April 1, 2024
England, 1536: Queen Anne Boleyn has been beheaded, accused of being a witch. Lady Grace Fairfax has been part of the queen's coven for years. As Anne's confidant and lover, Grace is determined avenge her death. King Henry VIII has tasked witchfinders to ferret out more coven members. Grace must not only avoid the witchfinders (especially their determined new advisor, Sir Ambrose Fulke) but also discover who betrayed Anne. Her investigation leads to another witch in their own coven, forcing Grace to decide if her revenge is worth the coven's discovery or if the witches should go to ground and be reborn. Told from Grace's past and present perspectives, Dawson's novel sets up one woman's story of love, service, and survival and builds on her alternate England where witches and their enemies are in power. VERDICT This prequel to Her Majesty's Royal Coven leans into the real history of Anne Boleyn and creates a delightful origin story for the series.--Kristi Chadwick
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2024
Secret magic, forbidden love, and courtly intrigue abound in this passionate and richly rendered sapphic historical fantasy, a prequel to Dawson’s HMRC series. The year is 1536 and Queen Anne Boleyn is dead, beheaded by vicious, fickle Henry VIII. From there, the story flashes back to 10 years earlier, when Grace Fairfax, a newly made lady for whom joining the court of Queen Catherine means an escape from her much older husband, arrives at the palace knowing she must at all costs hide the gifts that give her control of the elements. But Grace soon finds there are more women like her than she could have imagined, foremost among them the beguiling Lady Anne, whose coven gathers power in secret at court. As Anne’s influence grows and her circle of ladies’ with it, the splendor and excitement soon sour, and a tangle of unrequited loves and bitter betrayals puts the entire coven at risk. In the palace the walls have ears: witchfinders are abroad, backed by powerful enemies. This taste of the founding lore of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven will delight series fans and stands well enough on its own to draw in newcomers as well. Dawson leaves readers wanting more. Agent: Katelyn Dougherty, Paradigm Talent Agency.