This is a fun and exciting book to read. The author has taken some of the most well known names from Tudor England and placed them in a fantasy world, which has some similarities to their own times.

Boleyn is a young woman determined to become King Henry's favourite wife out of his six, and she will do whatever it takes to accomplish this.

Seymour is a young woman who has been put down as pretty much useless by her brothers who just want to marry her off to get her out of their way, but she has something better in mind for herself.

This is a very interesting retelling of the King Henry VIII story, but in a fantasy land. Recommended for anyone who loves fantasy and historical fiction.

This book was not personally for me, I ended at 25% ish, but I can see the appeal to certain readers, so I will stock it at my store to give people options. I like to have a broad variety of books on offer for all the readers out there.

My thanks to the author, the publisher and netgalley for an advanced copy of Six Wild Crowns in exchange for my honest review. What the blurb said it would be and what it ended up being did not match, but it was okay.

I think the blurb was bit misleading, otherwise the book was great with good plot an story. The ending was incredibly done, beautiful but also sad. The author has crafted a beautiful tale of strength, hope and love. this was my first read by the author and I will obviously be reading more by her.

I’m torn with this one Ienjoyed the story, loved the feminist retake, however this was not the story I was sold which I really wanted to read, it’s not the same as the synopsis, barely a whisper of dragon, it’s not really the tudors either, although names may be the same, it’s a really imaginative and interesting debut, but it’s not what I was sold and I think could have been better if it wasn’t based on a ‘new’ version of the tudors but as odd as this review sounds for me I still liked it, I did say I was torn 3.75 stars, if it had been a bit more like the synopsis would be a five star read

I can see what is loveable about the book. I dont disagree with the very positive reviews, but just couldn't finish it.

I just found it really hard to shift what I knew about these historical characters and make the mental jump to a fantastical otherworld. My reading was just completely blocked by what I knew. So it is definitely a me problem. I'm really grateful to have had a chance to read and review.

Ignore the blurb. This story has little in common with what it claims - Jane Seymour an assassin? Dragons? Technically, those things are there, but so briefly, so weakly, that it seems a mistake to try and highlight them, when there are so many other things happening. Also, it made no sense for Seymour to even be sent to do what they expected of her - character's so not behave with sense in a lot of this book.

Seymour annoyed me for the majority of the book. The chapters shift between her and Boleyn's PoV, and every Seymour chapter seemed to have some refrain of 'I'm stupid' over and over again. It was as though her only character trait was her supposed stupidity, and she isn't even stupid. As she (painfully) slowly comes into her own, that starts to fade away, but by then, for me, the damage was done. I didn't like her even as she finally started to fight back and forge a path for herself.

I will say, seeing her brother get his comeuppance after a whole book of waiting, was a great enjoyment and I only wish we could have lingered longer. The writer did a fantastic job in making him someone to hate, while at the same time sadly, being someone you could recognize from the real world - all women probably know someone like him, even if not to his extreme.

Boleyn I mostly enjoyed, she embodied the rebellious, passionate woman, strong and independent but her character was all over the place, shifting motivations and actions almost chapter by chapter. I understand she was in love with Henry, but she still made no sense.

I don't even know what to say about the ending, like so many series it ends on a cliff-hanger, but it was all rather murky and I'm not 100% sure what actually happened in it.

This was just lacking, it was such a shame because I was excited for the premise but it just felt like there was no substance.

Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race is a fantastic blend of fantasy and historical fiction with a unique twist on the Tudor period. Instead of the eight consecutive wives of Henry VIII, in this world he is married to his six queens simultaneously. Each Queen is psychically linked to their own royal palace and the network of palaces forms a protective magical barrier around the island.
This book focuses largely on Queen Boleyn and Queen Seymour, at first the two women are at odds as Boleyn sees Seymour as a romantic rival for Henry's affections, not knowing that Seymour is already in love with her, but as the story unfolds the two women become unlikely allies, and when they uncover the truth about the King's magic they will need the help of their fellow Queens if they are to save both the Kingdom and each other.
This book is filled with magic and mystery, feminist rage and Sapphic longing, political intrigue and devastating consequences. I will say that it starts slowly, there is a lot of world building to get through but once things start to take shape the pace quickens. The emphasis is on women working together and the power of female friendship is woven through the narrative in a very effective manner and I loved the complexity of the characters and seeing how the relationships between them grew over the course of the book. We do get some glimpses of the other Queens, and from what we did see I am looking forward to seeing these characters explored in more depth in the rest of the series, and speaking of the rest of the series that ending ! It was dramatic and powerful in the best possible way.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Having grown up in the South of England, the Tudors were always a quiet presence in the background of my life. I would walk past the old Richmond Palace on my way to work, and recently attended a family event alongside Hampton Court. The Royal Parks were a welcome play and then walking space, so it was easy to superimpose the world of ‘Six Wild Crowns’ onto our own.

This isn't England as we know it, not quite. It’s a world of magic, with pet dragons, griffons and wild crones, fast-travel roads and scrying mirrors. The King must have six wives simultaneously, one at each of six castles located around the realm, in order to maintain the defensive magic that prevents invasion - and of course, provide him with that much-sought heir.

I love how the legends of Henry and his ill-fated marriages has been transformed here into something much more natural, while incorporating the (even now) relatively revolutionary concepts of polyamory and queer relationship. While the men rule through political and religious tradition, this is a story about women standing in their power - and discovering the potential for even more as they do so.

The Queens we know from history are here, but dialled up greatly in personality and strength. We follow two in particular (each named for their family, which is an interesting statement on personal identity): lovely and ambitious Boleyn, and quiet but clever Seymour. Henry takes a back seat in the narrative as his wives delve into the history of just what their roles are, and how much they can push the confining boundary walls of Royal responsibility.

I’m sure this book will shock some historic purists, not least because of its sexual openness but also its emphasis on pre-Christian religion - the God we’re familiar with isn't present at all. Henry rules by grace of Cernunnos (which was fascinating to me as a pagan and lover of the folklore of the British Isles) but it doesn't necessarily make things easier for him. When Boleyn discovers evidence of a Goddess and what that might mean for the true power of England, a touchfire is lit that has implications far greater than simply the contents of her womb.

This is a fantastic subversion of the history we’ve been taught, transforming it into what might have been with the possibility that women absolutely know their own minds. Magic aside, what might have happened if Henry’s Queens had been allowed to blossom into their own freedom? What if state tradition was actually propaganda, twisted to distort and place power in hands that never deserved it?

The story clips along at a great pace, with all of these questions subtly introduced by the clever minds of our protagonists. I suspect I’ll find myself looking at depictions of the wives very differently now, and wish that they’d had more of an opportunity before being crushed by the weight of expectation and duty.

A smart, insightful and engaging alternate history, which left me inspired with its multitude of ‘What Ifs’.

"Six Wild Crowns" by Holly Race presented an intriguing concept and some genuinely creative world-building that kept me turning the pages. I appreciated the unique magical system and the imaginative elements within the narrative. However, I found the pacing a little uneven, with some sections feeling rushed while others dragged, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. Additionally, while the characters had potential, I felt some of their motivations and developments could have been more fully explored. It was an okay read, but didn't quite live up to its promising premise for me.

I really enjoyed this, as this period in time is one of my favourites. I went in blind, not knowing what it was about and loved it! The magic, the sapphic yearning, even the way it was written and the characters surnames was so cool! Really enjoyed

A Tudor-themed fantasy that pits Queen against Queen and Queens against King

In Elben, the King is blessed with the power to protect the kingdom with a magical shield, the Bordweal. But to maintain it's requires the King to have six Queens who share their strength with him (because obviously women aren't capable of dealing with such powerful magic).

This isn't an historical fantasy, it's a different fantasy world that has a Tudor aesthetic. There are pet lap dragons, creepy Crones wandering the countryside, prophecies and goddesses. All six queens, alive at the same time, vie for the King's affections - desperate to be the one to produce a male heir that will ensure the magical protections continue.

Although the set up feels very fantasy-focused, the heart of the story is more about the world of the Queens - the misogynist, patriarchal political, religious and magic systems that reduce them to being scheming, jealous creatures all desperate to please the king. I liked that it's Boleyn, the one who is truly in love with Henry, is the one who uncovers the truth and must decide what is most important - her love or the truth.

I think there's lot of interesting things going on in this book, but it felt like there was a few too many moving pieces and different ideas at times, and yet it also felt a bit slow in places. Boleyn and Seymour are very different perspectives: Boleyn is forceful, sharp and intelligent; Seymour is shyer, cowed by her overbearing and abusive brothers. Neither is wholly likeable, although they do grow on you, but both perspectives suffer from feeling a little repetitive. I also didn't realise until the very abrupt ending that this was the start of a series, I hope the focus doesn't shift into massive fantasy battle territory as I think this was more interesting when it focused on the characters and political scheming (although I do have a theory about the Crones that I want confirmed).

This was such an interesting concept and I really enjoyed it. The first bit of the book was a bit slow and confusing whilst I got my head around the magic system, and I had to remember the historical/political references in some places which could be confusing as there were openly queer people and practices of polyamory. About 1/3rd of the way into the book the story and betrayal really starts getting intriguing and I found it hard to put it down. Both Boleyn and Seymour were great characters to focus on though spoiler alert: the sapphic romance between the pair is not actually a thing, it is sapphic yearning from one or the characters, I really enjoyed the book, the end was shocking and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you for the copy of this ARC for an unbiased review.

I decided to give this one another go but unfortunately for me, it was quite the struggle and I threw in the towel once more.

I'm very new to the fantasy genre. I haven't yet quite figured out what I like or don't like, I suppose. For Six Wild Crowns, I expected a fantasy Tudor England where the six queens would get the opportunity to stand up against the tyrant that was their husband. I would have been delighted with that since I love the Tudor period in my historical fiction and I relished the idea that the wives would be able to get their revenge for how they'd been treated. But from the very beginning, I struggled with the characters. I couldn't see past the real life Tudors at all, the constant use of the queens' surnames bothered me immensely, and I failed to see why the author just didn't come up with new characters of her own and created her own wonderful fantasy world instead of just copying what was already there in history.

The promise of dragons didn't seem to come to anything, or not in the way I was expecting in the kind of cool Game of Thrones way. I apparently missed all the political intrigue and there is a lot of what I consider blah-blah but nothing ever really seems to happen. Unless you count the absolutely gross description of Seymour being on her period. Also, where was all the magic I was promised? Did I miss where it says how it even works?

Like I said, I’m not quite a fantasy expert but this one was most definitely not for me. And when it comes to Henry VIII and his six wives, I think I’ll stick to Alison Weir from now on.

3.5 stars
Content warning: death, murder, blood and injury detail, marital rape, adult/minor relationship, miscarriage, abortion, misogyny, ongoing physical abuse from sibling

Six Wild Crowns is a highly fantastical and imaginative take on the Tudor period. Set in a perilous kingdom where the Elben king requires six brides to maintain power, this story creates a stage for certain characters to reclaim their power and overthrow patriarchal rule. Please note that, while this story does focus on some familiar historically known names, it is not an accurate tale. Further, the marketing around this novel does leave a sour taste in my mouth, because I don't think the reader is given the right synopsis for this story. I was thankful that a friend read this before me and was able to tell me this upfront so I could better arrange my expectations, since I did apply for this as a fan of historical fantasy, and am somewhat disappointed by the way it's been misrepresented.

This isn't a historical retelling per se, I'd rather explain it as a feminine rage-led political fantasy, with a highly imaginative kingdom that preys on power through greed and control. Secrets that are uncovered throughout allow our main protagonists to take back what is theirs. It's overall a powerfully told story, and towards the end of the book, I couldn't put it down. There are multiple romantic elements to this story, and I would say to call this purely a romantic tale between our protagonists Boleyn and Seymour is quite a disservice. I liked the complicated nature of connection for both characters from their own experiences shaping who they are and how they love, and saw Seymour and Boleyn as two souls interconnected more so than as lovers.

I did struggle to get invested in this book a lot. The pacing was unbearably slow at times, and I couldn't really fathom what the characters were attempting to do initially. Once the story was built upon, I definitely found some interest in the characters and the cleverness of women working together to regain their agency within a deadly and dangerous world. For me, the story felt complete at the end with a thrilling conclusion, though I can see why the author has made this into a series. I don't think I will be reading on, simply because it took so long for me to get fully into the characters and the story being told. That said, if you thrive on political intrigue and female-led casts, and aren't looking for something historically accurate, then Six Wild Crowns is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

(ARC Gifted/AD for honest review) Thank you Little Brown Book Group, Orbit, Holly Race and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#SixWildCrowns #NetGalley

3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this read; set in an alternate fantasy-history of the six wives of Henry VIII, Six Wild Crowns centres on Seymour and Boleyn as rivals to friends in a world of dragons and magic.

Overall this was really enjoyable; great pacing and beautifully descriptive. There is definitely scope to expand the story further and explore the other Queens (who in their own right were really interesting characters). Something that slightly threw me off was the tone of voice; sometimes you'd see language fitting to the historical context, and other times modern day phrases would be used. This didn't detract from the story overall (there are literally fantasy creatures in the book after all, not mentioned often but they are there!) but it was confusing to set the scene at times. I’m interested to learn more about the lore and magic systems; I think there’s absolutely more to explore there.

Overall I'd rate this 3.5 stars out of 5 and recommend this to anybody interested in light-touch historical retellings or fantasy world building.

I was completely swept up in SIX WILD CROWNS. It’s a beautifully written, feminist retelling of the wives of Henry VIII, and I loved how it brought these historical women to life. The writing is lush and atmospheric, and while it’s not super fast-paced, I was totally hooked by the characters and their journeys.

The queens—especially protagonists Boleyn and Seymour—are complex, and that’s what makes them so compelling. They’re flawed, sometimes unlikeable, but all the more relatable because of it. Their individual arcs are powerful, but what really stood out to me was their growing awareness of the strength they hold—not just alone, but together. Their journey to finding that power, both personal and collective, is one of the strongest parts of the book.

While magic is central to the premise, it’s not heavy on-page, which makes this a really accessible read even if you don’t usually go for fantasy. The focus is on character, relationships, and reclaiming voice and agency.

If you’re into Tudor history, character-driven stories, or just love reading about powerful, complicated women, I highly recommend SIX WILD CROWNS!

Tudors, court intrigue and politics, sapphic yearning and dragons, what a read!
I really enjoyed reading this book, I found the plot original and I found myself wanting to immerse myself in the world. Although it might've been intended to be more intriguing and engaging, I was bored at times. I found Boleyn to be a such a strong character. However, I thought Seymour's storyline was a bit weak and had a hard time getting behind the relationship.
Overall, this story has so much potential for expansion and the characters to grow. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and what she has to offer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

In order to protect the kingdom of Elben, its king needs to wed six women to be his queens and magically bound them into the realm’s six palaces to keep the bordweal a powerful enchantment that protects the island from falling into enemies hands for years and years, kings after kings. This long held tradition of union kept the island safe, but secrets and treacheries lies deep within.

The book is said to be “an epic fantasy retelling of the Tudor Queens” but I am not very familiar with them except for some reels I saw randomly on the internet, so differences and nuances with the original source material are missed 😅

The very first half of the book was spent to fully set the atmosphere of the book and its characters and their development, that is why it is a slow start and it felt like the story fully started at the second half of the book. Though it is nicely done in my opinion as it didn’t really felt like the story is just dragging on. The atmospheric feel of the book helps as well.

The characterization for Boleyn and Seymour are nicely done in my opinion. The book showed the complexity of their characters and how you’ll feel irritated by Boleyn’s actions, frustrated with Seymour’s timidness, but root for them as the two of them together with the rest of Elben’s queens form an uncanny alliance to fight and correct what was wrong, and to take back what was rightfully theirs.

Although, to be honest I felt like this book is just good for the last 100 pages or so, because that’s when most of the thrilling scenes happened, so if you have the patience it’s worth it.