"Nameless Queen" by Rebecca McLaughlin

Nameless Queen is a new fast-paced YA fantasy set in a fictional city-state of Seriden. Our main character Coin belongs to the Nameless, the lowest of the three casts that exist in the city. As such, she has no name or home, and survives by thieving and running cons. The plot centers around the fact that one day, a crown tattoo mysteriously appears on her arm, which means that the King of Seriden named her his heir with his last breath.

Since Coin is "nameless," she is baffled by how someone could have known her name, and initially determines to keep the tattoo a secret. She is forced to reveal herself when her friend Hat gets captured by some Royal guards and is threatened to be executed. The rest of the book deals largely with resolving the fate of the royal crown and the mystery of Coin's tattoo.

The book focuses heavily on political machinations and revealing of Coin's past. Things move along fairly quickly, and the story stays engaging and interesting throughout. I liked the characters, the pacing and the plot overall. There is no romance in this book at all, which was frankly quite refreshing. Given the relatively short amount of time covered in the story and the complexity of the issues the main characters are faced with, there was no reason to throw romance into the mix.

I am not sure if McLaughlin is planning to write a sequel. The book reads as a standalone. All major plot lines are resolved and there is no need for another book. Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars: a face-paced adventure story with interesting plot lines and enjoyable characters.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com.