Author Holly Race has reimagined one of the most infamous English monarchs in this new fantasy series.
Six Wild Crowns begins on the isolated island of Elben. King Henry has inherited ancient magic from the god Cernunnos, but to maintain it, he must simultaneously marry six queens and bear a male heir. Boleyn is his newest wife, but her new lady-in-waiting Seymour is a double agent. She has been groomed by Queen Aragon, to assassinate Boleyn before she gives birth to a son. But Seymour refuses to murder Boleyn, as she’s falling for her. The safest thing to do is become the next queen. and Seymour and Boleyn work together to unite all six royal wives and reclaim Henry’s magic for its rightful owners.
Holly Race has clearly done extensive research, and the story is so satisfyingly full of Easter eggs and key players in the Tudor Court, with references to Bessie Blount, Jane Rotchford, Thomas Wyatt and more! I think this book will be perfect for fans of Wolf Hall and Philippa Gregory.
While the plot starts off slow and a bit complicated, with multiple players and enemies, I was soon sucked into Race’s twisting plot. Boleyn, Seymour and Henry’s characterisation is fascinating, and I adored the depth of each personality. For example, the King is a great villain and ultimately despicable, but a key part of Boleyn’s character is that she keeps reasoning between her love and hatred for him. The sapphic yearning between the two queens is top-notch, and Race’s writing is so creative and brings a gorgeously opulent fantasy court to life. I can’t wait to read this book again.
Reviewed by Rachel Denham-White
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Holly is a novelist and screenwriter. Her debut trilogy, the Midnight’s Twins series, re-envisions Arthurian legend within an urban fantasy setting. Her next trilogy, Six Wild Crowns, is an historical fantasy retelling of the six wives of Henry VIII.
Prior to becoming a writer, Holly spent ten years as a script editor in film and television. She has worked for companies such as Red Planet Pictures, the Imaginarium Studios, Working Title Films and Aardman Animations and on series such as popular cosy crime drama Death in Paradise. She is currently a Royal Literary Fund fellow, attached to the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University.
Holly lives in Cambridge with her husband and daughter. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found renovating their crumbling Regency era townhouse.
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