Queenswood - by Kathleen Schwab (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Queenswood is a lush, lyrical historical fantasy debut that transports readers to twelfth-century Ireland.

In twelfth-century Ireland, girls go missing--fleeing arranged marriages, carried off by outlaws, abducted by faeries. Rhiannon, treasured daughter of nobility, believes herself secure, shielded by her parents' stone manor and friendship with the king. But as her beauty grows and suitors jostle for her dowry, she watches her father's tenants wrung dry in order to supply the banquet for her older sister's wedding, and realizes the marriage market is a game she does not want to win. A convent offers a life of books and learning, although it means turning her back on mortal men for good.

Angus, Crown Prince of Faerie, grew up in the Queenswood, the enchanted old-growth forest that feeds all the woodlands of Earth and Faerie. Even once he comes of age, Angus much prefers roaming the wilds over the High Court than the responsibility of choosing a bride. But when he sees his mother fading--and the Queenswood dropping its leaves in mourning--he knows he cannot put it off any longer. He must do his duty as the prince and journey to the human world to find a maiden who can become the next Queen of Faerie.

Set in an Ireland still reeling from the Norman invasions, Queenswood combines a deep and immersive historical world with folkloric fantasy adventure.

Review Quotes

"Queenswood, Kathleen Schwab's fantasy novel, is an impassioned homage to the power of community. The reader quickly becomes immersed by the novel's dynamic interplay of humanity, nature, and the world of fairies as the author paints vivid images which will long linger in memory."

"A beautifully written fantasy debut! Lyrical, enchanting, adventurous--a book that you will remember long after you turn the last page."

"Kathleen Schwab's Queenswood is a pure joy, with prose as elegant and enchanting as the world it imagines. A perfect specimen of its genre, it elevates the typical fairyland tale with deep character studies, its protagonists balancing the expectations of their people with the need and the courage to find their own way. Here you'll discover delight, depth, and warm comfort. Schwab is an arresting new voice, and one to watch!"

"Set between worlds--among wise women, breathless abbeys, sentient trees, and fae both benevolent and cruel--Queenswood is a sweeping tale about mortals, sidhe, the dead, and the sacred ties that bind them."