This is one of those stories you didn’t know you were waiting for!
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The king has been appointed by god to marry six queens. Those six queens are all that stand between the kingdom of Elben and ruin. Or so we have been told.
Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry’s favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.
Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things – allies – the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben’s heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.
Six Wild Crowns Review
Six Wild Crowns takes familiar threads from Tudor history and reweaves them into something fresh and what I thought, utterly compelling. It’s a fantasy with echoes of the past, but filled with strange magic and queens who refuse to be pawns.
The concept is brilliant: six queens, all alive, all navigating their own power and place within a dangerous court. There’s plenty of court intrigue and shifting alliances, and the politics are as you’d expect. But it’s the characters who truly shine.
Boleyn, clever and ambitious, is a standout. I loved how her drive and daring unlock something deeper not just in herself, but in Seymour and Howard too. There’s real growth here, and a growing sense of sisterhood that surprised me in the best way. The alliance between Boleyn and Seymour is a turning point, and you can feel the power shift in the air.
Scenes like the Moon Ball and the Cavern of Queens are vivid and atmospheric, pulsing with tension and magic. The bordweal adds an intriguing layer of ancient power and unease, and I’m fascinated to see how it all develops.
This first book lays strong foundations for the trilogy – there’s so much still to uncover (what is the significance of the howling sickness?) And that ending? I need book two now.
If you enjoy your fantasy woven around history, powerful queens, and a twist of the unexpected, this is one I recommend you add to your list.
About the Author
Holly Race is a writer and script editor, and has worked for companies including Working Title Films, Aardman Animations and Red Planet Pictures. She is a Faber Academy graduate, and her YA urban fantasy trilogy, MIDNIGHT’S TWINS, A GATHERING MIDNIGHT and A MIDNIGHT DARK AND GOLDEN was published by Hot Key Books (2020-22). She lives in Cambridge. SIX WILD CROWNS is her adult debut. Instagram @hollyracebooks
