal, and he must convince Serena, the princess he is bound to, that he didn't do it.

There are many other characters who feel the weight of family history on their lives.  Besides Michael and Serena, there is Dark, a Mercenary who is hell-bent on destroying his father.  Chloe, a Raven who must try to live up to her mother's high standards as the group's leader.  Trey, Michael's best friend, grew up in an abusive situation and is determined to lift up his section of the kingdom out of poverty.  Everyone is driven to prove themselves.  There are a lot of backstories to keep track of.  However, the author weaves a tale where this all makes sense.  Thankfully, if the reader does become confused, there is a handy list at the front of the book to show who belongs to which family, and what part of society.

Story:

There are plots, and sub-plots, enough to make your head spin.  There is the constant threat that a royal or a nobel will kill Michael to avenge the death of Serena's father.  There is the thread about Michael's mother trying to rebuild the family's place in society.  There is a plot about immortals who may secretly be controlling everything.  There are several love stories happening as well.  All of this is happening while a rebellion is expected occur in the near future.  

At times, it was difficult to understand just where the story was headed.  Is it a story about the Princess's ascension to the throne?  Is this a story about a serial killer who is targeting pretty much everyone?  Or is this a story of revenge on the Kingman family by those who have been wronged by them in the past?  If you answered yes to ALL of these questions, you would be correct!  This is why the book is nearly 600 pages.

The story really goes in a million directions and it takes a while for everything to come together.  But, the result is a richly layered story in a vibrant world.  I really felt I could follow it for several hundred more pages, and I would still be enthralled. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  March 23rd, 2021

Author:  Nick Martell

Publisher:  Gallery/Saga Press

Genre:  Fantasy

Page Length:  592 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Filled with a rich world and exciting characters, this is a wonderful fantasy series that you will gladly want to read more and more.  A thrilling page-turner.