Six Wild Crowns - (Queens of Elben) by Holly Race (Hardcover)

About the Book

"As tradition has it, the king of Elben must marry six queens and magically bind each of them to one of the island's palaces or the kingdom will fall. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be her beloved Henry's favorite queen. She relishes the games at court and the political rivalries with his other wives. Seymour is the opposite--originally sent to Boleyn's court as a reluctant spy and assassin, she ends up catching Henry's eye and is forced into a loveless marriage with the king. But when the two queens become the unlikeliest of things--friends and allies--the balance of power begins to shift. Together, they uncover a dark and deadly truth at the heart of the island's magic. Boleyn and Seymour's only hope of survival rests on uniting all six of the rival queens--but Henry will never let that happen"--

Book Synopsis

NO KING CAN RULE THEM ALL.

From a major new voice in epic fantasy, Six Wild Crowns is a breathtaking epic fantasy of dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning, and the wives of Henry VIII as you've never seen them before.

As tradition has it, the king of Elben must marry six queens and magically bind each of them to one of the island's palaces or the kingdom will fall.

Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be her beloved Henry's favorite queen. She relishes the games at court and the political rivalries with his other wives. Seymour is the opposite - originally sent to Boleyn's court as a reluctant spy and assassin, she ends up catching Henry's eye and is forced into a loveless marriage with the king.

But when the two queens become the unlikeliest of things - friends and allies - the balance of power begins to shift. Together, they uncover a dark and deadly truth at the heart of the island's magic. Boleyn and Seymour's only hope of survival rests on uniting all six of the rival queens - but Henry will never let that happen.

Review Quotes

"Holly Race puts a deliciously fantastical twist on the world of Tudor England ... it's twisty and satisfying."

--Paste

"YA author Race's adult debut combines the romantasy of Sarah J. Maas, the cutthroat political corruption of Game of Thrones, and the feminist/sapphic history and mythology revisionism of Madeline Miller's Circe, set in a fantastically researched Tudor Court with all its machinations, à la Alison Weir. An absorbing tale of magic and sisterhood that will be irresistible to a wide swath of readers."

--Library Journal (starred review)

"Readers of historical fiction or fantasy will thoroughly enjoy this feminist reimagining of King Henry VIII and his wives."

--Booklist (starred review)

"Six Wild Crowns is a truly unique retelling of the Tudors. Dragons and deceit and love and magic... I couldn't put it down! Holly explores Henry VIII and his wives while weaving in themes of power, sisterhood, and love in its many forms. A truly dazzling novel."--Natasha Bowen, author of Skin of the Sea

"Fierce and furious, this spectacular reclaiming holds a fantastical mirror up to the six queens and shows that women are always stronger when united."--Helen Corcoran, author of Queen of Coin and Whispers

"With glittering magic, powerful dragons, and a feminist bend, Six Wild Crowns skillfully weaves history and fantasy into an accomplished and brilliantly inventive reimagining of Tudor England."--E.M. Castellan, author of the In the Shadow of the Sun series

"A beautifully written tale of resistance, rebellion, and sisterhood, with an ending that will leave you heartbroken and breathless for more."

--M. H. Ayinde, author of A Song of Legends Lost

"An intricate gem of a novel bursting with ancient magic and intrigue."

--Molly O'Neill, author of Greenteeth

"Written in lush, compelling prose and set in a richly drawn world, this sexy, feminist re-imagining of the story of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour is the romantasy book I've been waiting for."

--Katharine Corr, co-author of Daughter of Darkness

"Six Wild Crowns is a beautiful feminist epic, a luscious and luminous read."--Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

"A ferocious tale of female rage and the strength of sisterhood, Six Wild Crowns is an inventive and fantastical reimagining of Henry VIII's queens - and their fight to reclaim the power stolen from them. Race weaves a rich tapestry of political maneuverings, where love must war against sovereignty, truth battles tradition, and two queens forge heart-wrenching solidarity as they riot against a world determined to hold them down."--S.A. MacLean, author of The Phoenix Keeper

"A glittering, magnificent epic, dripping with menace and brimming with female empowerment. Absolutely incredible."--Francesca May, author of Wild and Wicked Things

"A thoroughly delectable fantasy that celebrates sisterhood and courageous truth while exposing the active maliciousness of patriarchy. The Tudor period is reconstructed into a deftly woven fantasy fraught with all the court politics, betrayals and closely guarded secrets of the era. The wives of Henry VII are resplendent, shrewdly navigating a world intent on controlling them and ready to destroy it all in defense of the ties that bind them. This is an intricate, powerful and utterly spectacular book. No one is ready for it."--Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

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.