The Rogue Queen

Content Warnings: Childhood trauma, parental death, captivity, abuse, attempted sacrifice, blood and feeding, graphic violence, murder, sexual coercion or assault, nonconsensual marking, prejudice, pregnancy, infertility, and loss.

The Rogue Queen is the first book in Rory McCauley-Hayman’s Twisted Design series, although I technically discovered the series completely out of order. I originally read The Vampire’s Servant on a reading app without realizing it was part of a larger series. I enjoyed the story and Rory’s writing style so much that I went looking to see what else she’d written. That’s when I discovered Twisted Design and decided to start at the beginning with The Rogue Queen. And here we are, two years later, with this series still holding a special place in my BookDragon collection.

As some of you already know, vampires, werewolves, and just about anything supernatural or paranormal are among my favorite things to read about. This series has almost everything I could ask for, including werewolves, vampires, witches, bear shifters, and dhampyrs. Add supernatural politics, conflicts between species, powerful bonds, strong characters, and found family, and there was very little chance of this series escaping my attention.

One of the things I loved most about The Rogue Queen was Bellamy. She’s strong, intelligent, fiercely independent, protective of the people she loves, and more than capable of handling herself. I particularly appreciated that her strength felt earned. She’s someone whose experiences have shaped her into a capable warrior and leader, but Rory doesn’t forget that there’s still a person beneath all that responsibility. Bellamy has her vulnerabilities, and I liked that being powerful didn’t mean she was incapable of feeling hurt, making mistakes, or needing the people around her.

I also loved that Bellamy wasn’t written as someone who needed a man to come along and take charge of her life. She’s already a leader with responsibilities, opinions, and a very clear understanding of what she’s willing to tolerate. She can be stubborn, reckless, sarcastic, and downright threatening when someone pushes her too far, but she’s also compassionate and deeply loyal. I enjoyed those different sides of her personality because they made her feel like a complete character rather than simply another powerful heroine.

And then there’s Lucien. I liked him, although there were definitely moments when I wanted to reach into the book and knock some sense into that man myself. He’s an Alpha who is accustomed to being in control, and his protective instincts can sometimes make him arrogant, jealous, and more than a little overbearing. However, I appreciated that Rory gave him enough depth for me to understand where some of those behaviors came from without expecting me to excuse them.

What I enjoyed about Lucien was that he wasn’t a perfect romantic hero, and his relationship with Bellamy required him to recognize that being protective and being controlling aren’t the same thing. I like a possessive Alpha as much as the next paranormal romance reader, but I also want him to respect the woman he’s supposed to love. Bellamy certainly wasn’t going to make that easy for him, and I loved that about her.

Their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the book. They’re both strong-willed, accustomed to making their own decisions, and perfectly capable of arguing when they disagree. Their personalities create plenty of tension, but there’s also affection, humor, and an emotional connection that develops alongside the attraction. I particularly enjoyed the way they challenged each other because neither character had to become less independent or less powerful for the relationship to work.

The banter was another highlight for me. Bellamy’s conversations with Lucien, Dilly, Cara, and the rest of her family had me laughing more than once. She has a wonderfully sarcastic personality, and I loved how easily she could go from being affectionate to threatening someone who was testing her patience. There was even something she said to Lucien that made me snort coffee all over myself. You would think I’d have learned to put my cup down by the third read, but apparently not.

I also really enjoyed Rory’s approach to werewolf lore, particularly the differences between pack wolves and rogues. In many paranormal romances, rogues are portrayed as dangerous, unstable, or incapable of forming meaningful connections. Rory takes a different approach, giving rogue-born wolves their own identities, abilities, traditions, and ways of building communities. I found that fascinating because it added depth to the world and made the conflicts between different groups feel more meaningful.

The supernatural politics were another part of the story I enjoyed. There’s a lot more happening than a romance between two powerful characters, and I liked that the different communities had their own beliefs, responsibilities, and complicated relationships with one another. The prejudice, power struggles, and conflicts between species gave the story plenty of substance without taking away from the characters themselves.

Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and The Rogue Queen handled it beautifully. I loved the relationships Bellamy had with the people closest to her, particularly Dilly, Cara, and her family. The supporting characters weren’t simply there to fill space between the main characters’ scenes. They had distinct personalities and relationships that made me care about them, too. I especially appreciated the sense of loyalty and belonging throughout the book and how much importance Rory placed on the family people build for themselves.

At more than 800 pages, The Rogue Queen is a big book, and yes, size matters. Take that however you want, but when it comes to a story this long, I want enough plot, character development, and worldbuilding to justify all those pages. Thankfully, Rory gave me exactly that.

The pacing isn’t nonstop action, and I actually appreciated that. There’s plenty happening throughout the story, but Rory also makes time for family, friendships, training, everyday responsibilities, and the quieter moments that help develop the characters. Those details gave me a better understanding of their lives and made the world feel more complete. With such a large cast and several connected storylines, I can understand why some readers might find it a lot to keep track of, but personally, I had no complaints. I enjoyed spending that extra time with everyone.

As for the romance, there’s plenty of chemistry and sexual tension between Bellamy and Lucien, along with some very explicit scenes. I’d give the spice four out of five peppers. What I appreciated was that their intimate moments felt connected to their relationship rather than being added simply for the sake of having more spice. Their attraction was obvious, but I was just as interested in their conversations, disagreements, and the emotional connection between them.

I also liked that the story didn’t rely entirely on the romance to keep things interesting. Between the supernatural politics, conflicts, action, friendships, and family relationships, there was always something else happening. I enjoy a good romance, but I love it even more when the characters have lives, responsibilities, and relationships outside of one another.

If I had to point out anything that might not work for every reader, it would probably be the length and the number of characters and storylines. This isn’t a quick paranormal romance you can finish in an afternoon, and Rory spends a considerable amount of time developing the world. Some readers might prefer a faster pace or a story that focuses almost entirely on the main couple. For me, though, those details were part of what made the book so enjoyable, and I wouldn’t have wanted to lose them.

Having read The Rogue Queen multiple times now, I can say that my feelings about it haven’t changed. I still love Bellamy’s strength and stubbornness, still get frustrated with Lucien when his Alpha instincts get the better of him, and still laugh at the banter between the characters. I also appreciate how much personality Rory gave the supporting cast because they made me just as interested in the world beyond Bellamy and Lucien’s relationship.

What made this book such a great read for me was the combination of everything I enjoy in paranormal romance. It has a naturally defiant FMC, a possessive Alpha who has some growing to do, a different approach to supernatural lore, complicated politics, action, humor, emotional depth, found family, and plenty of spice. More importantly, it has characters I genuinely enjoyed getting to know and a world I wanted to keep exploring.

Would I Recommend The Rogue Queen?

Absolutely! If you enjoy paranormal romance with strong, independent female characters, possessive Alphas, supernatural politics, powerful bonds, found family, humor, action, and explicit spice, I definitely recommend The Rogue Queen.

I’d especially recommend it to readers who enjoy longer books with detailed worldbuilding and a large cast of characters. Rory takes her time developing the relationships and the different supernatural communities, so if you prefer shorter, faster-paced romances, that’s something to keep in mind. Personally, I loved having so much time to spend with these characters.

Two years and multiple rereads later, The Rogue Queen is still a five-star read for me. I originally finished it wanting to go straight into the next book, and it’s since earned a permanent place among my signed shelf trophies. I love finding a series that I can return to and enjoy just as much as I did the first time, and Twisted Design has definitely become one of those for me.

Final Rating:  ⭐️ 5/5 Stars | 🌶️ 4/5 Spice